Malarkey

Finally, a movie that packed the cinema with regulars as well as occasional viewers. A hit that was destined to be a hit. The story of a band, which was destined to be legendary and unique from the very beginning. Queen is actually like that and I have been waiting for many years to see somebody pick up their story and film it in a personal way that feels good. Bryan Singer felt it exactly as I hoped. I could talk about its pros, but also cons. I could talk about the good, but also weaker moments. There are points of the plot of the movie, which I don’t really understand, but on the other hand, there are also points which made me think about what Freddie was possibly like and what sort of life he lived. On the next day, I agreed with my coworkers that the movie is actually very conciliatory as far as Freddie’s life is concerned. I believe that the true reality was much worse… harsher. However, the story oozes a great deal of humility. It also shows the great respect of the whole band for the man who grew up with them and who is for me the greatest singer of the century. That may be one of the reasons why I am giving it five stars and I am unable to rate it differently. You can feel the precision and emphasis on details, which I am sometimes missing in other biopics. It conceals the soul of a perfect story, which has not been seen for a long time and probably won’t be seen for a long while.

I can’t help but feel that movies like this are shot by the Russians probably only for the Russian to rouse them and show them how big patriots they are supposed to be. Truthfully, I don’t see anything all that nice about the movie, except for the technical aspect, which is relatively faithful in the atmosphere of the Second World War in the area near Finland. Likewise, a few action scenes aren’t completely useless. The screenwriter was probably bribed by Putin, though, because what he threw the girls into is unparalleled. Marvel-like heroines, a tragedy equal to the recently abolished kolkhoz.

Diane Kruger is completely out of this world here. Her depressive states got right under my skin in a way, that hasn’t happened to me with a movie for a while. Likewise, the theme is very current, interesting, and in the full context of the modern period very telling. More than the movie, I was focused on the mental state of Diane’s character, which was gradually mentally collapsing like a house of cards and I was at the edge of my seat every minute. However, the movie goes into the consequences and so it also points out how problematic the German judiciary system is. I personally didn’t get what else they were expecting. I didn’t give it 5 stars possibly only because of how bad I felt after watching the movie. Injustice is a bitch.

I thank the creators of 3Kino festival for enlivening the premiere of this movie with a nice discussion after the viewing with Jenovéfa Boková and Beata Parkanová - It is a shame that there aren’t more discussions like this one and the Czech viewer isn’t really used to them. It explained many things about the movie, and it forced me to think about it more. The film isn’t badly managed from a technical standpoint, Jenovéfa not only gave a bombastic and, for Czech standards, unbelievably depressive performance, she also showed how fine a person she is; just like Beata, who talked very openly about the movie. It is a shame, then, that the movie opens up the psychological side of Jenovéfa’s character but isn’t really looking for answers. It doesn’t actually communicate with the viewer. It only points stuff out and that bummed me out a bit in the final context of the movie. The dialogues were, however, at times brilliant and made me laugh in points where only a Czech film could make me laugh. When it comes to irony, we are the masters of humor. When it came to my rating, I was thinking hard between 3 and 4 stars. The ending, however, confirmed for me that the mental insights aren’t enough, and I ended up with really solid 3 stars. However, the movie together with the discussion was a really nice experience, which I would like to experience more of in the future with the filmmakers. There is nothing better than getting to know the creators through discussions, not through questionable tabloids and newspapers. That’s what I miss a bit when it comes to Czech movies.

When I watch a series and get to a point where I feel sad, because I know I am watching the last season and there will be no new episodes, I am actually quite happy because I know the time I invested into the series was worth it. I haven’t had that feeling for a long time and with The Bridge, I was really enjoying this season. Truthfully, maybe even more than the previous one. This feeling was amplified by Saga Norén delivering possibly the best moments out of the whole series. Her lack of empathy and emotionless escalated absolutely perfectly. Her partner Henrik wasn’t falling behind either. Even his storyline was slowly coming to an end, so, in fact, the side story is often far more interesting than the murder investigations themselves. In this case, the investigations really took a back seat. It is a shame, then, that the series didn’t keep up the pace it picked up in the beginning. During the second half of the season I was just waiting for the ending… and I must add that I really enjoyed that.

The premise is absolutely brilliant. It reminded me of the time when Hollywood was producing those family dramas with a touch of fantasy, like when Tim Burton managed to create Big Fish. But Tim McCanlise isn’t Tim Burton. He had good luck with the movie uncles, who were portrayed here by Michael Caine and Robert Duvall with absolute perfection, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that a number of important scenes could have been way better. For example, the plot with the lioness. Such a beautiful, sad, and fated story and they cut it off kind of weirdly… as if nothing had happened, even though it was in the premise. The film was really nice to watch. However, I realized after the viewing that I was slightly missing emotions in here and an actual reason to really root for the young Haley Osment.

Mustang is actually a sort of psychological analysis of Turkey. From the outside, it seems very western-like but as soon as you let emotions in, it oozes Turkish traditions that you wouldn’t want to experience.

Do you know that feeling when you’re being entertained by a comedy, but at the same time, you know that it is missing one or two scenes which would blow you away that would justify the fourth star?

I have a confession to make. This movie made me cry. It made me cry in a way no movie has managed for a long time. The English Patient actually has all prerequisites to be able to do that and I fell for it line, hook and sinker, like an 8-year-old schoolgirl. It is another of many stories of people who lived through the Second World War. However, it is told from two time perspectives: before the end of the war and before the beginning of the war. Everything makes sense, the actors are delivering perfect performances and even though the music isn’t something to remember the movie by, the movie makes up for it with the nice shots and sceneries of North Africa of the 1930s, which cannot disappoint under good direction. Those almost 3 hours went by at a dizzying pace and the only thing and the relationship between Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas was getting increasingly more exciting. Overall, the actors have a great impact. Apart from the two, the beautiful Juliette Binoche offered a magical performance. It is actually really good that the director hired these actors and wasn’t pushed to Hollywood ones. It makes a more honest impression on the viewer, for which he earned his deserved credit. If there is such a thing as predestined romance with an epic touch, for me it will always be The English Patient.

I am not very familiar with the director Julien Leclercq, but he has convinced me, for the third time, that he can make quality, sophisticatedly shot films which aren’t afraid of suspense or action. And I don’t think that is a coincidence. At the same time, the comparison with Paul Greengrass is clearly appropriate, because this film brings the exact same realistic editing that only he can do in Europe. The first half is therefore rich in dialogues. The director presents the viewer with a situation that is absolutely crazy. It may be boring at times, but it always makes sense. As soon as the boys from the French GIGN anti-terrorist unit appeared, I bated my breath for so long I started to suffocate.