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According to the opinion of many film fans, this is one of the most important French films of the 90s and an exceptionally powerful film, but I am such a querulant that I often disagree with the majority's opinion. In my opinion, it is an inflated dime-store story that plagiarizes dramatic historical events in French colonies of the 30s and 40s. It could be said that it has top-notch camera work, but it gives the impression of a 2.5-hour grand advertisement for laundry detergent, because in this film, white is even whiter, and no one gets dirty, sweats, or wrinkles. It captures beautiful people in pathetically emotionally tense situations, but unlike someone like Spielberg, who squeezes out emotions whenever possible, Wargnier is a terrible storyteller. The first half dragged on like a snail with an amputated leg, and the second was only slightly better. Overall, watching this opus was a cinematic cleanser for me, which I would like to forget, despite the presence of several great French film stars. Overall impression for the beautifully arranged pictures: 20%.

This is an unfortunate case. The movie has a fairly likable cast, decent performances, and considering it's a B movie, acceptable production design, and even the direction holds up, but what drags the film down is the screenplay. It's not so much stupid as it is silly. It's not that the story isn't set in any believable reality, in that in August 1943, German U-boat commanders are discussing how the war will end in German defeat in the near future when at the same time Germany occupies the majority of Europe and the Allied command expects the war operations to end sometime in the summer of 1947 if all goes well. Rather, it's the fact that the characters behave and speak in contradiction to any elementary logic. Just as an example, after the prisoners incite a revolt, thwart an attack on an enemy ship, damage the submarine, and put its crew in mortal danger, precisely at that point, one of the sailors feels a strong desire to fraternize and exchange family photographs. The plot is driven by improbable coincidences and the bizarre thought processes of its characters. Strangely enough, there is no doctor on board the German ship, but an epidemic breaks out that decimates 2/3 of the German crew, only to coincidentally kill the lone American at the same time, and so on. The screenwriter simply twisted the screenplay without any regard for credibility. Not to mention the storyline of the relationship between the commander, portrayed by William H. Macy, and his wife, which is marked by literal incredibility and sentimentality of such a nature as if it came from a highly exaggerated parody. Overall impression: 25%.

British documentary filmmaking has long had a strong reputation, but sometimes even a master craftsman can make a mistake, and in this case, the viewer's satisfaction is directly proportional to how little they know about the subject matter. Practically every episode I have had the opportunity to watch has had some unnecessary and foolish errors. They may not be major, but they do not speak well of the authors' attention to detail. Just to name a few, in the last episode I watched the story about the assassination of the Yugoslav king, there was a map depicting the formation of Yugoslavia after the collapse of Austria-Hungary. However, the map was from the 70s and, for example, Czechoslovakia was depicted without Transcarpathian Ukraine. Also, in the commentary on the Balkan War of 1912, the guide claimed that Serbia was fighting against two Muslim states - Turkey and Bulgaria. But Bulgaria is, of course, Orthodox, just like Serbia. And so on. On the other hand, not everyone is a history enthusiast, and generally, the information is correct. For those who studied history in school, it is a relatively decent choice to broaden their knowledge. Just one more note - each episode is introduced with a sentence stating that the motives of the assassination were shrouded in secrecy until now. The overwhelming majority of the events described are familiar to historians, and the series truly brings nothing new. It's just advertising. Overall impression: 50%.

From a genre perspective, a very well-shot, highly professional film with a problematic political subtext. Essentially a propagandistic film about brave border guards facing sabotage from the West. The atmosphere of the film remains undeniable even after years, as well as the remarkable performances and professional direction. It would be interesting to know to what extent Karel Kachyňa believed in that story at the time of filming. Overall impression: with a significant focus on the craftsmanship, 70%. One of the most significant roles of Radovan Lukavský, to which he himself reluctantly admitted.

I really liked Kormakur's direction - he was able to easily switch from cold Nordic dramas to American blockbusters while maintaining his high professionalism and sense of cinematic storytelling. From a technical standpoint, from editing to set design to the performances of the actors, there's not much to criticize about the film. However, the screenplay heavily relies on coincidence, and not just one, but a series of extremely unlikely coincidences that move the plot forward through unbelievable encounters. The main protagonist unfailingly finds his goal in a city with many millions of people and is always at the center of the action. The screenplay is simply weak and undermines the interesting subject of selling replacement human organs to wealthy Western enthusiasts. Nonetheless, it gets a very solid 3 stars and 65% overall impression. By the way, the resolution, or rather the protagonist's choice, didn't seem very probable to me. In real life, it would probably turn out the opposite way.

Lynch's surrealist games appeal to me, and in the case of Mulholland Drive or Lost Highway, I did not hesitate to give those films the highest rating. But this time David unpleasantly surprised me. A film should entertain, make you laugh, cry, or provoke, but it should never bore, and no director has given me such a full plate of boredom for a long time. Lynch's traditional puzzles and games completely got out of hand this time, resulting in something unwatchable with an unnecessarily extended runtime. Inland Empire is one of those films that are remarkable primarily for their ratings and comments. The vast majority of reviewers complain about the film, only to then give it at least three stars. Perhaps it's also about conformism... If it wasn't a cult director, but someone unknown and starting out, the film's rating might have hit rock bottom. Overall impression: 20% for the cast and a few, but really only a few, scenes where you can clearly feel the director's touch from better times.

Even simple stories that have been told a thousand times can be made in an original way, and In Search of a Midnight Kiss belongs to the minority of films that can pleasantly surprise. It is unconventional and provocative like Kevin Smith's early films, it chose a black-and-white camera and can depict an interesting atmosphere with it, and it is able to offer unfamiliar actors who can captivate. And most importantly, it is not artificial and shallow. I believe in the thought processes and decisions of these characters, even though Sara Simmonds exudes such dominance and self-centered arrogance in the first few minutes that I would have left immediately had I been in Wilson's place. In Search of a Midnight Kiss is a bittersweet romance about emotional maturity in the shadow of Hollywood studios, filmed in the spirit of the best traditions of the American independent scene. Overall impression: 80%.

I consider Inside Men to be an inconspicuous and somewhat underrated gem in the field of British TV series production. While other shows suffer from excess and gradual decay, where the viewer slowly and surely loses interest in their protagonists, Inside Men has the opposite problem. This four-part miniseries unfolds such a game between its characters, and above all with the viewer, that it is a shame to cut it off so soon. In my opinion, it should be extended to double the number of episodes with a clever script. The creators waste no time and immediately unveil a shocking brutal robbery at the start, seemingly revealing all the cards. However, the viewer later realizes that action, or even the crime itself, is not the focus here, but rather the human characters and that something is slightly different. Just as onion layers can be peeled off, here too, disguises are lost and our outer protective layers of personality, which we expose to the public, fall away. This exposes new motivations and unexpected character traits. Add to that the excellent cast and you have a series that is a joy to spend time with. There is no gratuitous manipulation of the viewer, but rather an intelligent game, where the stakes are not so much a pile of money, but rather self-respect, friendship, family, and one's own conscience. Overall impression: 90%.

This film is somewhat superficial, with cheap effects, and the selection of information and processing is tendentious. It may be sufficient for an average viewer, but it definitely won't enrich history enthusiasts. Overall impression: 50%.

While in the case of the crime comedy Head Above Water, the comparison between the Norwegian film and the American remake clearly favors the original, in the case of Insomnia, it is a balanced battle. The Norwegian original is much more authentic, and raw, lacking the classic screenwriting tricks and effects. The screenwriter is not nearly as accommodating to the audience as his American counterpart, so some moments and motives are not presented as heavy-handed compared to the American version. The American version earns points with a better portrayal of the killer, played by the excellent Robin Williams, while in the Norwegian version, Stellan Skarsgard excels as the lead detective. His burnt-out policeman, haunted by dark demons, is actually a negative character from the perspective of the movie viewer, and the film does not end with any catharsis but rather leaves a bitter taste of strange victory of justice over the perpetrator of the crime in the viewer. The final gaze into Skarsgard's burning eyes is chilling... The Norwegian Insomnia impresses me with its "ordinariness" - Engstrom's partner and opponent is not a glamorous film star like Hilary Swank, but an ordinary woman who struggles with her own demons. It can be said about the characters of the Norwegian film Insomnia that they deviate from the established templates of American studios with their thinking and actions. The Norwegian film is a crime thriller only secondarily. It is primarily a study of uncontrolled erotic passions, hypocrisy, cowardice, and the inability to create a functional relationship... Overall impression: 85%.