Although the story is not the greatest or the most original, the film itself is well-crafted and keep you interested until the end. Decent acting, interesting story, a couple of effective scares. What more can we ask?
Reviews
6 Reviews
Jovana Lukina
(1979)
Intriguing, yet somehow shallow
21 November 2016
This is a definite must-see for all the lovers of the avantgarde cinema. The plot is set in the mountains of Montenegro. A young married couple- Jovana and Luka, live alone and work hard to make ends meet. Their ordinary life is interrupted by various different characters, which pass by their home, and arrive as a temptation, both carnal and spiritual, but also as a corruption of the innocent soul of a young idealistic woman. Each new visitor is a threat of sorts and gradually she becomes suspicious towards the world and the unknown. The film has very little dialogue, and it stresses the visual and the atmosphere at the most. Although intriguing and beautiful to watch, I felt that it lacked substance. 7.3/10
Vedma
(2006)
An interesting version...
25 January 2011
I've been looking forward to take a look at this film ever since I've heard it has been released. It has been difficult to find, though. Many years ago, I have seen a Serbian film "Sveto mesto" ("Holy Ground") which turned out to be fairly good and which I later found out to be based on Gogolj's "Vij". It was one of those rare occasions in which an adaptation is perhaps even better than the story that originated it. It remained one of my most favourite childhood films ever since. When I heard of the Russian version a few years ago I thought it must be even better. I was first taken aback by such a low rating of 3! After I've seen the film and read the comment I pretty much understood why something like this had happened, as the film itself, viewed from the angle of an independent viewer, not concerned with Gogolj's story, or not knowing the background or caring about it, is not the greatest horror film ever, not even a good one at all. The point is this hasn't been made to be a typical horror flick in the first place. It also wasn't meant to scare. It is simply a slightly different version of a classic story we all know, with good special effects that add a lot to the atmosphere. And I also disagree that it was about finding identity or anything like that. It's a folklore story about witches. The scenography is the most beautiful thing about this film. The camera work has also done a very good job. The actors, to be honest, haven't had much chance to show off throughout the film. The story should be out of discussion as we all know what is it all about. The original story is slightly altered as the priest is transformed into a journalist who encounters a priest and after some unfortunate incidents assumes his identity. And so what if it's being situated in an American town doesn't seem realistic? Personally, I don't think that makes any difference. While I watched it, I didn't give much thought to where it all happens, whether in America or rural France. I agree about the bad English subtitles, and I've also read comments about bad dubbing- My opinion about dubbing is that ANY DUBBING IS BAD DUBBING. Besides, it's for lazy people who can't even bother to read the subs. I don't get that. The film could have been a lot better I agree on that. But I also think it wasn't all that horrible after all.
Poker
(I) (2010)
A fine piece of entertainment
13 December 2010
Although not nearly among the jewels of European, nor even Romanian cinematography, a satire comedy "Poker" is indeed an entertaining movie, not lacking in quality or good acting. I wouldn't precisely classify it as a satire, for obvious reasons that, although the theme of corrupt politicians, the almightiness of mafia and its close relation with politics is ever-present, and can be applied to most of Balkan countries today, it is not the dominating theme of the "Poker". Above all mentioned, it is a story of a friendship among four men spreading from their early childhood. As elderly, they are all powerful men of various jobs and professions, but what is really fascinating about them is the fact that their friendship and the passion for poker find the way to remain and they coexist in a somewhat silly manner that includes sharing a mistress and forgiving each others misdeeds. Therefore, "Poker" is more like a benevolent comedy than an actual satire, the dialogues are magnificent and the actors superb.
Magnificent...
8 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
"That Obscure Object Of Desire" is one of the most influential films I have ever seen! I remember liking it very much when I watched it for the first time long ago; but a few days ago I decided to watch it again and found myself completely absorbed in its magnificence and the splendour of suggestive details Bunuel entered into the film. Having two actresses playing the role of Conchita represent two separate moods and even personalities of hers. It is even stressed by the fact that one of them exits the room with one particular hair-style and enters again with her hair made in a different way. The "first Conchita" is French-looking, shy, subtle and demure, always with her head bend down, in an obedient, servant-like manner, whereas the "other Conchita" looks a lot more like a Spaniard, with big beautiful eyes and slightly curly hair, moody and demanding- the dominant side of her personality. There are two more, let's say, surreal details present throughout the film: one of them being the package Mathieu lefts behind at the beginning of the film which appears to be the same as the one out of which the girl in the shop window takes the blood-stained veil, and which supposedly contains a bomb that goes off at the very end; the other detail being the constant terrorist attacks, whether shown directly or by means of radio or newspapers announcements. Apart from the possibility that Conchita herself might belong to a group of terrorists, as her friendship with guys who at one point rob Mathieu suggests, there is also another point of view considering the relationship between Mathieu and Conchita, full of hatred- love/attraction-repulsion tension as some kind of a psychological bomb that would eventually explode. As I was watching this film, I thought it obvious that Conchita doesn't love or even respect Mathieu and that he's been trying, not only to take his money, but also to utterly destroy him, as some kind of a temptress. However, having seen that after gaining the property over the house in Spain as a present from Mathieu, and after ditching him in an abrupt manner, she still seeks him and torments him, I realised that not only he cannot live without her, but she as well possesses some kind of peculiar attachment to him, may it only be to humiliate him or being humiliated or even beaten by him. Therefore, I think there are no grounds upon which the theories that she is only after his money and nothing else might be based. This film conveys the ever-present motif of dualism of human nature, the motif that stretches back to "The Picture Of Dorian Gray" or "Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde", etc. It is also about human obsession with the (possibly) the only thing they cannot possess, representing one's own Holy Grail, in this case, the disputable virginity of the main female character. The film does not tell the viewers all men are swine who only want to physically possess women and nothing else, nor does it tell all women are devils in disguise who trick men into their spider web playing the card of innocence and virginity. It simply tells the story of humanity bound to its needs, fantasies and, above all, frustrations about things beyond their reach. The sick love(?!) story of mutual torment and humiliation, but also of mutual need and dependence upon one another, where the roles of who is the tormentor and who the tormented are not always as clear as they seem.
Erotic in a bizarre kind of way!
5 June 2010
Before I've seen this film, I supposed it had been filmed in the usual "Dario Argento" way. However, "Jenifer" is pretty much different from his other works. Although not being a regular Argento's film, perhaps I dare say it is even better. The expected italo-English present in most of his movies, fortunately, did not appear, but the pure American English! The scenes and the make up are better than even. But, the best part of the movie is the story of a deformed girl who seems to attract men with her wild sexuality, despite her obvious animal-behaviour and repulsive, disfigured face. She and the youngish policeman who gives up his normal life for her led us to fabulous and well-planned ending.
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