Malarkey

A decent French drama with a very interesting story that I haven’t really seen in a drama movie yet and if it were up to me, I don’t know what I’d do in some of the situations. It makes the premise so much more interesting. It’s a shame that the producers have underestimated the situation and ruined the ending a little bit. I was expecting some unravelling, a logical conclusion, but there was just nothing. When you take an interesting human story and don’t even finish it, not even in that graceful way that French movies tend to, you shouldn’t start it at all. The overall impression ended up being really low. The original 4 stars I had in mind turned into solid 3.

There’s a very original idea unravelling throughout the 4 or so hours of the overall footage. A relatively serious story about a hitman who doesn’t have a drop of emotion in him, situated in a completely bungling theatre in Los Angeles, which is exactly where the hitman wants to do his dirty work. A serious tone takes turns with some scathingly dark humor which is really amusing. Bill Hader has really surprised me, and truth be told, I wasn’t even disappointed by the literal ending. It may underline the show’s overall absurdity, but the general quality of the show, confident even in its action scenes, makes up for it.

I’ve watched all the three movies based on the books and I was thinking it could go something like this… I liked the books, but I wasn’t smitten or anything, and it was the same with the miniseries. It has its good moments, but also bad ones. Luckily, the staples of a good crime movie such as partnership, some good noir elements and original, inventive cases were predominant. It’s a shame that Robin’s and Cormoran’s relationship was much richer in the books, but that would probably be wanting a little too much from this show.

The Romanians put an interesting spin on marital issues and all the fun’s been left to their son who has some stellar performances as a junior porn star wannabe. It’s a shame the parents are so dull and boring, they spoil an otherwise funny movie.

This is a movie I’d divide into two parts. In the first one, I feel like the Austrian director got lost in the beauty of Czech actresses and apart from naked bodies, it’s dominated by a whole series of sex scenes, which are unusual for a Czech movie. After a while, it gets a little superficial, annoying even. I eventually felt a little bad for them… The second part comes when the Russians arrive to the Wenceslas Square, which offers a strong, emotional experience that keeps on coming at certain moments. That proves that the movie has a certain technical quality, but that gets spoiled by moments that downplay the seriousness of the whole situation. And it’s the fault of a bad script, sometimes even the music which can feel awfully ill-fitted. Codename Holec could have been a decent cooperation with Austria, but it ended up as a failed movie with a serious theme.

I can’t shake the feeling that Americans shot the best epic period pieces around the 1980’s and 1990’s. Restoration is exactly that kind of movie. The premise is clear-cut and it has an amazing flow. The movie’s amazing to watch and the film-making quality aged well.

The last ever episode of Big Ben has a relatively nice air to it. The writers have moved Benno’s and his mom’s relationship a bit forward, so now she tries to make a living on Mallorca selling meatloafs and meaballs with a Tyrolean twist. It’s not going very well though so – as it happens – she gets mixed up with Rambold’s mistress’ kidnapping. Rambold’s character is done very well and you can see him enjoy the role. The final episode has been a surprise for me. It may be a simple kidnapping, but the fun moments take turns with the serious ones, and it’s nice to watch. A perfect final episode, it’s even made me a little bit sad.

It draws inspiration from an interesting idea, which is complemented by a western genre and some high-quality camera work. If only the characters weren’t so far off the European standard of quality and they were understandable, then this movie wouldn’t be as boring most of the time. You’re better off doing sci-fi, you’re at least good at that. A little crazy people-wise, but at least it’s pleasant to watch.

I guess I’ll start with a good old comparison. It’s just not better than the first one. The first instalment had some genius scenes that were simply unforgettable. On the other hand, the producers have casted a very solid group of actors none of which could ever disappoint. I was personally excited to see Mel Gibson in this sort of a role again; he was obviously enjoying it. I think the idea is amazing and as far as the premise goes, I couldn’t really recall any Griswold Christmas Vacation. The overall impression is very positive because I can’t get enough of these kinds of comedies. And if the Americans don’t stop pushing them on me, I won’t even be mad.

If there already weren’t enough new characters-centered episodes, the producers have written up a more serious one this time. I may be only giving it three stars, but the murder and its investigation were at a whole another level. I’m not sure if that’s because I’ve been to Bad Tölz this year and so I’ve loved the Isar river scenes, or if I’ve simply liked the motor camp and the castle environment. The victimless murder was really something. A viewer gets to see a very interesting premise with an evenly interesting denouement. Interestingly, the humor was set aside for this one.