gudaulin

The protagonist of the film is a boy who is supposed to take over the tailor shop of his master, who is suffering from an incurable disease. He doubts himself and is somewhat scared of the idea of ​​having to make a living with needle and thread and thus copying his teacher's path for his whole life. In the midst of this, he meets a charming girl who is trying her hand at an artistic career as an actress in a Parisian theater. Suddenly, a difficult choice arises - to leave his sick master and accompany his girlfriend on tour or to stay and ease the dying of his mentor. An interestingly shot and strongly cast medium-length film for festival audiences. Overall impression: 60%.

One shoemaker workshop, whose best times of prosperity are clearly long gone, and one visit of a son who makes a living as a screenwriter. Or rather, he tries to make a living, because apparently, he is at rock bottom and longs to escape the hopeless situation by returning to the family tradition. However, his brother, who helps their father in the workshop, has a similar sense of futility but instead longs to have a business in the film industry. Despite a certain bitterness, the meeting of losers is touching and it is evident that the Jewish family of small craftsmen knows how to stick together. Overall impression: 55%.

It is quite possible that When We Leave has some sense and plot, but unfortunately it completely escaped me because this short film so perfectly poisoned me that I only struggled with sleepiness and I only remember the final intercourse. During the screening, about 12 unhappy souls left the sparsely occupied hall, who were poisoned by Foirest's festival escapade just like me. Overall impression: 5% for those naked bodies.

A man stands next to an attractive woman on the bus, whose hands subtly slide into a position where they meet his palm. Who wouldn't perceive this as a challenge, perhaps even to something more interesting? The man approaches the woman, but to his surprise, she rejects him. Her behavior doesn't have as simple an explanation as the man originally presumed. You see, this woman suffers from a remarkable quirk. Her hands are somewhat restless and engage in activities contrary to their owner's wishes. It's essentially nonsense, but well-directed and fortunately of reasonable duration. Overall impression: 50%.

When looking at Gérard Depardieu's filmography from the last decade, it is necessary to point out that according to all signs, he is suffering from great social deprivation, as he takes practically any offer and has turned from a former cinematic gem and export article into tacky costume jewelry adorning antiquated trinkets. Proof that he has not forgotten how to act and that his film roles are not just a result of a lost gamble is his supporting role as a gangster in Mesrine: Killer Instinct and, above all, his leading role in this film. Mammuth is a meritorious worker in a slaughterhouse who, for ten years, has not protested against any assigned task, and has hardly ever spoken. His thought world is simple and he is grateful for the demanding physical labor that doesn't require him to employ brain cells. He is perfectly taken aback by the fact that he has reached retirement age and his carefully planned simple world suddenly receives a significant blow. With his clumsiness, it is difficult for him to adapt to changes and solve trivial life problems. Even just shopping at the supermarket, he is capable of causing such chaos that the viewer's eardrums tremble for several minutes. It is all the more difficult for Mammuth to handle the arrangements for his old-age pension. He has changed jobs many times and given his aversion to paperwork, it is evident that he is missing a lot of important documents. Under relentless pressure from his wife, he hops onto an ancient motorcycle and the film morphs into a somewhat bizarre road movie about his past, during which he encounters not only a remarkable assortment of former employers but also forgotten family ties. The whole story unfolds in a tragicomic spirit and with a special poetic exaggeration. Just a glance at the hulking figure with the face of a retired boxer after a series of crushing defeats, with long hair and a perpetually bewildered expression, adds a lot of depth to this film. I was a little bothered by the hallucinogenic storyline with Isabelle Adjani, but in any case, it is an amiable human film that, in a few places, exceeds the boundaries of political correctness as perceived by the bourgeois. Overall impression: 80%.

Weekend at Dunkirk somewhat deceives us. The presence of Jean-Paul Belmondo, but also, for example, Pierre Mondy, entices film fans with expectations of a lighthearted war romp like The Seventh Company or an adventurous film full of heroic acts, masculinity, and coolness. However, this film is tuned to a tragic tone because it depicts the bitterness of defeat after a lightning-fast German invasion of France. Allied units are cramped into a small enclave near Dunkirk, and not only every day but literally every hour, surrender and capture loom. Despite heavy losses during continuous bombing, soldiers desperately try to board British ships, and our hero is no exception. He fires only once during the 48 hours that our story takes place, and it is characteristic that his fellow soldiers fall victim. Belmondo, in contrast to his traditional roles, remains moderate in his acting and the overall atmosphere plays a leading role. The camera captures crowd scenes of men squeezed onto the beach and a huge amount of war machinery abandoned on access roads. At that time, it must have been a very expensive film, even though there were surely models involved, but today it would be almost unfinanceable. Overall impression: 80%.

Disturbia is a combination of the thriller classic Rear Window and the independent film Cherish, presented in teenage packaging. This is a case where lively and high-quality direction surpasses the average script containing inconsistencies and unfinished elements. It is precisely because of the direction and casting that I ultimately lean toward giving it four stars, even though scenes such as when the protagonist fearlessly enters a house, knowing that he will inevitably confront a brutal serial killer who is significantly bigger, stronger, and experienced in the field, evoke a indulgent smile from me. I believe that you would do the same as him, but I would prefer to provoke the neighbors and the police. Overall impression: 70%.

A television film that depicts a case of a real coup plan in a West African country, which was thwarted due to a series of coincidences and underestimations in the logistics of the operation. Africa experienced the classic era of coups in the 60s-80s of the last century when it was comprised of colonies that had just gained independence and lacked an established societal foundation. During that time, world powers played their geopolitical games in their territories, leaving a negative mark in the eyes of Africans. Therefore, when black leaders took over power in South Africa, this regional powerhouse did everything to prevent similar activities. However, this attempt came about 20 years later. The film adheres to generally known facts, and for example, the son of Margaret Thatcher was indeed involved in the case. Where the film delves into details not known to the public, it adopts a position of slightly ironic exaggeration, which, while not reaching the stylization of Lord of War, vaguely resembles it. It is not a popcorn action movie, and the only brief action scenes are the dream visions of the main antihero. Thus, anyone expecting drama and thrilling action will be disappointed, just like anyone expecting another Syriana. However, I enjoyed this journey among conspirators in black Africa. Overall impression: 70%.

I consider the Coen brothers remake of The Ladykillers to be an artistic defeat and the only Coen film that I outright disliked. After watching the original classic, I have to say that the English version is truly better, of course, except for the star-studded cast because the old version understandably doesn't have renowned actor Tom Hanks. Many of the participants did become stars, but back then it was still their beginnings and they were relatively unknown faces. The 55-year gap is naturally noticeable, and I just didn't have the feeling of a comprehensive genre film like The Lavender Hill Mob with The Ladykillers. Moreover, it is a film where the viewer feels on some occasions how the jokes are unfinished and one wonders how it could have been done better. Nevertheless, The Ladykillers effortlessly surpasses the majority of today's comedy productions. Contrary to the original scriptwriter's intention, which undoubtedly assumed that sympathies would be on the old lady's side, I was a fan of any of those five poor crooks subjected to her nagging and annoyance. Overall impression: 75%.

As a teenager, I would enthusiastically have given it 4 stars because anarchism, rebellion, criticality, and uncompromising humor can be felt in every shot. The film is a satire on Italy in the 70s, which was struggling with an economic crisis, strike chaos, political violence, and an overall crisis. Even Paolo Villaggio's humor was not yet as noticeably cheap and straightforward as in his later variations on Fantozzi Against the Wind. Nevertheless, over time, I have to say that even then Villaggio was orienting himself toward the "common viewer" and that intellectually oriented humor, which goes deeper and forces contemplation, is simply absent in him. Moreover, it is rushed with a single pace and lacks a more thought-out ending. Some gags and motifs, such as the rebellious radio station that constantly broadcasts greetings to the looters and gives valuable advice on how to strike this society mercifully, make me give it a third star, even though it is weaker. Overall impression: 50%.