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A film from the late period of the famous Laurel and Hardy comedy duo. It shows a clear shift from classical slapstick with crazy gags toward conversational comedy with elements of situational humor. Nevertheless, it is not bad at all, it belongs to the better part of what both actors filmed in the late stage of their careers. Although the logic of the characters' actions sometimes falters, it is still significantly above average within the contemporary production. This time, both unlucky fellows clash with a criminal gang that has its sights set on a rich inheritance. From the moment their paths cross with the criminal gang, their plans of course go up in smoke... Overall impression: 60%.

This excellent, now classic crime thriller is one of the treasures of its genre. All the ingredients are carefully balanced: a well-crafted script, smart direction, a star-studded cast with superb performances, where alongside the charismatic and reliable Gabin, a young Alain Delon shines, who later declined to mediocrity and lived off his fame. Constant tension, sophistication, sometimes a humorous exaggeration that culminates in the tragicomic climax of a botched robbery. Polished dialogues and characters that do not rustle like paper and are believable. Quality music. When I tally all the positive adjectives I've used, it's impossible to give less than 90% and 5 stars. It's simply a film from a time when audience-pleasing cinema did not rely on digital effects.

Do you remember the film Juggernaut? Would you rather cut the blue or the red wire? In life, you will face a lot of decisions. Some choices are crucial for your journey through life. And you are not always capable of immediately understanding the significance of that turning point. Sometimes, the journey into the past and meeting with what could have represented your future can be quite painful - and perhaps it is better to avoid it. Very rarely can you switch to another train or at least change the switch without consequences for yourself or others. The Life of Fish is a melancholic, bitter encounter with the greatest love of your life when you realize that her children could have called you daddy. If you live a single life, which - let's admit it - simplifies and facilitates many things, you may not understand what true happiness consists of. Matías Bize managed to emotionally unsettle me quite a bit, and I will give him a fair four stars and an overall impression of 75% for that.

To fully understand the situation presented to viewers by La Vida Loca, it is necessary to know at least the basic facts about the recent history and present of El Salvador. 20 years ago, a 13-year-long civil war between an extreme right-wing military dictatorship and left-wing guerrillas, fought with exceptional resilience and cruelty by both sides, came to an end. Naturally, the civilian population suffered the most in this conflict. The mass emigration to the United States, which is so typical for Latin America due to economic reasons, was supported by a massive exodus to escape death squads, bombings, and general violence. In the United States, Latin Americans traditionally had a heavily subordinate status, and in order to compete with cheap labor, they began to form similar associations following the example of local gangs. When the need for the US authorities to at least outwardly tolerate refugees disappeared after the signing of the peace agreement and the fall of the dictatorship, their deportation back to El Salvador followed. There, the prospects for a better life were grim, but there were plenty of weapons and the authorities, including the police, were much worse off than in the United States. The gangs became even more brutal, and in a short period of time, El Salvador became a country that persistently competes for first place in the number of murders per capita. I would like to remind you that considering the population size, especially with the figure of 12 deaths per day in gang-related clashes, this ultimately amounts to a much larger number of victims than in many wars of lower intensity that regularly fill the space in the media and provoke passionate reactions. This documentary is very powerful, raw, and chilling. Additionally, it is clear that during filming, it was quite dangerous, as confirmed by the director's death in the end. The entire documentary is underscored by a musical soundtrack of gangster rap. A very strong experience. Overall impression: 95%. Poveda practically did not need any commentary; the camera capturing everything was more than enough.

My three stars and very sober rating do not indicate that Dahan's film is average. Fans of the biographical genre, especially those of the world-famous singer, can easily add two stars. With my overall impression of 55%, I express that I am interested in and excited about Edith Piaf's singing, into which I invested even at a time when things were getting worse. I am indifferent to her private life, although it was, among other things, filled with love affairs, alcohol, drugs, and various scandals, thanks to her animalistic nature. However, many contemporary "celebrities" are capable of constantly producing such scandals. But if there is a compelling reason to watch this film, it is Marion Cotillard in the main role. She delivers an incredible acting performance and literally lives through her character. Cotillard not only belongs to the top tier of French actors, but I would say she is currently the best actress of her generation. Unfortunately, her performance overshadows her colleagues - for example, Sylvie Testud in the role of her alcohol-soaked companion is also excellent...

The protagonist of The Old Maid belongs to the large group of introverts who are exhausted by loud and numerous company and who value peace, stability, and safety above all. Miss Muriel hides her emotional vulnerability behind the mask of a cool and distant woman. She cannot express her rich inner world and her behavior is shy and reserved. Gabriel, on the other hand, represents the type of man we call an old bachelor. He loves his comfort and his rituals, and there is no indication that he wants to change the established functioning regime. However, a car malfunction forces the travelers to change their plans. After a few days when circumstances force these seemingly different characters to interact and communicate with each other, we now have enough for what we call love at second sight to emerge. The Old Maid is a rather inconspicuous, intimate film with a calm storytelling pace. We usually associate French romantic films with charm and elegance, but here they are replaced by cute clumsiness, misunderstandings, and bad luck. Instead of the carefree madness so popular in the romantic genre, the director here asserts distance and irony, enhanced by the civilian acting of both major stars of the French film screen. Overall impression: 75%.

An acted grotesque, and one of the most original and charming shorts that appeared in the short film section at the French film festival. A highly stylized spectacle, when a typical bourgeois portrayed by Jean Reno purchases a package of screws at a luxury department store, prepares for handyman activities, and to his unpleasant surprise discovers that one of the screws is missing a notch for a screwdriver. Affronted, he decides to return the goods and teach the department store a lesson. This is followed by a strange odyssey through various corners of a vast labyrinth filled with peculiar characters in bizarre situations. The film is built on an atmosphere that closely resembles the works of Franz Kafka. The bureaucratic overworked system defends itself against the complaint in its own way and the main character of this grotesque spectacle may find himself in the end. Overall impression: 90%.

I can't help but say that despite its attractive topic, the film had too many TV-like qualities and was unable to utilize all the possibilities that the topic offered. Overall impression: 50%. A group of mountaineers exposed to extreme conditions and fighting for survival should be an appealing TV program even today.

I have always liked the genre and the sight of the cast that participated in Lawless was reassuring to me. I wasn't even warned by some of the critical reactions from my favorite reviewers. After watching it, however, I'm joining in with the biggest critics. The effort of the crew to shoot something great cannot be overlooked, but only the set design can be accepted without reservation. The casting turned out to be a disaster. Shia LaBeouf is unremarkable and incredibly annoying with his good-natured face. In the relevant genre, he is unquestionably the most annoying protagonist I can think of. Tom Hardy is established in genre cinema as an actor portraying tough guys, including economy of speech. But here, he manages with just one expression throughout, pushing his performance towards the boundaries of caricature. Guy Pearce, with his terrible overacting, in my opinion, crosses the line in his portrayal of the main villain. The other actors only fulfill the expectations we have of typical characters from the Prohibition era. Jessica Chastain looks beautifully corrupt, and Mia Wasikowska is a pure soul, pleasing at least the male audience. The film has a sluggish pace, occasionally interrupting the viewer's lethargy with a drastic scene. The western scheme that John Hillcoat tries to graft onto his film seems inappropriate and leads to WTF scenes like a bloody reckoning while the entire police force passively watches. To sum it up, the first half is boring, and the second gets on your nerves. Overall impression: 40%.

A modern gangster film with a decent cast and an interesting screenplay that includes a whole range of motifs and twists. Following the traditional British model, the film is literally overwhelmed with characters, making it difficult to keep track of them at first. It lacks the humor and exaggeration that, in my opinion, belong at the top levels, such as Guy Ritchie's early films. Overall impression: 80%.