angel74

I had been planning to watch this artistic piece for a long time, but at the same time, I was worried that being completely unfamiliar with Italian political realities, I would be disappointed. But the opposite was true. I don't know how Paolo Sorrentino did it, but I was literally glued to the screen from beginning to end, soaking up every word alongside the brilliant visuals of the story. To complete perfection, the excellently chosen musical accompaniment, as is Sorrentino's good habit, elevated the experience. Since I have some awareness of how closely the mafia is intertwined with the political scene in Italy, I was able to orient myself fairly well in the plot, despite the multitude of characters involved in the affair. Last but not least, I have to give a shout-out to Toni Servillo in the lead role. He didn't play Giulio Andreotti, he was him! Moreover, the film made me reflect on Andreotti's personality itself. He was apparently a cold and aloof man, absolutely emotionless in his actions, yet a very intelligent, surprisingly deeply devout, and culturally sophisticated individual. He used all his strengths primarily to accumulate power, if you could put it that way, and he certainly didn't lack it.

This film is worth seeing mainly because of the excellent performance of Catherine Deneuve as Tristana. The transformation from an innocent, quiet girl to a life-loving young lady demanding love, and then into a bitter and even vengeful woman is truly breathtaking. Fernando Rey, however, excellently supported her, portraying the aging hypocritical lecher Don Lope more than convincingly. The successful indictment of the fallen morality of the Spanish middle class in the 1920s with a strong religious undertone is signed by none other than the eternal critic and surrealist, Luis Buñuel.

Paolo Sorrentino never ceases to fascinate me with how he manages to combine the visual and musical aspects of his work. This film is shining proof of that. I got lost in the story a lot at first, but as time went on, I just got lost a little less. Sean Penn irritated me a lot at times with his whiny voice, but that doesn't mean he was bad. On the contrary, I think that he has grasped the role of an aging yet still immature man in the best possible way. The serious life issues that this road movie reveals in the course of the plot are balanced with slightly humorous situations.

The acting was quite good, but the screenplay fell short. Everything related to the surveillance by the BIS, including Ivana Chýlková's reaction, seemed extremely amateurishly presented to me. Overall, I see it as a slightly above-average TV movie, but it was shown in movie theaters.

I quite liked the beginning, the best part was probably the joke with Madonna and Maradona, but after the first promising quarter-hour, it turned into quite a mess, and the humor was sometimes completely lost while watching it. Some situations bordered on the awkward, especially the more dramatic scenes with the monkey. Perhaps only the dance interlude from the club with some pretty good music still entertained me. I hesitated between two or three stars, but there was too much stupid stuff in the film for my taste.

I was quite entertained by everything that took place on the island, probably because of the pervasive unsettling atmosphere. I was constantly in tense anticipation of some dramatic resolution. But it didn't come! What happened after Daneel left the island was one big escapade, which was somewhat foreshadowed on the island by the chaotic accommodation provider during the nighttime tomato harvest. His crazy laughter was doled out with iron regularity after every piece of wisdom he uttered, so by the end of his "well-meant advice," I was laughing along with him. I have an insistent feeling as if I've seen two movies in one package, and I'm not sure if I should be excited or disappointed about it. It is an interesting film, worth watching.

Before I saw this film, I had heard nothing but praise for it, so my expectations were quite high. I was a bit scared at the beginning. For the first ten minutes, I was almost disgusted by both the events and the appearance of the main characters. However, shortly after, I was already caught up in the thrilling cinematic ride, based on real events, during which I didn't have time to be bored, and I simply enjoyed a brilliant acting performance by Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto in their unforgettable roles as HIV-positive individuals. Moreover, it's presented without unnecessary sentimentality, for which I applaud and thank the creators. Even without that, I ended up shedding a tear.

Drunk investigator Vagner in the interview with Dicte appears to be the best comedic situation in the entire series. Only those who have diligently followed the events can understand, so they already know well Vagner's police demeanor and his clumsiness in life. I've replayed that scene about 10 times, and I've laughed my head off every time.

The strong ethical theme of the Holocaust was portrayed in a very unconventional way, which under normal circumstances I would be enthusiastic about, but somehow it didn't work here. I absolutely couldn't identify with the main character, for whom everything seemed to go too smoothly for my taste, despite not appearing particularly bright. I had strong feelings of disgust toward humanity from what the film showed in the Auschwitz concentration camp. However, it doesn't change the fact that I found that the plot dragged on until the very end, when, for a brief moment, during that one smile, I found the main character likable. (65%)

This is my second encounter with director Ruben Östlund after the bitter comedy The Square and I must admit that I'm really impressed. While I don't yet know his other films, these two present some serious themes in an absolutely original way. While The Square is more or less an indictment of contemporary European society, Force Majeure deals with the disruption of the harmony of one seemingly peaceful family. I stared in disbelief at how differently perceived experience of a seemingly innocent avalanche can completely dismantle the relationship between two people who had been quite happy together until then. Then, of course, it also has an impact on their children. The considerably depressing story is further intensified by the slow narrative, unsettling musical accompaniment, and the chilling setting of the mountains. There are, however, a few humorous situations to lighten things up. Overall, this is an excellent relationship drama and I applaud the author. (85%)