lamps

Hřebejk really outdid himself at the turn of the millennium, and so did Polívka, Dušek and Jarchovský. A beautiful and at the same time bitter depiction of heroic courage and the transformation of humanity during the darkest stage of our modern history, interwoven with a strong period atmosphere and a natural humour that does not make light of the situation as in Cozy Dens, but rather gives it a more urgent and witty touch. The actors excel, the script is brimming with changing emotions and the viewer is a direct player in everything, trapped for two hours in the claustrophobic grip of uncertainty, fear and small joys, threatened by snooping Nazis and a peculiarly insistent collaborator... When you say help, the first thing that comes to mind is this moving story. 95%

A rudimentary story scheme and atmospheric direction that gracefully guides an angry Liam Neeson through the smelly corners of crime-ridden Paris. The ultimate fun action movie, whose only big weakness is that it takes itself too seriously despite its atrocious B-ness. 85%

Now. that's what I call proper craftsmanship! The directors literally jumped in headfirst to present a true hell on earth in the most cruel, uncompromising, and "unfortunately" the most realistic point of view. What's more, they didn’t need stars or pools of blood. No, what makes this film so compelling is the shocking fact that this is how life is really lived, and an amazing portrayal of characters as they try to deal with the events around them in the only way possible, with a gun always at hand. Such a film could be interesting even without a plot, but City of God has a very good one, with plenty of action and keeps a very high pace throughout. After the closing credits, I was simply amazed and captivated by the quality and power of the story, which made me even more grateful that I was born here in Czechia, where kids don't get a shotgun or a membership in a killer gang for their tenth birthday.

I always expect high quality from movies starring Tom Hanks, but this comedy didn't really hit the mark. The landlady is exactly the seemingly inconspicuous "danger" I was expecting from her and the attempts to destroy her did amuse me, but the humour didn't really suit me otherwise. The script does contain a point about a spectacular heist, but it’s completely lacking in ideas and originality, and the spectacularity is totally out of place. But not to only criticize, The Ladykillers is an ideal film for relaxing and unwinding with a few good jokes, where you don't have to think too much. Also, Tom Hanks is great as always and brings the level of the whole thing a bit higher.

A film so perfect that I'd like to climb each letter of the Hollywood sign in turn and salute it at length over the City of Angels. The retro atmosphere is so captivating that in the nineties it must have set the old generation's loins on fire. The actors are absolutely fabulous, from the characterful tough-guy Crowe to the role model Pearce and the cool playboy Spacey to the cold-blooded Cromwell, the direction is as polished as a pop star's fingernails (the scene with the corpse under the house is heart-attack inducing), and then there’s the script!! One bloody event unleashes an unreadable chain of intrigue and murder in which everyone is somehow implicated, and it's so damn wonderful to watch, thanks to the slowly unfolding communicativeness, the rhythmic switches between multiple storylines, and the superb portrayal of all the characters, that when it's over it seems the most sensible course of action to watch it again immediately. The only thing that’s beyond my comprehension is the Oscar for Basinger, the Academy must have had some kind of extended version where she's naked in the shower for 15 minutes, otherwise I don't get it... 100%

In his typical masterful way, the best Czech director portrays the hard reality of the French Revolution and the hardships of ordinary people and, with the support of excellent actors, especially in the first act, he manages to draw the viewer into a promising story without any problems. But gradually, Forman runs out of breath, the plot becomes terribly weak and unfinished for such an ambitious film, and the end comes out of the blue and without much emotion. Yes, I learned about the uncompromising methods of the Inquisition of the time, but that doesn't make Goya's Ghosts an above-average drama.

An animated flick where everyone will find something. Adults will moisten their eyes during the opening minutes that map the whole life of the main character in a unique fashion, while children will be blown away by the simple humour and action of the second half, which is surprisingly dominated by an amazing "side show": a funny dog. All of that doesn’t fit together very well at times, and we remember from Pixar definitely more plot creativity (The Incredibles) or a stronger dose of real emotions (Inside Out), but we will still fall in love with the characters and want to relive the whole adventure with them – Pixar is really unmatched in this magic...

It took me quite a while to realise what a creative and clever style of humour The Big Lebowski has. The script seems to be nothing but a showcase for all those amazing actors to display the bizarreness and exaggeration of their creations, but lacking substance. Yet the plot is packed to bursting with so many excellent gags, subtly hinted at or potential twists and a unique parody of many established narrative techniques, all while perfectly retaining its own distinctive face and, most importantly, never ceasing to surprise – rarely have I felt such a palpable joy in a film's sheer narrative, in the creation of witty retorts or one-liners, or in the direction of the actors themselves, whose performances really beg for their own lengthy commentary. Jeff "The Dude" Bridges clearly moves up to one of my favourite movie characters, John Goodman complements him brilliantly, and at times Philip Seymour Hoffman, who has this funniest role in his life, also speaks out vehemently. There is no need to talk about the amazingly inventive cinematography or the wicked soundtrack, they are par for the course with the Coens... 90%

One of my favourite Italian films. Castellano and Moccia don’t spare any ideas and it’s impossible to get in one viewing all those great lines and crazy situations. I don't know what I should highlight first, the nail clipping scene, the world's most spacious flat or the trainspotting. Plain and simple, this film shouldn't be missed because such cute and truly funny comedies are rarely seen.

The best episodes of The Simpsons have always been based on simplicity – things went downhill when they started going too over the top or relying on Homer's endless stupidity. As expected, the film avoids neither, gluing together disparate themes, trying to give space to too many characters (who don't move the plot along) and making the most of Homer's intellectual Neanderthalism, but it's not bad. There are plenty of really good jokes, and the story thrives where the show has always been very strong: in the interaction and personal development of the family members, who are first separated and then more tightly bound together by some crazy event, most often caused by Homer. This pattern is then quite skillfully fitted with both the mandatory outcomes of the side characters or the emergence of new and entertaining characters (the head of the EPA is pretty good), as well as the standard moral and social lessons. I certainly would have liked to see a more coherent and cohesive film that stuck to a simple concept in the style of the early episodes, but even as a die-hard Simpsonsphile, this one pleased the hell out of me and didn't disappoint.