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Another American remake of a quality Italian classic, just like Welcome to Collinwood, that has a decent cast, but unlike its younger sibling, it has a better-written script and more developed characters. However, compared to the Italian film, it lacks a certain socially critical dimension. Crackers is simply a film that aims to entertain and does not want to send any message about the story of a group of slackers and petty criminals. The script contains several humorous remarks and is written in a biting ironic tone that undermines traditional values glorified in American movies, namely family and friendship. Sean Penn is excellent both in terms of his appearance and acting skills, Donald Sutherland as the gang leader plays his part with detachment, and Wallace Shawn as the Turtle reliably brings a smile to the audience's faces whenever his character appears on screen. Overall impression: 75%.

Casandra's Dream is not a typical crime or detective story, it is rather a psychological drama about two ambitious young people, a businessman in the family, and a person who hinders their family's happiness. Above all, it is a film about dealing with one's guilt, a unique variation of Crime and Punishment. During this period, Woody Allen moved away from his old neurotic comedies and continued in the line set by the drama Match Point. It is not as strong as his previous film with a crime plot, but as a psychodrama about morality, it works well and Woody Allen maintains a high standard of work. Additionally, and this is once again confirmed in this case, he works with an elite cast. Both actors in the main roles give their best performance and consider their participation in Woody Allen's project an honor. Overall impression: 75%.

An attractive subject that affected the resulting format of the documentary series. There is an exceptionally large space for advertising, so already-known facts are often repeated for those who go to the bathroom during the commercial break. Some cases were truly interesting, such as the explosion of an offshore platform in the North Sea or the explosion of accumulated gases in the Mexican sewer system. However, I can imagine a somewhat more sober treatment, one more suitable for a public broadcast. Overall impression: 55%.

A beautifully atmospheric short precisely combining the musical component working with a choir with visually stunning otherworldly visuals, where every second is charged with anticipation, mystery, and fateful choice. It is actually a short fantasy with mysterious content. The film, while stunning visually, only hints at having a plot, allowing for multiple alternative interpretations of what is seen. Overall impression: 90%.

This is an unpleasant film. I wouldn't even hesitate to use the controversial epithet "repulsive" in some moments. It's an ideologically defined film, where I hesitate to use the label leftist, as it would be much more accurate to call it left-wing. Those who consider the conflict between the sensation-seeking tabloid and the falsely accused individual, who tries to protect their privacy, as the central theme of the film are mistaken. The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum is not a timeless film but rather is closely connected to specific events and processes taking place in West Germany in the first half of the 1970s. During the 1960s, the influence of the radical left grew significantly at German universities and the cultural environment, while the rest of the population enjoyed the fruits of the German economic miracle. The first wave of RAF attacks shocked and disgusted Germany. The bourgeois press (logically) criticized not only the terrorists but also scrutinized their ideological foundations and social background. The radical left found itself isolated and faced increasing pressure from the conservative majority. The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum is one of the products of the frustration experienced by leftists at that time. I think that if Ulrike Meinhof were alive, she would be thrilled with the film and would willingly agree with the assessment given by the creators to the German authorities and media. The film works with black and white, strongly polarized characters. Its zealous criticism of what it considers German reality makes it strongly tendentious, which significantly diminishes the film's strength today. Holders of state power are ruthless, employing any methods without hesitation, and the media are manipulative and willingly inform the police - just like "ordinary" citizens who remain ideologically anchored in their brown past. It is evident from every shot how much the filmmakers did not identify with the environment that surrounded them, and how much they wanted to depict the society of that time as hysterical, herd-like, and manipulative. Personally, I find the film techniques used by the directorial duo rather manipulative today. There are questions that can be asked, which obviously did not interest the creators. The protagonist of the film is at best naive and irresponsible, and in the worst case, Katharina Blum can be thought of as a member of a terrorist network because such an interpretation is also possible. However, the concept of honor according to Margarethe von Trotta and Volker Schlöndorff suspiciously resembles how it is perceived by Italian mafiosi or members of Caucasian clans. Overall impression: 40%.

In Wajda's drama, one can clearly feel that the director really tried and cared about the result. However, this effort is somewhat tainted - it is like watching a couple in love from a distance, getting ready for their first intimate meeting, desperately trying to make an impression, and in the end, only embarrassment remains from their forced efforts. Despite the director's efforts, the film is cold for the majority of its duration. Although a decent historical drama was created, which could serve as a school performance for high school students, more is expected from a director of Wajda's caliber. His early films from the 50s sometimes repel me in terms of content, but they have much more passion, artistic risks, and cinematically interesting moments than Katyn, which he approached as a social memorial to the victims of the massacre. The final execution scene may give you chills, but a truly good film should be able to captivate the audience even without it. Regarding Katyn, I dislike the number of characters and distracting images where the creator should have delved deeper. An interesting and somehow typical comparative moment is the comparison between the two occupiers of Polish territory. Wajda deliberately tries to equate Nazi Germany and Stalinist Soviet Union. This mutual pat on the back, smiles on their faces, and very similar behavior of the officers of both armies is often seen in Katyn. Overall impression: 65%.

Much more so than a documentary, this is a feature-length advertisement in support of the upcoming 2013 tour and overall image. After all, the film was produced by her and everything was subject to her PR and filmed in a way that precisely targeted the intended audience. The title is actually true. At several moments, you have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Katy Perry's face without a heavy layer of makeup, but she definitely doesn't allow you to peek beneath her arranged and glossy shell, to get to know her true character, not in the slightest. Kate has repeatedly admitted her admiration for Madonna and it is evident that she is trying to imitate her style of presentation in pop culture. Kate is increasingly getting involved in the acting industry and it is more than clear in this film. She is not a bad singer, but targeting adolescent and immature women of all ages pushes her performance and song arrangements to the boundaries of grotesque and fills all the negative stereotypes about production for adolescent audiences. A Barbie-like style, pink wigs, and sweet smiles sent in every direction. The omnipresent mandatory optimism, enthusiasm, and banalities like "Katy is amazing, the tour is fantastic." To be honest, I don't know how to review it. In a way, I was entertained, even though with a feeling of unwanted magic and the awareness that the informational value of this pseudo-documentary is negligible. I quite like the song "Hot N Cold" in the official music video, but when I see Kate, changing princess outfits and eagerly shaking, it feels like someone is thrusting a sharp stake into my groin.

When Paterson premiered in movie theaters, I was experiencing a small biographical withdrawal and desperately looked around to satisfy my "craving" for a movie theater. Although the reviews, comments, and professional reviews were great, based on my own experience, Jarmusch belongs to a group of creators where this way of gathering information and forming an image of the film doesn't work because the director's cult distorts qualified debate. Personally, I divide Jarmusch's work into two groups. The first includes Dead Man or Night on Earth, and the second Only Lovers Left Alive. The second group openly bores me and evokes indifference; I would rather place Coffee and Cigarettes in the second group. The first two stories set my expectations at a freezing point. I wanted to give up, but fortunately, I knew that there would be better stories, like the dialogue of the sisters in the charming double role of Cate Blanchett. This dialogue is often used as an acting exercise in art schools. However, there are fewer of the more interesting stories and they cannot lift the whole to an average level. Jarmusch often works with banality and stereotype, but not in any innovative way. It's rather tiresome, and shallow, sometimes based solely on the presence of a celebrity, other times on a single joke that is stretched to several minutes and cannot fill the space. Several of the stories that have a point have essentially banal messages. That Jarmusch's numerous fan club probably considers it a discovery of America and so on, and is also fascinated by the static form based on repetition, is a different matter. Jarmusch often works with minimalism but here it sometimes borders on insulting the viewer. The only interesting thing about his movie for me is that he filmed a tobacco-infused film at the same time when tobacco was being rapidly pushed out of public spaces in the USA. Regardless of whether Jarmusch intended the film as a nostalgic reflection of past times or an artistic protest against the loss of a certain freedom and experience, I do not share his stance. Overall impression: 45%.

In the first half, which deals with family relationships, frustrations, infidelity, and serious illness, the film works very well thanks to its perspective, a very decent cast, and Hřebejk's directorial professionalism. Despite a certain absurdity in what is shown, it is, so to speak, true to life. In the second half, basically from the moment the story moves to Sweden and problems with the protagonist's failure to cooperate with the secret police are addressed, the whole project starts to stumble. This is what dealing with the Czech past looks like in the minds of Czech intellectuals, not in real life. The German or Japanese economic miracle was often built by former war criminals, SS men, and members of the NSDAP, and the luxury of critically evaluating their country's past was only possible for the following generation, which was not personally involved. And in the overwhelming majority of cases, there was not even such a reconciliation as in Germany. In the Soviet Union, five men were put on trial for ten million dead, and that was within the power struggle in the Politburo. I believe that in very individual and rare cases, some informer may have apologized to their victims in private. However, the self-flagellation process chosen by Hřebejk's protagonist is far dumber than a violent pedophile's attempt to cleanse their conscience at a congress of esteemed mothers. The plot is contrived, some scenes and dialogues reek of pathos, and if it weren't for Martin Huba's professionalism, the outcome would be even worse. Overall impression: 70%.

This is perhaps the first thing from the Dejvice Theater that I really did not understand. What was supposed to be funny became awkward with its loudness, overacting, and stylization. I understood every third word and the affectation of the actors made me feel unwell. This was a mistake for me. Honestly, I am quite surprised by the positive reviews. Neither the playwright nor the direction stood out. Overall impression: 25% for the Dejvice ensemble.