Kaka

Perhaps the best possible diversion in the alternate past. The theme is factual, briskly filmed and modernly described in a way that is as relevant in the 1970s as it is today. Directorial and screenwriting ideas like these are a joy to watch. At the same time, it is a quite sophisticated depiction of a social issue that has been going on for many centuries. All this in the same cool retro style and with a fresh bunch of unknown people.

The second episode will win over many a hesitant viewer. If after the first episode some might have questioned the point and potential audience appeal of the whole project, the second makes it clear with its serious appeal that this series will probably be worth it. A much more serious and dramatic episode, actually better in every way than the occasionally bumbling first one. The characters have emotion and psychological depth, and even political strings are pulled.

A positive, heartfelt feel-good movie about a millionaire prude grandmother and her eternally positive personal driver who find their way to each other across personality, opinion and gender differences. A predecessor of The Green Book, which, unlike its successor, is only lightly, marginally focused on the race issue, the creators rather focus on the relationship between two typologically completely different people living completely different lives and their inevitable confrontation in a number of different model situations. The result is good enough. Fortunately the runtime is not excessive, so the ending arrives when it's just right. It is definitely worth mentioning the strong central duo and the very good make-up effects for the time.

An opening with a very specific vibe. It's a sort of deft mix of light comedy/parody and serious drama with surprisingly good visual effects scenes in space. At the same time, the creators are not afraid to address the viewer with a solidly restored sixties atmosphere, including a mix of original archive videos and interviews. There are a number of ways to grasp this alternate history, hopefully it can be done at least half as well as Snyder did in Watchmen.

Another of Stephen King's many well adapted novels with an impressively oppressive atmosphere, bleak locations and weird individuals. Great casting, dominated by the hard-to-beat Kathy Bates, an intricate, well-grasped script and at times almost horror-like moments (similar to Misery), enhanced by great lighting and camera work. A little-known thriller, which probably hangs in the wake of the better known, more iconic and better received "King films" like The Shawshank Redemption or The Green Mile. Dolores Claiborne, however, is in many ways an equally impressive affair.

Interweaving several time planes using Morricone's magical music and an impressive retro atmosphere, The Legend of the Pianist on the Ocean very often acts as an alternative to Once Upon a Time in America, only that instead of a story about a mobster on land, it tells the story of a musician at sea. Unlike Leone, however, Tornatore doesn't have as many strong scenes that get under the viewer's skin. In the nearly three hours of running time, there are only a few, not enough for such a monstrously long film. The original premise, which is skillfully executed and has an almost fragile poetics and a fine-tuned musical component, is like something from another world, even though the visuals are sometimes spoiled by the blatantly ordinary visual effects and the boarding platform with the silhouette of the ship is strikingly reminiscent of scenes from James Cameron's Titanic.

Everest in a cave, with completely different sets and definitely not a good film for claustrophobics. Procedural, suspenseful and very authentic. It doesn't look like Howard's typical work, but Thirteen Lives contains some of his typical elements and works with them very well, without a single sign of pathos or exaggerated emotions. Nerve-wrecking and another film based on true events that Ron Howard managed well. This time much less cinematic and much more documentary-like than some of the others, but it doesn't detract from the experience.

Finally a sequel to Predator that is very similar to the legendary first film. It doesn't trump it in the depressing, sometimes even horror atmosphere, and of course not in the originality of the initial creative idea either, but Prey certainly doesn't put it to shame. The plot is relatively coherent (similar to the scheme of the first one), the hunter himself has plenty of space and a couple of scenes are really delicious. There’s the bear scene, already mentioned here, which is OK, but too digital. Paradoxically, the best scene IMHO is not led by the Predator, but by young Amber Midthunder, who at one point dispatches a couple of smirking sleazebags, and she does it nicely without a single cut, in a perfectly clear manner and with the right amount of explicit violence. Overall, the creators are not afraid of brutality, on the contrary. It's still a B movie, but it's ambitious, suspenseful, and for once even the average viewer can enjoy it.

A mindless, emotionless theatrical romp with fantastic sets and costumes. Good as a theatre play, borderline passable as a film.

For the first 30-40 minutes, it's basically just a palette of long takes and pieces to a seemingly complex story puzzle. However, once all the main points are revealed and the whole starts to "glue" together, Incendies becomes a completely different film – urgent, uncompromising, authentic. Each successive shot becomes more and more painful and emotionally cathartic until the finale. A finale that will affect each viewer differently, but one that no one will forget. Before Villeneuve went big-budget, dark and visually lavish, he was able to make darkness on a fraction of the budget, with similar filmmaking qualities, in shabby sets and with unknown actors. It's worth making a comparison.