Movie reviews

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.