Change Your Image
wvdput
Reviews
Motsurave (1981)
Excellent example of golden age of Georgian cinema
I saw this movie years ago on television and immediately felt I was watching a masterpiece. Expressive use of colour, splendid camera-work and editing, a brutal story of Stalinist repression told in an almost cheerful and poetical way. The characters and acting remind one of Fellini at his best. The main story in the film is the tale of a 20th century family line of swimmers who all attempt to swim some near-impossible distance in the Black Sea. But it is all the history around these efforts which make the film what it is: a masterpiece.
Other Georgian filmmakers of the period, more or less related in style, are the older Sergei Parajanov, of Armenian descent, Otar Iosseliani who went on to become famous in France and Tengiz Abuladze. The latter is closest to this film; an interesting introduction on him is a comment to his 'Natvris khe' (Wishing Tree, 1976), another masterpiece.
Groom Lake (2002)
Bad in every respect
It is sad to see a potentially nice subject (dying girl tries to find alien life before she dies) wasted like this. The characters are wooden, there is hardly any logic in their actions. But there is a lot more in this film to complain about. The special effects could be charming as they are disarmingly clumsy and unconvincing, but they fail to be. The lighting and editing reminds one of the bold and the beautiful. The acting is terrible. No memorable one-liners whatsoever. In short, there are no redeeming qualities. William Shatner even succeeded in miscasting himself. Only a tiny amount of irony or self-parody would have made the film at least bearable, but unfortunately it all seems to be meant seriously. Avoid.
Judgment Day (1999)
Not good, fun at times
(slight spoilers) Judgment Day is not a memorable movie. I like Ice-T, the cult leader is also convincing, the rest of the actors are passable. The well-worn plot (meteor wooshing toward earth, 4 days to rescue the planet, idiots trying to prevent this) offers no surprises, the characters are cardboard, the special effects sparse and not very special. The plot is rather unlikely; apparently an isolated cult leader has information about this meteor before anyone with the exception of the US government (of course); a laid-off scientist is needed in person to turn some switch to launch a totally untested weapon of mass destruction from an abandoned project. Even for an action/disaster movie it is weak. Still some nice action....4/10