Watchable. A movie attacking what's become of American values. Follows in the footsteps of the whole series of productions titled "American......" which seem to have created a genre of their own. Desintegration of family, religion which is just nominal and which divides and segregates instead of connecting. Ironed dresses and suits disguise dirty deeds. The 60s are obviously the mirror of contemporary times. It deconstructs the image of peaceful middle class suburbia. Everyone's playing mind games on others and on themselves. Old-fashioned "Is that right?" is the catch phrase. Greed is no longer good either. Earlier „American Pastoral” turned on family, showing them helpless in the face of their daughter's derangedly violent behaviour. This one targets hypocritical parents, alongside other societal issues: scapegoating blacks and gun violence (treated separately). Marriage and blood ties have become decrepit. The sequence after the recognition at the police lineup is accompanied by music matching the picture-perfect facade incongruous with what's just taken place. In another scene a white woman, who claims to have nothing against blacks, says: „They should better themselves, educate themselves.” But when they try to better themselves, the whites throw roadblocks in their way. Only children are free from the predjudice, blissfully unaware the biased society expects them to become equally racist. With so many memorable segments, it's quite PC: the only black family portrayed here is perfectly neat and just like everyone else in the town and demons come out of the white population only. The mayhem is over the top. There's too much gore which shows the same delight in violence in the film makers as the pride the American protagonists take in their gun culture. The movie appears much better when analyzed a few hours later than during watching.
TINY GIANTS 3D
WILD AFRICA 3D
Watchable. Both by BBC Earth. Documentaries for adults who want to admire the beauty of nature. One is about the hard life of chipmunks and mice. The other shot in 11 countries, if I counted well, and with African music. Pretty ordinary but both, truly BBC way, with some amazing pictures. Even without the 3D, they'd be amazing just due to mind-blowing takes. Why on Earth are they marketed at children?! Kids don't understand the films and get scared of predatory animals. Caviare to the general.
APOCALYPSE CHILD
Watchable. I sat through it to see Philippino culture. It reminded me of a roommate I had years ago. Seing how thoughtlessly the protagonists engage in sex, without thinking of consequences, kind-of explained to me why Philippinas get pregnant at such a young age. The actual plot of the movie is made so mundane that even when a past tragedy is revealed at the end, it makes no impression.
UKRAINA! FILM FESTIVAL
The scope of makers as well as of protagonists was quite international, both of documentaries and of feature. It looks like no one in that country is pure blood. The festival was going to focus on contemporary Ukraine this year. But it was only nominally contemporary since Ukrainians tend to dwell on the past. Just like Poles.
KIEDY TEN WIATR USTANIE (WHEN WILL THIS WIND STOP)
Watchable. I learnt a lot about Crimean Tatars - the history and the present of Stalin's and Putin's (respectively) persecution. A cattle carriage exile and lagers then, dismissals from work and quiet deportations now. They speak Tatar and Russian. The families live in decent, tastefully furnished houses, with beautiful gardens or conservatories at home, taking care of pets. And you just can't help but feel sorry for such kind and beautiful people being discriminated against, isolated socially, with TV and the Internet cut off. The documentary is slow-paced and feels lengthy though.
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