Remedy

I am sure I will only repeat what has been said many times about this immortal work of Steven Spielberg. For me, the film is actually perfect in every way. When strong emotions come, they do so without the need for manipulation, though of course it’s clear that given the subject matter, Spielberg had it easier in this respect at least – there is simply no emotional manipulation here either, we are "merely" being provided with the facts and it is up to each viewer how they can absorb these ancient facts or how the film ultimately affects them (how emotionally). In making Schindler's List, Steven Spielberg not only fulfilled his duty to the Jewish population, but also his duty to the entire world in ensuring that all generations of all nations are educated and informed about what man was capable of in the 1940s – both the most monstrous and the most noble. I waged an internal battle with the character of Oskar Schindler (the phenomenal Liam Neeson) for most of the film, and couldn't quite pin down his character or discern his intentions up until a certain point. The very respectable running time, in which there is not a single dead spot, gives a great amount of space to identify with the characters, their fates, and the fate they had to involuntarily accept. It's hard to say what Schindler's List would have been without Spielberg's evocative direction, likewise what it would have been without Zaillian's excellent screenplay, Williams' perfectly pitched soundtrack, or Janusz Kamiński's flawless cinematography. And did you notice that throughout the entire film, not once does the word "leader" appear in any language?

With Kubrick I've become accustomed to the fact that each of his films is superbly polished and complex, both in form and content. So from that perspective, A Clockwork Orange didn't particularly surprise me, but on the other hand, it didn't disappoint me in the slightest detail either. The difference from what I've already seen (Eyes Wide Shut and The Shining at the moment) is that I didn't know what I was getting into beforehand and I became absorbed in how precise, accurate, and clean it had been conceived overall. If I had seen A Clockwork Orange first, I believe it would have "shredded" me many times more (which I might have had trouble withstanding:)) I rate the film itself as a brilliant satire whose subject matter, far from staying with violence, also includes the media and the monstrously nefarious power of politics. I'm becoming dangerously fond of Kubrick.:)

This film simply has pacing and charm! The mythical feel gives the story just the right substance, the music is demonically divine :)), the acting couldn't be better, and Singer, at only 30 years old, already proves that he is more than capable of pulling off a "big" film. The top of its genre, all of whose almost perfect components are enhanced by the famous final outcome.

Although Oscar's narrative is the main frame of the entire film, the implications of his relationship with Mimi naturally translate to the present and gradually influence Hugh Grant's character in his actions and endeavors :)) The depiction of Oscar and Mimi's relationship is at times lyrical, charming, idyllic (there is a beautiful juxtaposition of her youthful innocence and naivety with Oscar's "awakening"), at times bizarre (but also funny), and ultimately, of course, escalated (both physically and psychologically). Equally compelling is the setting in which Bitter Moon takes place. All in all, this is a masterpiece, detailing (sometimes perhaps too much:)) the course of a somewhat perverse but all the more interesting relationship, while tying in another (contemporary) storyline, which it fantastically intersects with at the end.

After the third screening I have to push it and go for the full 5 stars, with In Bruges becoming one of my favorite pieces. This really rather dark comedy will win you over with its quirky humor, beautiful shots of various corners of Bruges (I have been to Belgium, but only to Brussels; Bruges beckons me now), beautiful music, and great cast. A first-class debut from writer and director Martin McDonagh.

Dancer in the Dark is an exceptional film. To use a musical as a metaphor and merge it with a theme like this – that's just genius! This time I have to mention the fact that Lars von Trier's films, compared to most other productions, are a real emotional and intense experience for me, which quite often lingers in me for days (which happens very rarely indeed.)) As in Breaking the Waves, the main character here is a suffering woman whose moral values and sense of "the right thing" clash with the injustice and disproportionate cruelty (especially psychological) of ordinary people. Lars von Trier certainly doesn't put these types of characters in his films for the sake of it; on the contrary, through the clash of their pure characters with "the evil world" he holds up a mirror to us and forces the ordinary person to reflect on his values – on the other hand, it is sad that we need to first "experience" the suffering and the evil committed in a naturalistic way in the film in order to force ourselves to reflect on it (but sometimes even that doesn't help, unfortunately. )) Even though Dancer in the Dark is not a film about nice things, it is still beautiful and unique in its own way – at least in how much emotion it contains and how credibly it can portray human morality and human suffering. The musical interludes, in which Björk excels vocally and expressively, are a damn fine icing on an already well made (though probably quite hard to digest for some) cake. It's true that the director is quite relentless in his attacks on the viewer's feelings, and it's also quite likely that if you internally go through the whole crazy whirlwind with the main character, you'll probably feel like a fly in a spider's web at the end. However, as controversial and provocative as Dancer in the Dark is, it's still a hugely engaging, masterfully directed work whose meaning or mission is huge.

This Swedish gem easily ranks among my top ten favorite (most precious) films. I can't describe it, nor can I pinpoint exactly what makes Evil so special and brilliant for me in perhaps every respect. Part of it may be that, although it is not only a powerful but also a rather cruel drama, I didn't feel "manipulated" and pitifully begged for sympathy for the main character throughout the entire film. In short, the entire film is conceived as one very harsh human fate (a punishment all too disproportionate to the initial transgression) that the vast majority would buckle under, which is (un)fortunately not the case for Erik Ponti. The overall attitude or character of the protagonist – especially his "proud defiance" – struck me as almost "Promethean" at times, and I wouldn't be afraid to compare his unshakable endurance and resistance to higher "authorities" and arbitrariness to ancient heroism. However, the character of Erik goes even further in his struggle than the ancient heroes and is thus much closer to the Prometheus of the 19th century, who (unlike the ancient myth) in P.B. Shelley's did not submit to malice and proudly resists it to the end. I hope I didn't get too carried away by that literary interlude. ;)

Aronofsky hit me right in the heart with this arrow. The absolutely brilliant central string theme, the depressing atmosphere in every second, but most of all the hopelessness, the inescapability, the insane suffering, overall compounded by the uncompromisingly harsh yet absolutely perfect direction. It's really hard to talk about any hint of optimism or hope here, every character suffers the same, long and forever...

Tim Burton's dreamlike and magical world at its best. Visual excellence backed by the traditionally great Depp and the gorgeous Christina Ricci.