Movie reviews

HUNTER KILLER

Recommended. Purely for entertainment, the story's typically American, fictitious, set mostly on submarines. But: first you're struck by top-notch cinematography, after a while by an ingenious plot idea, next by smart tactics and finally by a jaw-dropping strategic manoevre. If you watch it in Polish, you'll hear original English and Russian dialogues but captions with location names or vessel types are in Polish only. 

LORO

Recommended. Paolo Sorrentino is best defined by "La Grande Bellezza" ("The Great Beauty") because this is what you find in all his movies. "Youth" comes to your mind during this one too. There's a very gentle reference to an altogether different film when a ship named "Cloud Atlas" can be seen briefly in the background. "Loro" is about 2,5 hours long and filled with stunning pictures, romantic ambient music and conversations of importance, It's best watched without previous reading of the movie synopsis so that awaiting the mythical "Lui" ("He") makes an impact. The world presented here by Sorrentino is multilayered. It talks about sales and of how people buy dreams - the salesman's phone call is a masterpiece. And about how futile it is to try to outsmart those who've got it all. And of how youth is what you have to make use of while it lasts. But the core question is how to live your life. Mesmerised by the splendour, glamour, richess and excess, on the side of decadence, "Lui" lives in, you feel there's nothing wrong in perpetual pleasure and that life's so short your true obligation is to please yourself, even ruining everything around you. That's the truth of human nature. It's best watched in the evening. It'll give you a good night's sleep. And if you see it during the day, the world outside is going to look disappointing afterwards.

LAS HEREDERAS (THE HEIRESSES)

Walked out. Elderly ladies talk about their daily matters. Shot in dark hues. No attractive personalities either. Just some rabbiting on. 

SUSPIRIA (2018)

Watchable. Not scary which disqualifies it as a horror. It's 2,5 hours long and does feel lengthy which makes it tiring. I preferred the old one. Luca Guadagnino got rid of vivid colours and glam. His Berlin of 1977 is poor, dull and activist. News of the Baader-Meinhof Group, comments on women's reproductive rights and their complaints not taken seriously as well as of the Nazi past feature prominently, more like a parallel plot rather than a background. Dakota Johnson - ginger-haired as Susie, you quickly associate it with the witch hair colour - shows off her muscles, her dancing skills and her body (though not the way she did in "Fifty Shades of Grey"). Tilda Swinton is amazing as the aged doctor, unrecognisable if I didn't know. The supernatural layer of the plot is treated differetnly as well. Witchcraft is revealed too early and their exploits with the police officer are disturbing. That scene, just like the one of stabbing Olga, are totally riddable. As for the range of scaring tools, mostly contorted mutilated bodies are used. Though clawed hands, reminiscent of the first movie, appear too. Knowledge of the original is not necessary but helps understand the Iris Room name or step counting. The post-credit shows Susie the Mother cutting the air with her hand to break the connection. Too long all that.