Movie reviews

IL TRADITORE (THE TRAITOR)

Recommended. Starts with a celebration - like famous "The Deer Hunter" and, more importantly in the context, "The Godfather"- both start with weddings. Also a character is named Corleone, making the associations more immediate. The whole story, based on facts, deals with honour and dfferent understandings of morals centred around the Cosa Nostra. Yet, the action takes place in Brazil, Italy, the US and so Italian, Portuguese, Spanish (Tommaso Buscetta's wife Cristina), Sicilian, English are spoken, making it all the more realistic. The realism is further achieved with TV news insertions and the footage of the original Tommaso Buscetta singing at the end. Actually, I will have to see the film again - too many characters at different ages, I'm confused. The movie may be difficult but maintains proper tension and is wonderfully shot. You feel the suspense especially if you remember from "Shooting the Mafia" who was killed in reality - it's like sitting on a ticking time bomb - additionally magnified by the time counter appearing on the screen for the top-notch sequences of killings. I was struck by the psychopathic traits exhibited by the mafiosi, like boldness in court and manipulating the judge. I remember Letizia Bataglia say how bossy and foreboding the capi were, as if they ruled the court - you get to see it re-enacted.

THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM

Recommended. An amazing documentary about the balance of nature. At first it looked like a farming tutorial, which it may serve as, but the film runs deeper: it shows how nature, once set in course, will sort everything for us. It only takes 7 years. It masterfully explains how our foes can become friends and vice versa in the cycle of life and the complex relations between the fauna and the flora. And how our loving care creates harmony in all aspects of our existence.

DOLITTLE

Watchable. Now I know what Robert Downey Jr. is doing here - the movie's a crazy adventure with a construed plot like "Sherlock Holmes" a few years back. "Dolittle" includes a dragon, magic, an exotic ruler (unrecognizable Antonio Banderas), the vet's love interest - Kasia Smutniak as Lily Dolittle. Poor CGIs. I miss Eddie Murphy - both the actor and the modern, down-to-earth plot. There's a mid-credit.

2ND STAGE VR

Recommended. Debussy creates the outlandish ambience as you land on the Moon and Mars and explore their surfaces. Memorable.

CONSCIOUS EXISTENCE VR

Watchable. Annoying mostly for the childish voice narration. But also for the visuals: partly based on special animation effects and only partly more impressive e.g. nature. Too many cartoon-like visuals.

ELEGIE (ELEGY) VR

Walked out (or rather took off the headset). You're stuck in a lift for 30 minutes.

L'ILE DES MORTS (THE ISLE OF THE DEAD) VR

Recommended. Amazing effects: first when your home gradually disappears as you die, next the dark-grey ruins in the sea with patches of water in shades of blue, Rachmaninov's "L'Île des morts" ("The Isle of the Dead") accompanies the visuals. Makes you muse about your own death.

ALTERATION (ALTERATION) VR

Watchable. Too quiet, barely audible in a public place so I didn't quite get the story. One excellent VR effect - you suddenly find yourself in bed with a stranger. Changing graphics of varying quality - partly interesting, artistic, partly mundane and repetitive.

LITTLE WOMEN

Watchable. A fairy-tale for adults. Alternatively, a historical drama about how hard it was on women to have to fall in love with rich men only. All characters are kind and gentle. Loving families and generous neighbours. The costumes and music by Schubert, Schumann, Dvořák, Brahms etc. are fairy-tale-like too. Timothée Chalamet is superb. The scenography and editing fail considerably. The characters walk past some shops and a minute later walk past the same shops again - one of the stores has a big cloth thrown over the sign to pretend a different one. It's also not always clear what happens when. Last but not least, took me time to realise who died. I loved some of the ballroom gowns though. 

CIENIE IMPERIUM (SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE)

Watchable. Ruins, ruined health (nervous smoking), torn-apart families and lives: moving places and being bombed everywhere they go or inability to see your family who's stayed on another side of the border - borders can be several and changing. The film focuses on 3 out of 15 areas where Russia is waging mini-wars. It starts with a quote from Alain Besançon about states seeking development and prosperity with the exception of Russia seeking expansion. What the film lacks, is maps and commentary. E.g. the Nagorno-Karabakh protagonist lives 1,5 miles from the front line but I learnt about it from the director, not the documentary.

According to the scriptwriters, Russia specialises in smouldering conflicts and planting delayed-ignition bombs. And that was started by Stalin who mixed ethnicities with the potential of conflict in mind. Putin further divides societies to be able to ignite them as soon as the former republics become too independent.

LA FEMME DE MON FRERE (A BROTHER'S LOVE)

Watchable. Yeah, I can believe it's made by a friend of Xavier Dolan's. I recognize the pointless chatter intertwined with bits of music. The film consists of three kinds of scenes: conversations - either overly philosophical or downright ridiculous, scenes with music - better, dancing - the best bits, for various reasons, sometimes for the quality of dancing itself, sometimes for accompanying developments. The music and dance fragments get the best cinematography and a vast array of musical genres. The whole thing is just about peculiar family and friends relationships. I'm happier with my own.