gudaulin

For some time now, I have been trying to discover a hidden treasure of Slovak audiovisual production, something from the archives that has eluded me thus far despite being an exceptional achievement. I have often found that the films that previously passed me by really weren't worth it. But this time, I hit the jackpot. Three Daughters resembles the best of Kachyňa's work, perhaps closest in theme to The Nun's Night. However, Uher uses a different style and steers the story in a different direction. In the clash between those who represent victorious forms of progress and those who hinder the construction of a new world, the director uses bitter irony and portrays both sides of the conflict in a very unflattering light. The progressive vanguard of society, embodied by a trio of officials, is depicted as lecherous, cowardly, and hypocritical. The mother is portrayed as a cynical manipulator, and the community of nuns as bigoted and stagnant. Both sides are equally incapable of compassion. When necessary, everyone retreats from seemingly irreconcilable ideological positions; suddenly, the nuns have no problem dutifully parroting the regime's slogans during training, while the officials are content with these external rituals and allow their charges to live more or less as they please. It is actually an allegory of life in real socialism. Out of this festival of smallness, one human being stands out, where selflessness and a sense of responsibility prevail. What will happen to him? Overall impression: 90%.

It is complex, exhaustive, non-manipulative, historically accurate, and above all it works with context and not only conveys what happened but why it happened, what alternatives could have been, and who was behind the decisions. It is refreshing to see a documentary that does not rely on animations or dramatized passages, but works with archival materials, does not simplify, and does not try to capture the viewer with flashy special effects. This is how I imagine a professional, high-quality documentary. The only disadvantage for someone might be that, due to its length and amount of facts, it presupposes a deeper interest in the issue. It is simply not a film where you can do household chores or chat with friends. Overall impression: 90%.

Only a few films manage to become a battlefield in the fiercely fought cultural wars of the present. Not only that - they even become milestones that go against prevailing trends. Until the late 80s, censorship was promoted under the flag of religion and right-wing moralism - just ask members of the Monty Python group during the filming of Life of Brian. Then, under the guise of fighting sexism, racism, and xenophobia, the cultural left took over and it was clear that they were genuinely enjoying this campaign for shaping a new morality, and that they could restrict creative freedom just like the church once did. Cuties brought back the overshadowed conservatives, who flared up in indignation over the alleged pedophilic nature of the work and tried to achieve a ban on screening by pointing to the sexualization of innocent children's souls. Considering the amount of passion the film has aroused, it is surprisingly innocent and delicate, and its creation was evidently motivated in the opposite way - an attempt to warn against the sexualization of children. By the way, in this interpretation, that concern actually seems exaggerated to me. The advertising industry, pop music, or modeling represent a real threat and such beauty pageants for children are an exceptionally repulsive form of child exploitation, which should be uncovered and condemned by cinema. Mimicking provocative dance creations of pop dancers by a group of girls at the beginning of puberty seems more like a subject for a comedy rather than a critical drama to me. Nonetheless, the film does not deal with manipulation or sexual violence, and for me personally, its background was more interesting, depicting the life of an immigrant community and incidentally recording the gradual decay of French society, once united by nationalism and republican secularism. If I evaluate it purely for the cinematic aspect, considering it's a debut, it is a thoughtful, cleverly constructed, and skillfully crafted piece of work to which I give 4 stars. Overall impression: 85%.

Money Heist already had a reputation for being an extraordinary event in the heist genre, and the first season more or less confirmed that. It is funny, original, holds together, and is cast with interesting, unfamiliar actors. The series returns to a trend that dominated in the 70s and 80s, namely a charming gang of criminals who outsmart the state authorities and turn the police into a group of fools. The logical gaps are not big enough to bother me in any way, and we will see where the second season will lead the characters. I was afraid that my impression would be ruined by a series of "shocking" twists and conspiracies like Prison Break, but so far it is not nearly as annoying as that American series. Overall impression: 90%.

After the global success of Breaking Bad, American producers were looking for material that would use similar elements and character development as Vince Gilligan's legendary masterpiece, despite different starting points, protagonists, and conflicts. Once again, we have an outwardly respectable, polished middle-class family that becomes more and more involved with and intertwined in the world of organized crime and experiences both the glitter and shadows, as well as the risks, of such an alliance. Just like Walter White, Marty Byrde is a top professional in his field, a talented nerd who hides great ambitions behind an innocent facade. When he discovers illegal business behind the activities of a client company, he can't resist the opportunity and becomes the owner of a money laundering operation. Against his will, the small business becomes bigger. Indeed, the number of bodies around him increases, as well as the number of enemies who need to be feared, just like the drug cartel that employs Marty. Unlike Walter, Marty is not alone in his work; he gradually involves the whole family, especially his wife, who quickly finds a taste for intrigues and power games. It is no coincidence that she was once involved in political campaigns. She rapidly becomes not only a valuable collaborator but also a potentially dangerous competitor. Although Breaking Bad is subjectively a higher-quality series, in the end, I will give Ozark just as much praise. I devoured the three available seasons in rapid succession, which is rare for me. Ozark does tend to be unnecessarily sentimental at times and occasionally relies too much on the promotion of American family values, whereas Breaking Bad cynically mocks them. And sometimes, for a change, you don't understand the development of certain characters, such as the lonely psychopath Darleen, who finds the strength to compete with the second most powerful drug cartel, which is truly a mystery. On the other hand, Ozark is filled with a multitude of interesting and charismatic characters, whom the screenwriters are not afraid to play nasty tricks with and often have them undergo remarkable development. There is no shortage of tension and significant twists in this series. Among the current crime series available, it is definitely an outstanding one. Overall impression: 90%.

Breathtaking camera work and a director who knows what to show the audience and where to find the actual natural and human wonders of the country he clearly loves. This film directly invites you to visit Algeria and presents the country in a wide range of locations. It is true that the commentary is poetic and often uses grand words and lofty phrases. You won't learn about the structure of society or the problems faced by the country's inhabitants from this documentary, but I give it full marks for the aesthetic impression of the shots captured by balloons. Seeing this on a big screen in a movie theater would definitely be a fascinating experience. Overall impression: 90%.

This dark existential noir is about searching for lost balance and new life goals after losing one's illusions and honor in the Vietnamese jungle, and upon returning home you discover that nothing is the same as before, and you can only count your losses. No matter where you go, you still feel the mud from the Mekong Delta and for some reason, the image of red poppy fields from the mountain valleys keeps coming back to you. In the end, you realize that it is necessary to return to the one thing that you were so good at... Quarry is an excellent collection of dirty characters, cynical decisions, bloody clashes, hopeless situations, and bitter revelations. It is a series that doesn't rush, keeps many things to itself, and enjoys playing a game with you. The pace might be an obstacle for the younger generation, but I have fallen in love with the special group of "wet work specialists" who solve problems and obstacles for others, and where others speak of dead spots, I find atmosphere and escalating tension. Quarry is a project where the existence of only one season fully satisfies me because I don't need literalness, and sometimes it's better to let your imagination work and come to terms with the fact that the characters keep many secrets to themselves until the very end. Overall impression: 90%.

This is what I imagine investigative journalism to be. A strong topic with bitter and even chilling moments, and at the same time, an issue that is little known in Europe, and therefore the documentary has significance as a warning. It can influence something. Overall impression: 90%.

Back in the day, I watched the flagship of the conversational drama genre, Twelve Angry Men, without much enthusiasm. However, Marie-October was a clear surprise for me and I put it in the spot reserved for Lumet's film. The quality dialogues, strong theme, the search for a traitor and a murderer among its ranks, and top-notch cast guarantee an attractive spectacle that has not aged even after 60 years. An interior conversational drama usually gives the impression of a theatrical performance in front of a film camera, and that is the case here as well, but personally, I do not consider this fact a handicap. Thumbs up from me, overall impression: 90%.

A worthy end to the world of Breaking Bad. On its own, I would give the film a strong 4 stars, but as a fan of the series, I will go higher because Gilligan has been conspiratorially winking at me the whole time and tastefully serving me up, whether through flashbacks or the return of iconic Breaking Bad characters, memories of those amazing moments spent during the 5 seasons of the series. There are many similar attempts that come across as unnecessary or as reheated mush - see T2 Trainspotting. Overall impression: 90%.