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Titane (2021)
Original but ugly
Titane, that is a challenging mixture of elements, is not a Schwarzenegger blockbuster.
By reading a variety of reviews you will get a choice of interpretations how to unfold the film. I don't know if this movie was meant to be a terror or symbolic movie. There are some truths (sexual needs for instance lesbianism and masturbation, and that people getting old) here and there in the plot but it gets hard to watch since there is no beauty, just nightmare. Pain, sadism, masocism, drugs, piercing, car shows, the life of fire brigade (the crew consist of immigrants/refugee looking people contrasted to the french "family"). The daylight cannot be seen much. Director tries to convince spectator the neo-kafkian mess has some logic in it. At least Titane is an attempt to create something uncanny.
Possibly, my opinion is, something is missing, better cast, more meaningful music, some pleasantful or funny details, since the result after the end seems an awful LSD-trip. Funny moments would have balanced movie but also made it look more David Lynch, so director might have reached his purpose.
Joker (2019)
More New York than Gotham city
Not the worst film in the world, but not worth of hype since it's not original. There is nothing wrong in it but it doesn't shine or surprise either, as you could expect from The Joker. The film tries to combine pop-fiction character with realism of Martin Scorcese of 70's. The presence of Robert De Niro and many borrows of Taxi driver and King of comedy underlines forementioned fact. Furthermore the ending scene seems to borrow even Grand Theft Auto videogame (bloody foot steps).
The Joker is neither funny (despite of some attempts, for instance his dance movements or chasing scene near ending texts) but boredom and absurd emptiness reigns throughout. A story of not talented and abused human being.
I watched this in UltraHD-format, and it proved that high quality doesn't help if a movie is mediocre.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
A seven star performance
Not all americans are bad.
Princess Leia, Laura Dern and Chewbacca fight against empire of evil. Though Chewbacca doesn´t look like english. C3PO and R2-D2 are superfriendly as usual.
I don´t know what part of the galaxy and what year this really happened.
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
Still relevant in some points
Long time ago I read a book about Nuremberg trial, that included fascinating details and accounts about nazi leaders. But this movie was not about that trail. I learned there was also separate trials for doctors and lawyers.
Truth is that 3 hours is some kind of achievement in psychological description: almost every personaggio is clearly visible, not in the modern capitalistic dichotomy of normal, hard working people (good) versus the criminals (bad).
There is a lot of levels in the story. Maybe not the category of Dostoyevsky´s "Possessed" but challenging enough. Ther are mini-plots from individualistic point of views connected to world economy panorama and ideologies.
I agree with someone here, Maximillian Schnell popped out by over-acting. On the other hand, he was obviously younger than the elder cast.
The movie refers interestingly to the concept of "history of victors", especially actual dispute of Winston Churchill´s position in the history of "good persons".
The Fighter (2010)
Predictable, feels more propaganda than drama
The film counts on three superstars Adams, Bale and Wahlberg, but has the quality of white working class reality tv-show. The Oscars seem to have been given for sociological or political reasons, I don't know the circumstances what reigned that year. The only thing that is missing is Confederate flag and Lynyrd Skynyrd song "Sweet home Alabama" (that is compensated by playing Whitesnake's "Here I go again").
And, oh no, very unrealistic fighting scenes, typical of boxing movies: the actors are standing still and hitting each others without moving even they are not heavy weight.
After all, you have to have courage to stand up against this kind of violence, poor taste, both in filmmaking and giving important awards.
For more independent, tragic approach I would recommendate british street fighting movie "The kid", from the same year 2010.
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2016)
It was like - - -
Some people say this is an unpatriotic, contra-capitalistic movie I say: go back to Africa. When It starts it is like entering sugar bakery. Steve Martin got bribed to do this?
Like, dude, really? But I started to like this. It is a good picture. Production money. The fornicating sister added a small nuance of political criticality.
When you come here, everyone likes America.
Goya's Ghosts (2006)
Surprisingly ugly, almost english
In "Amadeus" it was not problem that the cast spoke english throughout the movie. Here however, the spanish culture differs so much from any english form of culture or american culture (maybe not floridan or californian) that there is no feeling of authentity. Poor Milos Forman, poor us! Instead of Madrid of Napoleon, Goethe and Beethoven era we have an expensive tv-movie at hands.
The production money is well spended, Natalie Portman is cute and professional. Regardless, due to forementioned reason or another, the film doesn't use it's potentiality. Another minus is that normal casting of Forman is missing completely. The fact that it was not even Oscar-candidate might be a clue to its averageness. Positive is that it helped to understand the origin of Goya's superugly subconsious drawings and paintings.
Sorry, sorry, once again sorry. I think I am going to watch Amadeus again.
Over the Top (1987)
Pure awesomeness
This movie was pretty existentialist. From Colorado to California, landscapes were amazing. That heidegger-guy would have, like, loved it.
I literally felt like Bertrand Russell would had been behind the wheel throughout the movie, like.
10/10
Man on the Moon (1999)
Much more than just Jim Carrey
What delights me in the works of Milos Forman is his repeated usage of same actors. In this case positive "surprise" was Danny De Vito, who appeared also in "One flew over cuckoo's nest", and Vincent Schiavelli who appeared also in "Taking off","...cuckoo's nest" and "Amadeus". Spectator can hence follow the aging processess of those actors and that is why Forman-movies have that peculiar feeling of "formanian".
Hitchcock, Tarantino and Lynch have used same method with great success.
Secondly, the name of the movie can be interpreted as a comment to Stanley Kubrick's faked moon landing conspiracy theory. Did US had technology to send a man on the moon? The event was a complete joke, directed by Kubrick. That explains why Forman chose Courtney Love to this movie, because Courtney allegedly whacked his husband Kurt Cobain and never got caught. In the Milos Forman's "Larry Flynt vs People", the film after this, Courtney Love appears again in a role of sex club dancer without moral principle.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Tour de force of commercial movie industry
It is possible. You can make also an action/survival movie that would be less over the top and more natural. Watch for instance "Essential killing" (2010) starring Vincent Gallo.
What Lies Beneath (2000)
Is just stupid
I learned that imdb-reviews are just opinions of amateurs.
Someone here recommendated this movie, because it should remind of "Jacob's ladder (1990)".
It does not.
"What lies beneath" is an upper middle class ghost-entertainer. Being upper middle class is not bad in itself, "the Exorcist" was a superb movie.
The bad in itself is Michelle Pfeiffer overacting and very, very tired Harrison Ford mummbling throughout the film.
The director/sound editor/compositor is apparently fan of Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear window" and "Vertigo".
Despite that Pfeiffer´s character spends her days alone in a huge mansion, there is no visible a single gardener or domestic servant (in the whole suburb), there appears only high-class people. In the "Exorcist" and in even in the low-budget Roger Corman-movies there were servants, to create more realistic backgound and increase the amount of suspects.
So in this case we have an absent-minded Hollywood moneymaker, that costed absurdly 100 million $ to produce.
(I also seriously started to suspect that production company´s "thumbs-up-department" is working here to create wrong impressions and fake reviews. "Me and my husband had amazing time in theatre watching this. Harrison and Michelle were so beautiful, they are like wine, getting better and better, and the mansion was so scary. Nevermind the haters, buy this 4K Blu-ray **********/10)
The Devil's Own (1997)
See 2-3 habitual facial expressions of Indy
"Devil's own" requires a humorous approach, because, despite that it has made some serious money (140millions $) in the name of irish terrorism, it deserves only 5 stars.
The director Alan Pakula has made some significant conspiracy-movies, so it was imprescindible that the simultaneous appearance of Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford would shrink his adult and intellectual-orientated film making.
The problem is that when Harrison Ford (or Tom Cruise) is starring you can predict easily the fate of his heroic character: if you are his fan, you will be in safe the next 90 minutes. Pitt's case is a little bit more complicated but not too much.
During watching we can understand the difference between some serious actor for instance Warren Beatty/Jon Voight compared to Ford. For the same price of watching them you will get the habitual facial expressions from Indiana Jones and Star Wars- series.
In the year 2020 "Devil's own" is very an already-seen movie, and located mostly in New York it reminds almost a mission from video game Grand theft auto IV.
No serious tragedy here.
Stalker (1979)
Peace, calm and dignity
I am currently having a Tarkovsky-marathon, it is a scandal that I have discovered his films so late. One can explore Viaplay and TV and lose his hope with new movies and mini-series and be suffocated by thechnological destructiveness. I would put Tarkovsky higher or on the same level than "new masters" Quentin Tarantino or David Lynch. But his art is on the differnt level than the best of american filmmakers.
- He is cloder to nature, and so, closer to essence of poetry. His films are full of clean water, animals, from worms to dogs and horses that are shown in their natural grace. Also children are shown in natural grace, they are not shown as uncanny child geniuses, but as a signal of innocent paradise world as Novalis saw them, with a little exception of "Ivan childhood".
- Tarkovsky's art grows from continental european tradition, the very roots are in italian art where reigns three Tugend of the palladian architecture, calmness, peace and dignity. This is the core of his art that compendates hollywoodian "action"
- There appears a lot of archetypes: philosophers, impotent and romantic poets, also the mass is shown as impotent and alienated mass. There is contant symbolism like houses threatened by flood etc)
- His films are hence basically alienated from vulgar taste and made appropriated only for "persona culta".
Stalker (1979)
Peace, calm and dignity
I am currently having a Tarkovsky-marathon, it is a scandal that I have discovered his films so late. One can explore Viaplay and TV and lose his hope with new movies and mini-series and be suffocated by thechnological destructiveness. I would put Tarkovsky higher or on the same level than "new masters" Quentin Tarantino or David Lynch. But his art is on the differnt level than the best of american filmmakers.
- He is cloder to nature, and so, closer to essence of poetry. His films are full of clean water, animals, from worms to dogs and horses that are shown in their natural grace. Also children are shown in natural grace, they are not shown as uncanny child geniuses, but as a signal of innocent paradise world as Novalis saw them, with a little exception of "Ivan childhood".
- Tarkovsky's art grows from continental european tradition, the very roots are in italian art where reigns three Tugend of the palladian architecture, calmness, peace and dignity. This is the core of his art that compendates hollywoodian "action"
- There appears a lot of archetypes: philosophers, impotent and romantic poets, also the mass is shown as impotent and alienated mass. There is contant symbolism like houses threatened by flood etc)
- His films are hence basically alienated from vulgar taste and made appropriated only for "persona culta".
Green Book (2018)
Lost in the no man's land between Spielberg/Disney and 'Midnight cowboy'
After seeing a thousand movies "Green book" feels a sympathetic road movie, but only comparing it with fantasy and scifi-trash that the film industry today consists of. It is an OK film with surprise ending that is not very surprising. Personally the idea of selecting Viggo Mortensen to play italian is controversial choice when his aspect is not full-blooded: the same issue was when he played (jewish) Sigmund Freud a couple years ago.
Maybe in 2018 there was no available "One flew over cuckoo's nest" or "Deer hunter" so the Oscar academy decided to celebrate "Green book" as best picture. I don't know. I have to check other candidates.
Red Dawn (2012)
Whar happened to the truth, facts and likelihood?
The technological progress guarantees better screen quality but not better films. In this sense you could compare films with history of oil painting: the newer and better technique does not mean better art. The year 2012 can serve as an example of how the movie public largely were not concerned with truth and facts or likelihood anymore, and Himalaya and glacier polars kept on melting.
North-Korea attacks to United States with paratroopers?!
Compare "Red Dawn" with german "Downfall" (2004) or soviet war film "Come and see" (1985).
Enjoy, laugh and cry.
Poltergeist (1982)
Spielbergian family faces terror
I watched this first time when it was released, I was about 10 years old then. Now the second time, expectations were high because on Blu-Ray everything would be HD and the director is Tobe "Texas chainsaw massacre" Hooper. Not Steven Spielberg as I remembered. (Spielberg is here the capitalist, the producer.)
"Poltergeist" is however more close to a spielbergian Indiana Jones-saga than to classic horror:
-Suspense is always accompanied with noise.
-It is stuffed with symphony music with horns and trumpets.
-Its backround is a description of american white middle class lifestyle erroneously considered "normal" and sympathetic. (Bret Easton Ellis, the writer of "American psycho", described american suburbs as places where every house looks similar and where even the kids use downers.)
Summa summarum not the worst ghost movie in the history, but it stinks production money and lacks sense of naturalism. The Blu-Ray label tells it is "suitable for people over 15 years old" meanwhile it feels that it would be in reality appropriate for 8-15 years old.
The Sixth sense (with Bruce Willis) recommendated.
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Want more? - read the book
In the film we are told mainly about Joe Buck's struggles in New York, except the short farewell scene from the Texan little town and the bus ride to Manhattan in the beginning. On the other hand, the book is divided in two: the cowboy´s childhood and his growing up to be a hustler. In the movie the first part is shown only in flashbacks, that are however well agglomerated to the cinematographic needs.
After reading the book some questions raised: how the writer James Leo Herlihy invented and composed the whole story? Are there biographical elements, because the writer was a kind of drifter and gay himself?
Vice (2018)
Achievement of looking alike
In political films the issue for me has been, that the stars have not looked alike original politicians. Especially in Richard Nixon-films. Here we have however - thanks to make-up department, or talent of Bale, or generic face of Dick Cheney- an exception.
Rest of the film: I understood and accepted the argument of "Vice", but the movie in itself lacked something, especially in editing. Some other reviews of "5-6 stars" made them very clear. Personally I missed the details, who benefited the whole process, the exact brotherhood behind military-industry complex and stockmarket. "Vice" instead claimed in general, that whole Western world was just cheated in the name of power and cheneyan bloodthirsty republicanism. But again, George W. Bush looks way too slender, and he appears on the screen a lot.
Definitely not calibre of "JFK" in directing, but courageously done. Instead of Bruce Willis patriotism you will get machiavellian/marxist point of view.
Fantasizing retaliation? Watch Uwe Boll's "Assault on Wall street".
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
There is an option for this film
I cannot deny two things:
1. Stephen King is the master of horror / suspense
2. If the crowd decides to like something, no matter what it is, there no way no one can stop it.
If you are irritated by the amount of votes of "Shawshank redemption," perhaps you will find Akira Kurosawa´s "Runaway train" not so cliché prison film.
Hart's War (2002)
Watch Youtube movie clip 1/11, don't bother more
Remarkable historical accuracy. There really was a battle of the Bulge in WW2.
Correct weather conditions, they put even the ravine of murdered american prisoners in the movie. Everything started well and especially looked in a perverse way fascinating and brutal for start.
After capturing the american soldiers and settling them on to the prisoners camp, rest of the movie was practically handsome guys smoking cigarettes and looking at each others for 90 minutes. The music in the film is mediocre compared to "Platoon" or "Deer hunter", but after watching there will be still considerable amount of cliches to be remembered, like a ridiculous amount of military salutes. There was a cultivated nazi who later showed his true nature, incredible cruelty. On the other hand, there was an american who at first glimpse looked hard-boiled, but in the end had a great heart. Sounds familiar?
The sense of realism collapsed when the trial started. You know, same kind of trial what we see every day in the american tv-series with the legal jargon "prosecutor", "Your honor", "Objection!" etc. (I have to admit however that the idea of trial in POW camp is fresh, like the theme of racism.)
Sorry, production team and fans of Colin Farrell, I simply could not swallow this. The film dropped to Hollywood coulisse soap-opera, prisoners spend leisure time in a cozy theatre, there was way too much cigarettes, too many grammophones, there was absolutely no sign of prisoner camp misery or shortage. (Also letters were written to the american families (?!), that feels silly when you start to think about it. At that time nazis really were worried about post delivery...)
Unexpectable endng: Bruce Willis returns to the camp after escaping, in german officer's uniform!
Why?
BECAUSE HE HAD A SENSE OF HONOR, MAN!
If you liked this kind of melodrama, check out "Hyena road". Also if you are attracted by atmosphere without women, spend holiday in Ibiza.
Midnight Express (1978)
Americans overestimate their importance
I'm not sure what Oliver Stone meant when he wrote this, in his later works the message is more obvious. Also the director Alan Parker has made some cult classics better than this. Personally, I don't have reason to hate americans as humans (their aggressive foreign policy yes) but either the main character was not especially sympathetic. He committed a crime, was thrown in jail, and -despite having a girlfriend- his efforts did not reflect manliness and he did not show remorse at any point. A good looking american guy in a Middle-East country, smuggling two kilos of hash in selling purpose, why they couldn´t just forgive him? Was he Papillon who was wrongly convicted? I mean, the more uglier character and from non-Western country, who would have cared less? Today is also know fact, that CIA exports heroin from Afghanistan, so the "morality" of this movie seems even more ridiculous. (The music btw is close to George Michael's mega hit "Careless Whisper", he apparently was strongly influenced by gayish character's fate).
But I did like the kind of religious ending, where the guardian was trying to rape our "hero", the providence helped him to escape, that seemed to me universal justice.
Stalingrad (1993)
Only Jon Voight is missing
The low-budget of this didn´t bother me. The benefit of non-Hollywood is sometimes that you get authentic language, in this case german soldiers speak their own language, German.
"Stalingrad" is - more than action war movie - a chronological description of bad luck soldiers who end up in inhuman battle and weather conditions. A delightful exception compared to other war films. Imagine "The Bridge on the River Kwai" without the bridge, just soldiers dying in heat, projectiles, hunger and mental disorders. Of course there are certain dramatic twists, but in the big picture one can parallel this with Jon Voight´s "Midnight Cowboy","Deliverance" ad "Runaway train" where the most significant threat is the nature.
MASH (1970)
2019, anyone?
Watching this on Blu-Ray. Bad camerawork, apparently tries to pioneer modern photography. The HD picture is foggy and unclear, similar to porn films in 70's. To compare this with "Catch-22" (I gave 2/10) that was released on the same year, M*a*s*h has more theatrical, more rolling script. Seriously recommendated inofficial, marxist perspectives what happened on Korean war, to understand how the whole concept is biased today.
Ash vs Evil Dead (2015)
Humoristic splatter
This serie is surprisingly loyal to the original trilogy. The new re-make of "Evil dead" does not belong to the spirit of originals. However, compared to old stuff these TV-series are not so nightmarish, but full of jokes.