Movie reviews

VALERIAN ET LA CITE DES MILLE PLANETES (VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS)

Recommended. The times have come when, as Luc Besson says, "the only limitation to work on a movie is our own imagination." It's the most expensive European production in history. "Star Wars" were "Valerian et la Cite des Milles Planetes" ("Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets") on a small scale. Apparently George Lucas got his inspiration from the comic book series. Now his company Industrial Light & Magic, together with Weta Digital, Rodeo FX and Ubisoft's Hybride division (the 4 companies combined have won 21 Oscars) is responsible for the mind-blowing animation. While the visuals are amazing, the 3D is just OK, so it should be perfectly fine in 2D as well. Best to watch on as big a screen as possible. I'll try to check it out at Imax - an ordinary size cinema screen felt too small for the 100 alien species. As Luc Besson said, "Doghan Daguis are French. They look French." The rest of the cast is not alien but also international. Cara Delevingne looks very beautiful. Baby-faced Dane Dehaan resembles young Leonardo di Caprio. Musician Herbie Hancock is the Defence Minister. Rutger Hauer appears as the President of the World State Federation but he's so wrinkly I failed to recognize him! The movie's beautiful from the start: In 1975 Russian and American astronauts shook hands. And smiled. Then we see subsequent astronaut handshakes past and future and that's when the first alien contacts take place. To the director first comes a story, whether it's a play, a book, a movie or a painting, the rest is just a tool. Great music doesn't come to the forefront, remaining a perfect background. The movie features an alien performance, just like in "The Fifth Element", but what strikes the most when you compare the two is the technological progress. The same progress which made this production possible. According to Luc Besson the movie will resonate better with Asian and European audiences rather than American since in the US the superhero has to be American and be a leader. While the director is not going to continue any of his previous stories, this one is just a warm-up for upcoming ones - "some movies have sequels in the DNA" and 29 albums of the comic books have been created. Luc Besson assures he's "always working". The two leads both look so young I hope for many sequels without digital de-aging. What's rare in contemporary SF cinema there are no mid- or post-credits.

THE SON OF BIGFOOT

Watchable. The story of an evil corporation experimenting on a yeti is prolonged and stereotypical, the bullying plot is better but the cutest are the animals, especially the squirrel. Sadly they occupy relatively little of the movie time.

KEDI (CAT)

Watchable. A thought-provoking documentary about people's attitude to cats. In Istanbul (kedi is Turkish for a cat) they are allowed to roam freely and reproduce at will. The feline inhabitants of the city are taken care of, fed, caressed, taken to vets. They're free, not stray. Feels disturbing when you compare it to how they are treated in Western culture. Lots of traditional tunes: bellydance drum solo music as well as "Üsküdar'a Gider İken" accompany the slow-paced film portrait.

UNA MUJER FANTASTICA (A FANTASTIC WOMAN)

Recommended. Una pelicula fantastica. Very clear structure and a mystery at the same time. Quite disturbing at times but totally engulfing. The protagonist is not an average Jane but is so convincingly portrayed, it's easy to relate to her. Some shots are so thought through they stand out.

SONITA (2015)

Recommended. Luckily there's little rap and its Afghan version is quite mild. I felt touched by the stories of girls sold to future husbands, sometimes very old, without being asked. In Iran they could say no to the sale, in Afghanistan they have no voice. Literally, as I was also sad to learn that in neither of the countries can a woman sing. Seems such a little thing in the West.

ASK TESADUFLERI SEVER (LOVE LOVES COINCIDENCES) (2011)

Watchable. A naive love story made to all the rules of the genre. A bit too slow for my taste. The subplot of how to live with a terminal illness is more realistic: the opposition of going from a doctor to a doctor set against living to the full and dying young.

AMERICAN MADE

Removed due to a publication ban I wasn't aware of. Will repost it asap.

DUNKIRK AT IMAX

Watchable. Boring - typical Nolan, with dreadful, tiring, jarring music - surprisingly by Hans Zimmer. The initial note on the screen is just some bla bla bla instead of historical info. So you're thrown into the middle of something you don't understand. At the same time technically it's excellent, especially the sweeping views of the sea and the beach from the air giving the impression you're flying right above. War effects sound realistically close. Air-con chills the air similarly to the wind blowing on the stretch of sand. War technicalities include the incoming tide bringing in corpses. With time it dawned on me the stranded soldiers must have felt the same not knowing what's going on. Major actors got minor roles, with the bigger ones given to no-names, just like the movie is devoted to the thousands of no-name soldiers. Still, I was happy it was shorter than usual Nolan's films.

Seen courtesy of Cinema City.

There's a special screening of  "Punkt krytyczny. Energia odNowa" ("The Tipping Point. Energy aNew") at Muranow cinema in Warsaw. Finally, having missed that at the Docs Against Gravity festival I'll see the film I have been curious of ever since I heard the director talking about the first documentary on renewable energy and the current state of energetics and environmental changes in Poland.