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Maniac (2018)
Great Retro-Futurism
I was not expecting this to be a very dramatic and inclined onto personality and destiny of people in our world. Retro-Futuristic momentum comes from ENIAC/EDVAC/MANIAC series of old vacuum tube based computers. Early computer era was about all problems of mankind being solved automatically by computers.
Very interesting to see E. Stone/J. Hill working in duo. Their parts are well developed. Family values and "Love above all" balancing on the edge of psychological crysis in the middle age.
This really feels like single movie from start to the end, because scripting and parts are done on very high quality level, with perfect detail.
Very positive, very thoughtful.
Screamers (1995)
Sci-Fi Horror Classic
The film is naturally a precursor to The Event Horizon. It has everything, a suspense, empty dead world, humans struggling over never-ending cause.
Moreover, Christian Duguay were going for creation of desperation and sadness throughout the plot, adding to the overall sci-fi atmosphere of Philip K. Dick.
Together with Peter Weller's performance, it all combined into very sharp piece notching the turning point of sci-fi horror genre in 90s.
Yatinsotests (2004)
"Plan 9" from Russia with love.
There is no rating for the film, because it was meant to be like that.
Bad design, bad writing, badly directed. Everything was done so low-level intentionally to make viewer uncomfortable.
Worth to give a look if you are fan of the "fail movie" genre with well-known classic "Plan 9 from Outer Space".
This firm could as well be considered as "Plan 9 done in Russia". Same level of utter grotesque in so epic proportions that it gathers their specific viewers.
The Green Knight (2021)
Best Film of 2021
David Lowery started from Sir Gawain and The Green Knight legend. But as the working evolved, it became evident, that it will not be historical Copy-Paste of accurate events, or illustration to the well-known 14-century medieval poem.
Instead, David Lowery poses the question of a myth itself. What is a myth? What is destiny? When old king goes away, why do we greet a new king? What is "old" anyway?
As the result, we get a completely New Gawain, who presents us with the story of dealing with questions of chivalry, loyalty, power and destiny.
Huge landscape paintings are complementing questions of "philosophy of destiny", or as we can say "Destination Philosophy" - which is completely new thing embodied in the film. From The Dark City, to The Matrix and now to The Green Knight, "Destination Philosophy" is finally evolved, asking what moves us, what is the nature of adventurious burning fire.
I want to see what David Lowery will create next, but for me he instantly became the most promising director of our time. Wish him to continue improvise with passion and never look back at the opinions of the uneducated crowd.
Dune (2021)
Something went wrong
The film is hilarious mess of anecdotal characters running around some god-forsaken myth nobody cares about, because basically nothing is presented from the books to introduce viewer properly into the universe of Frank Herbert.
What went wrong? First is "Book Bias". For some reason everybody assumes that I already read the book, which I did not. Did the creators make a proper introduction? Nope. Actually best parts about the world of Dune, you can only get from the book. This film totally lost the "gaining attention" part. I am not interested. Some people go to some planet, who cares?
Compared to David Lynch's, where we got much more cleaner vision of the world and characters, Villeneuve decided go with creating action-like arcade movie. But the book is not consisting entirely of "ships go boom" and gut-cutting experience. So basically, importand parts of book went out, and was replaced by "flashy-crashy arcade" view.
Can I recommend it to fans of the book? Yes, if they like to see another arcade visualization. But if they look for accurate depiction, just go to Lynch's and Jodorowsky's Dune. As it often happens, the best choice is the old.
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
No idea for whom they make movies like that
It worries me. Movies like this, cliche-alike, balancing on the only side they can get, uneducated masses of low requirements who basically wish to watch a C-grade movie, badly designed, with undeveloped characters, with computer graphics filling 80% of motion time. Who are these people? Why are they willing to waste their time to garbage not giving them anything?
Characters without motives, doing some crazy things, which in turn makes other crazy things, then some funny cities get struck. Who cares?
Trudno byt bogom (2013)
Absolute Masterpiece of Tarkovsky and Bergman level.
Medieval world is presented with a phylosophy in mind. There is a lot of common points with Bergman, Tarkovsky, Georgiy Tovstonogov. While making a decision about presenting a medieval setting, typically there is a wide spectrum of solutions, from realistic depictions to "glorious adventure" style of 50s. Alexei German decided his style would be "Full Realism", which is corresponding to "Science Fiction Realism" style of Strugatsky Brothers. In their late years, Strugatsky Brothers were often criticized by Efremov and other sci-fi authors for their growing disbelief in humankind's ability to deal with new challenges. This film is finalizing the evolution of Strugatsky Brothers long sci-fi career which already outlined its focus on human race development in "Gadkie Lebedi" novel.
The depiction of medieval age is the most accurate and closest to reality as possible. Torture, mud & blood, scarcity of life and food. Even most noble people living in very close quarters. Unhappiness and Struggle. OR? May be this actually IS the best possible scenario for civilization to cleanse itself? Film is pointing you to the questions and does not give you "easy answers". You, the viewer, should judge the actions of Don Rumata, because you are allowed to see through miniature camera fixed on his head, inside that little crystal.
What is just and what is unjust? What is fair when everybody is unfait? What is true when everything is a lie? This is another planet, same as Earth, just stuck in Endless Medieval Hell of Hieronimus Bosch.
What would you do, if you are stuck in hell forever?
Pod elektricheskimi oblakami (2015)
Excellent existentialism
The movie is straight follower of classic existentialism (impressionistic).
You should see this picture only in theatre. Because it has so consistent photography. Contrasts and color are chosen very good.
EVERY frame is made to perfection. When frame moves, I relax absolutely and enjoy every single shot of this movie. Though I understand that Alexei made gigantic work. Only after theater I checked - they indeed were shooting with some interruptions for over 4 years.
If you know a little how cinema makers work - it is definitely for you to enjoy. Absolute perfection.
Movie has preface words: "Aligning and positioning do not exist. Picture is relation of contrast, even just relation of black and white" (Paul Cézanne).
Action prevails over motive. Action exists as itself, no randomness, because everything will repeat itself. No matter what happened as it will happen again and were happening before. Atmosphere prevails over plotting. Metaphor is strongest move.
I think central in there is metaphor of Post Cold War world. Compare age of twenties to what we have now. Because of that author is using 72 kWatt house illumination (house of artists episode) to make straight passing to "shining twenties".
In some episodes there is interesting notions about "90-es OD feeling" and "80-ies fall of USSR era". And all this OD world is compared to our, is frozen just because nobody has balls to move it.
Also I see many relations to works of Anton Chekhov. Most notable is relation to "missing person" genre. Just check out "The Cherry Orchard", everything is related to world of that play.
Though I have some negative, which is mostly about my opinion. I would like some clarifications in middle of movie. May it is due to interruptions in production of movie. Because of it you can notice difference between first and second halves.
Cosmopolis (2012)
Greatest film ever since Metropolis
First, I thought that naming was an allusion with "Metropolis".
I found two characters, which are mostly negative. First, Financial. She is a personification of mechanical spirit. I think of her as evil robot from Metropolis. As evil robot does, she denies every human spirit at all, even in humans. All can be predicted, with enough knowledge about. With the same sense, machines are killing people in all sci-fi universes. I hate humanity, for my own reasons, but not as she.
Second, Bride. Bride is denying humanity completely, but in her own manner. She denies every part of human needs - food, drink. Bride denies Christ for same reasons, Bride denies every word of "eat me, drink me", so Bride is a personification of Satan. Bride tells Hero that she was like to hide. Bride is also metaphor for Revolutionaire, Bride wants Revolution that will change every human to _human_ from her imaginary world. Good part of Hero is he do not want to "change" someone. Only once Hero want to "change" mind of man, that is a Benno's case, unsuccessful. Bride is a personification of communism, epoch "before capitalism" according to film universe.
Destruction of "world" is passing through various stages, anarchist movement looks like march of destruction from Metropolis. But mechanical robot, Financial, is not leading destruction herself. Instead, Financial tells about duality of creation, supporting anarchism in perpetuating manner.
Hero cannot win Executioner (lets name killer like that), because he broke logic at first, making illogical decision. According to logic, if you step from truth, you cannot return back. Time holds very specific position in plot, because that is what distinguishes time - irreversibility. Hero names more little time periods, to associate with mathematical limit, but Financial doesn't respond, because mathematical limit lies in apparatus of mechanisticism. All differential equations of mechanisticism meaningless without limit and continuity of all fields and functions used in.
Asimmetry is a special case. This combines Hero and Financial - their belief in complete symmetry. At the end, Hero dies as dies capitalism, but not in our view, it means capitalism will die continually.
Antitrust (2001)
Must see for cypherpunk
At first, I thought it would be exploitation movie like "Hackers", but it is not. If cypherpunk and cryptonomicon is something for you, this movie was made for you. But don't be awaiting too much, authors decided to go with creation of "general movie", not a "geek one". So don't be much hunger for full connection in storyline, just look at metaphor side. You have a Matrix version, but Neo is got in a world, not artificial by nature, it is socially artificial.
You can see socially artificial things around yourself everyday. Politicians knew, that when they tell us about "inflation", it is more appropriate to name "infoolation". Because inflation is amount of money, in multiplication sense, which politicians are made people to fool on. And all of this lie is easily covered by simple renaming. Inflation is just called nowadays "emission", and people think Barack Obama (or just another liar) is a hero. So, if such lies are easily spread and covered, what else is wrong with story? Nothing, we all are actors in this story.