Stanislaus

Hit the Road was my first encounter with Iranian cinema and I can say that this film will leave an impression on the viewer. A seemingly funny film, it gradually turns from a light-hearted family road movie into a dense story with a bitter aftertaste of (no) hope. Panah Panahi plays with hints in an artful way and leaves the viewer wondering about the reason for the journey for a certain period of time. I commend the cast, especially the little brother, who, though annoying at times, was portrayed incredibly well. The scene with the cyclist was really amusing, while the distant but all the more powerful goodbye got to me (even at a distance). The ending was a bit bizarre, but memorable nonetheless. A weaker four stars!

Nightmare Alley drew me to the cinema mainly because of the cast, the premise and, of course, the name of the director. Guillermo Del Toro's films are brimming with distinctive visuals and his latest is no different, aided by the inclusion of the film noir genre, where visuals are essential. I hadn't read the source material, nor had I seen the original film, yet I had a hunch in the first quarter what the outcome would be, thanks in part to its striking resemblance to the iconic Freaks. I admit that I may have expected more from Nightmare Alley, but I still enjoyed it in the cinema, even if it could have benefited from a slightly shorter running time. I was also expecting it to be darker and more brutal – not that I felt the need to see gallons of blood. Acting-wise, however, it was good, especially in the case of Cate Blanchett, but Bradley Cooper also played his part. Last but not least, I commend the likeable and mysterious soundtrack. Three and less than half stars!

Jiří Havelka shifted the plot of his intimate comedy from an owners' meeting to a local train and this time he did not rely on a star-studded cast, but gave a chance to lesser-known faces. Leaving aside the fact that from a physical point of view, such a long reversal at constant speed is not entirely possible, even though the story is inspired by a real (14-minute, supposedly) event, Emergency Situation manages to entertain, especially thanks to the ubiquitous absurdity and caricatures of Czechs. A trivial technical malfunction starts a merry-go-round of misunderstandings, accusations, confessions, conspiracies and mental outbursts, and even if the film loses its breath a bit at times (like the poor engineer), I was entertained from the beginning to the end. The parrot line was, um, weird, but so be it. A weaker four stars!

I quite like Roland Emmerich's (not only) disaster movies, They are weaker in terms of their script, but never pretend to be smart. In Moonfall, the director rips off his earlier films, which wouldn't have been a bad thing, but in this case the final product didn't impress me much, and that goes also to the audiovisual execution, which is a shame when it comes to Emmerich. The constellation of characters in Moonfall is very reminiscent of 2012, but visually it was on a different level. The idea of Moonfall isn’t entirely bad, but it bludgeoned by the script, which, though not surprising in Emmerich's case, here it was very blatant, with more than one pathetic moment. Better two stars!

Gold, on the one hand, impresses with its raw premise, the audiovisual, the make-up work and the performance of Zac Efron, who probably won't be getting a tan again, while on the other hand I felt a certain amount of untapped potential – the whole story turned out almost as expected. I praise the camera work, even if the film often recycles shots with a lone tree and silhouettes on the horizon, and I liked the soundtrack as well. Efron definitely tried a different type or role in Gold, and I found Anthony Hayes (both as director and writer) bland, while Susie Porter was quite impressive in a smaller role. The film didn't skimp on rawness, yet – except for the ending – it left me mostly cold in that regard. Better three stars!

I was lured to the screening of Spencer by the (quite surprising to me) casting of Kristen Stewart – I was curious to see how she would handle the role – and the obvious attempt to take an unconventional approach to the story of Diana, even if it was fiction, as mentioned in the film's opening. After watching it, I have mixed feelings. Stewart definitely portrays Diana in an unconventional way and her performance drags the film, both up and down. There is a sense of the film trying to evoke an uncomfortable and oppressive atmosphere within the royal family, and though at times it succeeds, it still feels quite off in places. If we understand Spencer as a projection of the main character's internal struggle onto the screen, it can be forgiven for plot fuzziness to the point of instability, which I assume was the director's intention. A weaker three stars!

I was really curious to see the latest film from the creator of Women on the Run, as Heart to Heart also features a likeable cast and an appealing, albeit not original, premise. Despite the obvious plot cliché, Horský's film is incredibly relaxing and optimistic, and put a genuine smile on my face. I appreciate the funny screenplay that doesn't push the envelope unnecessarily, and I must also praise the sober and believable performances of the actors – especially in the case of Honzik, whose lines really amused me. But the other actors and actresses also won me over. On the other hand, the heavy, easy-going Váleček reminded me of a nice basset hound from my childhood. A weaker four stars!

Although I’ve never been a big fan of the Hotel Transylvania films and consider them mainly as something easygoing intended primarily for younger audiences, they managed to entertain me and make feel me tense at times. Unfortunately, the fourth outing killed the otherwise interesting theme with the transformation of the characters and almost ruined the comedy, and also the action side of the film. The character of Johnny is more annoying than ever, and if it weren't for a few scenes with the old Murray, I wouldn't bat an eyelid. The final lesson is lost in the end like tears in the rain.

(Spoiler alert!) For the fifth time, we hear "What's your favorite scary movie?" on the phone, and right at the beginning you ask yourself the question: Does a film, built on the same genre structure as its four predecessors, even have the potential to surprise and lure audiences into the theater anymore? The fifth Scream, and also the first without the late Wes Craven, has that potential. It should be mentioned beforehand that those who have not seen all the previous episodes cannot appreciate the latest outing of ghostface. The creators managed to artfully incorporate moments referring to the first four films into the story, while playing with genre expectations in a great way (close a door – nothing, close a closet – nothing, close another door – still nothing ... and suddenly you are stabbed), so despite the template-like structure, the latest Scream doesn't feel formulaic and manages to surprise. The identity of the two killers was not so surprising and you basically discover it during the attack in the hospital, which unfortunately convinces us that everyone is deadly. Yes, a couple of the murders really hurt! But the shocking revelation of the killers wasn't so much the point as paying homage to Craven and his legacy. Plus, it was good to see the old trio back together (the Gale-Dewey line really had an "onion" vibe), without which the younger and half-unseasoned cast couldn't have pulled off the film. Last but not least, I was surprised by the return of a character from "the other side". Three and three-quarters stars! PS: "Don't f*ck with the original!" PS2: Anyone who has seen Once Upon a Time in Hollywood will experience déjà vu at the end.

Red Notice didn't entice me due to the likeable cast, with the Gadot-Johnson-Reynolds trio proving themselves in their roles. Plot-wise, it is basically a rehash of older films and aside from a minor plot twist, which was predictable from a certain point on, it doesn't have much to surprise. Some scenes feel too forced – lately filmmakers feel the need to put unnecessary artificial animals in their films – and you could talk at length about how Red Notice disregards the laws of physics, but whatever, a film like this should be taken with a grain of salt. The film could have easily been a quarter of an hour shorter, but it still managed to keep me interested, tense and even entertained at times (thanks mainly to Reynolds).