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

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STABS FROM BEHIND

There are those particular movies that begin slowly, develop rather awkwardly but manage to make it up at the very end with some great twist or just a detail.

Story about human trafficking and a terminally ill Failan (Cecillia Cheung) that accepts hard labour in exchange for a staged marriage to a small time criminal Kang-Jae (everlasting Choi Min-Shik) will make you bored and wishing you never decided to watch it until the very last fifteen minutes of the movie that climaxes in a painful and gory final scene with the video tape.

„Failan” will reward your patience if you choose to watch it all the way.

FAILAN - 6/10

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PLAIN PATHETIC

Bad guy running the affairs for mafia. Good guy filming him. An innocent girl in between those two. All of them being high school friends. Harsh surruondings and relationships all the way.

A well lit path leads „A dirty carnival” from the beginning to the end, not surprising the viewer despite some great potentials of the main concept. It is a well known path and a pathetic one as well.

„A dirty carnival” should've been a much stronger and brutal movie than it is.

A DIRTY CARNIVAL - 3/10

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MODERN DAY KOREAN WESTERN

Koreans wouldn't be what they are in the world of cinema if they hadn't included some of the most stunning ideas into the modern screenwriting.

This especially goes for the motif of revenge and resurrection that is one of the basic ones in this great Asian cinematography. When those basics are incorporated into a love story, there are places for some great concepts and twists that stand out from the rigid form of the genre on other continents.

A reformed ex-convict, Taesik (Jeong-suHan), will have its vendetta and a traditionally overacted ending to his story, but that won't hurt the overall impression of this movie.

„Sunflower” is a classical western story about honor and revenge done the modern Korean way.

SUNFLOWER - 6/10

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TOM HARDY FANS ONLY

Movies outside the US are well off the radar of the Academy, and so are the roles of the established Hollywood actors in those flicks.

The story of the notorious Cray twin brothers that led London's underground in the '60s and '70s offered a unique opportunity for Tom Hardy to show everything he knows as one of the leading actors of his generation. And he delivered everything asked of him almost impeccably, especially when it comes to the role of deranged and bipolar Ronnie Kray.

Sadly, the script and supporting cast falls behind, leaving „Legend” floating somewhere between the movie it could have been and the corny stereotype it is.

„Legend” will be loved by Tom Hardy fans and not many more.

LEGEND - 4/10

FOTO: zekefilm.org

PLAIN BORING

Trailers are one of the most ruthless tools of film industry. Those several moments excerpted from the movie can attract the potential viewer, but can also significantly reduce box-office success.

„Black mass” will attract you with its trailer, showing you one of the most mesmerizing roles of Johnny Depp in past ten years, but will sadly offer you nothing more than that. Inconclusive and chaotic story about Boston's notorious brothers that ruled the city in '70s and '80s will take through more than two hours of boring subplots leading nowhere interrupted by occasional brutal murder. And that's it. Literally.

Even if you're a Johnny Depp fan, „Black mass” is one just of those plain boring movies.

BLACK MASS - 3/10


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NOT FUNNY

Trailers present a powerful weapon when it comes to presenting a movie, so you should be very careful with your expectations after them.

Story about the police psychiatrist that gets involved in the case of his patient promises a lot more laughs that Argentinian flick „On probation” delivers. Even the subplots with mafia and corrupted cops fail, leaving the viewer disappointed at the end.

„On probation” is one of those Argentinian comedies whose trailers tend to be more funny that the movies themselves really are.

ON PROBATION - 3/10


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BEAUTIFUL, BUT ONLY HALF FULL

Korean film directors are PhDs in violent masterpieces and „Bittersweet life” is no exception.

The story is in the back plan of the entire of the flick, concentrating on a pretty thin mix already seen elements of revenge and betrayal inside the mafia circles. Major asset of Kim Jee-Woon's movie is the blazing production, camera and light of action sequences at its core. The director is very well aware of that, so he exploits them to the very extreme, leaving the viewer feeling awed, but pretty much empty at the end.

„A bittersweet life” is the feast for the eye, but sadly not for the ear and brain as well.

A BITTERSWEET LIFE - 5/10

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JUST BELOW KOREAN STANDARDS

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New Korean cinema has been one of the century’s best, combining economically potent production with some really great screenwriting. Most of it’s international glory, new Korean movie draws from criminal thriller with intertwined script at its core.

„Friend” is no excuse, following a group of friends on their way from teenage days up to late thirties. On that way, main characters evolve and pick their sides of the law, as already seen. And that’s where the majority of „Chingoo’s” flaws lie. Everything is already seen in the American cinema, aside from trademark Korean brutality. Even the twists and turns are too obvious as well as the evolution of the characters.

„Friend” is „just” a solid thriller and as such, placed just below the high standards of the new Korean cinema.

FRIEND - 5/10

INFERNAL SCRIPT

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Little do people know that the script of „Infernal affairs” about double agents in police and mafia that hunt each other represented the basis for copy-paste reuse in much acclaimed „The departed” that brought long sought „Oscar” to famous Martin Scorcese.

Hong Kong thriller may not have such a huge production behind it, and Andy Lau may not reach the heights of DiCaprio, but this is after all a really innovative movie with a couple of really powerful twists, especially towards the end.

Although „The Departed” is still a better movie, people should know that the crew of „Infernal affairs” did it first.

INFERNAL AFFAIRS - 7/10

HAMBURG, OH, HAMBURG!

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There are movies made for the script and there are movies made for the characters and special effects. And then there are movies made for the cities they represent.

”Soul kitchen” is one huge portfolio of Hamburg's postcards that end to revolve around the young and unorganized restaurant owner. Great backdrop, tentativeness of food making and the exotic nightlife will draw you in very fast, not letting you to ask too much about the persuasiveness story and the main roles.

”Soul kitchen” will make you laugh, relax and enjoy Hamburg. And that’s just enough for this unpretentious German indie.

SOUL KITCHEN - 6/10