If they call you crazy, just thank them. “Nobody is Crazy” (“Nadie está loco”, 2019)

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directed by Federico J. Arioni
© 2019 Vendetta Furiosa. All Rights Reserved.

The best part about writing a film blog is when you get to meet other cinephiles and learn about productions you would probably never hear of. What a nice surprise it was when Federico reached out to me to share his film “Nobody is Crazy”. As usually, I avoided reading any short descriptions or watching the trailer – I simply pressed play and let the story begin. Oh boy, how lucky I feel to be writing this blog, have I told you that already? Because this film is a true gem that I would have missed, so I’m happy to be recommending it today and I truly believe you should see it yourselves. We get to meet Rafael (Manuel Gutierrez), who’s a rather introverted teenager that perceives the world differently than other. His background is complicated as he’s an orphan who got adopted, but his parents eventually got divorced, so now he’s being raised only by his adoptive mother. The woman struggles to understand her son as his psychological issues become too overwhelming for her. She gave him an ultimatum – he either works hard on himself and changes his behaviour, or he’ll be sent to a military high school. Rafael doesn’t seem to be much hopeful about any potential changes happening until he meets Nobody (Federico J. Arioni). Nobody is a guy in a black mask, who claims to be a time traveller. He’s also considered a crazy person by everyone around, but he’s not bothered and he makes his craziness a feature to be proud of. Rafael wishes to learn how to be normal, how to act properly, so others wouldn’t consider him a weirdo. Since Nobody looks like a guy who understands him, those two start spending more and more time together. Will Rafael learn how to be normal? That’s for you to see. I have to say that from the very beginning of the film I was engaged in the story. First, the characters of Rafael and Nobody are very well planned and presented. They are unique and very concrete, so both actors know exactly what to do, how to play and what feelings to deliver on the screen. One of the actors is the director, so it was definitely easier for him to know what the author had in mind, but seeing the other actor, I can tell they had a quality communication on the set. Second, I adored the camerawork, because even during longer dialogues, we couldn’t get bored. Something I personally dislike in films is when a film becomes a podcast with several frames. No, a film is a film and even if there’s a 10-minute conversation, I need the camera to move, to show me various angles, to zoom in, zoom out, and do all other tricks to keep me even more engaged. And that’s what’s present here. Third, if you’re a true cinephile with most classics watched, you will be satisfied to see how the director got inspired by numerous productions. He even mentioned his inspiration on the film’s page, but I’m not sharing the titles here, because I recommend you to see the film and try finding those inspirational “Easter eggs” yourselves. The only thing that wasn’t sometimes working for me was the music – in some moments I’d choose different tracks for the background, but it’s just my opinion. Other than that, I was really happy to see a film about an incredibly important social issue nowadays. More and more teenagers struggle to feel accepted, validated and simply loved. There’s so much pressure and at the same time lack of understanding that those young humans cannot handle it. Some decide to fight, some hide in the shadow, and some others decide not to continue their own journey… This film reminds us in an unusual way that there’s no such thing as normality – it’s some idiotic concept made up by hell knows whom. Nobody is crazy, because we’re all crazy in our individual way. Just like they say in the film: if they call you crazy, just thank them. Because that’s probably the most accurate compliment you can receive. Once again, so happy I could experience this story and I wish you all to enjoy it as well!

My rating: 8/10
S.

One never knows what joy one might find amongst the unwanted. “Kinky Boots” (2005)

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directed by Julian Jarrold
© 2005 Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. All Rights Reserved.

About two months ago I went to see “Kinky Boots” play at a theatre in my city. Later, when I was recommending it to my friend, he said: “Oh I know this story, I’ve seen the film”. Wait a minute… The film? And that’s basically how I found out about “Kinky Boots” by Julian Jarrold. Sometimes all you need to do is visit a theatre to later end up watching the same story on the screen. Life can be mysterious. Anyway, as you can see, I’m recommending the film, so seems like I enjoyed it. But did I liked it more than the play? That’s for you to find out at the end of the post. First – the plot. We’re going to Northampton in England where Charlie (Joel Edgerton, Sebastian Hurst-Palmer as young Charlie) is running his family business – a shoe factory. Charlie’s father was incredibly dedicated to his work, so the factory was flourishing. Unfortunately, his son isn’t equally enthusiastic about it, plus some difficulties have occurred since their shoes aren’t that sought-after anymore. No selling, no money, muchos problemas – simple maths. One night, Charlie notices a lady being harassed by a group of men and he decides to save her. Turns out that the lady is named Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor, Courtney Phillips as young Lola) and she’s a drag queen. For Charlie it’s really difficult to understand the concept of being a drag queen, but Lola is more than happy to make it clear to him. Except those two sharing private sociocultural lessons, Charlie comes up with a great idea how to save his business. You see, drag queens are mostly men (because we also have female drag queens, just so you know) who dress up in a more feminine way, which often includes wearing high heels. However, the heels that are made for women might not necessary be comfortable or even safe for men. Besides, generally men have bigger foot sizes, so finding a pair of heels becomes a challenge. Charlie decides to cooperate with Lola and start producing high heels for drag queens. Brilliant, right? Well, keep in mind that being a drag queen is still controversial in many places, so this new adventure requires a lot of patience, understanding and support from both sides. The screenplay is based on a true story, which makes it even more interesting. If you asked me to come up with an idea for a film about tolerance, I’d probably never end up with anything like “Kinky Boots”. Saving a shoe factory by making heels for drag queens? How crazy and brilliant that is? So the story definitely needs to be shared. However, not sure whether it’s because I also saw that play in the theatre with a different cast, but I actually wouldn’t choose Chiwetel Ejiofor for the role of Lola. He’s a fantastic actor, don’t get me wrong, he gave me chills with some of his other performances, but in this one – I felt nothing. It’s not about the appearance, but about this something, this spark that drag queens have. I believe not everyone could be a good drag queen, because it’s not enough to wear a dress, a wig and strong make-up. As a man, you have to wake up this feminine part of yours and make everyone around you feel your feminine power. Every step, every glance, every hand movement has to be screaming with this beautiful feminine and sexual energy. Chiwetel did a very good job preparing for the role, but you either have the spark or not, and in this case I couldn’t spot it. But hey, maybe you will, so make sure to check this film out. Despite touching quite difficult topics, it’s still a comedy to enjoy. Plus, the performance at the end is worth waiting for, trust me. So, did I like the play more? Yes, I did, and it’s because of two reasons. First, the screenplay was a bit different and, in my opinion, some elements were more engaging in the play (for example the relation between Lola and her father). Second, Lola was played by one of my beloved actors and he really understood the task. No idea how he did that, but he didn’t play a drag queen – he became a drag queen. Still, give a chance to the film because this story is really worth your time. And remember: “Red is the colour of sex! Burgundy is the colour of hot water bottles!”

My rating: 7/10
S.

I think you’re looking for me. “Trap” (2024)

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directed by M. Night Shyamalan
© 2024 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

If you’re like me and you avoid watching trailers, then I’m sorry, but my recommendation will be a little spoiler for you. I will not spoil anything big or definitely not the ending, but since I hadn’t seen the trailer, I had absolutely zero idea about the film I was about to watch. I just knew it’s by M. Night Shyamalan and Josh Hartnett is starring in it, which was enough to make me see it. In the first 15-20 minutes of the film we get the general idea, which is sort of a plot twist, so if someone had told me that before watching the film, I’d have been pissed off. But me is me, so I let you decide. If you’ve seen any trailer of “Trap”, you won’t be surprised by what’s coming in this post. Otherwise, I’d recommend you to just watch the film first. Have you made your decision? For those leaving – bye, bye, for those staying – get ready for my frustration mixed with fascination. So, the story begins with Cooper (Josh Hartnett) taking his teenage daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to her huge idol’s concert – Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan – fun fact, the actress is M. Night’s real daughter, and in the film he plays her uncle. Just in case you wanted to mix things up even more, Shyamalan is there to please you). Everything looks adorable, you know, father-daughter time, sharing the moment, having fun at a concert and all that. However, Cooper notices that the whole arena is full of police officers and security guards. I mean, obviously, some security is necessary during such event, but the number of them was quite disturbing. Additionally, from time to time you can see they are asking some adult men out to talk to them. At first I thought it’s about getting rid of adults so the organisers can trap all the teenagers and, I don’t know, manipulate them with some mysterious powers – total abstraction. But then Cooper takes a toilet break and things get clearer. I know how it sounds, but if you haven’t seen any trailer and you’re still reading this post, that’s the part when we understand what it’s all about. This whole concert is a trap for Cooper, but the FBI don’t know it yet. They are trying to catch the “Butcher”, a psycho who has killed and chopped numerous people. And right there in that toilet we learn that the Butcher is named Cooper, and he’s a loving father who likes to play with a cleaver after hours. We all have hobbies, right? Anyway, now we know who the FBI need to catch, but we’re following Cooper trying to find a way out. And here comes my frustration – another brilliant idea that has been slightly wasted. Shyamalan’s mind fascinates me and I really support him as a director. However, I feel like he should team up with someone who can clean his screenplays, because he adds pointless elements or things that are too naive to handle. For example, the mother of Riley’s friend – totally unnecessary character that brings nothing to the story. Then, getting the info about the trap from the T-shirt guy – come on, nobody’s that naive. Generally, the way all those officers and agents act is strange. Are they really that inefficient in the US? THAT much? A man just says he’s an employee and they tell him who their FBI boss is? While they’re trying to catch a MAN who’s incredibly clever and they know he’s trying to trick them again? Give. Me. A. Break. However, the general idea was amazing and it worked – I was supporting the bad guy in the story. I wanted him to outsmart everyone and escape, and I guess that was the goal. Or maybe I’m not being fully objective because I’m a big fan of Josh and his acting, so I’ll adore every piece he’s starring in. Still, he did a great job here and the final scene made me smile a lot, because I can tell they watched some Hitchcock and got inspired… no more spoiling, I promise. To sum up, I understand why many people might be disappointed by this film, but I tried to look deeper and focus on the positives, and somehow ended up enjoying those 2 hours, so I’m not feeling like rating it any lower. I still respect Shyamalan and his extraordinary mind, but I’m crossing my fingers for his collaboration with other screenwriters in the future. And let’s hope he continues working with Josh, because, damn, we need more of this man on the screen.

My rating: 7/10
S.

My voice is the conductor of my life. “I am: Celine Dion” (2024)

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directed by Irene Taylor
© 2024 Amazon MGM Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Before watching this documentary, when I heard of Celine Dion, I had some flashbacks from my childhood. I loved dancing to her hits in the living room not understanding a word. Especially “I’m Alive”, I remember that song playing quite often in our house. But then, who doesn’t remember “My Heart Will Go On” and Kate and Leo falling in love on “Titanic”? And don’t tell me you don’t remember that iconic scene where Bridget Jones is having a bad day and she’s singing “All by Myself” in her pyjamas? What I knew about Celine was that she’s a great singer with several hits and her voice can be easily recognised because of its uniqueness. After watching the documentary, I also see an ordinary woman, who’s trying hard not to give up on everything. Like in every biography we may learn a bit about Celine’s personal life, so for example we learn about her family – by the way, you know that she has 13 siblings? 13! I mean, she points out that her mother was a true superhero, but I guess we don’t even have to doubt that. Next, we also learn about her husband, who sadly passed away in 2016, and her 3 children, which also shows us a little bit more of her non-celebrity life. But, as you might be guessing, the main topic of the film is Celine’s struggle with health issues. In 2022, she announced that she’d been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, which is a neurological disease. You don’t have to read much about it because all the basics are well-explained in the film. In fact, the symptoms are also visible. At the beginning, you’re warned that there are scenes that may be difficult for you to watch and I didn’t really understand that warning until that one scene… you will know which one if you decide to see the documentary. I don’t want to spoil it and even if I wanted, I wouldn’t know how. That scene is indeed difficult. The other parts where Celine shows how the disease affects her singing and she tries hard to sing with tears in her eyes – that’s sad to watch, but manageable. However, THAT scene petrified me. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t look away although it was painful to watch. At some point I just realised I have tears on my cheeks, but it was after I “woke up” from that trance. I’m not writing this to scare you, but to make it clear that it’s a film about a woman fighting a horrible disease. Still, I didn’t feel like Celine was wallowing in self-pity. She hates this disease very much because it’s taken her biggest passion away, but she’s not in the film to make us feel sorry for her. In my opinion, she needed to show her current life out of respect towards her fans. Celine mentions how much she cares about the people who attend her shows and cancelling last minute or not performing well is not acceptable for her. So she wanted to be honest with us, present her everyday life, and ask for our understanding and support. I’m hoping for all the best for her, because she’s a brave and strong woman with a wonderful personality – I actually adore her sassy humour and her sensitivity towards everything and everyone around. Keep being you, Celine, because you’re a true gem.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Your family dynamics are about to undergo tremendous changes. “The Pod Generation” (2023)

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directed by Sophie Barthes
© 2023 Quad. All Rights Reserved.

Before even reading this post, let me just remind you how ridiculous trailers are. I watched the trailer of today’s film to refresh my memory and get into the right mood for writing, and I realised – they are spoiling the whole film. What the hell is wrong with you, trailer producers?! Trailers should encourage people to watch a film, not tell the whole story short and basically leave us with “alright folks, you can do something else now”. Outrageous! Anyway, in case you haven’t caught my point yet – don’t watch the trailer because you won’t enjoy the film. And I believe the film is actually worth your time, so find those spare 2 hours and see it yourself. In the near future, we get to meet a cute couple, Rachel and Alvy (Emilia Clarke & Chiwetel Ejiofor). Rachel is a very dedicated employee in a fancy-schmancy company, while Alvy is a botanist, taking things slow and clearly not feeling comfortable in the new reality. The world is becoming more and more artificial that even plants are not that common to find – in fact, there are certain stations where you can put on a mask and breathe fresh air coming from a box full of plants. Creepy, I know. Time to go and appreciate your monstera or any green buddy you share home with. Anyway, since everything is easier in the future, so is having a baby. Now, women don’t need to carry a child in their own bodies for 9 months. Instead, the couple may rent a big egg, which imitates a mother’s womb, and the child grows all those months in that very egg. The woman may focus on her career, doesn’t have to change her habits, and is freed from giving natural birth. Rachel wishes to have a “baby from an egg”, but her husband isn’t so sure about the unnatural process. When they finally make a decision, it’s just the beginning of another series of complications. This film is partially a comedy, but the main topic is quite dramatic. I mean, in the future we will probably have this option and then couples will have a choice to make. But if you know that the natural process is more difficult for the woman and she has to sacrifice a lot, then the choice should be obvious, right? Well, in this film you may see that not necessarily. The character of Alvy is crucial here, because he’s the yin to Rachel’s yang. He has a lot of respect and trust towards nature and natural processes, while Rachel has sinked into the artificial reality and accepted things as they are. After all, everyone lives like that, so why shouldn’t we? Well, perhaps we shouldn’t. Perhaps it’s up to us how far this life modernisation will go. And in the meantime, enjoy the film. In case you’ve forgot – don’t watch the trailer! I beg you.

My rating: 6/10
S.

They love me in Beverly Hills. “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” (2024)

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directed by Mark Molloy
© 2024 Netfix. All Rights Reserved.

Oh boy! I took a very deep breath before playing this film. I mean, all those sequels that happen yeeeeaaars after the last part turn out to be incredibly awkward. Especially, if they don’t change the cast and you can see all those tired and old actors trying their best to keep up with their characters… which is actually depressing to watch. Yes, I’m kind of referring to Indiana Jones, but not only. I know business is business and making such sequel will bring a lot of money because all those fans will go to see their idols, but very often they will leave cinemas disappointed, go back home and watch older parts that they love. However, I gave this film a chance and oh boy! I have no idea how they did it, but they did is so gooooood! But let’s discuss the plot first: so, if you don’t know the series of films with Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy), he’s a cop working in Detroit, but seems to be incredibly bored there because he constantly ends up in Beverly Hills to take care of new cases. Anyway, he’s a very relaxed and easy-going guy, who keeps his head up and a wide smile no matter how shitty the situation gets. Obviously, other cups, especially his supervisors, disapprove of his methods, but he always succeeds, so it annoys them even more. Before the fourth part made in 2024, we had 3 previous ones in 1984, 1987 and 1994. So the fans had to wait 30 years to see Axel again… imagine that! In the newest part, nothing seems to be different. Obviously, the cop is older, but he’s still working in Detroit and, guess what, he has to go to Beverly Hills! Who would have thought that? But this time the case is even more important because his own daughter Jane (Taylour Paige) is in danger and Axel has to do everything to help her. The problem is that he and Jane haven’t been much in touch and the woman is equally stubborn as her dad. So two strong characters, one pretty serious, one quite the opposite, and a case to solve. Oh, let’s add more spice! They are accompanied by Detective Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who turns out to be Jane’s ex partner… Lovely! So what can I say about this film? Not much except: I’m so happy they made it! The series with Axel F reminds me of my childhood and weekends at my Grandma’s place. They were often playing his films on TV, so even as a kiddo I was humming the theme song. The fourth part doesn’t stand out from the previous ones and you can actually feel nostalgic watching it. Axel is 100% himself and I don’t know how Eddie did it, but I can barely spot he’s got older. The humour is the same, the storyline is the same, the funny gags are the same, and even the score is the same. So if you remember Axel F from the 80/90s, you won’t be disappointed at all. Fun fact, they wanted to do the fourth film yet in the 90s, but they struggled with too many issues, so the project was postponed, and postponed, and finally they managed to release it in 2024. Eddie really wanted to make one more part because he didn’t actually like the 3rd film, so he didn’t want the series to finish like that. I hope he feel accomplished, because as a little fan of Beverly Hills Cop, I’m satisfied and thankful. And to newbies – I highly recommend you a movie night with the whole series. It’s going to be a great night, I bet!

My rating: 8/10
S.

Copernicus was a woman. “Sexmission” (“Seksmisja”, 1984)

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directed by Juliusz Machulski
© 1984 Film Polski. All Rights Reserved.


Writing this post is not easy for me. The film I’m recommending you is a classic sci-fi/comedy, perfect for a relaxing evening. However, the reason why I decided to write about it today is because we’ve just lost one of its actors – Jerzy Stuhr. He was a marvellous artist, there was no role he couldn’t handle with pride. Jerzy was truly meant to be an actor. An Actor! He’s given us so many wonderful moments to remember and I’ll definitely have a big rewatching of his productions. What’s more, he made my childhood a bit brighter because he was the one who dubbed Donkey in “Shrek”. You don’t know this about me, but when the first part of “Shrek” was out, I went to the cinema 5 times to see it. Even now, I can recite most lines – that’s how much I loved the film. And obviously, Donkey was my favourite character. Later, I discovered the films in which Jerzy played not only with his voice, and I admired his talent. He was incredibly authentic in his acting, no matter whom he played. In order to remember him and also introduce him to those of you who haven’t seen his roles, I’d like to recommend you “Sexmission”. We move back to 1991 where two brave men, Maks and Albert (Jerzy Stuhr & Olgierd Łukaszewicz), agree to be hibernated for three years in order to support one professor in his experiment. Unfortunately, they are woken up in 2044, so over 50 years later. Turns out, the world looks totally differently from what they remembered. In 2044, there are no men due to a bomb explosion that destroyed male genes. All people left are women who reproduce with the use of parthenogenesis, bringing up only girls, obviously. They don’t know who men are and what they are for, so Maks and Albert have to do everything to teach them about themselves and gain the women’s trust. Otherwise, the last men of this planet might be feminised, if you know what I mean. Before you even think about it, yes, this film is rather controversial in our times. Perhaps some extreme feminists would even say it’s disgusting, because it kind of shows that women wouldn’t be complete without men in such reality. But if you take it as a comedy, I bet you’ll have a lot of fun. After all, it’s a sci-fi production from the 80s – it’s awkward and ridiculous, and that’s how it should be seen. Besides, I actually notice a great message coming out of this film. Women are absolutely capable of doing everything – they can be leaders, mechanics, scientists – 100%. However, life seems more colourful when both men and women coexist, even as friends. At the same time, all the ladies in the story are incredibly independent and proud, which was a rather surprising concept back then in the 80s. This film isn’t about favouring either of the sexes – it’s about totalitarianism and how harmful it may be. If any group is discriminated and limited, there won’t be peace, balance or natural order. But this is more of a deep analysis so, in my opinion, if you don’t take the story seriously, you’ll have a lot of fun and a great time. Jerzy played here an iconic role and his lines are quoted up to this day. He’s made millions of people laugh, which is of the biggest value, and I believe that’s what he’d like to be remembered for. Dziękujemy za wszystko, Mistrzu!

My rating: 8/10
S.

‘Til man exists no more. “The Omen” (1976)

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directed by Richard Donner
© 1976 20th Century-Fox. All Rights Reserved.

I watch quite a lot of horrors, even though I later can’t sleep and going to the bathroom at night seems like an adventure way out of my comfort zone. However, what I can surely say is that most old horrors are unique and I like their style, but they’re not scary anymore. Obviously, it’s because of our technological development and the fact that a big, fluffy costume of a monster will rather make us cry out of laughter. Still, there’s this one film that may make you hide under a blanket even today, after almost 50 years since its releasing. There are some newer versions, also some prequel made in 2024, but today I’m taking you to 1976 to “enjoy” the original Omen. We get to meet a married couple, Katherine and Robert Thorn (Lee Remick & Gregory Peck) who are expecting a child. Unfortunately, the baby dies right after its birth, but only the father is told about it. The hospital chaplain encourages Robert to adopt another newborn whose mother died, so the man agrees, but doesn’t share this secret with Katherine. The woman is sure that the baby she’s going to leave the hospital with is her own. When little Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens) is five years old, strange things begin to happen. At first, nobody associates him with the tragedies that occur, but Robert starts having doubts when the boy is acting hysterical before entering the church and a priest claims that this child is Satan’s son. Doom, doom, doom. I have to tell you that watching this film in 2024 was still a challenge. I mean, even though it’s an oldie, I didn’t feel much comfortable and I definitely didn’t laugh. Maybe it’s because they didn’t use visual effects that much and the scary elements are actually quite realistic. I mean, seeing the child smiling and staring at a corpse will always be disturbing, and this horror is full of such scenes. Besides, it’s more of a psychological drama because this Antichrist, as they consider him, is a child. So how can you blame a little boy for someone’s murder? It’s a dilemma that Robert is struggling with, but also you, as a viewer, have to make up your mind about Damien. By the way, you know how the little actor got this role? Well, a lot of children were auditioned to play in the film, but Harvey won because… the director asked the boy to attack him, and Harvey did so. He clawed the director’s face and kicked him. What a natural for the role, right? And he got paid for that… where can I find such castings? Anyway, this film received quite mixed reviews, some of which claimed that it’s silly and dull. Well, maybe it’s just my opinion, but I believe it’s better than “The Exorcist”, which is considered a classic horror. I mean, it is creepy, don’t get me wrong, but you can tell the girl is not actually possessed and this satanic voice of hers is ridiculous now. However, “The Omen”… this one is more subtle, calmer, but way more disturbing, even now. So two tips at the end: one – don’t watch it at night, two – don’t name your son Damien. Just in case.

My rating: 7/10
S.

I’ll date his brains out. “No Hard Feelings” (2023)

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directed by Gene Stupnitsky
© 2023 Sony Pictures Releasing. All Rights Reserved.

I needed to see some silly comedy to relax my brain, but I ended up with a story that covers quite important social topics. Why does it always happen to me? Oh well… at least I have something new to recommend you, so a win is a win. In this film, we get to know Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence), who’s an Uber driver and bartender. Not the easiest or best-paid jobs, but she’s managing somehow… until the day when her car is taken away due to unpaid taxes. It’s quite hard to be a car driver without a car, right? So not only she cannot commune, but she also loses one of her incomes. The situation is really bad because Maddie may lose her house. Then, she finds an unusual offer from a very wealthy couple – they’re looking for a girlfriend for their son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman). The boy is 19 and he’s incredibly shy, so flirting and dating are something he struggles with. Soon, he’s leaving for Princeton, so his parents wish to boost his ego and “make him a real man” before he becomes a university student. In exchange for dating Percy, the couple offer a Buick Regal, an expensive car (I’m terrible with cars so please don’t ask more questions, it’s just a fancy car and worth all kinds of sacrifices, apparently). Maddie is desperate, so she agrees to seduce Percy and become his girlfriend, despite the age gap between them. You see, Percy is only 19 and Maddie is already 32, but the boy’s parents see some benefits coming from such deal. After all, Maddie is more experienced and she won’t fall in love with the boy – she will just… you know… “make him a man”. But no matter how attractive and sexual Maddie tries to be, Percy is, as we may say, undatable (or another word but I don’t want to be obscene). Will she manage to open-up young Percy before his university life? You have to see yourselves. Obviously, it’s a comedy, resembling those silly comedies from the 90s/00s, which is a plus because we need such productions as well. However, I’m glad it was made because of two more reasons. Number one – we may see a relation between an older woman and a younger man. Times change and we may know more of such couples nowadays, but let’s face it, such combination is still not as popular as when the man is the older one. And if you ask me, I believe young men would benefit so much from a relation with a more experienced woman, especially if it’s their first relationship. Not talking only about sex, but they could learn certain behaviours that mature women appreciate. Plus, for some women it’s a great feeling when they can lead such young man into adulthood, so let’s stop treating it as a taboo topic, because it’s beneficial for both sides. And the reason number two (*SPOILER COMING*) – I like how this film reminds us that we shouldn’t just go with the flow and change ourselves because others are different. Percy is an intelligent introvert, full of emotions which he expresses in his own way. Perhaps his peers are currently dating 3 women at a time and party all night long, but he wants to focus on himself, on volunteering in the shelter, on education, and when the right time comes, he’ll open up for someone. But the time has to be right for him, not anyone else, so feel free to change when you’re ready. Or don’t change at all. As long as you listen to yourself, it’s fine. So, here’s a very sexual comedy with some taboo topics to reflect on – what a great option for a Sunday watch, huh?

My rating: 6/10
S.

Why don’t you know it off with them negative waves? “Kelly’s Heroes” (1970)

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directed by Brian G. Hutton
© 1970 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. All Rights Reserved.

Losing actors and actresses is always very shocking to me. Perhaps it’s because in the films I watch those people never age. They are always young (or young-ish), fine and healthy. And then, one day we get horrible news and this cinema magic is slightly lost. Donald Sutherland has recently passed away at the age of 88. The actor was struggling with a long illness, which I had no idea about, so this loss moved me a lot. How come such a brilliant actor with an incredibly characteristic voice and great charisma has suddenly left us? I guess cinema is the only acceptable treatment right now, because thankfully, we may get back to Donald’s films and make him stay alive at least on our screens. Today, I’d like you to get back to 1970 and remind yourselves (or learn) about the character of Oddball in “Kelly’s Heroes”. Personally, I’m not a big fan of war films, but there are those few gems that I appreciate of this genre. In this one, we follow a group of American soldiers who learn about a bank full of gold bars and decide to rob it. Because why not? I mean, at first there’s only one soldier, Kelly (Clint Eastwood), but he cannot work alone so step by step he recruits the whole little crew. After all, the bank is storing about 14 thousand bars of gold, so even if they share the treasure, it’s still a lot per person. However, robbing the bank might not be the biggest issue here considering the fact that it’s situated behind German lines. So in order to even reach the storage, the soldiers have to be smart, sneaky and pretty crazy, let’s face it. Luckily, they have Oddball (Donald Sutherland) who’s the crew’s madman, often full of ridiculous ideas, but surely not lacking positivity. If you’re not into war films like me, I suggest you watching this one, especially now, after losing one of its actors. Except the fact that Donald played a memorable role there, it is a pretty entertaining production. I’d say it’s more of a comedy than an actual war drama, so many different cinephiles may actually like it. Fun fact, it’s kind of inspired by a true event. The screenplay was written basing on one story in Guinness World Records and the further investigation confirmed that such robbery had happened, even some stolen gold bars have been found. To make the background of the film even funnier – let me remind you that the story takes place during the WWII, Americans fighting against Germans in France, but the comedy was mainly filmed in… Yugoslavia (currently Croatia). Because why not? So if you’re looking for some good production to watch in tribute to Donald Sutherland, there’s no better option. His role of Oddball really shows what a wonderful actor he was. May he rest in peace, with no negative waves.

My rating: 7/10
S.