shabunc Reviews

Heil (2015)

A spot-on black comedy / political satire cocktail

[8/10 · 14 February 2023]

I guess one should live in Germany for a while to understand how extremely precise and funny all observations made in this comedy are. This is probably one of the best German black comedies ever. Watching this felt like a long, breathtaking rollercoaster from the very first scene to the very end. I haven't laughed so hard since I don't remember when. I haven't laughed so hard ever watching a German comedy.

Herr Brüggemann and whole cast did a tremendous job. So honestly, Deutsche, Bewohner der Städte, der Dörfe and basically anyone else who has a taste for good tough comedies - don't trust low ratings and go watch it. This movie just should not be in the 5 out of 10 stars area.

Striped Trip (1961)

Most international Soviet comedy - and one of the most funny ones

[8/10 · 31 January 2021]

This is a classic comedy that, in my opinion, belongs to the same League one can find such exclusive titles like "Some Like It Hot". I don't think we need to explicitly mention that this is a Soviet comedy, it's not Sovietic in that sense that, unlike, say, "Watch Out for the Automobile" the setting just doesn't depend on the story happening in Soviet union. I'd rather say that this is the most international Soviet comedy.

Oh, and above the lion - for God sake please stop spreading rumors that has been disproven gazillion times - they didn't killed lion, it's a myth. The only fatality was a piglet who've been accidentally eaten by tiger.

See You Yesterday (2019)

It's a teenage movie and doesn't pretend to be anything else

[6/10 · 10 May 2020]

I honestly don't get what's with all this 3, 4, 5 points - this movie is actually a teenage sci-fi movie with actually pretty decent plot for, again, a teenage movie. It's not a masterpiece, it by no means will gain any cult following or whatever. Still, it's a kind movie about good girl trying to save all.

The Elder Son (2006)

An awful film adaptation of an genial play

[5/10 · 3 November 2013]

Be warned, there's a much, much stronger movie based on the same play. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073743/

This is not that I'm not into remakes, but it's just bad. Everything is bad - music (balalaikas - of course, such a fresh choice, violins), acting. The depiction of Russian emigrants is so stereotypic that this even surprises - but which is way more surprising is that they are emigrants at all. The thing is that the play is about human relationships and the story can be told about an old man with ruined life of literally any nationality. He could be 100% WASP American, he could be an African American, he could be whoever, but being a very lubberly depicted Russian emigrant - well, this actually just distracts.

Which is an excellent yet sad example of how even a genial play can be ruined.

Once again, watch the movie I've gave link to. It is masterpiece congenial to the play.