NIGHT FILM MARATHON: THE NIGHT OF THRILLERS
OLDBOY (2013)
Watchable. The memorable teeth pulling scene is gone in the American version which makes the film just a little bit less violent. Or maybe it's just me who's become desentisized as the younger part of the audience seemed as shocked and disturbed as I was watching the Korean original 10 years ago. On the whole it is really good, even if not groundbreaking for me, in fact nowadays some brawls seemed like too long and just too much.
PRISONERS
Recommended. A perfect thriller.
STOKER
Watchable. Too fantastical for a thriller but with a gripping plot anyway.
SIDE EFFECTS
Recommended. An excellent, full of twists of action, story of deception.
Wednesday 18 December 2013
Monday 9 December 2013
WATCH DOCS 2013
FIRE IN THE BLOOD
Recommended. An eye-opener. It turns out most drug research and development is government funded and only 12% comes from pharmaceutical corporations which benefit from it financially. A clever depiction of inner workings of pharmaceutical companies under different jurisdictions.
GOD LOVES UGANDA
Watchable. That's how I found out about killings of homosexuals in a number of African countries but in a typically American documentary style it's full of talking heads with little data provided and shortlisting it for an Oscar is a bit over the top.
NOCES ROUGES
Watchable. Reveals little known aspects of the Khmer Rouge regime, unfortunately in a typical French documentary style where the camera follows the protagonists everywhere without editing.
LONDON - THE MODERN BABYLON
Recommended. A punk-style social history of London covering racial tensions, poverty, sexual revolution and the core of London lifestyle - partying throughout decades - with great music background. The funniest bits are racial though, e.g. a black guy saying: "London used to be a paradise, but then came Russians, Czechs, Poles, Somalis and other Africans."
HOW TO MAKE MONEY SELLING DRUGS
Recommended. I'm against liberalisation of drug laws but the film fantastically explains the economics of drug dealing and fighting this crime.
NO FIRE ZONE: THE KILLING FIELDS OF SRI LANKA
Walked out. It's more like a news broadcast than a documentary film.
BANAZ: A LOVE STORY
Recommended. I had heard of honour killings several times before but it was only this full-length account of one that made me realise the horror of being cornered, stalked and murdered by your own family. Just compare it to an American thriller in which the protagonist is stalked by just one character. Here, it's a real life, organised crime committed by people you normally trust.
MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD
Watchable. It starts off as innocently as church seems to be. Then you learn about paedophilia on a local scale and then about its wider and wider circles leading as high as the Pope's immediate environment. Unlike regular paedophiles, priests don't record and share child porn. They just perpetrate the crime as they please while their non-abusing colleagues sweep it all under the carpet. Everyone is implicated this way or another, including "our" pope John Paul II. In the film only the number of, typical for US docs, talking heads becomes annoying - everything has been said already and you still get more and more people commenting on the same to ensure no one's freedom of speech gets breached.
ONVERWACHT (UNEXPECTED)
Watchable. Nothing in this film convinces you of the woman's need to abort. It's just quite peculiar to see how many women are able to discuss the issue in quite a detached manner.
GOOGLE AND THE WORLD BRAIN
Watchable. Have you heard of Google stealing people's wifi passwords and search histories while shooting Street View images? While scary enough to be fascinating, this is as far as the film goes in its allegations against Google. The rest is just about copyright.
AFTER TILLER
Recommended. I used to see abortion as evil and conducting it in the third trimester as unspeakable. The film has turned my views upside down. Most of the women portrayed wanted to have a baby but hearing of inborn diseases the child would cope with all its life, they choose the lesser evil. And the moral dilemmas involved are just as hard for the few doctors determined to help them out in spite of violent attacks on their clinics and themselves.
FIRE IN THE BLOOD
Recommended. An eye-opener. It turns out most drug research and development is government funded and only 12% comes from pharmaceutical corporations which benefit from it financially. A clever depiction of inner workings of pharmaceutical companies under different jurisdictions.
GOD LOVES UGANDA
Watchable. That's how I found out about killings of homosexuals in a number of African countries but in a typically American documentary style it's full of talking heads with little data provided and shortlisting it for an Oscar is a bit over the top.
NOCES ROUGES
Watchable. Reveals little known aspects of the Khmer Rouge regime, unfortunately in a typical French documentary style where the camera follows the protagonists everywhere without editing.
LONDON - THE MODERN BABYLON
Recommended. A punk-style social history of London covering racial tensions, poverty, sexual revolution and the core of London lifestyle - partying throughout decades - with great music background. The funniest bits are racial though, e.g. a black guy saying: "London used to be a paradise, but then came Russians, Czechs, Poles, Somalis and other Africans."
HOW TO MAKE MONEY SELLING DRUGS
Recommended. I'm against liberalisation of drug laws but the film fantastically explains the economics of drug dealing and fighting this crime.
NO FIRE ZONE: THE KILLING FIELDS OF SRI LANKA
Walked out. It's more like a news broadcast than a documentary film.
BANAZ: A LOVE STORY
Recommended. I had heard of honour killings several times before but it was only this full-length account of one that made me realise the horror of being cornered, stalked and murdered by your own family. Just compare it to an American thriller in which the protagonist is stalked by just one character. Here, it's a real life, organised crime committed by people you normally trust.
MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD
Watchable. It starts off as innocently as church seems to be. Then you learn about paedophilia on a local scale and then about its wider and wider circles leading as high as the Pope's immediate environment. Unlike regular paedophiles, priests don't record and share child porn. They just perpetrate the crime as they please while their non-abusing colleagues sweep it all under the carpet. Everyone is implicated this way or another, including "our" pope John Paul II. In the film only the number of, typical for US docs, talking heads becomes annoying - everything has been said already and you still get more and more people commenting on the same to ensure no one's freedom of speech gets breached.
ONVERWACHT (UNEXPECTED)
Watchable. Nothing in this film convinces you of the woman's need to abort. It's just quite peculiar to see how many women are able to discuss the issue in quite a detached manner.
GOOGLE AND THE WORLD BRAIN
Watchable. Have you heard of Google stealing people's wifi passwords and search histories while shooting Street View images? While scary enough to be fascinating, this is as far as the film goes in its allegations against Google. The rest is just about copyright.
AFTER TILLER
Recommended. I used to see abortion as evil and conducting it in the third trimester as unspeakable. The film has turned my views upside down. Most of the women portrayed wanted to have a baby but hearing of inborn diseases the child would cope with all its life, they choose the lesser evil. And the moral dilemmas involved are just as hard for the few doctors determined to help them out in spite of violent attacks on their clinics and themselves.
Saturday 7 December 2013
THE NIGHT OF CINEMA
WOLVERINE
Watchable. Every X-Men fan will want to see it so no surprise I have. Unfortunately it's the weakest film of the series - barely two mutants and a lousy shoot & run plot.
THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES
Watchable. It's fun, some guys look hot, the music's good but it's just another teenage demon hunter movie.
THE HEAT
Recommended. A comedy which makes you laugh out loud. Most of the humour is situational but some lines are brilliant as well, e.g. a cop browsing a wallet of a guy she's caught soliciting a prostitute finds his family photograph: "I was worried you didn't have a wife or children."
WOLVERINE
Watchable. Every X-Men fan will want to see it so no surprise I have. Unfortunately it's the weakest film of the series - barely two mutants and a lousy shoot & run plot.
THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES
Watchable. It's fun, some guys look hot, the music's good but it's just another teenage demon hunter movie.
THE HEAT
Recommended. A comedy which makes you laugh out loud. Most of the humour is situational but some lines are brilliant as well, e.g. a cop browsing a wallet of a guy she's caught soliciting a prostitute finds his family photograph: "I was worried you didn't have a wife or children."
Tuesday 3 December 2013
ENDER'S GAME
Recommended. I had been waiting for the movie since childhood, then I heard that instead of Wolfgang Petersen (memorable "Enemy Mine") Gavin Hood (annoying "Tsotsi") would direct it, then it did come out and I was too busy to go to the cinema. Today, around noon, when I had a break, I finally saw it. And I loved it. The film is just spotless, very true to the book, with elements of strategy and deep humanity retained, with excellent cast and mind-blowing cinematography.
Apparently Orson Scott Card is writing a sequel - "The Fleet School".
Recommended. I had been waiting for the movie since childhood, then I heard that instead of Wolfgang Petersen (memorable "Enemy Mine") Gavin Hood (annoying "Tsotsi") would direct it, then it did come out and I was too busy to go to the cinema. Today, around noon, when I had a break, I finally saw it. And I loved it. The film is just spotless, very true to the book, with elements of strategy and deep humanity retained, with excellent cast and mind-blowing cinematography.
Apparently Orson Scott Card is writing a sequel - "The Fleet School".
Monday 2 December 2013
THE HUNGER GAMES - CATCHING FIRE AT IMAX
Recommended. Worth seeing at least, although not only, for the sake of futuristic fashion - the costumes, the make-ups and other visual aspects of the future are mind-blowingly ingenious. The special effects make e.g. a dress on fire look downright realistic. The plot provides enough twists to keep you on the edge your seat.- OK, that's copied and pasted from my review of the first instalment. Now I'll just add that hair-dos look stunning as well and eyelash make-up has got even better. Can't wait to see part 3 next year.
And in the meantime, if someone gets me the books for my birthday, I want them in the English original;)
Recommended. Worth seeing at least, although not only, for the sake of futuristic fashion - the costumes, the make-ups and other visual aspects of the future are mind-blowingly ingenious. The special effects make e.g. a dress on fire look downright realistic. The plot provides enough twists to keep you on the edge your seat.- OK, that's copied and pasted from my review of the first instalment. Now I'll just add that hair-dos look stunning as well and eyelash make-up has got even better. Can't wait to see part 3 next year.
And in the meantime, if someone gets me the books for my birthday, I want them in the English original;)
Sunday 1 December 2013
Sunday 10 November 2013
Thursday 7 November 2013
THE FIFTH ESTATE
Recommended. Fast-paced action takes you round the globe. You get a rundown on the WikiLeaks success story + lively depicted insight into the downfall of traditional institutions (banks, goverments) as much as of Assange himself - in both cases torn from within. Humour is sparse but good, e.g. after sex: "It's the first time I see a guy sneaking out of his own apartment." "Have you got a cripto-phone?" "No, but it's the best excuse if you never call again."
Recommended. Fast-paced action takes you round the globe. You get a rundown on the WikiLeaks success story + lively depicted insight into the downfall of traditional institutions (banks, goverments) as much as of Assange himself - in both cases torn from within. Humour is sparse but good, e.g. after sex: "It's the first time I see a guy sneaking out of his own apartment." "Have you got a cripto-phone?" "No, but it's the best excuse if you never call again."
Thursday 31 October 2013
Wednesday 30 October 2013
AVATAR 4D
Watchable. My 1st time at 4D but my 4th time at "Avatar" is no doubt reflected in my impressions. The 4D effects are really good: blasts of cold wind, scents of the Pandoran forest and of fruit, water sprinkled on you and gusts of wind above your head when a hero gets hit in the head, all of that on top of regular motion simulation. The screen is of regular size, no match for Imax but with proper 3D depth. It's only the story that has worn off for me. Altogether it was good fun which should feel even better at a brand new movie.
Watchable. My 1st time at 4D but my 4th time at "Avatar" is no doubt reflected in my impressions. The 4D effects are really good: blasts of cold wind, scents of the Pandoran forest and of fruit, water sprinkled on you and gusts of wind above your head when a hero gets hit in the head, all of that on top of regular motion simulation. The screen is of regular size, no match for Imax but with proper 3D depth. It's only the story that has worn off for me. Altogether it was good fun which should feel even better at a brand new movie.
Saturday 26 October 2013
NIGHT FILM MARATHON: A NIGHT OF HORRORS
EVIL DEAD (2013)
Watchable. A class B movie where the demon rises a ridiculous number of times. Once you start, adrenaline keeps you watching but it's so stupid it's better not to start at all.
THE CONJURING
Recommended. The first time ever I shrieked out of fear at the cinema. And no one laughed at me.
WORLD WAR Z
Watchable. An interesting concept, fast action moving across the world, lots of suspense and a puzzle to resolve. One of the best zombie movies. Only the cheesy family bits spoil the effect.
MAMA
Watchable. Fascinating at the beginning, interesting in the middle, with a totally ludicrous ending.
EVIL DEAD (2013)
Watchable. A class B movie where the demon rises a ridiculous number of times. Once you start, adrenaline keeps you watching but it's so stupid it's better not to start at all.
THE CONJURING
Recommended. The first time ever I shrieked out of fear at the cinema. And no one laughed at me.
WORLD WAR Z
Watchable. An interesting concept, fast action moving across the world, lots of suspense and a puzzle to resolve. One of the best zombie movies. Only the cheesy family bits spoil the effect.
MAMA
Watchable. Fascinating at the beginning, interesting in the middle, with a totally ludicrous ending.
Thursday 24 October 2013
NIGHT FILM MARATHON: A NIGHT OF LOTR DIRECTOR'S CUT
Watchable. While the extra bits are beautiful and glorious, 12 hours in the Middle-earth is far too long. Each part is so protracted it should be cut into two halves. I drank a sea of overpriced Coke, tried to spot all elements copied by J.K. Rowling in "Harry Potter" later on, gently practised belly-dancing moves in my seat and I still dozed off for a while watching the last installment.
THE CONGRESS
Recommended. If not for Ari Folman, responsible for "Vals Im Bashir" ("Waltz With Bashir"), then for the grand vision and psychological insight by Stanislaw Lem, on whose book it's based, this multi-level science-fiction is a league of its own.
ADWOKAT W ROLI GLOWNEJ (ADVOCATE IN THE LEADING ROLE):
BEZ KONCA (1984)
Watchable. You've got two main characters: one female and one male. The woman's story is unusual enough to keep one interested, the man's is too political and ideological for my taste.
THE VERDICT (1982)
Recommended. A realistic trial and its backstage with truly Hollywood-style truth prevailing in the end.
TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD (1962)
Watchable. The trial is shown too superficially and a bigger part of the film is about children, not the crime. I guess I kept watching because of mysterious props placed here and there in the plot.
GRAVITY 3D
Watchable. Back to SF. Well, taken recent technological developments, more of a space-located drama than fantasy. First you get the message that nice views of the Earth (I had a feeling I was watching my business card or fanpage for over an hour - www.facebook.com/apteacher1) won't compensate for problems with the equipment and vehicles (which reminded me of my first and last attempt at diving). Then you get to admire Sandra Bullock's impressive muscles. Then it gets cheesy. Later you see some action again. And finally the saviour emerges out of water like a prehistoric reptile hence symbolising evolution. It's all not deep enough to sway me off my feet but nothing shallow. More like a docudrama about what could happen to someone working out there. I guess it may look better at Imax but I'm happy I didn't go for 4D - it would have been a bumpy ride, a giroscope last year was fine but enough.
Tuesday 27 August 2013
ERASERHEAD
Walked out. Why does anyone watch this? I guess you could go and watch people in a real life mental hospital with the same effect. And in colour.
NIGHT FILM MARATHON: THE NIGHT OF WOODY ALLEN
JASMINE BLUE
Watchable. I'm not a fan of watching mentally derailed people and Cate Blanchet seems to act the same whether acting sane or disturbed. But both plots are involving and so realistic that it's easy to empathise with the characters.
ANNIE HALL
Watchable. Quite entertaining but not memorably so.
WHATEVER WORKS
Watchable the second time round. An upgraded variation on "Annie Hall". Seeing it the first time I loved the dry humour, e.g. "You're going to pass out here or go in the living room?", and the unpredictability of the story. It's also extremely well acted. What I found detracting this time is the lousy gay joke and the cheesy happy ending.
Walked out. Why does anyone watch this? I guess you could go and watch people in a real life mental hospital with the same effect. And in colour.
NIGHT FILM MARATHON: THE NIGHT OF WOODY ALLEN
JASMINE BLUE
Watchable. I'm not a fan of watching mentally derailed people and Cate Blanchet seems to act the same whether acting sane or disturbed. But both plots are involving and so realistic that it's easy to empathise with the characters.
ANNIE HALL
Watchable. Quite entertaining but not memorably so.
WHATEVER WORKS
Watchable the second time round. An upgraded variation on "Annie Hall". Seeing it the first time I loved the dry humour, e.g. "You're going to pass out here or go in the living room?", and the unpredictability of the story. It's also extremely well acted. What I found detracting this time is the lousy gay joke and the cheesy happy ending.
Thursday 22 August 2013
Monday 19 August 2013
TULPAN
Watchable. Interesting ethnographically but slow and silly otherwise.
TRON
Walked out. I loved it in childhood but it's too archaic nowadays.
NIGHT FILM MARATHON: THE SF NIGHT
ELYSIUM
Watchable. Much better than "District 9". Great acting, cinematography, CGIs, interesting plot. A standard Hollywood chase and idealistic ending spoil the effect.
DISTRICT 9
Skipped. I hadn't liked it much the first time round.
AFTER EARTH
Watchable. Great acting, CGIs, cinematography, action. Just a bit too cheesy.
LOOPER
Watchable. The best film of the night. Twisted, unpredictable, innovatively transforming old American motifs (corn fields, telekinesis, the mob), with great music. Some minor inconsistencies in the plot and the overall psychological implausibility (I can't imagine hating my future self) detract from otherwise great fun.
And from a different venue and event:
ALTERED STATES
Walked out. I left the weed-smelling junkies in the audience. The story doesn't make any sense to a sober person.
Watchable. Interesting ethnographically but slow and silly otherwise.
TRON
Walked out. I loved it in childhood but it's too archaic nowadays.
NIGHT FILM MARATHON: THE SF NIGHT
ELYSIUM
Watchable. Much better than "District 9". Great acting, cinematography, CGIs, interesting plot. A standard Hollywood chase and idealistic ending spoil the effect.
DISTRICT 9
Skipped. I hadn't liked it much the first time round.
AFTER EARTH
Watchable. Great acting, CGIs, cinematography, action. Just a bit too cheesy.
LOOPER
Watchable. The best film of the night. Twisted, unpredictable, innovatively transforming old American motifs (corn fields, telekinesis, the mob), with great music. Some minor inconsistencies in the plot and the overall psychological implausibility (I can't imagine hating my future self) detract from otherwise great fun.
And from a different venue and event:
ALTERED STATES
Walked out. I left the weed-smelling junkies in the audience. The story doesn't make any sense to a sober person.
Thursday 15 August 2013
REBELLE (WAR WITCH)
Recommended. An involving and moving story which is incredibly true to African culture (even the phantoms are white).
THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS (1962)
Watchable. Finally a "Day Of The Triffids" which I managed to watch till the end. Less naff than more modern versions. Still, a catastrophe followed by a mayhem is such a standard cinematic fare that it would be hard to make it any more than watchable.
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD
Watchable. A profound source of information on what's it like to live and work in Antarctica. Yet, it's little revelatory.
KIRSCHBLUETEN - HANAMI
Watchable. An involving and moving story about grieving and modern families, cleverly showing a clash of different perspectives, just a bit silly and over the top for me but my family is quite traditional.
ALAMAR
Watchable. Beautiful cinematography and little plot. Purely for watching, the only depth in it is in the sea.
THE FLY (1958)
Recommended. I've never managed to get through the 80s version. This one amazed me. It's like an old-fashioned detective story with science fiction bits sprinkled on top. Very atmospheric and frightening in the message it conveys.
FROM BEYOND (1986)
Watchable. Gratuitous nudity among monsters looking like plastic toys. It somehow has a style though.
Recommended. An involving and moving story which is incredibly true to African culture (even the phantoms are white).
THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS (1962)
Watchable. Finally a "Day Of The Triffids" which I managed to watch till the end. Less naff than more modern versions. Still, a catastrophe followed by a mayhem is such a standard cinematic fare that it would be hard to make it any more than watchable.
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD
Watchable. A profound source of information on what's it like to live and work in Antarctica. Yet, it's little revelatory.
KIRSCHBLUETEN - HANAMI
Watchable. An involving and moving story about grieving and modern families, cleverly showing a clash of different perspectives, just a bit silly and over the top for me but my family is quite traditional.
ALAMAR
Watchable. Beautiful cinematography and little plot. Purely for watching, the only depth in it is in the sea.
THE FLY (1958)
Recommended. I've never managed to get through the 80s version. This one amazed me. It's like an old-fashioned detective story with science fiction bits sprinkled on top. Very atmospheric and frightening in the message it conveys.
FROM BEYOND (1986)
Watchable. Gratuitous nudity among monsters looking like plastic toys. It somehow has a style though.
Friday 5 July 2013
STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS 3D
Recommended. I was only hoping the movie wouldn't end too soon. Not only do you get beautiful visions of London in 2259, vegetation on another planet + standard neat all-familiar spacecraft, but the plot is full of twists of action, dialogues bringing home cultural differences in a deeply involving humane way and superb comic acting by Simon Pegg (just listen for his gasp as he's running through a spaceship).
Friday 28 June 2013
THE NIGHT OF CINEMA
This time I saw:
FLIGHT
Watchable. Too much alcoholism and too little suspense. Actually the only nerve-racking scene is about whether he'll grab the bottle or not. The crash scene has some impact. For a moment you feel as if you've been on the plane yourself. Some hospital jokes are really funny, e.g. a patient lighting up: "My cancer might get cancer from it."
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Watchable. I didn't find it amusing. The final "She doesn't love you now." is hardly revelatory - first she betrays her husband, then gets a restraining order against him. Lively characters and good acting make it bearable. And the whole thing puts you at ease of the feeling of superiority of being normal.
I had persuaded my movie companion to see "The Host" at the same time. So, how did you find it?
DJANGO UNCHAINED
Recommended. In 2009 Tarantino made the incomparable "Inglourious Basterds". Well, since then his form has gone up. He stays true to his gangster movie roots, adds the contrived plot (with a good German this time) and loads of sarcasm. While many bits are just hilarious any example of the humour would be a spoiler.
This time I saw:
FLIGHT
Watchable. Too much alcoholism and too little suspense. Actually the only nerve-racking scene is about whether he'll grab the bottle or not. The crash scene has some impact. For a moment you feel as if you've been on the plane yourself. Some hospital jokes are really funny, e.g. a patient lighting up: "My cancer might get cancer from it."
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Watchable. I didn't find it amusing. The final "She doesn't love you now." is hardly revelatory - first she betrays her husband, then gets a restraining order against him. Lively characters and good acting make it bearable. And the whole thing puts you at ease of the feeling of superiority of being normal.
I had persuaded my movie companion to see "The Host" at the same time. So, how did you find it?
DJANGO UNCHAINED
Recommended. In 2009 Tarantino made the incomparable "Inglourious Basterds". Well, since then his form has gone up. He stays true to his gangster movie roots, adds the contrived plot (with a good German this time) and loads of sarcasm. While many bits are just hilarious any example of the humour would be a spoiler.
Sunday 16 June 2013
NIGHT FILM MARATHON - 4 X GOSLING
ONLY GOD FORGIVES
Recommended. Violence stylish like in "Kill Bill" (the mother even looks and behaves like Black Mamba would in older age), fantastic music, captivating characters, poetic.
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
Recommended. When you think the movie's over, it actually starts. Clearly depicted characters, involving action.
DRIVE
Watchable. Good criminal intrigue but the film plods along and the girl (whose husband's in prison) is far too gullible and far too cute to be a plausible character.
THE IDES OF MARCH
Recommended. Gripping intrigue, with lots of suspense and some political humour ("You broke the only rule in politics. You want to be president? You can start a war, you can lie, you can cheat, you can bankrupt the country... but you can't fuck the interns.")
And a totally different screening from the Congress of Women:
DZIEN KOBIET (WOMEN'S DAY)
Watchable. Nothing new in the storyline after well-known revelations about work conditions of real-life supermarket employees, yet the film's naturally humane and well-structured which makes it quite appealing.
ONLY GOD FORGIVES
Recommended. Violence stylish like in "Kill Bill" (the mother even looks and behaves like Black Mamba would in older age), fantastic music, captivating characters, poetic.
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
Recommended. When you think the movie's over, it actually starts. Clearly depicted characters, involving action.
DRIVE
Watchable. Good criminal intrigue but the film plods along and the girl (whose husband's in prison) is far too gullible and far too cute to be a plausible character.
THE IDES OF MARCH
Recommended. Gripping intrigue, with lots of suspense and some political humour ("You broke the only rule in politics. You want to be president? You can start a war, you can lie, you can cheat, you can bankrupt the country... but you can't fuck the interns.")
And a totally different screening from the Congress of Women:
DZIEN KOBIET (WOMEN'S DAY)
Watchable. Nothing new in the storyline after well-known revelations about work conditions of real-life supermarket employees, yet the film's naturally humane and well-structured which makes it quite appealing.
Friday 19 April 2013
Monday 15 April 2013
NIGHT FILM MARATHON - THE NIGHT OF ADAPTATIONS
THE HOST
Watchable. As cheesy as all of the "Twilight" series, with several elements copied (the girl having to choose between two guys, the issue of saving souls, choosing between immortality or dying) but visually very pleasing thanks to three hot male actors as much as CGIs and with funny scenes like the one in which Melanie/Wanderer needs a car.
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Recommended. A perfect crime story, full of suspense, surprises and very well acted out.
THE HUNGER GAMES
Watchable the second time round. Having loved it the first time I saw it again with much gusto but without the first-time thrill. The make up, scenography, costumes and CGIs are stunning. Only the action part wanes when you remember the events.
BEAUTIFUL CREATURES
Skipped this time. Once was enough. Didn't want to torture myself again.
THE HOST
Watchable. As cheesy as all of the "Twilight" series, with several elements copied (the girl having to choose between two guys, the issue of saving souls, choosing between immortality or dying) but visually very pleasing thanks to three hot male actors as much as CGIs and with funny scenes like the one in which Melanie/Wanderer needs a car.
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Recommended. A perfect crime story, full of suspense, surprises and very well acted out.
THE HUNGER GAMES
Watchable the second time round. Having loved it the first time I saw it again with much gusto but without the first-time thrill. The make up, scenography, costumes and CGIs are stunning. Only the action part wanes when you remember the events.
BEAUTIFUL CREATURES
Skipped this time. Once was enough. Didn't want to torture myself again.
Saturday 2 March 2013
NIGHT FILM MARATHON - THE OSCAR NIGHT
LINCOLN
Watchable. Involving, at times funny (e.g. faces the Congressmen make) political intrigues which won't be very comprehensible unless you're proficient in American history.
At least it became clear why Michele Obama presented the Best Picture Award. After all it was "Lincoln" that was expected to win, not "Argo".
ARGO
Watchable. Really funny (e.g. "You need somebody who's a somebody to put their name on it. Somebody respectable. With credits. Who you can trust with classified information. Who will produce a fake movie. For free.") and involving. The ending suspense is a bit over the top, holding up the protagonists in a different way every minute is plain Hollywood cheese.
AMOUR
Slept through. What a bore. Another viewer's loud snoring woke me towards the end.
THE LIFE OF PI 3D
Watchable. Lovely, cutesy animal tale with no depth and completely flat - don't even bother to take the 3D glasses.
LINCOLN
Watchable. Involving, at times funny (e.g. faces the Congressmen make) political intrigues which won't be very comprehensible unless you're proficient in American history.
At least it became clear why Michele Obama presented the Best Picture Award. After all it was "Lincoln" that was expected to win, not "Argo".
ARGO
Watchable. Really funny (e.g. "You need somebody who's a somebody to put their name on it. Somebody respectable. With credits. Who you can trust with classified information. Who will produce a fake movie. For free.") and involving. The ending suspense is a bit over the top, holding up the protagonists in a different way every minute is plain Hollywood cheese.
AMOUR
Slept through. What a bore. Another viewer's loud snoring woke me towards the end.
THE LIFE OF PI 3D
Watchable. Lovely, cutesy animal tale with no depth and completely flat - don't even bother to take the 3D glasses.
Sunday 24 February 2013
ACADEMY AWARDS 2013
Whatever this year's host says isn't a bit funny. No, I've got a joke:
Captain Kirk is telling Seth MacFarlane he's the worst host ever. Seth is surprised: "The show's going fine." Kirk: "No, it's not."
And shortly after you get that distasteful "I saw your boobies" song which clearly insults several actresses.
Other than "Skyfall", "The Hobbit", "Prometheus" and the last half an hour of "Amour" I haven't seen the movies yet so I'm not commenting on winners this time.
And now some unfanny teddy bear. Mercy!
It's already 2 hours 30 minutes in the show and I'm bored.
And Michelle Obama announcing an Oscar - why do they politicize it?
Whatever this year's host says isn't a bit funny. No, I've got a joke:
Captain Kirk is telling Seth MacFarlane he's the worst host ever. Seth is surprised: "The show's going fine." Kirk: "No, it's not."
And shortly after you get that distasteful "I saw your boobies" song which clearly insults several actresses.
Other than "Skyfall", "The Hobbit", "Prometheus" and the last half an hour of "Amour" I haven't seen the movies yet so I'm not commenting on winners this time.
And now some unfanny teddy bear. Mercy!
It's already 2 hours 30 minutes in the show and I'm bored.
And Michelle Obama announcing an Oscar - why do they politicize it?
BEAUTIFUL CREATURES
Watchable by genre buffs. A lousy "Twilight" rip-off with elements of a "Harry Potter" rip-off. If you know the two movies, you just stalk the stolen bits. If you don't know either, there's nothing to watch. And the lead Alden Ehrenreich seriously needs acting lessons.
DROGOWKA (TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT)
Wanted to walk out but didn't want to be impolite to my movie companion. Polish people in Britain have an opinion of tough guys. And rightly so. Several of them endure such movies which shapes character and makes them believe they'll survive anything. You have to listen carefully to put the swear words in the context. And there's nothing more than "inserted words" in the film. The plot might be comprehensible to true blue Poles.
Watchable by genre buffs. A lousy "Twilight" rip-off with elements of a "Harry Potter" rip-off. If you know the two movies, you just stalk the stolen bits. If you don't know either, there's nothing to watch. And the lead Alden Ehrenreich seriously needs acting lessons.
DROGOWKA (TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT)
Wanted to walk out but didn't want to be impolite to my movie companion. Polish people in Britain have an opinion of tough guys. And rightly so. Several of them endure such movies which shapes character and makes them believe they'll survive anything. You have to listen carefully to put the swear words in the context. And there's nothing more than "inserted words" in the film. The plot might be comprehensible to true blue Poles.
Tuesday 8 January 2013
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY 3D AT IMAX
Recommended. Are they going, like in the case of LOTR, wait with the Academy Awards till the last installment? This one deserves several, and there should be a special category for the cutest hedgehogs and the fastest rabbits! While darker than the book, it's more humorous than LOTR, e.g. Bilbo reading his contract.
It's also clearly visible J. K. Rowling drew her "Harry Potter" inspiration from Tolkien.
Recommended. Are they going, like in the case of LOTR, wait with the Academy Awards till the last installment? This one deserves several, and there should be a special category for the cutest hedgehogs and the fastest rabbits! While darker than the book, it's more humorous than LOTR, e.g. Bilbo reading his contract.
It's also clearly visible J. K. Rowling drew her "Harry Potter" inspiration from Tolkien.
Wednesday 2 January 2013
WATCH DOCS FESTIVAL 2012 (in alphabetical order)
AGNUS DEI (LAMB OF GOD)
Watchable. A typical philosophical French documentary but this one is very atmospheric at least.
BAD BOY - CELA DLA NIEBEZPIECZNYCH (BAD BOY HIGH SECURITY CELL)
Watchable. Fun to watch, the main protagonist has a contagious sense of humour e.g. "Patrzcie, jaki mam widok! Palmy, panienki..." ("Look, what view I've got! Palm trees, chicks...") pointing at the bars of his cell. It fails, however, to convey the message the director had in mind, as I heard him say later, that prisoners are humans like us (this prisoner used so many "shits" and "fuckings" that his language itself set him apart from an average Joe).
CAMP 14 - TOTAL CONTROL ZONE
Recommended. Hard-hitting as expected: a life story of a man born, yes - born, in a North Korean concentration camp. A horrifying film about a closed world where even family ties are thinner than water.
COMPACTA Y REVOLUCIONARIA (COMPACT AND REVOLUTIONARY)
Walked out. Watching the preparation of tiles for a labour day parade is about as interesting as watching wet paint dry.
DAYEREH (A CIRCLE)
Watchable. Exotic but hardly comprehensible for someone who doesn't know much about Iran.
DUCH, LE MAITRE DES FORGES DE L'ENFER (DUCH, MASTER OF THE FORGES OF HELL)
Watchable. Poor translations (a different version in every language) detracted a lot from this otherwise powerful movie. The detached way the Khmer Rouge time Cambodian prison commendant talks about tortures is juxtaposed with his account of how he got entwined in the murderous system. About the only film where the French documentary style (no editing, everything shown minute by minute indiscriminately and without the change of scene) helps emphasize the message.
DURGA
Watchable. An important topic of Indian men's ambivalent attitude to women deserves more than this artistic impression.
ERA UMA VEZ UM ARRASTAO (THE BEACH RAMPAGE THAT NEVER WAS)
Watchable. Boring as a film but makes you question all media coverage you'll ever going to see.
ETRE LA (BEING THERE)
Walked out. Why do the French always have to ruin a promising topic with such a boring rendition? The camera follows the same people on different days recording them minute by minute. Even in real life you don't watch the same thing/person continuously. A film should be more exciting than reality to make you sit through it, isn't it?
FRAMING THE OTHER
Watchable. Revealing about the true nature of "local traditions" presented to tourists in Ethiopia but without depth.
FREEDOM FOR BIRTH
Watchable. An important film about rights of birth-giving women which unfortunately lacks a wider context.
A GIRL LIKE HER
Recommended. A set of disturbing reminiscences of inhuman experiences of women who got pregnant as teenagers in the 50s and 60s and were forced to abandon their babies. Unbelievable such a short time ago this unspeakable abuse happened to 1.5 million women.
JOINING THE DOTS
Watchable. A quick glance at lives of people who lost sight and how they cope. Uplifting but lacking depth.
LE KHMER ROUGE ET LE NON-VIOLENT (THE KHMER ROUGE AND THE MAN OF NON-VIOLENCE)
Watchable. French equals boring again. Towards the end the litigation becomes incendiary enough to suddenly raise suspense.
MANQUE DE PREUVES (LACK OF EVIDENCE)
Watchable. An important question of how to prove to European immigration authorities the threat of becoming killed for witchcraft back in Nigeria gets diluted through monotonous story-telling.
MIRAGE
Watchable. I was curious of Dubai and the movie showed more than I bargained for - the dullness of life there. Unfortunately it makes the film equally dull.
MY ENEMY'S ENEMY
Watchable. The remorseless Klaus Barbie is a fascinating person and so should be the story of the international chase after him. Sadly the film is too slow to prove fascinating.
NOS JOURS, ABSOLUMENT, DOIVENT ETRE ILLUMINES (OUR DAYS, ABSOLUTELY, HAVE TO BE ENLIGHTENED)
Walked out. People standing and singing unknown songs for God knows what reason.
PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY
Watchable. It starts too slowly but as you learn more and more about the forensics of the crime and legal hitches it becomes truly gripping.
POSLEDNATA LINEIKA NA SOFIA (SOFIA'S LAST AMBULANCE)
Watchable. It quickly endears you to the ambulance staff, showing them as ordinary people with their own minor financial problems. Still, the way it's filmed - each scene minute by minute without cutting- isn't the most interesting form.
SECRETS OF THE TRIBE
Watchable. Too much focus on personal arguments between scientists but important in the sense it reveals a famous anthropologist was a pedophile and actually created prostitution in a remote communities in total impunity.
SEEKING REFUGE
Watchable. Diverse stories of child refugees told monotonously.
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE
Recommended. "When I was in prison, each and every woman there was there because of a man - this way or another" sounds disturbing but proves true in this behind-the-scenes Abu Ghraib scandal documentary. While the whole film highlights the injustice of the system where the orders clearly came from above but only the lowest rank soldiers got sentenced, what shocks the most is the ending. A photography forensic expert with a military past marks each picture with "SOP" (standard operating procedure) or "criminal act". The gap between what it takes for mental torture and humiliating a person to constitute a criminal act in everyday civil life and at war is enormous.
THE WAVE
Walked out. The storyline is bureaucracy in action. The pictures show the same heap of earth all the time. The political context gets lost.
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