hugues-talbot Reviews

Silo (2023– )

Gritty, dark, dystopian story that works well.

[8/10 · 15 July 2023]

I was hooked when I read the series of short novels by Hugh Howey. The idea was good, the delivery excellent, the claustrophobia, suspense and intelligent writing was compelling.

The show takes the main ideas of the novels but does not try to follow them to the letter. This is good. I feel the result is better suited to a video series.

There are many things that the fans of the novels will not like as not being in the books to begin with, and even contradictory to some extent, but I really feel novels and video series are different and not really compatible. The show writers are perfectly within their rights to be inspired by a series of novel and write something different.

The acting by the leading lady is good, although I feel she plays mostly to one register, the tough, uncommunicative technician who follows through a single train of thoughts without fear of consequences. I feel she was better in Dune as the Lady Jessica.

There are some dull and unnecessary moments especially in the first few episodes, but the second half of the season ramps up in interest, suspense, action, mystery and grit. I really enjoyed it.

HPI Haut Potentiel Intellectuel (2021– )

Lovable main character in spite of many flaws

[7/10 · 15 July 2023]

This rating is for the 3 first seasons.

I like the premises and the acting in the first 2 seasons, especially from the leading lady.

High Intellectual Potential is seen by many as an advantage in life. In this series, it is shown in an hyperbolic fashion. The main character has superior memory and associative intelligence that allows her to solve deep mysteries in an instant, when unrelated triggers are put in place. This is not very realistic.

What is more realistic is how possessing high intellectual potential can be detrimental in life. No one understands her, she is a constant misfit and a societal failure, in part because her super-smart aura makes everyone around her feel stupid. She is also unable to set her mind to a long-term task and stick to it. She is easily distracted and very easily bored, and so she has no qualification, no diploma, no job, no money and everyone who has tried to live with her has given up on her. She has no fear of consequences and does not care for anyone's feelings, even when people genuinely try to help her, and even for her own children. She is also very good looking and uses that to her advantage, yet comes across as uncouth and gaudy with a very poor sense of taste.

That should have made her a profoundly unsympathetic character, yet, the main actress manages to overcome all this and show that her character is actually trampled over and used by everyone to her detriment, in particular by her family, and most particularly by her father, who has the same problems as her, even worse in a way. So in the end, she is rather lovable in spite of many flaws. This is quite a feat.

So I feel this is rather a good show. The down side is that the rest of the cast is basically a support cast. No one else is remotely as interesting as she is. No one rises to her level even the various love interests with rare exceptions. There is a main story in addition to each of the episode storyline, and this is one of deep sadness and betrayal.

The third season, however, magnifies all the downsides to a point where it become an unfunny caricature. I recommend the first 2 season, not really the last one.

Foundation: The Leap (2021) Season 1, Episode 10

The worst episode

[5/10 · 22 February 2023]

Generally I'm disappointed by this adaptation of Asimov's classic SF series of novels. The novels are old but were very influential. The material deserves better respect.

Here we have a truly horrible Emperor killing thousands of innocent people for petty revenge against a single person, when he boast seconds before that he was designed to deliver better justice. I guess this is to showcase how the Empire is truly wicked, but there was no need to do this especially since it makes no sense. Asimov would not even contemplate such a stupid move. Callousness yes, but for a purpose, not gratuitously.

We have a robot gratuitously and coldly killing an important character for no reason and no justification and then showing irrational emotions. This goes against the very concept of Asimov robots in so many bad ways. Asimov robots cannot kill a human, period.

We have two characters traveling to an uninhabited planet via independent slow rescue boats so they can meet each other after over a century of travel, when neither know each other. They happen to chance on one another. Of course they may be guided by some unknown force because they are related, but frankly this made me angry. This is very poor scriptwriting.

Let us not talk about the demise of the Huntress. That was truly terrible, undeservedly painful and gory and made no sense.

This episode is riddled with other similar terrible scripting ideas and disrespect, but also less than optimal acting, useless wasted time and inconsistencies throughout.

There are some good moments with Hari Seldon, but that's about it. It gets my vote as the worst episode of the series so far. I'm not sure this series deserves a second season.

Foundation (2021– )

Not remotely to the level of the written material

[6/10 · 22 February 2023]

The foundation series by Isaac Asimov is a masterpiece of 20th century science fiction. There would be a lot to say about the book series that would not necessarily be flattering, but the fact remains that this is a classic. It has an interesting and well thought-out story arc, and is articulated around the concept of psycho-history, a mathematical science that can predict the future to some degree of accuracy. Humanity has conquered the Galaxy but a major crisis is under way, the Galactic empire is headed for a long, dark, chaotic period with many wars, loss of civilization and deaths, unless a Foundation is established far from the centers of decisions to keep knowledge safe and ensure a speediest return to civilization.

It plays around Asimov's key tenets such as the existence of advanced intelligent robots that obey certain rules, faster than light travel and other elements present in Asimov's entire oeuvre.

Trying to adapt this material to the screen would always be a challenge but I was expecting it to be if not faithful, at least somewhat respectful of the concepts behind the written material.

Here not at all. The story has some vague resemblance to the Asimov's one, but it's inconsistent, even incoherent in many places and not nearly as well thought out. Producers have privileged the spectacular and the emotional over the sensible and intelligent and it shows.

I watched the series from beginning to end and it was mostly annoying, even if there were some good moments in places.

One thing I cannot accept though, is the role of the one robot. An Asimov Robot could never be an assassin and there was no need in the story to make it kill anyone. This turns this series into drivel.

Level 16 (2018)

Not a bad quality cheap horror film

[5/10 · 10 February 2023]

The premise of the film is very debatable and actually pretty dumb. Even if what is proposed were possible, it would be pretty wasteful. I can think of many things one could do with a gaggle of very obedient brainwashed 16 year old pretty girls instead. However the resulting film genre would be exploitation and not horror.

So maybe this is a kind of metaphor. Without revealing anything, something evil is afoot. The action is very slow at first and picks up fortunately at the end.

This is not really bad entertainment, the acting is not very good but still okayish. I wasn't bored but I looked through it at 1.25x speed and I don't recommend anything slower.

The Gray Man (2022)

Too silly

[6/10 · 28 January 2023]

An action film produced by Netflix starring quite a few good actors. On the positive side Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas are surprisingly good in this; there is quite a bit of humour and and the action is enjoyable if you check your brain at the door. I loved the action with the Tamil fighter, this was unusual and well done.

On the other hand the plot is really silly and over the top, scenario does not make any sense, there is way too many pointless deaths and the villain is just a caricature. If you watch closely, this was all for nothing in the end because the man who pulled all the bad things is just as alive at the end.

Overall I admit that I enjoyed it but also I was glad when it finished.

Ad Astra (2019)

A film about solitude

[7/10 · 20 December 2022]

In my opinion, the film is better than most reviewers give it credit for. Forget the spectacle and the poor science. The film is rather dystopian but perhaps more hopeful at the end. The entire space program is under the control of the military who rule it with an iron fist. In spite of insurmountable odds, the hero played by Brad Pitt wants to reconnect with his long-thought dead father, who is actually alive and has been marooned in orbit around Neptune for decade, in search of extra-terrestrial life.

The movie is about solitude, not special effect or anything else. It ponders the loneliness of the explorer, of the man with a mission, of the long travels, of the lack of love, of the sacrifices one makes to achieve one's goal, and ultimately the loneliness of the human species.

In spite of the various insults to science (some scenes were definitely not needed) I really enjoyed it.

Women at War (2022)

Inaccurate but still good

[7/10 · 30 November 2022]

It's a good French series about the involvement of women in WW1 on the French side, through the prism of four prototypal characters: a prostitute with a son in the army; a runaway competent nurse; an upper-class lady with a shady past; and a nun.

The story of the four characters intersect and find a common destiny in a French town near the front, confronted by the horrors of war.

Some of that conflict was well depicted, other elements, maybe not so much. Historical accuracy is not the main element here (e.g there were no gas attack until 1915, whereas all the action takes place at the beginning of the war in 1914).

The depiction of war wounds, the moral of troops, the insufficient equipment (no helmet) and the treatment of the wounded seemed pretty spot on though.

The action and acting is all good if a little over-dramatic and forced at times.

There will be no second season. This is a mini-series and this is all there is to it.

Andor (2022– )

Excellent prequel to Rogue One

[9/10 · 19 November 2022]

Rogue One was my favourite Star Wars movie since Empire Strikes Back. This is to say that there has been quite a string of duds, including the three prequels and the three sequels. Even Return of the Jedi was not very good.

Even though there were quite a few good moments in nearly all Star Wars movies, series and animations, none had a remotely sensible storyline, something that made me feel connected to characters, made me feel I cared for them. Above all, up to now, the Star Wars offering mostly made me wonder if no one was capable of writing a coherent script in this Universe.

Then came Rogue One and it was awesome, with not a single Jedi in sight. Yes there was a short lightsaber display near the end and it was awesome, but it almost didn't mater. In addition nearly all the characters were new and most were dead at the end of that movie, but I felt it made sense that they did and it was heart wrenching because they were so good. At last a SW movie with a heart and soul!

Now comes this sequel in the form of a series. For some reason, this time the scenarists did do an absolute stellar job. There is still not a single lightsaber in sight, and again nearly all the characters are new, but my god it is good!

The episodes storylines make sense. Actions have consequences and are followed through. We get to see how the Empire operates and this time the Empire people are dedicated, driven and competent. To fight them, the rebels are few in numbers but organized, bankrolled and excellent. We better understand what it takes to fight the sort of oppression the Empire represents, and it does not require Jedis : only dedicated, driven, ruthless, focused, but totally normal human beings.

To me this this the best Star Wars offering by miles all . It is better than the Mandaloria. Watch it and enjoy.

Troy (2004)

As close as possible to the myth for a Hollywood Blockbuster

[8/10 · 24 October 2022]

When I viewed this film at the movies when it came out, I was impressed by the visuals, the editing and the storytelling, but I thought it was a bit shallow. To my own surprise, I have viewed and enjoyed this films several more times on DVD and on the platform since and my interest for it has not abated, prompting me to write this review.

First the cast is really good, and some of the actions scenes are awesome. Bratt Pitt as Achilles is a perfect choice. He is not a pretty boy in this. He is a killing machine. His effectiveness on the field is perfectly conveyed and his cold yet righteous anger is a wonder to see. Eric Bana is fantastic as a great, but not superhuman Hector. The duel between Hector and Achilles is truly awesome and very well done. It manages to convey the excellence of the fighting talent of Hector while still underscoring the inhuman killing skill of the semi-god Achilles.

Diane Kruger is fabulous as Helen. She is supposed to be the most beautiful woman of the ancient world, one that simply defines human beauty, barely below that of a goddess, worthy of the launch of a thousand ships, and she does not disappoint. The film does convey the sense of awe that she represents. When Hector, then Priam and even Andromache (the wife of Hector) all see her, they should hate her because she represents their doom, but they see immediately that she is worth fighting for.

Briseis is the root cause of the anger of Achilles, and is excellently played by Rose Byrne, a beautiful and fragile enslave girl used as a token of power, a woman taken but not awed by the presence of Achilles. She is almost powerless, yet does everything right.

The plot is not exactly true to the Homeric myth, but close enough to make it both believable and enjoyable, and to be honest, understandable. Some divergence points are more annoying than others. For example, in the myth, Agamemnon is a true Hero who is elected to lead the war and who himself kills many Trojans. In the film, not so much.

Overall the changes are acceptable. As an aside, I enjoyed seeing Orlando Bloom as the pretty boy Paris, an ineffective and not overly brave fighter unable to wield a sword, unlike his portrayal of Legolas in LoTR.

The direction of Wolfgang Petersen is near perfect. Great pace, great visuals, fantastic fighting scenes, not a single dull moment.

I gave this film 8/10, probably worth more like 7.5.

Chernobyl (2019)

Nothing to add to the top reviews here

[10/10 · 24 July 2022]

I have watched this miniseries, my family has watched it, my parents have also. Everyone old enough remembers that day in 1983. I was a student in the city of Poitiers, France.

This miniseries is awesome and essential.

Soldier Blue (1970)

Interesting revisionist western

[7/10 · 22 July 2022]

This Western film has two storylines in it. The first concerns a romance between a volunteer cavalry soldier (the blue soldier of the title) and a blonde woman played by Candice Bergen who had lived with a tribe of Cheyenne Indians. It is interesting because the character played by Bergen is strong and independent although the filmmaking is quite exploitative.

The second storyline concerns the November 1864 massacre of Cheyenne Indians at Sand Creek, and is quite graphic and horrific, although the special effects haven't stood the test of time. It is not said that the massacre caused a public outcry, that the responsible perpetrators were tried but ultimately got away due to a Civil War amnesty. The film got me reading the Wikipedia page on the massacre, and for this alone it was worth it.

The two storylines are linked, of course. The overall result is interesting and historically minded but dated, in terms of storytelling and sometimes forced acting. A recommended watch as an influential revisionist Western film.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

Very uneven

[5/10 · 28 June 2022]

5 stars because it could have been much better with a little better writing. The writing is really awful especially in the beginning.

The cast is truly great. Ewan McGregor is a perfect Obi-Wan as always, but even his Jedi power can't overcome a bad script.

The girl doing Leia is also near perfect, so smart and so much like a young Leia should be. I loved her even more than Ewan McGregor.

The visuals are good. Hayden Christensen is good as Darth Vader.

Alas the story doesn't make overall sense, accomplishes little, it wastes a lot of precious time doing almost nothing, and the few good moments are so rare, precious and short. The last two episodes are much better, with some moments almost capturing the essence of Star Wars, but only moments.

Yes we know there are lots of constraints. Leia can't die, Vader and Obi-Wan have to be able to confront each other again in Episode IV, but still, don't they have scriptwriters in Hollywood paid handsome amounts to be creative?

When I think of the superb writing, in comparison, of the animated series The Clone Wars, of the superb writing, in comparison, of the Mandalorian, I want to throttle the Disney executives who made this waste of time and opportunity possible.

The Stronghold (2020)

Gritty and realistic

[9/10 · 30 May 2022]

This film tells the story of three French cops implicated in a big showdown with drug dealers in the city of Marseilles, in the south of France.

The acting and the direction are excellent. I honestly don't understand some of the reviews here that say either or both are lacking. The story is as close to true as possible, so if it appears unbelievable to some, I'm sorry, but they should get out more. The actors are very believable, so much so that this film caused quite a stir in France, with some politicians saying it was almost an extreme right-wing propaganda piece for their agenda.

Both the action part and the aftermath are thought provoking. An excellent film, thoroughly recommended.

A Very Long Engagement (2004)

Very good romance

[8/10 · 20 January 2022]

This film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet is very good indeed. A compelling story of a woman who cannot believe her fiancé died in WWI in less-than-clear circumstances.

Where to start? The cast is stellar, the cinematography brilliant, the story compelling, complex, weaving, full of stops and starts. It's not easy to watch due to the cruelty of WWI and its aftermath. The film blends many genres from war to romance via revenge and historical reconstruction.

Highly recommended.

Dune (2021)

Enjoyable, this is only the beginning

[8/10 · 10 October 2021]

First one has to realize this is based on the eponymous 1965 sci-fi classic book. This is not some new storyline that would be a rip-off of some Star Wars themes. Rather, the opposite is true.

Several high-profile filmmakers have wanted or attempted to bring the book to the screen, and have not been very successful. In 1984 David Lynch made a full adaptation with an interesting cast, including the singer Sting as Feyd-Rautha, but himself considered his adaptation to have been a failure.

The book is detailed and include many notions that make sense to a modern audience. The ecology of a seemingly failed planet turned into a full desert, the notion of a Jihad ; but also many elements were not detailed and emerged in subsequent volumes. This makes it a challenge for people to understand what is going on, and even more so on the silver screen where time is limited. This is not helped by the fact that many historical elements in the book seem to be very strange, like the non-existence of computers and the reliance on enhanced human capabilities; also why is everyone fighting with swords?

On the plus side, this adaptation is very faithful to the book, extremely spectacular, and the cast is top notch. The actress who plays Jessica is my favourite, and the actor who plays young Paul is showing a lot of promises.

Nonetheless, there is a lot of necessary expositions in this first part that make the film seem slow and low on action for a long time, and when action does develop, it does not seem to make sense for a while. Why are the Harkonnen allowed behave like they do? A prudent Emperor would play one House against the other, and let neither have the upper hand. At the end, one party seems in shambles and to have lost all hopes. It's not a very cheerful movie.

However, the best and most epic is yet to come. Based on this first instalment, I hope part II gets done and gets the success it deserves.

Overall I loved the movie, having read the book several times. My 15-yo daughter was lost and found the film spectacular, but long, slow and hard to follow, hence a less-than-enthusiastic mark.

Alien: Covenant (2017)

Almost a remake of the original Alien

[6/10 · 5 October 2021]

That film is not as bad as the 1-star reviews make it. Of course the plot is kind of weak and full of holes, but to be honest the original Alien did not make much sense either. What it did bring to the party was a new aesthetic for a SF-horror movie.

Here, so many elements in the films are like the first of the franchise. A ship in space is diverted from its course, a party lands on the planet, encounters an aggressive life form, hell ensues. As an Alien film, it is very close to being a remake but does explain in a weird way some of the element of how the aliens were designed. Since it does not make much sense, we do not care.

As an action-SF-horror movie, the film works quite well, most of the characters are killed in effective scenes that are very similar to the first Alien.

It is not very fresh though. The original Alien was clunky and imperfect but it was novel, visually appealing and very scary. This one works mostly if the viewers do not ask for much coherency or even common sense (landing on an alien planet and exploring with no protection whatsoever?) and feels basically like a cheap horror bloodbath. A couple of good scenes can't save it.

I enjoyed some of it but I think Mr Scott should stop making these expensive movies. Studios should let someone else express their own vision. This is definitely rehashed and unoriginal.

Tenet (2020)

Good SF thriller, unusual storyline, bit gimmicky

[8/10 · 6 September 2021]

This film features a storyline that goes a step further with Nolan's obsession: time. In this storyline, a device makes it possible for objects and persons to go both forward and backward in time. Only the arrow of time is changed, not the rate. This makes it a "time travel' SF movie but with interesting constraints that may not be entirely inconsistent with known physics.

It's very clever and makes for a film which was for me very enjoyable, if you like Nolan's style. I loved the way he introduced elements that complexify the story little by little, and still manages to surprise, to include humanist philosophical elements, and more. In this way it was similar to Inception.

Nonetheless, there are some unavoidable inconsistencies and ad-hoc explanations. The plot is complex and I think at least two viewings are necessary to understand and enjoy the whole plot, which may explain the relatively poor ratings compared to Nolan's other recent films like Interstellar.

In terms of real physics, a particle traveling backward in time is interpreted as an anti-particle. And so "logically" a whole person travelling backward in time would be made of anti-matter which would cause all sorts of problems, like being unable to interact with normal matter without causing particle annihilations, associated huge bursts of radiation, etc. This is hugely simplified in the movie into one forward person not being allowed to touch their reversed version (anti-person ?) but otherwise there is no plot, so this is forgivable.

Nolan continues to come up with unlikely but wholly enjoyable, clever scenarios, excellent cast and actor direction as well as a sure-footed direction that does not overly rely on special effects.

Recommended.

The Imitation Game (2014)

Good but fanciful story, missed opportunity

[6/10 · 6 January 2021]

Alan Turing was a real genius, but he did not design by himself a machine to break the Nazi Enigma message encoding machine during WWII.

Some things in the film are correct, and others are wildly fanciful and even insulting to the memory of the people at Bletchley park and elsewhere who made breaking Enigma possible.

The film remains very good, engaging, well acted and full of suspense and drama. I feel a great opportunity was lost, though, to tell the real story of this codebreaking effort, which heroically and decisively shortened the war considerably without firing a single shot.

For this, read a book. A great one: "Alan Turing, the Enigma" is very good.

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)

Not the worst Star Wars

[7/10 · 14 November 2020]

Overall, Episode IX finishes the Star-Wars trilogy with a disappointment. But there are many good elements and it is not the disaster so many 1-3 stars reviews claim here.

So many good plot ideas were laid out in the first instalment, or Episode VII, but were left poorly exploited. Overall this trilogy lacks a believable villain and a consistent plot.

Let's consider these elements. Why is SW episode IX a disappointment?

First, the acting is fine. The main heroine is really great, I love Ray and Daisy Ridley who portrays her. Her acting saves most of the film for me. Her doubts, and the last few frames of the film were sufficiently emotional for me to forgive J.J Abrams as the director.

The supporting cast is good with a good balance of action heroics and fun banter. Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher are in-character and good, Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian is severely under-exploited. Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca does no more or less than in the other films, as do the robots, although this time C3PO is much better exploited with an interesting subplot. I would say that the acting is on par or better than that of the entire saga, in particular there are no very weak spots like the lines of Anakin in episode I-III, which were consistently terrible. There is a nice cameo by Harrison Ford and of course it is emotional to see Carrie Fisher again, even if this is only through archival footage. The villains are OK, but there is no one as spectacular as Darth Vader was in Episodes IV-VI, or even Palpatine in I-III.

Second, the action is fine. There are plenty of new places, spectacular vistas, cute robots, lightsaber fights, spectacular dogfights and as many space explosions as one could hope, including fun and frightening elements. There is no question that from that point of view, this film delivers.

Now the storyline. There is nothing truly terrible about it, but it's just not good enough for the ending of a saga like Star Wars.

There are terribly cliché and repetitive elements that end up being tiresome. For example, the ending involves something that should be a truly gigantic space battle, but is not evoked well. It ends up being disappointing in terms of size, plot, believability and even consistency. It feels unoriginal because once again there is a single point of failure like in Episode IV that ends up not even being that important.

There are really strange elements, like an enormous theater filled with anonymous Sith spectators, which is not consistent with the whole philosophy.

Another example of cliché: major characters change sides and we don't really know why. We are not even given something as emotional or believable as when Darth Vader decides to save his son at the end of Episode VI.

As examples of inconsistency, I really don't like how it is sufficient to become a Jedi at the last minute to gain the ability to become a light force phantom and be immortal in that way. In Episode III, it is said that Master Quigong Jinn had to research this quite actively and teach other Jedis on how to do it. Light characters can become phantoms even a significant amount of time after death. This is so bizarre.

Now Jedis are given the ability to heal mortal wounds and even bring back to life dying characters . This was never evoked before, and is used extensively in this film.

At the very end there is a battle between two characters representing "all" of the Sith vs "all" of the Jedi and we don't even know how that came about or why. This is given as fact and it is very hard to swallow.

In the end, overall, is it important though? I think it would be very difficult today to write a SW movie consistent with everything presented in all of the Saga, with an original, spectacular and exciting plot. It should be doable though, of recent memory, "Rogue One" managed to do that quite well.

This film, not so much, but it is still OK, and I love Ray. I hope somehow we'll hear from her again.

Borgen: Dem & Os (2011) Season 2, Episode 6

Best episode so far, in a superlative series

[10/10 · 24 October 2020]

This episode is by far the best in the entire series of Borgen so far. The acting is superb, the direction excellent, and the script is amazing. It manages to blend together people's personal stories and the underlying issues in society in a manner that is provocative, human, and in such a way that the viewer comes out of it somehow feeling caring and educated. Many very important issues are shown in this episode, centered on the excellently acted but flawed character of Kasper Juul.

To fully appreciate this episode and the arc that brings the story to this particular episode, you have to watch a great deal of the series, but it is immensely rewarding.

The Prestige (2006)

Another excellent film by Christopher Nolan

[8/10 · 6 October 2020]

This film explores the rivalry between two stage magicians in 19th century London. The initially friendly rivalry turns bitter and deadly when the wife of one of them dies on stage during a risky trick.

I liked this film due to its very high production values, the masterful direction of Christopher Nolan and his stellar cast of actors and actresses.

This is not the best Nolan though. It involves an element in the last trick that made it too unbelievable, desperate, and cruel to me.

American Made (2017)

Entertaining and amoral

[8/10 · 29 September 2020]

This film is "inspired" by real event around the life of Barry Seal, an ex TWA pilot who flew various questionable missions to deliver drugs, weapons and other similar merchandise between the US, Colombia and Central America in the 70s and 80s.

Tom Cruise is excellent in this role, playing a daredevil pilot who is quickly in over his head, being pulled between the drug cartels, the CIA, the DEA and his family. It does not really end well but it sure is entertaining.

Some reviews here underscore the historical inaccuracies, but the fact remains that USA's various three-letter agencies tries to meddle in Central America in this period with very questionable results. It is fun to see the Old Gipper (Ronald Reagan) appear in this film with his real-life comments in context. None of the other presidents appear to their advantage, to be honest.

The main comments about this film is that it is realistic *enough* and mostly, what in the world were they thinking?

Andrei Rublev (1966)

The film that has most affected me

[10/10 · 2 July 2020]

I can't say this is my "favourite" film. It is long, slow, contemplative, cryptic, complex, shot in black and white and subtitled, I'm sure I'm missing some of the true meaning of the dialogs. I saw this film only once, thirty years ago, and I remember it was not a comfortable experience. I was shifting in my seat constantly and my fellow filmgoers were doing the same. I'm not sure I want to see it again, because of the realization that came upon me as the film finished. I think you can only experience that once.

Yet, yet i remember where and when it was. I remember how I felt afterward. I remember the film suddently making sense in the last few minutes. I remember it meant an enormous amount to me personnally. I remember collecting that sense like a bolt between the eyes.

This film is etched in my brain. Almost single-handedly, it made me realize that cinema is truly a medium for art, that the purpose of art, if anything, is to make the viewer feel something.

And boy did it make me feel something. I'm tearing up as I'm writing this. There isn't a month where something happens in my life that makes me think of this film.

One interpretation, one purpose of this film, I think, is to make us go through a religious experience. To me, it succeeds beyond all reasonable expectations. Much more than a decade of Sunday school or Church sermons, even the best I can remember.

I'm no longer a religious person, but thanks to this film I think I understand better people who are. This film is mystical. I have been there.

So this is not my favourite film, but I think this is one of the very best film ever made. Go see it and judge for yourself. Also, don't leave or stop in the middle. It makes sense at the end, and the ending is beautiful.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

Not good but not terrrible

[6/10 · 1 July 2020]

There are some good elements in the story.

The romance, Natalie Portman is great, Hayden Christensen is OK if you admit his IQ lowers by half when in the presence of Padme, which is not that unrealistic.

Storywise the Jedi are incredibly stupid throughout, they don't see the forest for the tree. Some things are ridiculous like the "execution" drama on Geonosis. The appearance of the clones is very good and the battle with the Federation Army is OK.

Actionwise, there are some very good sequences that are entertaining like the shapeshifter in the beginning and the very good sequence between Obi-Wan and Jango Fett. Others are not so convincing like the factory and the arena showdown on Geonosis. The Jedi vs Dooku battle could have been better as well, although it was nice to see Master Yoda show his stuff.

Overall this movie needs a script editor. Too many cringe elements like the banter between R2D2 and C3PO that falls flat every time.

It is not too bad and it works well at entertaiment. Given the budget and the class of the actors, I was expecting so much more.