Poop poop. “The Wind and the Willows” (1996)

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directed by Terry Jones
© 1996 Guild Pathé Cinema. All Rights Reserved.

If you expect me to tell you what this film is about, I’m sorry to disappoint you. I honestly have absolutely no idea. When I played it, I had no expectations and I really wanted to get the story, but after about 20 minutes I realised it’s not a film to understand. It’s actually based on a novel from 1908 and it’s supposed to be a book for children. Not sure how children would react watching the adaptation, I don’t have any to organise such experiment, but if you do, let me know how it went. However, I’m sure that watching this film with “a little bit of green” would make it way more enjoyable. I mean, imagine Steve Coogan as a mole whose house is being destroyed by Terry Jones playing Mr. Toad (a big green creature as I saw it) and the poor mole asks his friend Rat (Eric Idle) to help him fight the mean amphibian. IMAGINE all those men dressed up as animals and fighting about the underground house, and the one pretending to be a toad is horribly rich so he can do whatever he wants, and there are also other humans dressed up as animals involved in this story and… CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT? Well, you don’t have to, fortunately. Terry Jones made this one specially for you. I wasn’t sure how I should be reacting and I was kind of laughing but it was not a comfortable laugh, trust me. Is it a good film for children? Maybe. Maybe they’ll understand way more than I could. But somehow I think this production is worth your time. Especially, if you want to exercise your imagination. Fun fact, when the film was released, Terry Jones was in New York and he heard that his film is being shown in a cinema in Times Square. How surprised he was when he got there and found out that it was a porn theatre. I swear, there’s no porn in this film. But perhaps some people find men covered with green paint attractive. No judgement.

My rating: 6/10
S.

Nobody could’ve landed that plane like I did. “Flight” (2012)

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directed by Robert Zemeckis
© 2012 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Since yesterday I wrote about John David Washington, maybe today I could write about his father, Denzel Washington. Yes, they are father and son. I know, amazing genes, too much talent. Anyway, in 2012 Denzel played a wonderful role of a pilot, who had to fight more on the land than in the sky, if I can put it this way. William Whitaker Sr., called Whip (Denzel Washington), has a personal problem – he’s an alcoholic and partially drug addict. It wouldn’t be such a big deal (unfortunately, welcome to our reality) if only he wasn’t a pilot responsible for the flight and the lives of many people on board. One day, he has to fly from Orlando to Atlanta, despite the fact that he’s still drunk from last night and started the day with cocaine. During the flight he also gets himself a secret alcohol drink, which seems to be completely fine according to him. He’s been doing so for quite some time. Unfortunately, at some point the crew realise that the aircraft is somehow broken and they are about to crash. Luckily, Whip managed to land in a very extreme way, saving most of the passengers. People see him as a hero, but he knows deep inside that his condition back then wasn’t the best and from now on he’s struggling with it. Besides, the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) are investigating and the invalid aircraft isn’t their only concern. What can I say? I adore Zemeckis and the way he makes films, I really feel excited about every minute of the projection and you can see it’s a quality work. Denzel did a marvellous job as well and I had chills, especially at the end. About the story… well, if you’re afraid of flying, I think you should still watch this film. Mind the fact it’s fiction and it’s not like every pilot is drunk while flying. But this story reminded me that they are so well-trained that even in a dangerous situation, we should trust them, because they know what to do. Maybe I’m crazy saying that, since it’s about a drunk pilot who was risking his and other people’s life, but I really feel like it’s a small tribute to all the pilots, their professionalism and honour. And that they are still respectful towards their job, despite all the personal issues, which we all have.

My rating: 7.5/10
S.

Don’t try to understand it. Feel it. “Tenet” (2020)

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directed by Christopher Nolan
© 2020 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

I’m so excited, guys. Today was the first time I’ve been to the cinema since the pandemic started. Honestly, it was such a good feeling to finally watch something on a big screen. And I guess there was no better film to choose for that special moment than “Tenet”. I know that there are very mixed reviews on the Internet, so I’ll be happy to add my own. So… “Tenet” is a very good film and if you think it’s not, you’ve probably got lost watching it. Bam, straight to the point. For those who have no idea what this film is about, it’s hard for me to explain to you without spoilers, to be honest. Because I think this film is so complicated that whatever I say will be pointless. Generally, it’s a sci-fi story about a man who needs to save the world and in order to do that, he needs to get from one place to another… from one time to another… Oh just go and see it! Seriously, I’d promised myself not to read anything about it before and I didn’t. I had no expectations except some mixed ratings seen before. First of all, it’s an amazing performance. Everything is well-done, including the camerawork, editing, score and special effects. Muy, muy bien! Then the story… at the beginning I was a bit lost, because they throw you into some world where you get 1,000 pieces of information per second and you need to do the puzzles in your head. I admit, in the middle of the projection I looked at my phone… But! Then the magic happened. Suddenly all that blah blah blah, million names and strange objects started to make sense. Marvellous plot twists, totally made me stare at the screen and I got really excited when at one moment I guessed what’s going on (which was explained later, but somehow I deducted that) – yes, I’m proud of myself, because this film is not a piece of cake. Call me Holmes. Generally, the final hour is full of plot twists and very surprising moments, and if you’re watching carefully, it feels sooooo gooood to finally do those damn puzzles in your head. Why not 10/10 then? Well, I think the beginning is a bit too slow and there’s too much blah blah blah. I know it’s a difficult story, but still, I imagine some people leaving the cinema in the first hour. And, this is obviously my opinion, the character of Kat was ridiculous. I’m not talking about the actress, Elizabeth Debicki. I’m talking about the character, who’s badly written. I’d mention some moments with her which literally made me face palm, but I don’t want to spoil anything. Hopefully, you’ll see. Still, Elizabeth together with John David Washington, Robert Pattinson and Kenneth Branagh made this film so enjoyable, I swear. That’s the acting I want to see. That’s the complicated plot I want to see. That’s the entertainment I want to see. My brain is still boiling, but I’m freaking happy! If you don’t see “Tenet” in the cinema, you’re missing one of the best things this year. By the way, can you see that even the title is a palindrome? I LOVE YOU CHRIS! Google what’s a palindrome, watch the film and feel the love to Nolan with me.

My rating: 8/10
S.

Take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves. “Our Little Sister” (“Umimachi Diary”, 2015)

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directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
© 2015 Toho. All Rights Reserved.

If you’ve just had a horrible Monday, then this film will make it up. It’s an incredibly sweet story about love beyond blood ties and I was awwwwing a lot while watching. This time I’m taking you to Japan, where three sisters, Sachi (Haruka Ayase), Yoshino (Masami Nagasawa) and Chika Kouda (Kaho), live together in an old house in Kamakura. Their parents got divorced and they didn’t have any contact with the father ever since. The film starts when the sisters find out about their father’s death and they go to his funeral. There, the women meet Suzu Asano (Suzu Hirose), their half-sister, about whom they didn’t know. They realise that Suzu was very close to their father and she was his main support, so the women feel incredibly grateful for that. Before leaving, they invite Suzu to come and live with them, to which the girl agrees and that is how all four sisters start a new life together. There’s not much drama, just so you know. If you think it’s another emotional Japanese drama where everything is horribly depressing, it’s not like that at all. In fact, it’s very uplifting and adorable. You can see that being a family doesn’t mean sharing blood ties and it’s always a good moment to get closer to someone. I think this film is also a good example of female support in cinema. So in case of a bad Monday, break the glass… or watch “Our Little Sister”.

My rating: 6/10
S.

What is so bad about needing help? “All Together Now” (2020)

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directed by Brett Haley
© 2020 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

Today, I’d like to recommend you a nice sort-of-teenage drama. Why sort of? Because the main character is a teenager, but, honestly, as an adult, I enjoyed it very much and I think it presents a very universal problem. So, we follow Amber Appleton (Auli’i Cravalho), who’s an incredibly optimistic young lady. She’s always smiling, doing a lot of volunteering, supporting minorities and those in need and practically never complains. However, the girl has a very big secret. She and her mother (Justina Machado) are homeless and they live in a school bus. As you may be guessing, it’s not easy for Amber, especially since her mother is addicted to alcohol and a very toxic man. Still, it doesn’t stop the girl from being helpful and instead of taking care of herself, she gives all her energy and attention to others. But at some point she will have to understand that she should be given help as well. One important thing – don’t watch the trailer. Just try to trust me and see the film. Despite quite average ratings, this story is actually mind-opening. I mean, Amber is a real idol to follow, she supports so many individuals in need, but no matter how much you want to give to others, you have to take care of yourself first. Either it’s finding a flat to live in or sleeping enough and eating well. Maybe I liked this film so much because I’ve been volunteering for years and I got to the point where I realised that if “my batteries are not charged”, then I cannot “charge” others. And just because you’re more privileged than the people you’re supporting, doesn’t mean you don’t need help. Because even those biggest and strongest do. Besides, finally a drama which inspires young people to do something without getting paid for that. We’re missing this vibe these days. Oh and Auli’i Cravalho and her film mother Justina Machado were fantastic in their roles, I really enjoyed watching both ladies. You may also see Carol Burnett as one of the women Amber is taking care of. Honestly, the character of Joan is such a mood and Carol was surely the best actress to play her.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Dollars aren’t black or white. They’re green. “42” (2013)

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directed by Brian Helgeland
© 2013 Warner Bros. All Rights Reserved.

As most of you may know, we’ve just lost Chadwick Boseman, the actor recently known for his role of Black Panther. If you expected me to write about “Black Panther” today, then I’m sorry to disappoint you. The reason why you still haven’t seen a post about it on my blog is because I think it’s not a very good film. I don’t want to focus much on it now, but I bet most film freaks remember how the critics’ world was surprised when that film got an Oscar nomination for the best film in 2019. I understand that for some of you it’s a significant production because of many cultural and social reasons, but, let’s face it, it could have been done better… However, I believe that Chadwick Boseman was a man of huge talent and he showed that in other roles. Today, I’m recommending you “42”. It’s about Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman), who’s the first African American baseball player getting into the Major League Baseball. The film presents his life from the moment he got noticed until he became a well-known sportsman and how difficult it was for him to keep doing what he loved. Jackie was very much passionate about baseball and he really was a star in the team. However, he had to tolerate a lot of hate speech and aggression coming from people, because, as you may know, back then “white” and “black” weren’t only colours, but the main indicator of importance. Black people couldn’t even use the same toilet as white ones, so imagine a black-skinned player in the main league of one of the most significant sports for Americans. I believe that this film is a very well-made biography and a decent tribute to Jackie Robinson. I’m glad that Chadwick Boseman had a chance to play the main role, because he showed what he’s capable of in front of the camera. Too bad he won’t have any more chance to prove it again. In my eyes, he wasn’t a superhero nor a king, but he was “just” a magnificent actor, who will surely be missed.

My rating: 7.5/10
S.

Bluffing. The word is bluffing. “Quiz Show” (1994)

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directed by Robert Redford
© 1994 Buena Vista Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

I feel like people want to forget about this film. Because if you ignore it, perhaps you’ll keep on enjoying TV. In my case, I don’t even have a TV at home, so I guess I’ll never get back to enjoying never-ending commercials and films with voice-over. However, if you like watching TV shows, especially those where people compete with each other, where there are winners and losers and a lot of money to get at the end – then perhaps you should see today’s production. Because, may holy spirits and other mystical ghosts punish me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure that the case presented in “Quiz Show” is still a problem today. And what’s the case? In the 50s, there was this famous show called “Twenty-One”, where two people were answering very different questions and each time there was one winner, who continued the game with someone new in the next episode. This film presents a huge scandal that happened back then, shortly speaking: the whole show was completely directed. The contestants knew the questions and answers before, they knew who would win, they were even trained to act surprised or stressed during the game. Cool, huh? The story in the film starts with Herb Stempel (John Turturro), who’s been a champion for some time and the producers decide to change something and he has to lose. In the meantime, another contestant appears, Charles Van Doren (Ralph Fiennes), who firstly doesn’t want to cheat, but finally agrees to play this background game. And nothing would happen if only Richard Goodwin (Rob Morrow), a young and very inquisitive lawyer, didn’t decide to contact Stempel and investigate a bit… For me this film is a very well-done reminder that TV is full of lies and we shouldn’t even trust them when they say “good morning”. I bet it’s not “good” at all. Sorry for this lame joke, but you know what I mean. Sometimes I feel like people don’t want to know the truth, because it’s easier and more convenient for them to follow this bullshit on TV. Well, I guess there isn’t much we can do. But you can always see today’s film and enjoy amazing acting, directing and screenplay. May no more bluffing be with you!

My rating: 7/10
S.

Can someone please tell me what happened? “Audrie & Daisy” (2016)

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directed by Bonni Cohen & Jon Shenk
© 2016 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

Today’s recommendation is definitely not for those looking for a pleasant film to see after work. However, I think it’s a documentary that people should see, no matter if they are teenagers or teenagers’ parents. The film focuses on the stories of girls who were raped in 2011 and 2012. I’m sorry if you consider this a spoiler, but I think there’s no point of skipping this information: both girls committed suicide. Audrie Pott decided to kill herself several days after the rape, she was 15 years old. However, Daisy Coleman was alive during the shooting and the filmmakers managed to contact her. The girl has been raped when she was 14, but despite all the help she got from others, she couldn’t fight the trauma. She died on the 4th of August 2020, as a 23 year-old woman. And I think this information is relevant for you before watching the documentary, because it was shot in 2016, when Daisy was being supported and it seemed that it would be possible to save her. As you see, it wasn’t. The film focuses on the topic of cyberbullying and how teenagers use the Internet these days. It’s horrifying how easy it is to destroy somebody’s life. Drinking too much alcohol is one thing, but sexually assaulting another person and sharing their naked pictured on the Internet is a way different story. I can’t believe that young people, raised in the 21st century, where we should share very positive values, are able to destroy another person and consider it fun. If you ask them why, they often say: because everyone does it. My rating for this film is purely based on the way it was technically done. If I was to rate the topic, I would give it 10/10 and a big exclamation mark for the importance. Please, take a moment to see it. For Audrie and Daisy. And those we’ve never heard of.

My rating: 6/10
S.

That’s one small step for man, one giant leap (back) for mankind. “First Man” (2018)

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directed by Damien Chazelle
© 2018 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Watching today’s film was a real nightmare for me. Honestly, I haven’t felt that frustrated in a long time. Why? Because one of the most talented directors of our times, Damien Chazelle, disappointed me a lot. How could the same man be responsible for “Whiplash” and “La La Land”, two absolutely marvellous productions, and then… this giant leap back happens. Still, I’m blaming the screenplay the most, because for me it was really ill-considered. But if you’re still not sure what story I’m talking about, let me explain. We follow one of the most recognisable people in the world, Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling), and no, he’s not that musician. He’s the one who is said to be the first man on the Moon. The film presents his first steps in NASA, his family, his private life and generally the way to that spectacular event. And I really hoped for an equally spectacular film about him, because if he really got to the Moon (I know not everybody believes in that, so I’m playing it safe here, no judgement), then he deserves a fantastic tribute. And what do we get? Horribly boring drama. I swear, if that wasn’t made by Chazelle, if Gosling didn’t play Armstrong and if I ignored the fantastic special effects (and sound, sound is awesome in here), then I would turn this film off after an hour. I know it was based on the book about Armstrong and I know they wanted to show how human this man was, that he had his own problems and not everything was easy for him. I get it. But you know how I see Armstrong after this film? As a boring man without a personality, with a really annoying wife, who ended up on the Moon like if he went bowling for the first time, but realised he doesn’t like bowling so he’s waiting for his friends to finish playing. Americans, no matter if Moon landing was real or not, Armstrong is your national hero and you should promote him in the best way possible. But actually, the person responsible for the screenplay was Josh Singer, whose work is not my favourite to be honest and I dislike almost every screenplay he wrote (except “Spotlight”). I’m sorry Mr. Singer, but at least you got an Oscar, so good for you. I really think this story should be written by someone else and Chazelle should get another chance to direct, because, damn, this man is talented! Still, it’s not a bad film, it’s probably a good one, but I had high expectations, so you have to forgive me. And my one last thought *SPOILER* Why couldn’t they finish the film with the shot on the Moon? It was marvellous, him standing there, in complete silence, looking around, BAM, black screen, film finished. No… he had to do the very deep hands-through-the-glass touching with his wife. If they deleted that ending, I would honestly give +1. Meh.

My rating: 6/10
S.

Lights out! “The Firemen’s Ball” (“Hoří, má panenko”, 1967)

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directed by Miloš Forman
© 1967 Ústřední půjčovna filmů. All Rights Reserved.

This film is definitely not for everyone. First of all, it’s by Miloš Forman, who had a very specific way of making films. Second of all, it’s a Czech comedy and Czech humour can be quite inappropriate sometimes. But luckily, I’m a person who adores those silly jokes and Forman’s style, so today I’m recommending you “The Firemen’s Ball”. It’s actually a fun story, because Forman was working on a different project and then he went with friends to a fireman’s ball. That night was an absolute disaster according to all of them and that’s why he decided to make this comedy. See? You can get inspired even at a terrible party with way too much alcohol and bad music. So as you might be guessing, the film presents a ball organised by firemen in one small town in Czechoslovakia (it was one country, now we have two, glad I could give you a quick geography lesson). The firemen want to prepare a lot of fun activities, decorations and attractions, but in the end, the party turns out to be a complete disaster. As I said, I was laughing a lot, but I know that not everybody likes such humour. Still, Forman is a well-know and highly appreciated filmmaker, so you can see his work before he moved to the USA. And making films back then in a small Czechoslovak town wasn’t that easy. For example, they had some sounds problems and it was difficult to record dialogues since in the background there were plenty of people having fun in the ballroom. That is why, they asked the actors to dance only in their socks or slippers, not to make too much noise. Try to observe that, maybe you’ll spot some nice slippers while watching.

My rating: 6.5/10
S.