DARK (AND) REALISTIC

Some actors just get tangled up in a particular role and especially if that role is on the television, they tend to repeat it endlessly, without some serious stepping out on the big screen.

Nikolaj Koster-Waldau hadn’t repeated those mistakes by making some important appereances in the Danish long feature production („Second chance”) and also tries real hard to get away from the shadow of Jaime Lannister across the Atlantic.

„Shot caller” isn’t his „Scarface”, but still represents a decent modern day grim and slow pace bloody thriller about a family man that ends up in jail and must fight his way if he wants to survive behind the bars. On that road he becomes a ruthless prison lord, transforming both physically and mentally.

Script doesn’t tend to offer some memorable climax or conclusion, dwindling heavily in the last third of the movie, but Nikolaj manages to show us some decent acting and keep us on our toes during the larger part of the movie.

„Shot caller” is a typical modern Hollywood thriller about modern prisoners filmed for the modern, blood and violence thirsty men.

SHOT CALLER – 6/10

FOTO: cdn.darkhorizons.com

KOREAN „TWILIGHT”

Comedy about the pair of vampires is a dangerous path for every movie industry, except the Korean. Especially when its being driven by Chan-wook Park („Vengeance” trilogy) and when center of the story is built around a young minister.

„Thirst” will dance between drama, comedy and some serious horror from the beginning to the very end. Along that way, the rhythm will be pretty unstable, as well as the sharpness of its satirical blade, making this entire production somewhat non consistent.

„Thirst” is the very first attempt in the world to make vampire genre serious, although only partially successful.

THIRST – 5/10

FOTO: thesoundandthescreen.files.wordpress.com

FINNISH BLOODY RECONCILIATION

FOTO: static.kinokopilka.tv

One of the first war conflicts on the European soil prior to Second World war is the short, but bloody dispute between pro-Nazi Finland and communist Russia that succeeded in hiding from the mainstream cinema of both countries up until „The winter war”.

Although modest in resources and orientated towards artsy flicks, Finnish cinema brought us a fairly successful war story about freshly drafted Finnish infantry that engage Russians in the icy forests and meadows devoured by artillery and tanks on both sides.

„The Winter war” is a solid war flick, with some unexpected dramatic and bloody scenes, but not much depth to the story to go along.

THE WINTER WAR - 5/10

SLOW TO THE VERY END

FOTO: thisisanothercastle.files.wordpress.com

Modern Samurai flicks tend to go on steroids in the past couple of years, so ”13 assassins” is no exception.

Story is very clearly laid out, with the vicious young shogun terrorizing other samurais and their families, as well as the common folk in its centre. His behavior triggers 13 outcasts and honorable samurais to join their forces together on the road of revenge that will lead to the dead of merciless shogun.

Characters are typical, but only basically detailed, while the overall tempo is really slow. However, every single of the separated events at the end lead to a spectacularly overacted battle in one of the villages between 13 assassins and hundreds of shogun’s personal guards.

”13 assassins” is a pretty much empty slow tempo samurai flick with an spectacular ending.

13 ASSASSINS - 4/10

PRETENTIOUSLY POINTLESS

FOTO: www.film4.com

Nick Cave as a screenwriter. Guy Pearce and Ray Winstone as lead stars in an gritty Australian western.

All the ingredients for a success, all there and all messed up and turned into a pretentious and painstakingly slow story about revenge leading nowhere.

I have a proposition for you. Don’t watch ”The proposition”. It’s not worth your time and patience, even if you’re a patient film lover.

THE PROPOSITION - 3/10