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The Lost City (2022)
Not for me
I was looking for some silly movie, where I wouldn't think too much and would be entertained. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I didn't find the movie funny, I didn't like the characters, and I couldn't wait for it to end. Ok, I admit it's up to me, obviously I don't like to watch these kinds of movies, a combination of romance, comedy and action. A couple of ok scenes and that's it. And did it really have to end like that? I believe that a film like this, especially considering the names of the actors, has its army of fans, but it looks like I will have to stay away from similar products. Pure chick flick.
Apocalypto (2006)
An extremely difficult, brutal and fresh film
An amazing film, even today it looks very fresh, but also very difficult to make. Big kudos to Gibson. Brutal film, but visually beautiful. Untouched nature, natives who are faithful to their customs, and the film does not actually have a single (as far as I know) real actor with experience, so that makes the whole film even more impressive to me. Tense from the first minute to the last, we hardly have a chance to breathe normally. It is again grateful for multiple viewings because it is full of details and links that may not be visible at first. It deals with several topics, relationships that are not the primary topic, but run through the film. Not for the light hearted.
Uncharted (2022)
Fun movie but that is all
I'm not a fan of these games, nor have I ever played them, so I'm speaking purely from a cinematic perspective. The movie looks familiar to me, I would call it Indiana Jones for the poor. There is some great hidden treasure, several people are looking for it, and along the way they find various clues and maps that need to be deciphered in order to get to that treasure. With that theme, the movie was fun for me, but that's it, maximum. He entertained me for those two hours, I didn't have to brainstorm or think much, in fact quite the opposite. As soon as I started to think about something, I would see numerous shortcomings, illogicalities and unreality. From a cinematic point of view, the story is not complete, the characters are not well written, but the most important thing is that there is a lot of jumping, parkour, fighting, explosions, dynamics,... Basically, even though the movie has a lot of flaws, it served its purpose to some extent because I had fun and relaxed, so I still give it a positive rating.
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Very good realistic movie
A film about the infamous multi-year hunt for Bin Laden. It consists of three parts, and they are connected by one person, the main role of Jessica Chastain, who is great by the way. A lot of data, a lot of idle talk, bureaucracy, politics and various people, it seems quite realistic and at times looks like a documentary. The ending of the film is expected because it is still based on real events, but it is interesting that I read how they had to change the ending of the film during filming because that's when they caught Bin Laden. A very good film, I have no major complaints, but overall it did not delight me as if it were an unforgettable film.
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
Fun SF blockbuster adventure
From what I've been able to figure out for this movie, there are two types of people. The first one who is a fan of the original movies and those people don't like this movie because of that, and the second one who didn't watch the original movies and those people love this movie. I will be honest and subjective (as always) and say that I definitely belong to a second group of people. Not this movie for me, pure SF adventure, blockbuster, fun movie. I'm not interested in the links and changes from the original (which by the way is the best Star Trek movie by most). The story and events do not always have logic and meaning, the only important thing is that something is constantly happening. Sometimes there is even too much of that, there is always some excitement and action, and because of that the quality and characterization of the characters suffer. It is clear to me that Star Trek should be more about people and a quality story, not about action and special effects. As a casul fan, this film was a good fit for me because it entertained me regardless of the fact that the film is far from perfect.
Watchmen (2009)
It could have been better if Snyder hadn't ruined it
I know a lot of people like this movie, but for me it's just good, even though I really should like it a lot. There are a lot of great things, but there are also flaws that bother me. He would say director Snyder is the biggest problem. His style and signature, which he has in all his films, is visible here. It insists too much on the visuals, and it doesn't turn out well in the end. Slow motion in too many scenes, repetitive motifs, excessive use of force and violence. That is much more important to him than the characters and the story, and it shows. It is clear to me that he had a difficult job here, but I think that he did not succeed in it completely. Too long a movie, several different versions, it all smells bad to me. It's a shame that the end product isn't better.
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
I got exactly what I wanted
This film had to go through many problems to be made. Film studios, characters, actors, directors, scripts, but I'm very glad that it worked out in the end. Technically speaking, this is Deadpool 3. The film had strong marketing, a high budget, but it will also make money.
The film gave me everything I expected, wanted and hoped for. I smiled on several occasions, laughed out loud, enjoyed the action. This is pure 100 percent fan film, fan service, there is no doubt about it. But we needed one successful superhero movie after several years of (mostly) big flops.
Far from this being the best movie ever or anything like that, it won't even be the best movie of the year. We can talk about the action and the story, but that is unnecessary, that is not the point of the film. This is an action-packed summer blockbuster for fun and relaxation. Clearly, the film has several action scenes and very bloody ones (it justifies its R rating), but they are brilliantly filmed. Also, for me, the best part of the film is certainly the numerous cameo roles, references (Easter eggs) and mockery of anything and everything that is current now or has been in the last 20 years. That was exactly the point of the film.
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are great in their roles and have great chemistry in their scenes together, which is almost the entire movie. We even got a little touch of movie nostalgia because the subgenre of duos who can't work together because they're different but have to, which was very popular 30-40 years ago, is practically extinct today (eg Lethal Weapon).
The only thing I don't know is whether you will catch all the jokes, taunts and references because I have the feeling that there were about a hundred of them, without exaggeration.
The Road (2009)
Not as good as I hoped
Honestly, I expected to like the movie even more. The topic is great, just for me, the post-apocalyptic world and how to navigate it. The actors did a great job here, the role of father and son and their mutual relationship is probably the best part of the film. Visually, the film is beautiful, I liked the colors or the lack of them. The ugly palette of colors and grays represent the atmosphere of the whole world and they fit and complement the film perfectly. Now, everything else didn't impress me. I was bothered by the lack of any meaningful plot, I had the feeling that I was watching a set of scenes and events that have no relation to each other, the accumulation of scene after scene, characters come and go. A lot of things didn't make sense to me, and a lot of things weren't even explained, so I was left confused and in a little disbelief a couple of times. The ending of the film came abruptly and I was not impressed. I did not understand the final point, if there was one.
M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder (1931)
M is for aMazing!
How the film just looks fresh and high quality after so long. Incredibly influential, I almost can't believe this movie is so old. He was ahead of his time. It deals with a topic that will be popular only a few decades later. I saw a real modern thriller here. I can imagine how scary it must have been to watch a movie dealing with a serial killer of children back then, it's been almost 100 years. Violence is not shown but is implied, I see great direction there. I really liked the duel of two different worlds that have the same goal, but not the means. Their intertwining has a great dynamic. If I have to look for a flaw, the ending was not at a high level for me personally. It came to me suddenly and quickly, it's the only part of the film that didn't excite me.
Rollerball (2002)
Wow, it is so bad
First, I wanted to start with the sentence that yes, the movie is bad, but it's not that bad. I won't start like that though. The movie is really, really bad, on every level. The scenario is painfully awful, full of illogicality. Although this is a remake, there are practically no points of contact with the original because they changed absolutely everything. The film is no longer about the future, but about extreme sports, and that's where it got lost in the depths. And if at least it turned out to be a solid action movie, but unfortunately it's not even that. Which is actually a big mystery because the director is John McTiernan, one of the greatest action directors in history. The film has a very bad edit, conversations, characters, plot, the point itself is not clear to me either. As if it was made by amateurs and some beginners. He would not even mention the actors. There are some controversies surrounding the film, but I don't want to waste time on that at all. Bypass viewing in a wide arc. The only good thing is that it's 90 minutes long, so you can kind of make it easier to last until the end of the movie.
Rollerball (1975)
I like it but dont love it
A futuristic world (interestingly, we have already crossed the year 2018) that shows us how man has achieved a lot, but that's why a lot was taken from him. Bread and games, that's how it's always been and always will be. The world is controlled by corporations and no one can stand in their way. The common man is apparently rich and comfortable, but he is under a lot of control. Although the film "guessed" a lot of things for the future, for me the story is not complete and rounded, everything is somehow left in the air. The point at the end of the film is clear, but the film did not excite me. It's a shame, because the movie could have been much better and much more. Maybe it's up to me because I have similar problems with SF films from this period.
Rashômon (1950)
Didn't like it that much
I avoided this film for a long time precisely because of its cult status and significance. I have to be fair and subjectively evaluate this film. I let a couple of days pass so that my impressions could settle down and I could honestly rate the film. A masterpiece for many, but I personally didn't like it. Ok, I can understand his influence on many filmmakers and films, in fact I have seen some films that use this rashomon method. We follow one story that is told from as many as four different perspectives and we have no idea at the end which one is true and real. The unusual structure of the film, especially for that era, is worthy of praise. But in the end, when the movie ended, I didn't have a feeling of delight and some great satisfaction that I watched this movie.
The Last Duel (2021)
A great, cruel, bloody and tense historical drama
Ridley Scott is a legendary director, the creator of several cult films. However, lately his films are either hit or miss, one would say that he is not in an enviable form. So even though I always look forward to each of his films, I still approach it with a degree of caution.
The film is certainly one of his good films, but it is interesting that although it has good reviews, the film actually failed in the theaters and has no profit. I don't want to talk about it right now, but I can guess why that is, and the logic goes from his description.
The film is brilliantly made, the direction is on point, visually beautiful, the colors as well as the lack of them show the real situation, considering that the time of the action is the Middle Ages. Quite cruel, violent and bloody.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck participated in the writing of the script, and both played roles in this film. Along with Adam Driver and Jodie Comer, they form a great acting quartet on which this entire film rests. The characters are very well written, we can understand their motivation, and the fact that we follow the film from three different stories, that is, from the perspective of the main characters, in the style of Rashomon, goes with this.
The duration of almost two and a half hours is not felt because the film is so well made. Suspenseful almost from the beginning until the end. The fight scenes are made quite realistically, and I can't remember the last time a movie managed to do that.
It's not a movie for everyone because it lasts a little longer than average, I would say that because of the subject matter it's a movie for adults, it's not pleasant to watch, unusual narration that might even bother some. However, there is no doubt that Ridley Scott showed with this film that he still has knowledge and quality.
The Upside (2017)
Completely unnecessary, but a solid remake
I'll start right away with the obvious, this movie is definitely unnecessary. The French original is a great movie, it was a big hit and it wasn't made so long ago that a remake is needed. The only reason I see is the Americanization of films and the prejudice that they don't like films with subtitles. A short introduction, and now a little about the film. Although this is a pure remake, it is not exactly the same as the original. Some things were added, some were taken away, mostly there are changes. My impression is that the changes were not for the better. However, looking at this film as a whole, I must admit that it was not bad. The main actors did their job. Cranston was great in his role and Hart was solid, bringing a little humor but not overdoing it.
Finally, the conclusion, a completely unnecessary remake of the great French original. I wasn't interested, but I knew I'd look at it at some point out of curiosity. I can't be a hater of the movie because it wasn't bad, enough drama and some humor, but nowhere near the original.
Reminiscence (2021)
Too bad that it's not better
The film debut of director Lisa Joy, for which she also wrote the script, so far she has only worked on series. I was attracted to this film because of the great cast and great theme. It's like it was made for me. What does the world look like in the (near) future? Not so well. The atmosphere is so pessimistic that many turn to the past and good memories. There is a device that enables them to do that. Sometimes I catch myself thinking that it used to be better.
There is a clear influence of some other great sci-fi movies in many ways. This movie tries so many things. Dark, almost apocalyptic future world, technology, mystery, noir, investigation, love story, action, non-linear plot. All of that was crammed into less than two hours, and that's why I think some aspects of the film suffer because of it, such as the villains.
The film also requires a little attention and concentration from you, because it is not very easy to be distracted as various memories from the present are exchanged. There is also some symbolism as well as hints of some things. So it's not made as a movie for everyone.
The acting duo Jackman and Ferguson is great, I have no complaints. Great theme, but not the execution of it, which I'm really sorry about because the film had the potential to be great, maybe even a classic.
Although it was panned by critics and not very well received by the audience, I personally didn't think the film was that bad. I liked a lot of things, the genre, the story, the actors, but overall it didn't turn out to be a homogeneous mixture. It is a shame.
The Empty Man (2020)
I wish I liked it more
Not exactly standard horror, which is a good thing for me. You can see that a lot of effort was put into this film, links, visuals and even the introduction itself, which lasts unusually long. I normally like mystery, and it is also present in this film when something needs to be unraveled or connected. Also, the film has several very good scenes, which cause chills and discomfort, which you don't really see in the average horror. The movie reminded me of Hereditary to some extent, which is definitely a plus.
However, I still didn't like the movie. The reason lies primarily in the fact that a second after the credits started, my face was confused, which is not a good sign. A lot of questions are asked, and not all of them have been answered, I have not been able to connect everything and understand what exactly is true. That's why it gets a negative rating from me because it failed in the most important part, the coherent story. I have no doubt that there will be a good portion of people who will like this movie. It's a matter of personal taste.
Oldeuboi (2003)
Didn't love it that much
A bit of an unpopular opinion. Many praise this film and put it at the very top of various lists, for me personally it is "just" good. Instead of praising it for its cinematography, actors, story or twist, I will try to briefly explain without giving away the plot why this is not the best movie ever. Overall, watching the movie was a bit too much for me. I couldn't catch every detail on the first viewing, but it was better on the second viewing. Although I understand the motives, I still do not understand all the actions of the characters, especially at the very end of the film, which did not completely excite me, so I belong to the minority.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
The SF spectacle I've been waiting for
Dune: Part Two is one of the best cinema experiences I've had in my life, without exaggeration. The epic SF spectacle of almost 3 hours almost flew by. There was never a dull moment. A film of such proportions simply has to be watched on the big screen and that's it. I pity all the people who don't. Not only because of its size but because of how incredibly well made the film is. Director Villeneuve once again proved to be a master of his craft and proved why he is one of the best living directors. Visually, the film is pure perfection. The fictional world from the pen of writer Herbert no longer looks fictional. The planet Arrakis is real, without a doubt, the sand is real as are the big worms, different peoples, and I almost felt the lack of water. The fictional language as well as the customs of the Fremen and their beliefs look so lifelike and believable, I almost forgot I was watching a movie. Many of the wide shots are so incredibly beautiful that it's hard for me to describe it in words. This amount of special effects without showing it is quite an undertaking and a big congratulations to everyone involved. The rhythm of the film is also at a high level, the combination of big fights, one-on-one fights, but also the so-called smaller scenes and internal fights where you learn a lot about the characters and people is in an excellent balance.
Now that I've praised the film practically without shame, here's a minor criticism. First, off the top of my head, there is no way this is the best movie of all time. I'm exaggerating on purpose because looking at some other reviews, I got that impression because I saw some comparisons to other classics. I understand to some extent, but I don't agree completely. The story and characters did not touch me personally to that extent. I was still bothered by certain choices of some characters in the film and I feel that the casting, although very good, is not perfectly hit for all the characters.
In the end, the subjective conclusion is that this is a big, big plus for the director because he managed to make a spectacular blockbuster at a high level, which we haven't had the chance to see for a while. We are now waiting for Part Three and I hope that the story will be completed on the same level.
The Postman (1997)
It could be so much better
It remained in my memory as a good movie, but now I see that it is not so. It's true that it takes a long time, but I don't think it's a problem if it's a good story. In my opinion, the biggest problem here is the script or the story. What is the goal of this movie anyway? It starts as one thing, then goes in another direction, and ends in a completely anticlimactic tone. Ok, patriotism, but excessive jr Americanization, and the characters change a lot and don't have enough space to become interesting and dear to me. This movie had potential, but in my opinion, it didn't live up to it. Shame for that.
Cast Away (2000)
A very good, but not great movie
A film that relies a lot on the main role, which carries almost the entire film on its back. Luckily it's Tom Hanks so we have a solid movie with great acting. It relies on the physical, but even more on the psychological change of a man who remains alone on a desert island. Although in one way the plot is reminiscent of Robinson Crusoe, here we have a slightly more modern approach, but also the consequences that are dealt with and how it all affects the main character. We even have a life message, a lesson. In all aspects, a very high-quality film, although I personally would not put it in the category of top achievements, especially since both Hanks and director Zemeckis have much better works in their careers.
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
Disappointed because I'm confused
I have a lot of problems with this movie. I honestly have no idea what exactly the movie is about and I can't fully explain it. We have a lot of characters that appear in a scene or two and later they are gone, we have a set of scenes that follow one another, and not all of them are connected. Some strange parts of the film seem like dreams (which are often strange) and I believe that part of the film is actually a dream, but still I have no explanation for everything. I even think that Lynch deliberately made a film without a point or explanation. I'm sorry that the movie ended up disappointing me given the great reviews that followed it, but Lynch just doesn't work for me.
My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown (1989)
What a lead role!
An inspiring story based on a real person who struggles with his great handicap all his life. By far the biggest strength is the abnormally good acting of Daniel Day-Lewis, I would say one of the best ever. He turned into the main character of Christy Brown, the movements, the speech, or the handicap of the same, if I didn't know, I would say that it is not an actor but a real patient. Critically speaking, the film is not perfect. It could have lasted a little longer and had a slightly better ending, but even so, it is definitely recommended to watch it. Although Christy Brown's story is sad because of the hard life, illness, poverty and everything else that he has faced all his life, on the other hand it can also be a feel good film that can inspire you to wake up and do something with your life. If Christy could do it with his situation, then it is much easier for you to achieve it.
Poor Things (2023)
Not my cup of tea
Director Lanthimos is known for making strange films, but this is certainly the strangest film in his oeuvre. Absolutely everything is strange here: characters, plot, camera, music, colors, dialogues. Several bizarre scenes as well as uncomfortable decisions that will not please everyone. The development of the main character from a new beginning, where she was created as a Frankenstein monster as a tabula rasa, so we watch how she changes as she gets to know the world, the people in it, and herself. I'll talk about the positives first. Emma Stone is by far the best part of the film, a by no means light character who is going through changes, physically, but especially mentally, I wouldn't be too surprised if she won the golden statuette for the best female lead actress. I also liked the character of the doctor played by the always great Dafoe. The scenography also attracts attention, it is unusual and colorful, but also beautiful.
Now let's go to the flaws.
The film held my attention until the halfway point, later it dropped drastically in quality. It is clear to me that I am in the minority with my opinion in terms of ratings, reviews and awards, but I cannot go against myself. The film tries to cram a lot in, but fails to bring it all to an end. I felt that the movie went on for a long time, which is never a good sign for the quality of the movie. I mentioned that the film is very strange and unusual, practically from the beginning to the end, I didn't get used to it very easily. I was bothered by the excessive and tasteless sexualization that begins in the second part of the film, it even became tiring. You could talk more about the flaws, but I don't want to reveal the plot of the film, I'll just write that the film also contains a bit of pedophilia.
It's definitely not a movie for everyone, unfortunately it didn't excite me and I couldn't enjoy this movie.
The Zone of Interest (2023)
Too long and boring pretentious movie
A film that tells us about the horrors of concentration camps, but without actually showing us them. The emphasis here is on the German family that lives right next to the Auschwitz camp, they are literally separated from the prisoners by a wall, and the head of the family is the chief commandant in that camp. So it's a positive thing for him that he doesn't have to travel to work for a long time (am I a bit over the top for this joke?). The premise of the film is that it deals exclusively with this family and their way of life, which is to a good extent normal (as normal as it can be in that situation). This is shown to us in a documentary way, the camera is fixed and we watch ordinary things such as breakfast. However, it is constantly on our minds that very nasty things happen in the neighborhood. The horror of the holocaust is not shown to us literally in any scene, but extends throughout the film in subtle ways.
Since I am always honest and subjective in evaluating films, I have to admit that this was a very boring experience for me. There is almost no standard action, the scenes last a long time and in most of them we watch some boring action like walking through the house, eating breakfast or turning off all the lights in that same house. A film made for pretentious fans of film art as well as critics who will talk about various symbolism and interpretations of individual scenes. It's definitely not for us, ordinary film lovers. There are many, many better films about the Holocaust, told in different ways.
Lost Highway (1997)
Too much strange movie for me
I follow the plot, mystery, intrigue, completely interesting. However, at one point the film completely deviates from the path and goes in a completely different direction. Since then I've lost the thread and it's been hard to keep up with everything. Strange, bizarre and unrelated scenes and characters. Honestly, I have no idea at the end what exactly happened, who is who and what something represents. The film is very strange and completely unusual. It has no standard plot and characters. It is clear to me that Lynch has his own signature and style, I can understand that as well as the fact that there are a lot of people who like these kinds of films. However, I have to be honest and subjective and say that I don't like these kinds of movies and this style. If someone has to explain to me the meaning and symbolism in almost every scene, then it's not my cup of tea. I also can't tell what exactly the movie is about. I just ended up having the standard WTF moment that I almost always have when I watch a Lynch movie.