karolinaszin Reviews

I Am Not a Witch (2017)

The potential for catharsis is there BUT

[6/10 · 1 April 2018]

There are several very interesting podcasts available online where the director explains how she found the protagonist girl (Benfors 'Wee Do) by accident. She also mentions that in some scenes, she wanted to deal with the film's central theme with humour, instead of forcing the viewer to feel guilty for laughing. It may be due to ignorance or lack of knowledge of the cultural context but personally, I did not feel the delicate line between humour and seriousness, between fairy tale and reality. For this very reason, I found these motifs overtly forced and simply too symbolic. At the same time, it is a movie with a really strong imagery and important message. The potential for catharsis is there all the way through the film but sadly, it just did not happen for me this time.

Scary Mother (2017)

I loved it!!!

[8/10 · 1 April 2018]

I loved it!!! I felt that every little symbol and detail had its place without them being far-fetched or forced. I am totally honest here when I say I was not able to figure out the protagonist until the very end - in fact, I am not even sure today whether she was a psychopath or not. I think the film reflects very well on women's expectations today and, at the same time, it turns them completely upside down, while raising a lot of ethical questions as well: for a while, I'm taking the side of the oppressed protagonist, then the picture is slowly getting more complex and her depiction more layered as we are getting ahead in the film. I don't know why, perhaps due to the mythological element in the balcony scene, but the mood of Spring (2014) came to my mind. This is one of the most exciting movies of the year for me dramaturgy-wise. Granted, I really like weird movies :)

Godard Mon Amour (2017)

It is such a pity

[6/10 · 1 April 2018]

It is such a pity that it was not enough for the director to talk about Godard, he also tried to make a film in Godard's style. In my opinion, he was not able to capture the "Godard mood" at all. Instead, the film is executed in a textbook manner, meticulously using Godard's cinematic language like a receipt and that's always a risky move (for example, Gus Van Sant's case with Psycho). Godard is Godard not for using these elements, but because he used them at the right time and in the right way. If this would have been done by breaking new grounds in cinematic language, or even without breaking the mould in such a way BUT finding the right tone, I would have liked the film much more. Godard's world has a sexy, humorous yet tragic atmosphere, where the viewer feels for the characters. To be honest, when watching a Godard movie, I'm always terribly envious that I was not born at the time of Belmondo. Here, I did not feel this longing, sadly. Having said that, the actors are cute and the director seems to be cool and all, judging from interviews, so it may be that I'm just too sentimental. :)

The Paris Opera (2017)

huge inspirations for me!

[7/10 · 1 April 2018]

It seemed to me that the film did not want to show more of the backstage world and did not want to force any kind of narrative if such narrative does not come by on its own. The images and captured moments are serious, funny and heartwarming, and they are shown in just the right rhythm. On some level, this movie is also a contemporary reflection on classical musicals: we have glimpses of layers that are not seen in everyday life and, as this is a documentary film, real-life artists are shown. Of course, this is fun mostly for the French audience, but I did not mind it either. I really liked how the classic, long-gone, abstract and somewhat aristocratic opera world was placed into the present and there was an ongoing interaction with real-life events (Charlie Hebdo, Bataclan, strikes, the president's visit etc.). I would have gladly watched more of it if the film had been longer. Such laid-back professionalism and being committed to such high standards are always huge inspirations for me!

Ava (II) (2017)

I did not expect reality from it

[8/10 · 1 April 2018]

I liked it: the film operates with loads and loads of symbols without becoming tedious or cumbersome. Instead, the viewer is invited to be curious about these ideas and dive deeper into the layers. Casting is spot on, characters are good, and I simply adore the soundtrack. What made me strangely detached early on was the fact that I simply did not find the film believable, and even the music score could hardly drag me back into the plot. Obviously, I did not expect reality from it. And I love fairy tales, by the way. Yet somehow the characters' motivations and the way these are fit into the narrative leave things to be desired. They felt incomplete. It's a very good movie, but as it is mighty close to being great, a slightly frustrating one at the same time.