Stanislaus

Halloween II could be seen as an extension of the first, if only because it takes place right after it. This time the action moves to a hospital, which is always a rewarding place for horror films. I liked the first half better, it doesn't lack suspense, even the simple but all the more iconic theme song works the second time around. But in the second half, which was also suspenseful, there certain illogical, even silly moments that began to bother me. Mike Myers is overly resistant (he clearly doesn't mind boiling water) and Laurie crawls or runs around as she sees fit. I understand that this is supposed to be a B-movie slasher from a time when the line between the living and the dead is at its narrowest, but everything in moderation when it comes to the (in)mortality of some of the characters.

I'm not a fan of historical war films, but I was tempted to watch The Outlaw King because of the cast (Florence Pugh and Chris Pine) and I was also intrigued by the character of Robert the Bruce, who is not so well known. The depiction of the Middle Ages with all its unfortunate attributes was quite good, but I felt that everything else was flat and emotionless, both in the war-historical and biographical-romantic lines. But maybe it's just that I'm not the target audience.

Even though the second part of To All the Boys I've Loved Before lacks the wow-effect and original idea, I personally found this sequel on a similar level and therefore I give the same rating. The actors are still authentic in their roles, the script isn't completely predictable and at times I found the sequel even more mature than its predecessor. The plot also flows decently and it's nice to watch. Maybe average, but an unobtrusively filmed recreation with more than one humorous, but also more serious moment, which has a likable diverse cast.

A Chinese version of Van Helsing that is also wrapped in a lot of not always very good visual effects, and whose characters also defy all the laws of physics. Nevertheless, the plot is entertaining on the whole and offers plenty of well thought out action sequences, for which you just have to throw gravity aside and enjoy their elaborate choreography. In terms of acting, it was thankfully not as overly flashy and overly affected as is usual with Asian films. Weaker, but still three stars!

Cosy Dens is an immortal classic and one of the best post-revolutionary Czech films with many unforgettable lines and great acting performances. Many thanks to all involved for such a cleverly written film with a balanced amount of humour and drama. Even though I know the film almost by heart, it doesn't get boring and gives me something new every time I watch it again. Every scene is a treasure and every line is a gem!

I have not read the book, so I can only judge The Snowman in its film form, and I must say right away that I only hope the novel is better than its adaptation. The film has a pretty decent run-up, and the setting of the snowy north almost always adds some extra plus points, as do the complex crimes going into the past. The film even features a very decent cast. What I couldn't get past, however, was the completely unconvincing, even incomprehensible, motivation of the perpetrator for his actions. The final nail in the coffin, however, was the incredibly disconnected ending. I was expecting a chilling and raw thriller with a decently constructed plot, and I was obviously disappointed after watching it.

Thanks to the form of a fiction documentary, The Circle manages to captivate both with its story and its narrative value. For a hundred minutes, we witness both the story of a great and enduring love, and the unpleasant historical events that put many obstacles in the way of this relationship. It was interesting and enlightening to see what the 4% community looked like several decades ago, and at the same time frightening to see what conditions were like back then, even in a tolerant and neutral country like Switzerland. An authentically acted and information-rich film.

A slightly shorter running time would have suited Brideshead Revisited, as I found the film felt longer than it actually was because it was trying to accommodate a relatively large space-time. There are two storylines, the relational and the religious, that intersect and affect each other throughout the film. As far as the cast is concerned, I was most impressed by the characters played by Emma Thompson and Ben Whishaw, whose portrayals could perhaps not have been more different. A visually appealing but narratively overstretched romantic drama from history.

"Things aren't beautiful because of how they sound. They're beautiful because of what they mean." While I've never read anything by Tolkien – a shame, I know – I do love and appreciate the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so I was curious to see a film that depicts the youth of an author who breathed life into so many breathtaking places and characters. Many times during the film, you notice subtle allusions to the stories of Middle Earth – I personally was most taken with the scenes of war. However, given that the story largely revolves around the war, I expected it to feature more powerful scenes. I found the portrayal of the relationship between John and Edith to be off-putting, but I did like the scenes with the professor, played by Derek Jacobi. By the end, the film was playing a bit too much on emotions. Still, I'm glad I invested the time in the film because it offered some interesting moments in the life of one of the greatest fantasy authors of all time.

A nicely made little film with a relatively original initial idea, it relies mainly on the endearingly reckless acting of Lana Condor and the likeable performance of Noah Centine. I definitely liked the first half of the film better, as it had a breezy start and a well-paced plot, while the second half slipped a little into the clichés of the genre. Besides that, I had to remind myself at times that this is supposed to be a film set in high school, which was matched by the often annoying behaviour of some of the characters. I give it a strong three stars and can definitely recommend it for viewing – a nice and unpretentious one-off.