Remedy

An aesthetic orgasm. In this case Nolan has played extremely respectably with the poetry of space, and I would put his Interstellar up there with 2001: A Space Odyssey and Contact among the very best that have come out on the subject of "discovering new worlds" (whether or not we want to, or have to, discover those worlds). Matthew McConaughey was obviously a safe bet given his huge popularity at present, yet the role really suited him like the ass on a toilet. Plus Anne Hathaway, once again, who I've never considered a standout actress and I'm awfully glad I’ve been able to revise my opinion of her so significantly since The Dark Knight Rises. The film itself is a typical Nolan trademark of recent years, a very complex piece of work with a dense plot on multiple levels, virtuoso direction, and a characteristically brilliant Hans Zimmer soundtrack. Of course, it’s not as fundamental or groundbreaking as Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, but Nolan can be credited with bringing a human dimension to the whole story and, in certain moments (the messages from Earth), undeniable emotional devastation. Given the genre, it may be hard even to acknowledge this, but as with Inception (which also had a lot of people who didn't see it or didn't want to see it), this in essence is a very personal work where the fulfillment of the main character's destiny is directly tied to the resolution of some personal issues or even emotional trauma. And Nolan's main point here is that basically the key to everything is love, so that's a sure thing. :))))

Martin McDonagh already proved his storytelling skills in his excellent debut In Bruges, where the brilliant team of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson excelled. McDonagh is originally a playwright and theatre director, with the outcome that under his baton the dialogue is superbly polished and has incredible balls (I wouldn't be averse to a slight comparison to Tarantino, who I consider the king of dialogue exchanges with unexpected endings). While Seven Psychopaths may be considered a more mainstream affair than the perversely idyllic first feature shot in the "ass end of the world", it is still top class in terms of the quality of the screenplay and the power of the dialogue. The absurdity, the naturalism, the extraordinarily deranged characters, the wicked one-liners, and the occasionally black humor pay appealing homage to such names as Tarantino, Scorsese, and De Palma. Here the theatrical focus of McDonagh's debut has been replaced with a notable dose of absurdity and exponentially increasing brutality, which together knead a slightly creepy, yet still very charming and likeable film. With great promise for the future, of course.

It should be mentioned right from the start that American Horror Story cannot be considered a serious work of horror. On the other hand, the FX guys are well aware that "seriousness" isn't much of a draw these days and that the more eccentric a given work is, the better its chances of success. I don't want to pontificate about the (non-)horror plot – though of course it is present here and there are some good jump scares here and there. Rather, I'd like to point out that the main reward of AHS is not the story, but the narrative style they’ve chosen, which is enhanced by the formal features (it took me a long time to get used to the initially very peculiar editing, only to appreciate it later as an element contributing to the ambivalence and confusion of some of the characters) and the omnipresent sexual tension. What I appreciate most about the first season that the creators managed to wring something very superior out of a subject that has been similarly raped a thousand times. The weirdness of the entire story and the abnormally perverse behavior of the characters are the alpha and omega of success in this case, but objectively there's not much to find fault with, as most of the ensemble cast delivers performances of a lifetime (Jessica Lange is demonically perfect) and the pace of the first series is for the most part truly murderous. For me, AHS represents an appealing deviation and interesting excursion into places I don't normally seek out. AHS probably won't find a place in my top ten TV series, but I can't deny the fact that in many ways it is a very original and intriguing piece of work that deserves its fair share of attention. Season I, Murder House – 85%... I will add ratings for the other seasons when I get to them, seeing as how I’ve got higher priorities in my viewing list at the moment :)))

Tragically wasted potential, because even though it's a concept that's been rehashed a thousand times, Hilary Swank and J.D. Morgan make an excellent on-screen duo, and the whole thing would have turned out much better with just a slight effort at some sort of invention. The flatness of the script and, except for some precious exceptions, the lack of suspense join to create the impression of a rather poor genre film average that’s watchable but certainly not memorable. I guess I was just expecting something a little different from a Nordic director, given the genre. On the other hand, as a one-off with Hilary Swank exposing herself, it works quite well.

Suspenseful through and through, I'll give it that. The most ridiculous thing is that all manner of effort and a great deal of experience can be blown to smithereens, as it were, in one second (sometimes there's at least a helmet left) and any formerly impeccable bomb tech can be reduced to a tossed salad in the next. I will admit with all honestly that it was often had for me and my nerves were in at least ten different buckets when the guy in the strange suit was struggling with all sorts of wires, pliers, and locks. If Kathryn Bigelow wanted to provide a picture of how the work of army bomb squad technicians is no joke, she did it in a grandiose and very evocative way, and I applaud her. Unfortunately, there is an agitprop lurking somewhere in the background that calls for pity and unprecedented admiration and understanding of the American martyrs in Iraq, and I don't like that, because by doing so the Yanks are brainwashing the majority of the average intelligent population, who then project American soldiers as their heroes and saviors. And even though it's a total triumph (certainly in the technical aspects), I still don't get all the Oscars.

Much more than a mockery of the fitness life and the degradation of all muscleheads and testosterone enthusiasts to the most primitive level, this "minor" Bay film is a striking parody of America's obsession with religion. The manipulation through the faith aspect is quite obvious here, and it shows in a horrifying way how easily manipulated similarly primitive Yanks are. I loved how Bay parodied himself at certain points (plus I hope you all noticed the Armageddon reference) and how his usually megalomaniacal style was thoughtfully subordinated to the full concept of the film this time, serving "solely" for visual enrichment while in no way interfering with the film's fairly brisk pacing. Bay simply restrained himself in this case, leaving most of the space to the fabulous Wahlberg and taking some scenes to the very edge of absurdity á la Tarantino. A regal entertainment, totally professionally shot, and superbly cast. Sometimes even darkly funny.

A brilliant Gibson epic that is perhaps overly naturalistic in places (which is so telltale Gibson), yet on the other hand could be considered rather realistic, given the context of the time in which it is set. Beyond that, there's not much to judge, as it's not a very convoluted or developed story, and everything else is purely professional (especially the masks and the cinematography). It was pretty good, but for some reason it doesn't at all tempt me to a second viewing.

One of the many impressive Scorsese-DiCaprio collaborations. The transformation of the main character is incredibly impressive, and the overwhelming emphasis on the personal storyline adds an urgency to the entire story and moves the whole film out of the usual box of successful autobiographical dramas and into the category of a gripping emotional spectacle. Technically absolutely flawless, plus you could find numerous breathtaking moments that enhance the overall emotional experience at given moments. All the finishing touches here are truly perfect, from the costumes and set design to the music and editing to the divine cinematography. Marty's direction perhaps needs no exegesis.

A romantic film about teenagers, and mostly set in an American high school? You could rightly argue in advance that this is going to be the xth variation on a horribly overused concept where you mean virtually nothing unless you're the captain of the football team or head cheerleader. But this film is about something a little different. First of all, there are no such adventures (either football or cheerleading) at the forefront; the story itself focuses mainly on the lead character's feelings, and it must be said that it has its psychological depth as well. Charlie isn't so much withdrawn, reserved, and cautious because he's weird, but because something really happened to him in the past and he never quite came to terms with it. I like filmmakers who can work sensitively with characters without resorting to emotional pathos. In this case, it really is a maximally civil story whose qualities are supported by wonderfully natural performances. An independent film that is easy to get addicted to :-)

A first-rate edgy thriller that, while not as formally sophisticated as the thematically very similar 8MM, offers a very sophisticated story, and all the formal austerity here serves more for achieving the most authentic experience. Amenábar has cleverly gambled on a civil approach for his first feature film and not drastically overwrought direction (though the match scene was flawless), resulting in an extremely unsettling thriller that is relatively unpredictable and very suspenseful right up to the very end. Within the broader concept of the genre, this is a very strong entry indeed.