tpolakov-2 Reviews

Accumulator 1 (1994)

Messy, funny parody of 80's scifi

[9/10 · 10 February 2022]

Starting with the title sequence you get the feel of the 80's Terminators and similar big budget Hollywood cinema. Then it wanders off to more peaceful waters, to pick up again by the mid/end.

The whole movie is a bit incoherent, as some shot types are repeated a bit too often, some only happen occasionally, the pacing is a bit uneven, the sound recording/mixing feels dated (hard to understand some dialogues), but as a whole, this is a fresh burst of ideas, youthful energy and just uncanny fun.

The cooperation of the father Zdenek Sverak and son Jan Sverak creates a strangely appealing mix of vintage storytelling and youthful effects-based bombastic blockbuster visuals that just work (at least for me). You have to be somewhat familiar with the visual style and cliches of 80's scifi to fully appreciate the references, but I guess most of it is so etched into the fabric of modern cinema that it should appeal to wide audiences.

Give it a go, it will not drain your energy for sure ;)

Rossz versek (2018)

Rollercoaster of emotions

[9/10 · 22 June 2021]

OK, I admit, it might not be everyone's coffee - but it certainly is mine ;) This is basically a coming of age movie - told in flashbacks.

There is nothing particularly original in the storyline, but... somehow... I started watching and it just kept a tight grip on me. While the situations the main character lives through do not match exactly the ones tucked away in my own memories, I believe it captures this provincial Eastern European feel most precisely. If you ride its wave, it pulls you through an unbelievable rollercoaster of emotions ranging from depression to silly uncontrollable laughter. It guides you with ease and lightness of a veteran storyteller, yet with very modern cinematic means somewhat reminiscent of "Amelie" in tone.

I cannot say if you need any particular cultural background to relate to this movie. Some jokes may not work for you. Maybe the whole movie would not, either. However, if you do not give it a try, you could miss a shining gem. Absolutely recommended.

Moments (2018)

Slow and seemingly ordinary, but this is a little gem that gets under your skin

[9/10 · 9 November 2020]

Chvilky (Moments) is exactly that - moments of life of a young woman in contemporary Czechia/Slovakia. There is no music to speak of, the camera just observes (albeit some takes are hauntingly beautiful). Most of the dialogues are sparse, blunt, empty. Or has everything already been said? The characters know each other to the point where things need not be expressed verbally. We scratch the surface "the chemical reactions of people", Anezka - the main character - is not letting the world (and us as the observers) too close. As the psychologist says - everyone needs something. What is it that Anezka needs? The movie rarely gives answers. The questions are asked beautifully though.

The Interpreter (2018)

Slow paced, needs attention, but worth watching

[9/10 · 10 April 2019]

The movie follows the travels of the two main characters - descendants of the killer and a victim in World War II in Slovakia. It builds on a succession of images/situations in signature Sulik style - with gentle humor, geared very slightly towards absurdity, interspersed with some gut wrenching parts involving narratives of the surviving witnesses. The world has changed, people don't really care - or do they? Should they?

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Arbitrary behaviours

[6/10 · 22 March 2015]

I got hooked by the good reviews on IMDb. When the credits started rolling, my first thought was - is that it ? During the whole movie I was waiting for a clue, for some twist that would explain the nonsensical behaviours of most characters. Like - he killed his wife, or there was no wife at all... But all we got was an inaudible whisper into Nikki's ear, who shows no emotion during her whole appearance on the screen. OK, I get the mood swings from a supposedly bipolar Pat. I sort of get the obsessions of the father as well. But it seems everyone else is suffering from some kind of a disorder that in itself may be credible, but the in this limited space and time just seems completely arbitrary and forced. So my basic problem is believing in what poses as realistic portrayal.

Vikings: Blood Eagle (2014) Season 2, Episode 7

Finally it reaches some of the heights of the first season

[9/10 · 4 November 2014]

Yes, the second season has been OK. But being "OK" is too weak for the continuation of what I felt was the best TV history series, period.

Season 2 almost seemed lifeless compared to the pretty much flawless hypnotic complex imagery/sound/thought-scape of the second half of season 1. For example, in Sacrifice S1/Ep8 we end up with a masterful gut wrenching blend of beauty, gore, clash of religions, as if the ancient gods had risen and came back to guide or haunt ;-) the living. Yet there is plenty of human plots too with just the right mix of thought, action, nudity.

So what do we get in Season 2? A run of the mill fight for powers. Yes, there is gore, there are killings, but somehow, the magic got lost in the process. No signs of Valhalla anymore, just people wanting to kill other people. Remember the enigmatic/menacing King Horik of the first season? Every time he appeared on screen, I got a feeling he knew more of the inner workings of this world and how to manipulate people into his own plans. Can't see much of that in season 2 - the charisma is gone.

Anyway, I just kept watching - and finally, in "Blood Eagle" I got some of the magic spell handed over again. There is some beautiful cinematography of times good and bad, some new aspects of Viking life that have not been covered before and of course violence to match. The Vikings are back - not surpassing season 1, but at least rising above average and providing some much needed surprise.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013)

Really disappointed with the sequel

[5/10 · 6 October 2013]

Let me start by stating that I really, really liked Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - the first movie.

For me it worked on many levels - as pure harmless fun for kids, as a morality tale about consumption, greed and abuse of science, as a good story with believable character development (with almost all characters showing some likable treats) with some funny blockbuster hints and references to top it off.

The trailer for the second one left me with an uneasy feeling that it all is going to be reduced to a "Jurassic Food Park", so my expectations going to the cinema were moderate. The kids wanted to see it as they liked the first one too, thus we went.

Unfortunately, the movie really is just mediocre. The story is a hodgepodge of cliché ideas with little added value to any of the characters. There is nothing to hold onto, nothing not seen before, no surprises. The design of food animals/landscapes is certainly quite cute and even imaginative at times, but (except for Berry) they serve as a mere colourful backdrop to a weak plot with predictable "twists". A plot that gets washed out of memory soon - just like fast food is, as soon as one encounters a meal prepared with love and care, instead of a reheated TV dinner.

Burn After Reading (2008)

OK, it is not bad... but not good either.

[5/10 · 2 June 2010]

I personally think the Coen brothers' movies are overrated. Sure, I haven't seen a really bad movie from them, but I haven't seen a really outstanding one either. My problem with "Burn After Reading" is my complete lack of connection or sympathy to any of the characters on screen. To me it felt like puppets involved in trying to move a vehicle of a complex plot which tries to be smart and make a point in criticism of society, or structures of power, or the hidden violence in people, or whatever... But - I did not feel any of the characters was a real person. Clooney came the closest and likely if the movie focused more on him, and got rid of some irrelevant threads, it could have had much more impact. As it is, it just scratches the surface and stays among the "average" flicks which I think is sometimes even worse than the real bad ones. Those at least manage to produce some feelings. This one doesn't, at least for me.

Slnko v sieti (1963)

A young man's summer - a character study

[9/10 · 1 January 2009]

Considered one of the first movies of the Czechoslovakian new wave of the 60's, the movie depicts a youngster's summer with romance, work and all the stuff around. It shows the curiosity of the young, the discovery of the world around us, the search for love and other things worth searching for. It even throws in a bit of a social study by comparing the village and the town society. Although some of the aspects of it have not aged well (at least for me), the main reason to see this movie is the very strange but wonderful atmosphere of exploration. When watching it, I sometimes felt like being the main character's photo-camera with an insatiable desire to capture moments/images - to let them impact the observer and create emotions through beauty and purity. So, at the end, it is the purity of the young (uninfluenced) eye (both the main character's and I presume the filmmakers') that creates almost a magical experience of going back in time. Worth watching !

Three Colors: Red (1994)

A puzzle to expand your mind

[10/10 · 9 August 2004]

Most of Kieslowski's films seem like puzzles to me, meant to expand mind and soul. The characters are not very believable, are idealized, are schematic. Nevertheless, the way Kieslowski presents their winding ways through life, their complicated interaction with others, with the universe, with chance or destiny, makes me understand faith, makes me (want to) believe in God. That at some point it all has a meaning, if not to me, then certainly to someone.

Trois couleurs and especially "Rouge" comes closer to making me touch, feel, experience the "truth", the "meaning" than perhaps any other of his films. The only problem being the paths of the "puzzles" explored are a bit too similar to his other films and at some point they become somewhat predictable. There is still plenty of joy to be had here. It is like a familiar brand of wine - you know what to expect and it delivers, sometimes with a newly found bouquet which might come from aging - either the wine or yourself.

Neha (1991)

Deep, dark but hopeful

[10/10 · 15 November 2003]

A wonderful dark tale of coming of age in a country in transformation - then Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) in 1990s. Against the backdrop of a regime change and general crisis of basic values, a young man is finding his way into adult life. Playing a part in a love (hate?) triangle he does not fully understand until the conclusion, he desperately tries to make sense of the unpredictable behavior of the other two main characters which is linked to the secrets lurking in their past. All this while he is not sure about his own role in a world where yesterday's truths mean nothing today. Brilliant actors in a brilliant film that even gives you a glimpse of hope at the end.

Pitch Black (2000)

Good action

[7/10 · 18 November 2002]

This is good action, nothing less, nothing more. The first 3rd is MTV-like and can almost be mistaken for the commercials if you are watching it on cable. The ending shows it was made in the Marilyn Manson age. But, they had the guts to end it this way and I liked it. Most of the plot is totally unbelievable, but it's OK for the mental popcorn it is.

Panic Room (2002)

Why ?

[4/10 · 4 November 2002]

I usually like Fincher's work, like Alien 3, Seven, especially Fight Club. Not this one. At the end, I kept asking myself - why did they make it ? Who needs it ? It is a copy of a copy without a single interesting moment. Home Alone X with wasted talented actors who have seen better days.

Sex and Lucía (2001)

Great

[9/10 · 4 November 2002]

Great photography, great actors, great sex, great entertainment... The story a little weak sometimes, but you cannot have it all can you ?

Go see for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

Earth (1996)

Beautiful movie

[9/10 · 4 November 2002]

It is a beautiful movie (as most of Medem's movies are), visually absolutely stunning, with very good actors and a very human(istic) plot. It sometimes gets complicated, sometimes it does not make too much sense, but at the end it does not really matter. Probably the best way to enjoy this film is to let the images guide you into their dizzying magical world and you will then feel deep inside what it is all about.

The Red Violin (1998)

Very nice cinematography, but empty

[4/10 · 24 June 2001]

Nicely shot, great costumes. The chinese story and the present time is interesting, but the whole thing is very boring and predictable. If you are into snobbish boredom, watch it, otherwise, you could be better off doing something else.

The Idiots (1998)

The most moving of Lars von Trier's films

[10/10 · 19 June 2001]

In my opinion, Lars von Trier is a genius and the best living director today. And this is his most moving film (at least for me), because it's real and provides a shockingly correct statement about the people who realize they don't live in full but don't have the clue (courage, power, whatever...) to make something of their lives. By joining a group, they live in a comfortable lie thinking (or just pretending among themselves) they are above the crowd of the "middle class". The story rolls slowly forward to reveal how weak and shallow they really are compared to real pain and suffering. But there is more to it than that and you have to see for yourself. A masterpiece. Go and see now !