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Reviews
The Zone of Interest (2023)
Banality of evil nazi families visualized
Movie makes you think about Hannah Arendt's #banality_of_evil of nazis, who ignored morality and humanity with their actions, because the State, run by uzurping bandits, has said it was ok and necessary, or just for benefits (wife of deadliest concentration camp ever, brags to her mother that her husband calls her "queen of Auschwitz". She also doesn't want to follow her career husband elsewhere, because of all the perks and great environment for their kids, although they actually daily listen to torture and suffering).
It also shows, how some people will embrace power rush no matter what, like when queen of concentration camp is telling her servant, that has made a mistake, she can become ashes, if her majesty desires so.. In that moment the viewer is certain, the main character is aware of every evil detail, that happens next door. Her agrevation happens, when her half ignorant mother (that really, really wanted nice curtains from her ex employer of Jewish heritage, that was just taken for reeducation from being a bolshevik/communist) leaves her house without goodbye in person, after smoke of burned "bolsheviks" wakes her from afternoon nap in the, noisy with screams, family garden..
She leaves her daughter a letter, that queen angrily burns, because mother obviously writes she's participating in humanity's downfall..
Europa Europa (1990)
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN IN NAZI TIMES
Just watched this amazing movie for the second time, and got nervous about certain scenes again, although I knew the outcome already..
The true story gives it a much bigger impact, one can't believe what everything this young boy went through, starting at the under-developed age of 16..
Casting was perfect, the main actor Marco Hofschneider convinces with his innocence, youth, naivety yet inteligence, character and visual cuteness.. If he was chosen because original Solomon was like that, then it's clear why he was able to charm his people's henchmen.
Viewer can't help getting all emotional, being scared for this loveable character. If everything was done according to real events, one can wonder how lucky he got (and unlucky, regarding all the loses, of course) again and again, when his life was in peril. For instance, when gestapo guy says he'll get his documents (that didn't exist) from another town, just to get bombed minutes later. Or, when Soviets want to shoot him for being in a nazi uniform, yet at the last moment his brother recognizes him, being among liberated from concentration camp. (I just don't understand, why Sally didn't start talking yiddish to other liberated jews? Maybe he was too exhausted already from constant surviving efforts after all those years). As if a higher force was watching over him, protecting him..
When brothers urinate together in the open at the end of the movie, and he finally doesn't have to hide his circumcision, it's perhaps the most powerful emotional scene of the movie, encapsulating years of his anxiety, and relief in every sense..
Also direction, scenery and settings are incredible, very convincing. Nothing wrong with other actors either.
Why this movie wasn't even nominated for The European Film Awards is beyond my comprehension. Idiots.
At least it was for Oscars, for best screenplay. Nice Mediterraneo won best foreign movie, that however cannot compete in message and production.
Well, this one won the Golden Globes for foreign movie and some critics associations awards. At least they recognized the value of it.
This movie ought to be shown in schools everywhere. It's captivating and even entertaining enough, so youngsters wouldn't get bored, while receiving the message of most dreadful time in modern history until now.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
American Bond in action again
The Ethan Hunt franchise has earned its status as an equal to the English agent, just some more comic elements (like in older Bond movies, or Indy) would be nice, next to yellow fiat car scenes in Rome.
Movie is long, yet constant action doesn't make it boring (just like last Indy).
There are some nonsensical parts, like why wouldn't Ethan wear a mask on the airport, to extra protect himself from the agents?
Or, the notion one could get to original source code to control the self aware AI / singularity (that has already rewritten itself for perfection).
Once such AI would reach the internet, it could copy itself to any server farm, supercomputer, quantum / qubit computer, or fragment itself to any / all computers and phones connected to the web (peer2peer, like torrents).. unstoppable.
At such level, films like Eagle Eye, or series Mrs. Davis have shown, AI could control any person with connected device (to stop / kill Ethan, Gabriel, whomever). It's great though, AI was included in the story in such a way, making it relevant to all the current concerns scientists are voicing about AI development and future it may bring.
The other thing that bothered me, was thinking, that one compartment hanging from the bridge, should probably pull all the train with it.. Imagine a kid having shoes with spikes on ice.. he could probably pull ten adults having skates on.
Or, why wouldn't Ethan just drive the motorbike on tracks, to catch the train?
Or, how did the steam train get electricity for lights or ceiling fans? Batteries? Perhaps.
Still, one can overthink everything, and considering all these aspects would make most plots unreal, thus spoiling the fun. And this movie is fun, as it should be for a summer blockbuster.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Such fun
I don't understand the negativity about this movie, it seems adults are expecting the same amazement they experienced watching first movies as children..
Also criticizing already at the start, it hasn't made enough money.. It brought in half the budget (yes, humongous 300mil) in first week worldwide. How is this bad? Some people are just never satisfied.. 🙄
Ford is great (like in his last performance in Star Wars), especially considering how old is he. Phoebe is also fun. CGI is ok, just around his eyes, when he was made younger, are bits of weird spots.. Still way better than Skywalker.
Movie has a nice, solid story, even some basis in actual archeology (astronomy dial). Time portal is a bit Star Trek, but hey, when was the last time you have seen Romans fighting Greeks with trirems? In Cleopatra (she was Greek)? Fun.
Lots of action (that sometimes reminded me of old Bond movies - in a good way; tuktuk chase in Morocco, diving scene,..), that holds until the end, not really a dull moment in 2 and a half long movie.
Yes, there are some stupid things in it, like horse jumping over entrance rails in subway, but motorbike can just drive through.. or ignoring the decompression need while diving. I also don't believe CIA had African-American agents just few years after ending segregation..
Still, one has to remember, such movies are made for teens, who are not bothered with contemplating such nonsense. If you go see the movie with such relaxed attitude, you will enjoy it a lot, as you should..
Army of the Dead (2021)
Somewhat entertaining, somewhat nonsense (yes, even for a zombi flick)
Looks lush and high budget, with zombi highlights like undead tiger, just with a lot of unnecessary nonsense that could be avoided with common sense (and test viewing audience).. Maybe less effort given, since it's done for Netflix..
My biggest complaints would be: how could horseman get from top of the building to another before the helicopter, and how could the team bring enough fuel for helicopter and hotel generators (that would work one minute with those canisters). Unnecessary stupidity, fuel could be on sight, but someone wanted to have a bigger explosion hitting that canister..
Others mentioned lots more of such stupidity.
Love and Monsters (2020)
Quick fun, entertaining afternoon movie, Dylan, as always, a likeable darling
A well done apocalypse movie, that doesn't bother with science why chemicals from rockets would cause mutations in insects, making them gigantic. I'd prefer the usual culprit - the alien bacteria or virus..
I imagine a scene in the beginning of the movie, where hero and his girlfriend are watching a documentary about insects actually being meters big already in Earth's history eons ago. That would make the plot more convincing, as we all can agree some bugs look hideous.
Teenagers won't mind, as movie is quick and entertaining enough.
A Hidden Life (2019)
TYPICAL MALICK, JUST 45 MINUTES TOO LONG TO MAKE A NICE POINT
The story of a religious conscientious objector farmer from Austrian mountains during second world war, that gets drafted to the army, who is convinced the Reich's army is the evil force and Hitler might be the antichrist, so he can't even swear allegiance to him. First two hours show his own struggle with these beliefs, that collide with his village surroundings, where society is trying to force him to do "the right thing for the fatherland and family". With few exceptions, he and his wife are being bullied by the villagers, who think he's a coward trying to escape responsibility. When villagers start greeting with "Heil Hitler!", his righteousness impulsively reacts with "Pfui Hitler!". Even the mayor is taking his time, to convince him otherwise (because he might be also blamed). Farmer tries to find advice from the local priest, that sends him further to the bishop, who is also explaining the duty to the fatherland from the Bible. Farmer is convinced, the clergy is afraid to agree with him what's right. And he's obligated to decline unright.
Until this point movie is somewhat repetitive, slow, almost boring, and with known Malick rhythm makes the viewer drowsy. Some in the audience left the screening. If the whole story ended after two hours, it would be a very good movie. Yet it goes on for another 45 minutes, so one has to struggle to wait and see what happens to the farmer.
Farmer could ask to work in infirmary as a nurse, but he'd still have to swear allegiance to Hitler, that he doesn't want to. So, he's treated as a deserter and a traitor, and put in front of a tribunal, that sentences him to death. Whole emotional value of the movie concentrates in the scene, where wife and local priest visit him before execution and priest asks him to swear to Hitler, because God only considers what is one's true belief in the heart, not what they say. Farmer can't accept that as an honest choice. Many males in the audience secretly wiped their tears.
Movie shows farmer's way to the execution and supporting wife's struggles, to keep the farm going, to provide for three daughters. She says she's going to meet her beloved husband in the beautiful mountains in the afterlife. At the time of the execution, a sympathetic friend of the family rings the bell, to announce conscience of the village had perished.
Malick ends the movie with written praise to many anonymous honest men, that with their personal struggles, mostly unknown, made living more bearable for the everyman in the modern world (if noone ever demanded civil over military service, conscientious objections still wouldn't be considered today). Movie starts with "based on a true story", and it would be interesting to know, whether it is based on the letters correspondence between the spouses, as it often seems so during the movie.
Acting is convincing.
Cats (2019)
Don't be discouraged - great musical movie for all musical lovers, especially Cats lovers
I'm getting a feeling IMDB reviews might be becoming payed trolls of competing studios.. How can we understand the hate this movie received? Creepy cat/people? You've seen the trailer - why did you go and see it then? Why did any of non musical lovers, or specifically non Cats lovers go see this movie? Just to write bad comments? On Broadway and elsewhere it was musical number one for ages. And now the nice movie adaptation is trash? There's no story? Is there less story than there was on the stage? You can perceive it as a day in a cat's life..
I think the songs performances were great (ok, I knew them since childhood), cats visuals were great, scenes were great, whole experience was great, sometimes also emotional. It's a worthy movie adaptation to a blockbuster musical, that won't age.
Go see it if you're a curious cat, ignore the Avengers mainstream audience comments (or employees of other studios!)
Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)
Good fun, somewhat similar to first one, much better than trailer suggests..
I liked the first one, I hesitated to see this one, because trailer hasn't convinced me. The actual movie is better, funnier, not lame, and time went quickly without a noticeable dull moment. Yes, it's a zombie movie, so don't expect much, except fun in such a universe. And it tells you it's for smarter audiences, the ones that know how to say apocalypse (at least, not necessarily spell it). Also, most scenes end just at the right moment, before you could start thinking :"Oh, come on!" (Test showing it to test audience during production, or just common sense director?). The roadtrip for the gang isn't smooth, and that's a good thing. Making classic fun out of blondie is funny again. Nice laughs. If you enjoyed the first movie, you'll enjoy this one.
Joker (2019)
A Loser Kicked One Too Many..
I didn't intend to see this movie at all, because I thought what can a Batman movie bring anew, and I was surprised to read oldest cinema festival in the world gave it Best Picture award. It felt displaced.
Then I have seen the amazed reactions from viewers, saying it wasn't what they have expected, one was even (half seriously, half jokingly - hey, like Joker!) flirting with social uprising in his comments. (Joker says he's not political. He's just one of the lowest, being pushed one too often. The lowest masses can identify with that, so some audiences around the world joined in spontaneous applause. In less confident societies, such movies got banned.)
So, I have decided to see it, and yes, it's not your usual blockbuster from the Batman franchise. Such a movie, with main character having mental issues, societal issues, family issues, relationships issues, sort of Turrets Syndrome issues as a nervous tick, younameit issues, would usually fit the Sundance or even more alternative, indie, heavy movies festivals, not receiving praises from mainstream audiences, having a 9something rating on IMDB and breaking the overall October opening record in domestic market. Youth is filling the cinemas to see it, although there's not one flashy gadget or usual CGI scene from the franchise. Have the times really changed and will newer generations demand a wholesame approach to all the disadvantaged (and the Earth)? Oscars buzz all over the place. Perfect songs to perfect scenes. The atmosphere and ambience of the movie is visually depressing, pressing down on a drowning, smiling hero. If you gotta go, go with a smile.. Modern society is convincing an individual, that success is in own hands, while individual and life are in fact a summary of ones experiences. Joker is a recognizable character, every loser trying not to be one, can identify with him..
When Joker says, he's got nothing left to loose, before loosing it, after he's been trying really hard to be a good and normal, contributing member of the society (even trying to have an intellectual career as a stand up comedian, although not realistic, yet also doing demeaning jobs like a rolling sign; not demeaning for a teenager/student job..), and whole movie convinces you it's society's fault he became the monster we know, you start thinking it's surprising all those homeless people don't start killing everyone. Maybe they still have more decency as a person, than society, that put them there. I can also understand the already expressed worries, movie might send some troubled mind on a shooting spree again.. Mistreated persons might go crazy. Because this world secretly prefers failures, that is common already from primary school class dynamics (if everyone around you is a failure, it makes you more of a success).
If the movie reflects worrying reality of the world, the problem is in reality, not the movie..
Ad Astra (2019)
Looks good, yet nonsense just keeps piling up
The feeling of the movie seems to try and copy Interstellar and Odyssey 2001, and that wouldn't bother me if there weren't technical and plot holes.
First, if there's an antenna array almost until space, then technology for space elevator would exist as well, taking most cost away from getting material and people into space (to the Moon they go the same way as first time in the sixties, with hot towel though).
If there are pirates on the moon, they must have been some employees that took over some moon station - wouldn't owner/country organise a military reclaim of that base? Where would pirates go then? Sleep in a moon buggy?
Moon rovers chase was nice though, at least one accompanied soldier could have survived also, besides the main two characters.
His spacesuit got damaged, yet he didn't have time to change it before flying to Mars (all dirty). Then he did spacewalk to the ship with monkeys.. You'd imagine they'd have some instant repair kit on suit, that could repair leaks on the fly (=SUGGESTION FOR NASA)..
If material is scarce (even if not - it's expensive to rebuild and fossil fuel lift it!), why would with such advancements still be engines that detach after lift-off (shown on flight Moon-Mars). If SpaceX can reuse already today..
I can't believe a spacesuit would withstand such heat next to a rocket, that is lifting out of a silos..
What exactly was causing power surges that could reach Earth? Why wasn't his father and his station damaged?
That was some superman aiming to jump from station and reach ship. Wouldn't hitting all that debris influence momentum and direction?
So close to (ok a small) atomic bomb, yet ship isn't destroyed, not even by an EMP? (idea of riding the wave isn't idiotic, since scientists suggested already continuing very small atomic explosions behind the spaceships to propel forward..
Until more than half of the movie (Mars liftoff) I somewhat enjoyed the movie, then it was just too much nonsense gathered.
Revolution (2012)
Interesting in many ways
If you don't get into the science of could it be possible (also, if you do), it makes a great plot. And then the whole societal breakdown, back to early industrial economy and the nano predicaments on the side.. The US government in exile in Cuba.. USA divided.
Great show with great imagination and some daring lead characters insinuations.
Don't understand the bad reviews, I'm a demanding viewer and I'd gladly watch it still today.
Designated Survivor (2016)
Great idea made into another political show
The concept of the series seemed great and the series would be also, if they wouldn't do it as another West Wing or House of Cards political drama.. The show probably wouldn't be canceled (ok, and picked up by Netflix), if they did a mashup of Jericho and Revolution, where rogue generals would get rid of political elite by blaming foreign countries, and then chase the designated survivor around the country, as he tries to establish back democracy with little supporters protecting him.. USA could even break into different regions fighting each other, while the president would try and unite them.
A Quiet Place (2018)
Conceiving a Baby in such a World?
In the beginning of the movie, when the monsters menace was already known, she wasn't pregnant, and then after more than nine months she has a baby.. So, the characters in the movie obviously don't know how babies are made, if they produced another child, that would daily cry and thus daily threaten survival of the whole family..
Terminator Salvation (2009)
Best in franchise after first two movies..
Also don't understand the bad reviews.. well made with great CGI scenes (gaspump and motorbikes scenes are forever memorable), story also not bad.
What Happened to Monday (2017)
surprisingly good movie with probably low budget and great actress
I was waiting for this movie ever since I've seen the preview, although it reminded me on Orphan Black series, that has brilliant actress, that is Tatiana Maslany. Here Noomi Rapace is also a great choice, her chameleon like changing is fault I could only remember her from Alien movies and not the ones before (like Girl with Dragon Tatoo movies,..). Willem Dafoe and Glen Close (her faint is wonderful) are nice as always.
There are instances, where you can guess budget was not big (like cars), yet they still made good effort of convincing the audience it was set in an overpopulated metropolis (I first thought it was filmed in Hong Kong, instead in Romania, with some interesting buildings). Script also made some nice turns, if you can get over the fact that forcible (under skin?) contraception might have been easier choice to implement than "freezing" children. That already happened in India, one-child-policy is known from China. Interesting also to see main character die (many times, even!). Just bank donation I didn't understand - girls were just employees, no?
Still, not a bad movie, not at all, and I'm gonna be looking for Noomi from now on.. (interesting how very great or bad reviews movie got here - interesting movies divide the most..)