FARAWAY, SO CLOSE TO PERFECTION

Christopher Nolan is one of those movie people that has been close to the laureates from the very beginning of his stellar career, but somehow always failed to materialize his enormous talent.

One of the most inspiring wartime stories of all time, English evacuation of expeditionary forces from the coast of Dunkirk in 1940, was one of those scripts waiting for a diversely capable man behind the camera to take it to the stars.

And Nolan did it, creating one of the most tense war movies ever filmed, using everything he has to recreate the unique claustrophobic atmosphere through three overlapping stories (beach, air, water). He also didn’t abandon his trademark storylines intertwining masterfully leading them to the major problem of this movie.

Its ENDING.

If it weren’t for the bottom quarter of the script, we would be now talking about „Dunkirk” as the best directed war movie of this century. If it weren’t for the surreal heroism, pathetic patriotism and sudden lack of brutality, „Dunkirk” would’ve been known as a total triumph of Nolan’s supreme cinematography. Unfortunately, loss of the control over the script managed to severely diminish perfect sound, sound mixing, wide angle, handheld camera and realistic sea and sky battles, as well as some solid acting (Murphy, Whitehead, Rylance) and that is a real shame.

„Dunkirk” is one masterfully directed war story that will awe you in the first three quarters of its course.

DUNKIRK – 8/10

FOTO: moviegrapevine.com

„JUST” A GOOD EFFORT

A whole movie shot in a single cut?

A masterful feat in directing (Sebastian Schipper) and a exhausting task for the actors. And where are the screenwriters in that?

The answer is, pretty much nowhere.

„Victoria” is a highly unconvincing story about a young Spanish girl Victoria and her night in Berlin spent in a company of four street lowlives that takes a dramatically wrong turn during a breaking and entering that would leave you wondering whether the entire flick could have been significantly shorter.

„Victoria” is a huge directing accomplishment and nothing more than that.

VICTORIA - 5/10

FOTO: filmint.nu

MOVIEMAN

FOTO: godawa.com

Alejandro González Iñárritu is a remarkably talented man, whether you talk about cinematography, script or directing itself. He hadn’t made too many movies, but each and every one of them was a small masterpiece. So is the ”Birdman”.

In a really quality-poor movie year, Iñárritu has done it again, creating the most original American flick in years.

Everything about „Birdman” is fresh and different from the stale Hollywood mainstream.

Script is dynamic, creating real life characters that you can bond to. Casting is superb, with Keaton leading the way with the performance of his life. Ed Norton is that Ed Norton we have missed so much since ”Fight club” and his chemistry with Michael is one of the most magical moments in the entire story. Emma Stone, Naomi Watts and Zack Galifianakis support them all the way to the end. But good plot, explosive and witty dialogues and pristine acting aren’t Iñárritu's main weapon. No.

Greatest quality of ”Birdman” is its unique visual identity, rivalled this year only by ”Grand Budapest hotel”. Unlike Wes Anderson’s cartoonistic approach, Mexican director does it the old-fashion way. With his camera, surreally long cuts (first one is 53 (fifty-three) minutes long!) and intimate narrow frames. Final result is one of the most successful and lovable hybrids between theatre and cinema ever.

If there’s any sanity left in the members of the ”Academy”, ”Birdman” must harvest all the major ”Oscars” in February 2015. Giving the ”golden boy” for best male lead, best female support, best movie, best directing and best script to any other flick/director/actor/actresses would be a crime for a capital punishment. As well as a great injustice, both towards the film industry, and to the Alejandro ”Movieman” Iñárritu himself.

BIRDMAN - 10/10