gudaulin

Professional period filmmaking, quality camera work, careful selection of actors, decent editing, and film techniques with special effects that are simply from the mid-1950s. Simply Hitchcock, as we know him. The opening shots create a pleasant bourgeois atmosphere of a happy middle-class family, only to be followed by an unexpected encounter, accusations of a crime, and a harrowing journey to clear one's name. The screenplay avoids over-complication and obvious mistakes, and the film can rely on the excellent performance of Henry Fonda in the lead role. His eyes and facial expressions perfectly correspond to a person going through a serious life crisis. Everything is accompanied by emotive film music. Overall impression: 75%. This is one of those films that hasn't significantly aged.

The Draughtsman's Contract somewhat reminded me of the famous film Blow-Up with its style and atmosphere. The plot itself is not very relevant, but Peter Greenaway's film captivates through the atmosphere of the noble estate and the society that occupies it, with all its small contradictions, passions, and intrigues, along with the visual aspect of the film. The director is interested in the psychology of the characters, and the relationship between dominance and subordination, which can change and overcome social conventions under pressure from circumstances. Fans of history and visual arts will enjoy the film, as it is a delight for the eyes to simply observe the creation of individual graphics and the accompanying creative process. The actual point of the story is not very prominent, and I wouldn't classify the film as a historical detective story. It is rather a tragicomedy with plenty of decadent elements in the behavior of the main characters. Overall impression: 75%.

The movie, contrary to many enthusiastic reviews, didn't have as strong of an impact on me as I expected. As a detective story, it was somewhat straightforward, and the different cultural backgrounds also disturbed me. However, from the perspective of portraying cultural differences, especially collective perception, High and Low, along with Kurosawa's classic advantages - excellent camera work and editing, is a decent above-average film. Compared to Kurosawa's medieval films, I was pleasantly surprised by the civil acting of his actors. Overall impression: 65%.

1408 is not exceptional either in terms of script quality or directorial approach, but at the same time, it is an honest genre film without unpleasant mistakes and pandering. In the flood of endless teenage massacres, inconspicuous vampire and zombie slasher films, and cheap thefts of famous films from the past, this psycho-horror feels honestly old-fashioned according to the rules of the old genre school. In addition, Cusack acts excellently and Samuel L. Jackson complements him very well in the smaller role of the hotel manager. The appropriate duration and several decent special effects scenes with a functioning atmosphere make this film an above-average work in its genre. Overall impression: 70%.

The director's strong personality emanates from each shot of the film and he knows how to choose his actors well and explain to them what he expects from them. The camera work, editing, and especially the music deserve praise. Likewise, the length is fully justified considering the scope of the book it is based on. I have no problem with Andrzej Wajda and I don't think it's possible to make a better adaptation of Dostoevsky's "The Possessed." Perhaps the director could have distanced himself a bit from the source material and made his characters more relatable and accessible to today's audience. The problem lies in the novel itself, where Dostoevsky deals with his demons from the past. It can be a bit intellectually verbose, and some dialogues seem unbelievable and overly dramatic, but above all, the character of Peter is too negative, and even though it corresponds to the book, I don't fully believe in the extent of his cynical openness. Villains usually don't call themselves villains. Overall impression: 75%.

I cannot consider myself an expert on this series because I have only seen six episodes, and it is a question of where the new episodes are heading, which usually have weaker scripts. But the combination of black humor, parodic exaggeration, and absurd incidents of the party of guides to the afterlife made a very solid impression on me. Overall impression: 80%.

So far the best film by British director Sheree Folkson, which arises from an excellent and famous literary source, providing an infinite amount of humorous situations and lines. The lower budget and more TV-like dimension can be seen in the film, but the actors are well-chosen, and Imelda Staunton in the role of a nice and somewhat clueless British mother truly excels. Truth be told, I would like to be born into the property conditions of the British middle class and enjoy at least some of the adventures of the film's heroes in the pleasant environment of the Greek Mediterranean. Overall impression: 75%.

Even a mere imitation of a famous original can have value if it manages to somewhat maintain the style and evoke the atmosphere. While it doesn't match up to Ritchie, and the acting is clearly weaker with generally less of everything compared to the original, the bizarre gangster appearances and induced absurd situations still provide enough entertainment to keep the audience engaged. Overall impression 55%.

An interesting and modernly shot historical film about wartime events that gave birth to modern Japan and destroyed the medieval Japanese shogunate with its samurai traditions and archaic customs. Its structure is interesting because it begins as a comedic story, when an uneducated soldier named Gonzo, a member of the imperial army, is sent as an advance party to his hometown to prepare for the smooth entry of imperial units. However, under the pressure of events and in order to draw attention to himself, he takes on the role of protector of the oppressed and arouses hopes for a better future, which collapse after the new rulers seize power. The film, which started as a comedy, gradually turns into a bloody tragic massacre and ends with the complete disillusionment of the survivors and the trampling of revolutionary ideals. Overall impression: 80%.

A typical product of the French crime films school of the 80s and probably the best film by director Philippe Labro. It begins with a spectacular murder of a well-known lawyer in the justice palace, committed by two criminals in police uniforms, and introduces Commissioner Griffon, brilliantly played by leading French character actor Claude Brasseur, who gets entangled with the charming journalist embodied by Gabrielle Lazure. French crime films of that era heavily criticized corruption in high government circles and the unethical practices of a corrupt police force. All of this is present in Labro's film, which can rely on a strong script and the typical poetics of French crime films, where a tough, solitary protagonist is forced to fight against incomparably stronger evil. Overall impression: 80%. Alongside Brasseur, notable actor Jean-Louis Trintignant played the interesting tragic role of a French minister who becomes a collateral victim of the conspiracy. A strong cast, interesting characters, tension, and good camera work.