Confessions of a filmoholic

That's it. Confessions of a Filmoholic is no more. It's an ex-blog. There are several reasons for that - I'm going to be pretty busy for the next couple of weeks, and rather won't have time to write, I'm also struggling for ideas what to write about. And, last but not least, I seem to be the only person who reads it. I even can't get my friends interested. But, just in case I'm wrong, and there actually is somebody who reads my scribble, there is one more film I want to tell you about. The Life and Death of Peter Sellers tells a story of, well, I think it's quite easy too guess by only looking at the title. For those who don't know, Peter Sellers was one of the best actor of the 1970's, famous for his chameleon-like thespian skills, mostly known for the original Pink Panther series, where he played the clumsy inspector Clouseau. And that was his problem, since he sought recognition for his more serious work. Or, at least that is what the creators of this biographical movie claim. No matter if true or not, The Life and Death... is a very insightful attempt of depicting a difficult personality with serious emotional issues. Also, it is a must-see for a cinephile, since people like Stanley Kubrick or Blake Edwards play an important role in the plot. Unfortunately, people who are not into the history of film may be a little bored. But what I liked the most the movie is, that it doesn't give you any straight answers, most notably to the question if Peter Sellers was a genius, or only wanted others to think he was. And let me finish my last post with this mystery unsolved.
7/10

(I might be back)

Right, first things first. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is awesome. I saw it at the pictures 2 days ago and I can't stop thinking about it. This movie is something I have never seen before - so fresh, original, funny and unexpected. At times during the viewing, Kick-Ass was popping into my mind, as the films bear some resemblance (both feel joyfully anarchistic), but it didn't stay there long. Scott Pilgrim... is breaking plenty of the cinematic rules, or rather I should say, mixing them in a very imaginative way. but you know, what's the best part? It makes sense. And a lot of it - the whole thing can be read as a deep metaphor of what it means to be responsible. Or how to deal with the demons of your past. But don't worry, it doesn't stop being hilarious for a single moment. All the actors are brilliant, with Michael Cera in his best role so far, the music is great and there's plenty of it too. The only drawback, but a minor one, is that some of the action sequences are a bit too fast. If you want to see something totally original, unlike anything you have seen before, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is still out there.
9/10

Let me tell you about my another favourite, a film I really enjoy coming back to, especially when feeling down, since it is pretty uplifting story. It also is set in a very appealing environment - on a road with a rock band in 1970's America, the time in history when the best things were created in music. In Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous you really can see the climate of creativity and joy people were experiencing then, and though the dark sides of rockers' lives are present too (drugs, loneliness etc.) they in the end don't overshadow the feeling of youth and happiness. We all have our cherished memories from childhood, Crowe's happen to be the ones shown in his movie. If you want to trigger some nostalgia for the long gone, Almost Famous is there for you. Yes, the grass was greener then.
9/10

The book vs. the movie part 3. I have got another thing to add to the never-to-be-solved issue if reading the book before seeing the film that was based on it enhances or spoils the experience. You may already know my point of view as for two titles: Watchmen and 2001: A Space Odyssey, now let me tell you about The Road. The movie is based on a brilliant novel of the same title, written by Cormac McCarthy, which won numerous award, including the Pulitzer Prize. So, according to the theory, that you can't make a good
movie out of a great literary source, John Hillcoat's piece should be watchable at best, especially if you had read the book before. Well, this is not the case, simply because the film is as good. Somehow the director managed to make a very faithful adaptation, which not only doesn't feel overshadowed by McCarthy's masterpiece, but also, thanks to the amazing performances from the cast, makes it more heartfelt. To summarize, it doesn't matter if you read the book or not - the film is brilliant enough to entertain you anyway.
8/10

Not very often I watch a movie I haven't heard anything about. Well, I simply do not like to take a risk. Yesterday I did - honestly, I wasn't familiar with the fact of existence of The Squid and the Whale - and I wasn't disappointed at all. It is a small, independent film, sometimes funny, but dealing with serious issues. Thanks to  great writing and impeccable performances from the likes of Jeff Daniels and Jesse Eisenberg it never loses the balance and is really entertaining. The film's biggest drawback is its length - it lasts for mere 75min. Since we are used to movies that usually are twice longer, the moment we get attached to the characters and become really interested in how their problems are going to be solved, it ends. Still, when The Squid... lasts it is a worthwhile experience, one more reason for it being it features Pink Floyd's song Hey You in a pivotal role.
8/10

Masterpiece time! No, really. There Will Be Blood is without a doubt the best film of the last years, which makes it one of the best cinematic experiences ever. Paul Thomas Anderson has always been keeping good form, making the likes of Boogie Nights, or Magnolia, but in his latest outing he simply committed a flawless piece. I won't be writing for too long, there is really not much to add - if you want to see an important film, dealing with serious moral issues, with impeccable performances from some of the best actors out there, with astonishing music and cinematography, the film that is intense and addictive, There Will Be Blood is just for you.
10/10

Masterpiece time! Or is it? Recently I have seen 2001: A Space Odyssey, God knows which time. I have always adored it, but since I started writing this blog I guess I became a bit more critical regarding films, then I used to be. I realise this movie is considered as one of the best ever, but there are some bits that don't quite appeal to me. But first things first: the positives. 2001... aged extremely well. Most of the time you watch it in an awe, since the special effects are really impressive and the whole thing still looks futuristic. The story is engaging as well, the middle part of the film is science-fiction thriller at it's very best. But there are two issues. First is the longevity of some shots. Sometimes the viewer feels like shouting to Mr. Kubrick: get on with it! The other thing is the highly confusing ending. Unlike in case of Watchmen, I'm really happy I had read the book, the film is based on - otherwise I wouldn't have had a slightest idea of what is going on during the last chapter of the movie. Of course, after all that, is still is a bloody good  film, and if you haven't seen it yet, don't waste any more time. It is not flawless but it is a must-see.
8/10

I am really running out of ideas what to write about. Not a very good sign after two months of active blogging. The thing is, why should I write about films everybody likes? If they have read 673 positive reviews of, let's say Lord Of The Rings, why would they enjoy reading 674th? And opposite - does anyone need convincing, that Alien Vs Predator is crap? I don't think so. So how about a few words about a not-too-bad, (but at the same time not-too-special) little film, hardly anybody had a chance to watch? Like Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel - a quirky science-fiction comedy about a bunch of guys who find a time-hole in the gents' at a pub. It is quite smartly written, the plot is pretty engaging, the jokes are hit and miss and there are 7 actors in it. Really. Plus extras. Not a waste of time then, but if I didn't see it for free, I'd say it's a waste of money. To end this kind of pointless review: bare in mind, that if you are a SF fan, you can add an extra point to the score below.
5/10  

Right, who watched Watchmen? It is a peculiar beast. Last night I saw it for the second time and I still can't make up my mind what to think about it. The problem is, that just before the film came out, I read the comic book it is based on, and believe me, it is brilliant. If Zack '300' Snyder's movie was disappointing, writing about it would be an easy task. Luckily it is not. What I like about it is how dark it is - bloody and brutal - a thing you rarely see in a summer blockbuster. It is also serious, taking on poignant moral issues, with an ambivalent ending. You can't do anything but admire the filmmakers' courage - they actually spent $130m to show us this disturbing psychological drama. Also, kudos to the writing team, who managed to transform the complicated graphic novel into a more-or-less coherent movie. So, what is my problem? Well, the film is TOO faithful to its literary source, both on the visual level and plot-wise. It is so stylised you can't really engage with the characters and if you had read the book, there isn't anything that you wouldn't expect. Also, you miss 'I wonder how they showed...' feeling, typical for other adaptations, just because everything looks identically as in the graphic novel. I hope you understand why I wish I hadn't read the book before I watched the film - I guess I would have liked it more then.
7/10  

Hi everyone! Let me tell you about one of my favourite movies - Little Miss Sunshine. It is generally considered a good film, but I get the impression it is not as popular as it deserves to be. It might be the title that puts people off, maybe they don't realise how contrary it is, that, in fact it is a story about members of a dysfunctional family learning to live with one another, and not a 100th version of Rocky, the "rise to fame against all odds" thing, this time set in the beauty contest environment. What you must love about this movie is how utterly witty it is - the dialogs shine, the characters (played by some of the best actors in the business) are true people with real problems and, let's not forget a very important part, it is absolutely hilarious. While I could point out a couple of scenes, that may not fit perfectly, this one should clearly be on your "to be watched asap" list.
9/10

I am getting old, I guess. Yesterday I started watching Michael Mann's Miami Vice, and did something, I hardly ever do - I turned it off before the end - after half an hour, to be honest. I simply decided that life's too short, to lose another hour of it for a pointless effort like that. And then I saw something quite different - The Conversation. I'll tell you, that switching from a modern action film to an over 30-years old drama was my best decision of the day. Francis Ford Coppola rarely makes movies that aren't awesome, and this one is no exception. For the first half it plays like a social drama with elements of a love story, where Gene Hackman plays a troubled and lost professional eavesdropper, only to become a gripping thriller after an hour. The film is written perfectly, the hints we get in order to be able to solve the mystery are put in the exactly right places, and Hackman's slow fall into paranoia is shown with unspeakable craft from both the actor and the director. A must-see, trust me on this one.
10/10

Social dramas made by British directors are amazing - take fantastic works of, let's say, Mike Leigh, for example Secrets and Lies. Their horrors are decent too, enough to mention aptly named Descent. The film that combines these two genres in quite a good manner is Eden Lake from James Watkins - a very tense story of a couple terrorised by a bunch of immoral teenagers. What is really good about is its unpredictability, the director plays with the viewers' expectations, and it's sometimes hard to say, what is coming next. It is well acted too, especially the kids seem both realistic and terrifying. Unfortunately, it has one major flaw - massive plot holes. Let me give you an example - when the protagonists' car is stolen from their beach-camp, what do they do? They go to look for it LEAVING ALL THEIR STUFF BEHIND (including the tent and diving equipment)! Oh, come on. If the film wasn't so underwritten, it would be really unmissably great. Now, it's only good.
7/10

Hello again! How about some avant-garde? Yesterday, I had a big pleasure to watch something called Koyaanisqatsi . I say 'something', not 'film' or 'movie' for a reason. Calling it a film is a bit like saying that Hieronymus Bosch's Triptych is a comic book - they have some features in common, but they are quite different beasts. So what does distinguish Koyaanisqatsi from a typical cinematic experience? Well, it doesn't have plot as such - it is a stream of beautiful pictures of both natural and human-created environments, aided by an amazing score from Philip Glass. And that is pretty much it. But, believe it or not (I guess you won't - I wouldn't if I didn't see it myself), it is fascinating - one really can't put their eyes off of screen. In the end, I have a real problem how to rate this 'thing'. I can imagine it is not for everyone's taste, but if you are, like me, a person willing to experience something new now and again, try this one out absolutely.
8/10

Yesterday I saw Inception. Even though it was pretty good, I don't feel I'm ready to review it yet. I simply didn't understand it in full, so I'll write about it when I see it again. Until then, let me tell you about the film, it is very similar to. Some say it would be Matrix, some mention Memento, but the movie that resembles Inception most, so much that even feels sometimes like its derivative, is David Cronenberg's EXistenZ. Surely, this director made better movies before (The Fly) and after (History of Violence), but this one is also worth looking at. If you are keen on stories in which reality merges with fantasy to the point you can't tell one from the other and enjoy the lurk into somewhat sick mind of one of the most original filmmakers of our time, which is populated by his favourite 'organic machines' (like a gun made of bones, shooting tooth-bullets), this one is just for you. And if you've seen Inception too, you will see that I'm right.
7/10  

I am quite a big fan of Japanese animation. I am also aware, that many people are not. Some think it is too childish, telling stories about giant robots or talking wolves. Others - opposite - say that a cartoon is not the right medium to deal with serious subjects many of the so called 'animes' undertake. The truth, as usually, lies somewhere in the middle. Take Spirited Away , one of, if not the greatest example of the fore-mentioned art. It is played like a proper fairytale, with witches, dragons and so on. But don't let this ostensible simplicity deceive you - the film is twisting the popular motifs in the most unexpected ways - by the end you will realize, that hardly anything (and anybody) was what they seemed to be. The movie is also a feast for the eyes - you can't help but admire Mr. Miyazaki's vast imagination. The only issue is that, the plot gets a bit confusing towards the end, but it can't spoil the whole experience anyhow, which is near faultless. For the kids inside all of us.
9/10