Isherwood

Sure, it's immoral to make a pact with devils, but when you get a group of the most lovable guys led by the (literally) demonic Karel Heřmánek, it's not hard to agree to the rules of this fairy tale. Hynek Bočan directs with clarity, the set design is impressive (hell especially), the great special effects are effective, and the mood of the film is in a pleasantly light spirit, with the Czech acting elite delivering divine catchphrases, opening the way to the peak of Czech/Slovak fairy tale production.

Singer is the devil! Sensitive themes (homosexuality, neo/Nazism) seem believable and natural when presented by him, meaning that there are no cheap poses of wannabe profound commentary on the subject matter, but rather an absolutely brilliantly crafted story that grabs you and only lets you go when the closing credits roll. Formally, it's incredibly sophisticated (for example, the staircase to the basement of Dussender's house with its red backlighting looks like a descent into hell) and the acting is riveting. Brad Renfro as the inquisitive teenager is great, but Ian McKellen is a demon who is unmatched far and wide. It all culminates in a great ending that will emotionally wring you to the last drop... and you don't even have to cry during it.

The plot is unoriginal at best and (especially in the end) a heavily cliched police story like this would have done better as an episode in a series. However, director Carnahan directed his own script with complete clarity, so despite the many flashbacks, the plot is still clear and has a strong drive that doesn't let up even in the more specific scenes of the protagonists. The same is true for the action, which, although quantitatively very sparse, occasionally comes to the surface. It is clear and authentically raw due to the handheld camera (you don't see bombastic openings like this very often). Ray Liotta is the best he’s been since Goodfellas, overshadowing the solid Jason Patrick, who has undergone quite a drastic change in his "look" and the role suits him quite well. In the flood of wannabe cool crime films, this is a very enjoyable spectacle that proves that old-school crime is still the best.

Routine visual wallpaper that completely lacks tension, pace, and proper narrative rhythm. The sprawling opening outlines straightforward characters that don't deviate from the established templates of contemporary teen horror, which wouldn't matter if the film didn't absolutely lack entertainment in addition to the aforementioned tension. The protagonists die in a predictable pattern without any proper directorial innovation and willingness to show the audience something new. Yes, most 15-year-olds will feel some tension, but not everyone will find a wax shower or a precisely inserted pipe to be completely enjoyable fun. It’s absolute uselessness without a single positive.

An overturned coffin with an ex-girlfriend or a story about a broken neck during oral sex in a car is truly funny when presented by Smith, but especially in the first half, the dialogues of the characters suffer from self-interest syndrome without a drop of wit or any shift in the plot. It would have been better to push the envelope more using dry humor (which Smith later proved he could do brilliantly), or to let the life wisdom surface at a lower cadence and in a more natural way, rather than bolting it on to episodic scenes with store visitors. It’s definitely entertaining, but Smith proved his virtuosity later.

At the blessed age of sixty-four, Martin Scorsese delivers a gangster flick so precise that his colleagues a generation younger can only be quietly envious. The 150-minute trip amongst the highest police and mafia brass is told with incredible ease, the utmost sense of the perversity of both worlds (conveyed through the fatal love of one woman), and an absolutely divine dose of chilling black humor. You won't find an unnecessary movie window in this work, let alone a scene. Scorsese once again stylizes violence as a normal routine aspect of life, which he breaks at the very end only to play lightly with the viewer and show that even he doesn't have to take himself deadly seriously. The cast of the greatest actors is interspersed here, from the riveting DiCaprio to the relaxed Damon (any talk of overacting is bullshit!), the diabolical Nicholson, and to the absolutely brilliant Mark Wahlberg. Everything is underlined by stylish musical accompaniment, starting with Pink Floyd and ending with the thrilling punk blast of Dropkick Murphys. After finishing the film, I had only one desire: to watch this concentration of perfection again!

The screenplay, which is built on a skillful subversion of all genre clichés, is coaxed with sympathetic insight, but unfortunately, it already loses steam after a few minutes, when it gets bogged down in unnecessarily chaotic editing. The film remains above the average mainly thanks to its great cast, which later looks truly majestic on the count list (a busty blonde, an old man with a shotgun, a chatty ass-kicker). However, the truly funny moments are few, so the attempt at (self-)parody fizzles out, although it should be noted that the dose of hemoglobin very boldly exceeds the limits of most contemporary Hollywood horror productions. The unrated version rulezz!

Just like a children's picture book, this picture puzzle is filmed in an incredibly captivating way and the characters stand out beautifully. However, the film completely misses any deeper emotional impact in its picturesqueness, which is unfortunately due to the very careful handling of the provocative subject matter. This is due to the fact that if the relationship had been developed between heterosexuals, it would have been the perfect essence of kitsch, which, with the subject of homosexuality, seems more like a cheap pose than an effort to demystify not only the Wild West and cowboys as tough guys, but homosexuality itself.

I swear to God that if the dramaturgical group had not thought ad rectum, had better estimated the potential of Lucie Konášová's script, and had given director Strach a bigger budget, which would have been reflected in the set design, this film would have been an absolute fairy tale hit! The film is directed clearly, has a spirited plot, the dialogue and scenes are well-defined, and most importantly, it's an absolutely brilliantly cast. In it, Trojan and Dvořák furiously spout ultra-cool catchphrases, but still remain in the shadow of the phenomenal Jiří Bartoška, who is absolutely amazing with his disheveled hair as the Lord! It's unfortunate that the film was partly a standard TV production. If the director keeps doing things the way he has, his next film will vigorously stir the stagnant waters of Czech cinematic slop... I hope.

A brilliant thriller with the protagonist’s wonderfully elaborated paranoia, the logic of a conspiracy thriller worked out to the last detail, and last but not least, a nice dose of black-humored trivialization, through which Hitchcock ironically winks at the viewer every now and then. It’s formally impeccable (the cinematography belongs in textbooks!), the acting is spot on (Cary Grant delivering cool lines with icy calm and Eva Marie Saint as the femme fatale is absolutely amazing), and on top of that, the tension builds up to the fabulous ending on Mount Rushmore. A flawless film that reflects the image of one thing only - pure genius!