SLOW, BUT TEPID

FOTO: cloudfront.net

Although it was considered a major runner for the foreign-language flick at this year’s ”Oscars”, ”Leviathan” isn’t a good movie. Its subject that depicts every possible stereotype about the Russian society is very politically favorable when it comes to American audience, but that’s not the worst aspect of this flick.

”Leviathan” is artistically astonishing, with all of its wide angles and stark landscape of northern Russia, but it is also one very, very slow and boring script with no beginning, no end and no point. Acting is pretty much mediocre, as well as the rare dialogues.

Russian modern cinema is in a big crisis and ”Leviathan” sure does not offer the light at the end of the tunnel.

LEVIATHAN - 2/10

SLOW, BUT DECENT

FOTO: pisf.pl

Polish laureate for this year’s best foreign-language movie in Kodak theater isn’t a bad movie. It is slow, but it isn’t a bad one. There were better ones (Georgian ”Tangerines” and Spanish ”Divlje priče”), but there were also some worse flicks (Russian ”Leviathan”).

”Ida” is Pawel Pawlikowski'artistic expression in black and white and retro 4:3 format that follows young nun on her journey through inner transformation and exploration of the past time tragedy in the family. There is almost no music throughout the movie and the dialogues are stark. Agneta Trzebukowska is doing fine as the leading role, while the other characters are only sketches in the somehow empty script.

To summarize, ”Ida” is a slow, decent and a bit overprized movie.

IDA – 4/10

IT SHOULD END HERE

FOTO: heyguys.com

When it has first hit the theatres in 2008, Luc Besson’s ”Taken” became an instant hit, reviving the weary career of Liam Neeson, as well as the entire action genre. The recipe was simple: short introduction, hour-or-so of killing-pace action and a brief exit. Fight scenes were short, but explosive, with little or no special effects.

Unfortunately, both sequels had nothing in common with the first part of the franchise. ”Taken 2” was incredibly boring for an action flick, while the third one tried to sort things out, bringing the story to the home soil of USA.

And that was everything that ”Taken 3” succeeded in bringing back. Huge budget, star cast (Whitaker) and spectacular CGI managed to deliver only another one of those predictable US action movies with no innovations and memorable moments to retell with your friends after the lights in the cinema went on.

The secret ingredient of the first ”Taken” formula is definitely lost. To be quite honest, they should have stopped after the first one. But they didn’t, and it’s a shame. Now, all that’s left is to hope that the movie slogan: ”It ends here” will prove to be true. Otherwise, they may make another one, with Liam saving his grandchild. And that would a complete disaster.

TAKEN 3 – 3/10