gudaulin

The Thirteenth Floor is a soberly directed sci-fi film without pop-cultural pandering and cheap effects, which relies on a strong emotional story and quality acting. In the late 90s, it was one of the most interesting pieces of its genre. In essence, it corresponds incomparably more to the cyberpunk subgenre than the much more famous Matrix trilogy or Johnny Mnemonic. Enjoyable to watch even for those who are not particularly fond of sci-fi. Overall impression: 90%. A film for more thoughtful viewers who don't mind a slower storytelling pace...

The following text has been translated from Czech to English while preserving the HTML tags: The atmosphere of the film cannot be denied in any case, but it is a typical situation where the direction overshadows the dull content. A positive aspect is also Richard Gere's performance in the leading role, one of the few cases when he truly acts and is not just a star, moreover, he plays in a civilian manner... Overall impression: 65%.

Original, with a polished screenplay, smart, humorous, and brilliantly acted. Along with Man on the Moon, probably Jim Carrey's best film. A film denouncing the phenomenon of reality shows and any manipulation of people, as well as a consumerist lifestyle built on commerce and pervasive advertising. However, Peter Weir has not made a bad film, this is the pinnacle of his work so far. Overall impression: 95%.

I don't give a damn about love parodies, it both mimics the golden 60s and the film production of big American studios from that time. Moreover, it also makes fun of fashionable feminism and the gender movement. More could certainly have been extracted from that material, the film does not belong to those that would appear in the top rankings, but the pleasant and functional cast makes it an attractive spectacle. Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor simply belong to the top and it shows. Overall impression: 70%.

Fans of George Lucas are basically divided into two groups: a minority that shrugs their shoulders at how the director was able to create provocative and visionary art sci-fi like THX 1138 and then slide into producing pop culture crap like Star Wars, and a majority that admires the amazing, fun, colorful Star Wars and then realizes that Lucas had previously made some strange pseudo sci-fi without direction or substance, with peculiar hero dialogues and sparse sets, which bears no resemblance to his later great blockbusters. I belong to the first group myself. THX captivated me with its atmosphere of a dehumanized, robotized world that fears emotions and feelings, where the individual is reduced to a sum of money they are valued at. It's a creative matter that accurately reflected the contemporary anxieties among the American intellectual elite at universities. Overall impression: 90%.

Decent, but too routine thriller relies on quality star cast led by Harrison Ford and professional, experienced direction by R. Zemeckis. Good entertainment at first glance, but I don't feel the need to revisit this film. In this case, I also disliked the combination of a criminal case with supernatural elements. Overall impression with squinted eyes: 70%.

Successful attempt to use the werewolf motif in a horror set in modern American settings, which relies on a very decent cast, with Jack Nicholson in particular delivering a traditionally great performance and utilizing his expressive facial expressions to create a strong impression and tension in individual scenes. Overall impression: 80%.

Sex, Lies, and Videotape became a big surprise of 1989 and its commercial success and critical acclaim catapulted Soderbergh into the filmmaking elite of the United States. The film, based on a clever script full of interesting dialogues, is a tragicomedy dealing with the fates of several middle-class Americans who struggle with their sexual and family lives. A subtle but powerful film that will leave a lasting impression on the viewer. The film was a great success for Andie MacDowell, who established herself as a film star and went on to make several successful blockbusters in the 90s. Overall impression: 80%.

No matter how much my impression is worth four stars, I wasn't that impressed with this Steven Soderbergh film. It contains several interesting scenes, and a range of interesting characters, and speaks about an extremely interesting topic. However, I was bothered by the deliberately shaky digital camera, the use of filters in some cases, and a few motifs in the screenplay also seemed off. Most of all, the scene where a high-ranking government official - practically at the level of a minister in the American hierarchy, closely involved with the activities of secret services - frantically searches for his daughter in drug dens bothered me. If this were to happen in real life, it would discreetly be resolved with the help of relevant officials and "specialists." The scenes in Mexico about the connection between the drug cartel and the highest positions of power in the country are powerful. Overall impression: 75%. In any case, the film has a very decent ensemble cast.

The film catapulted Renée Zellweger into the acting elite and rehabilitated the romantic comedy genre, which had been somewhat profaned by a series of average American comedies. It is a pleasant mix of situational and conversational humor and a great cast, with both male leads shining alongside Zellweger. A fierce competition unfolded over the main role, as the slender Renée simply did not fit the author's and producer's vision, but Zellweger demonstrated an admirably adaptable performance within the American acting industry, gaining experience firsthand by gaining weight and traveling to Britain to work at a similar publishing house. Colin Firth, in the role of a serious and wooden lawyer, somewhat parodies the previous roles that made him famous, and Hugh Grant revels in the negative role of an incorrigible womanizer, which, as he claims, is far more in line with his natural disposition than the roles of naive romantic youngsters that brought him fame. We also get peasant music and an appropriate dose of romance. Overall impression: 85%.