Stanislaus

"Do you know what marriage is? - Marriage is when the woman tells the man to take off his pajamas... and it's because, she wants to send them to the laundry." Marriage Story but more than fifty years earlier. Two for the Road is the bittersweet story of two people who couldn't stop loving each other despite everything life threw at them. What makes the film particularly compelling is its indirect narrative techniques, which allow us to follow Joanna and Mark's life journey on several time levels, which intertwine in a purposeful way to create a map of their complicated relationship. The two leading actors play their roles in a convincing manner and give us a realistic view of the snares of marriage. Even though this is primarily a relationship drama, there was still room for a few humorous moments that balanced the serious line of the film. P.S. Little Ruthie and her parents made my blood boil beyond belief!

A film whose title says it all. Charade plays with the viewer all the time, and almost until the end you have no idea who is the villain and who is the victim. While it's true that the crime plot wasn't that impenetrable, on the other hand, the film offers a proper dose of suspense and doesn't get boring. Audrey Hepburn as a woman in trouble wanting to find the truth was once again amazing and the chameleon-like and resolute Cary Grant was a great counterpart to her, but I just felt in this case that the chemistry between them didn't quite work. In addition to the detective and romantic storyline, Charade offers a number of funny scenes and moments that make the film a timeless affair that can playfully appeal to contemporary audiences.

"I feel like I'm going to faint! - Don’t, there’s no room." How to Steal a Million has been with us for quite a few years now, but it manages to appeal to today's viewers as well, mainly thanks to a well plotted story, funny dialogues and an amazing cast. Audrey Hepburn never disappoints me, she inhabits the role of the fragile but all the more determined daughter of a con man in a great way. Peter O'Toole, whose blue eyes could rival Paul Newman's on the spot, has charisma to spare and was very convincing as the ambiguously cunning thief. And there was also an incredible and genuine chemistry between the two actors, which is not always a sure thing in film. The funny supporting characters were the icing on the cake – the forger's father, the lusty art collector or the group of museum guards. The closet sequence was unmistakable, no wonder it took eleven days to film. A truly timeless romantic comedy, but one that also manages to stretch the viewer quite a bit.

Sabrina is an incredibly sweet film laced with romance from A to Z with many humorous moments that benefits from a smart script and performances. Audrey Hepburn was, as always, absolutely charming - I could watch her dreamy gaze and endlessly sweet smile from morning to night – Humphrey Bogart, with his typically rugged visage, was a great contrast to the fragile beauty, and he had charisma to spare. Apart from the leading couple, the film offers funny supporting characters in the form of a goofy brother with a cut backside, a perpetually smoking father craving olives, and servants with apt remarks. Story-wise, it may not be a deep and innovative film, but it is shot and acted in such a fresh and timeless way that it is irresistible even after all these long years since it was made.

A short film buddy to this year's The Invisible Man and a slightly weaker offshoot of the short that precedes 2016's Lights Out. It uses social media to portray a mysterious evil lurking in the darkness, taking away the innocence of the rabbit filter in the process. P.S. Snapchat kills people!

Labor Day offers a believably written story of two people who thought they would never find love and happiness in their lives, but fate gave them a few days together that changed both of their lives from the ground up. The film stands above all on the performances of Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin, who were brilliantly seconded by the young Gattlin Griffith. Thanks to flashbacks, we slowly uncover the sad story of the two main characters and basically have no idea how things will turn out for them until the very end – a big plus for the unpredictability of the plot. Through the character of Henry, alongside the love storyline, the film offers a coming-of-age tale and seeing the world through a child's eyes, which is not as black and white as it might seem. Although the film has a slower pace at first, it doesn't get boring, and in the last third the atmosphere could almost be cut with a knife at times.

At first glance, Onward offers a quite original theme in the form of an alternative fairy tale world, which offers a wealth of possibilities. After watching it, I have to say that they could have done a bit more in terms of imagination and ideas. This is not to say that I was disappointed with the film, I like that Pixar movies keep their "adult look" without too many infantile scenes and characters, which fortunately they kept in this case, too. While Onward doesn't offer as diverse a world as In Inside Out, nor does it have as strong plot twists as Coco, it still warms the heart with its straightforward but all the more heartfelt story about the importance of family and finding oneself. As a result, it's a weaker four stars for me.

The Invisible Man captures your attention thanks to the great atmosphere and, of course, Elisabeth Moss' evocative performance as Cecilia. Unlike most horror films (or thrillers), the film is not based directly on the fear of what we will see, but of what we will not actually see – to put it in a rather trite way – which it manages to do in a very artful way. Together with the protagonist, we look into empty doors or corridors and wait to see who or what will appear. Elisabeth Moss, thanks to her unmistakable looks, was a great choice for the role of a woman who is suddenly not at all sure of what is happening around her and doesn't know if she is slowly losing her mind. Towards the end, I felt that the plot started to lose its breath a bit, but I was more than satisfied with the overall denouement. Last but not least, I have to praise the unmistakable and captivating music, which perfectly completed the dense atmosphere of the film.

When you say S&M in film, more than one of us (unfortunately) thinks of the "shades trilogy", which is not exactly an example of quality filmmaking, so you are glad that there are thematically close films from the other end of the quality spectrum. Dogs Don't Wear Pants is a very raw romance that isn't afraid to show a lot of things on screen, while maintaining a certain level of tastefulness and not trying to be overtly shocking or outrageous. We follow the story of two lonely people who, despite their somewhat harsher specific needs, are portrayed in such a human and understanding way that you just have to root for them. The two lead actors played their roles in a supremely convincing manner, and I was also impressed by the minor role of Ester Geislerová. I welcomed the fact that besides the raw romance and a few scenes that were uncomfortable for the audience (the initiated will know what I am talking about), there was also room for a few purposefully humorous scenes. Last but not least, I must praise the unmistakable musical score, which perfectly underlined the atmosphere of the film.

Beast of Burden is at first glance an unremarkable animated Chinese-New Zealand co-production that probably won't make a dent in the world due to lack of viewers, which is quite a shame because after watching it I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it's primarily a children's film, it still deals with "adult stuff" and has an almost horror feel at times (the line with the hunter). Watching it, you can't help but notice the clear parallels to themes such as slavery or (more recently) species extinction. In terms of animation, Beast of Burden is rather intimate, but it doesn't offend, and I think the goats definitely deserve the viewer's attention.