gudaulin

After elementary school, Jan Svěrák decided to take a risk and try out a substance that had not yet been tested in the Czech Republic, which was a genre mix between parody, comedy, love story, adventure film, and philosophical allegory. While The Elementary School is a stylistically pure retro comedy, which was written with certainty, Accumulator 1 had a difficult time finding an audience in the Czech Republic due to its genre ambiguity. This was partially due to the risky casting, which cast Petr Forman in the lead role, and his co-star was also an unknown actress in the Czech Republic. Additionally, at the time of its release, the Czech Republic was not sufficiently saturated with Hollywood action productions, which Svěrák evidently made fun of. The cosmopolitan film, to a large extent, unfairly earned a reputation as a weaker film both from critics and audiences. On the other hand, the film's budget and the technical aspect, which was especially demonstrated in scenes from a parallel reality behind a TV screen, are at a very respectable level. It is not a bad film, even if only for its originality and uniqueness among Czech films and the high professionalism of the screenwriter and director. Overall impression: 75%.

The film is naturally built on the charisma of Jean-Paul Belmondo, so audiences will enjoy plenty of his typical gestures and boastful reactions. In addition, the story is set in the interwar period of Nazi Germany and falls into the comedy genre, which is not very typical. There have been plenty of war comedies made in France, but this film is unique in its classification. The environment of a totalitarian regime, which wants to present itself in the best light to the world during the Olympic Games, is combined with the escape of a Jewish family from the Reich. Belmondo, a French trainer and friend of a high-ranking German officer from their time as rivals in the sky during World War I, is a more than worthy opponent to the German armed machinery. What works is the main storyline, but in my opinion, Oury's film fails in the effectiveness of the individual jokes, which simply seem either worn-out or unfinished to me. On the other hand, few films dare to portray Hitler as a comical character who engages in a car chase with the protagonist. Overall impression: 60%.

A Kafka theme in the Czech style and also a title that can be considered a symbol of the Czech New Wave. It is a medium-length film about a cat rental, the futile search for a man named Kilián, and life in a country full of absurdity, uncertainty, and fear. Last but not least, it is also a film about loneliness and a sense of alienation. Josef K. faced a trial, while Herold, the protagonist of the film story, only faced a fine of 30 crowns for not returning a borrowed cat. It's seemingly banal, but tension and nervousness can be felt in the events of the film. After all, in a country where people and institutions disappear and bureaucracy has power over people, losing a cat can have unforeseen consequences. There are also hints of criticism towards the cult of personality and Stalinism. You can perceive the character that needs support as an allegory and as a peculiar comedy (the sign in the cat rental says: "Misuse of borrowed cats is punishable. The consumer acknowledges that they are entitled to use the borrowed cats only for their own needs."). Some parts of the film could have been edited out, but overall, it is an interesting film reflection of the 1950s. Overall impression: 75%.

The main benefit of this musical set in a competition for a new Broadway musical is the very decent choreography. Unfortunately, it doesn't reach the quality of the best musical pieces, such as West Side Story, Singin' in the Rain, or Cabaret. In particular, a comparison with Fosse's All That Jazz springs to mind, who literally overshadowed Richard Attenborough. West Side Story triumphs thanks to its more prominent music. while All That Jazz with its script and the performances. A Chorus Line is undoubtedly slightly above average, but there's a lack of a melody that would stick in my memory and which I would later hum or notable vocal performances. By the way, unlike the choreographer and director portrayed by Michael Douglas, I would probably choose differently. Overall impression: 70%.

This is a typical example that money and technology in the world of film don't mean everything. Zemeckis was enchanted by the special effects options and especially the technology of 3D filmmaking, so he paid more attention to bombastic visual effects than to the characters and story, and the touching Christmas story turned into a jet ride over the rooftops of Victorian London. There is a substantially more civilized, less elaborate, but emotionally stronger version called A Christmas Carol, which captures Dickens' original better. This film is more enjoyable for viewers who prefer an action-packed and popcorn-style film. The casting of Jim Carrey, moreover, with excessive makeup, shifted Zemeckis' version much closer to comedy than Dickens ever intended. Overall impression: 60%.

From the long series of Christmas films in recent years, A Christmas Carol stands out like the Eiffel Tower. While Charles Dickens as the author of the literary original deserves credit for the final impression, it is a fact that Clive Donner skillfully and without hesitation transformed his story into a film. It is pleasantly emotional and reasonably moralistic. Even I felt the urge to improve, but unfortunately, that feeling passed after about an hour. Still, it was the most promising attempt in the last five years. The film does not feature top stars, but this only contributes to its authenticity; otherwise, the performances are convincing, as is the atmosphere of London in the first half of the 19th century. Overall impression: 85%. I have not yet seen the new version with Jim Carrey, but I strongly doubt it could offer more, except for visual effects. As for the story, Donner extracted the maximum from Dickens.

A Conspiracy of Faith is a film of two completely different parts. I don't know if they are equally long, because subjectively the exposition of the story seemed too slow and about as exciting and captivating as a Christian documentary. The movie theater screen should help the film, but somehow I hesitated and thought that a television screen would be more than enough for this. But then came the scene where the ransom for the kidnapped siblings is supposed to be handed over on the train, and suddenly it looks as if a cyclist staggering somewhere at the tail end of the peloton realizes that he doesn't want to stay last and gives it his all. The dynamics change incredibly and suddenly you understand what the magic and global success of Scandinavian crime is all about. You have a jam-packed spectacle that does not spare any blood or shocking twists, and it engulfs you completely. But when the end credits start, you begin to think and certain doubts arise about the errors in logic that you didn't notice before. It's somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, but in the case of such highly-rated films, I usually choose a lower rating. The acting is decent and the subject matter is also unconventional, but the mistakes are simply noticeable. Overall impression: 65%.

Jean-Pierre Melville was a prominent director who stood out from the majority of his French colleagues in the 1950s and 1960s who rejected classical Hollywood and contributed to the emergence of the French New Wave. This movement can be considered a rebellion against previous film conventions and genres. Melville actually admired and developed a style influenced by American gangster films. Many elements and scenes in A Cop cannot deny their inspiration from overseas cinema. Hats, long coats under which you can safely hide a shotgun, empty streets immersed in darkness, minimalistic dialogues, and long gazes that increase tension. For Melville, style meant a lot, sometimes at the expense of other aspects of the film. We can probably attribute his fondness for American cinema to the casting of Richard Crenna as a rival to Alain Delon. The film depicts two audacious robberies carried out by a small but well-organized gang, pursued by none other than Alain Delon, who, in the 1970s, hardly ever took off his police badge even when going to bed. It may not be a perfect 4-star film, partly because Melville underestimated the ending, as had become somewhat customary in his films, which could have left out the logical flaws and could have been somewhat more complicated so as to increase viewer suspense. Nevertheless, for me, the film deserves a 70% rating, noting that Melville bid a dignified farewell to the world of cinema.

Action Man is certainly not bad, but I feel that besides the cast, it doesn't have much else to offer these days and time has simply taken its toll on the film. Some scenes would be worth mentioning as examples of special effects used in their time - it's obvious that the car driving on the road is actually in a studio while a separate image is being played in the background. It's definitely a good choice for a one-time watch, but it won't make it into my collection of best films. Overall impression: 60%.

At the Třeboň Anifilm festival, Adama was screened in the category of films for children and youth, which is quite bold, because even many war films for adult audiences contain more optimism and less depression than this animated film. In the second half, when the plot transitions to the war zone, it becomes a truly bleak and dark affair. Adama lacks the ability to captivate - it is a typical arthouse film that requires more attention, but it is very well executed in terms of visuals and has a strong anti-war message. The film can be considered as animation school and a showcase of brilliant artistic style. Sand animation is rarely seen. Overall impression: 75%.