TRUE CHINESE GRIT

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Chinese mainstream movies portray its homeland as a fast developing ancient society, often disregarding the true nature and poverty of inland provinces and low paid occupations.

”Blind shaft” is an Chinese indie following two miners who migrate from coal mine to coal mine extorting money from private mine owners via staged murders of random miners. Script is brutal in depicting all the filth and grief of the today’s China, very slowly leading one typical crime story to an interesting twist at the very end.

”Blind shaft” will teach you how average and below average Chinese live and not much else than that.

BLIND SHAFT - 5/10

ESTONIAN REDEMPTION SEEKER

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Estonians fought for both sides during the Second world war, but they did it much more for the Germans and this movie won’t change that fact, despite occasional solid action sequences, depictions of meaninglessness of war and several laughs along the way.

”1944” is a politically motivated film placed inside anti-Russian worldwide hysteria coming from a small country with some nasty historic issues.

1944 - 4/10

CIRCLES OF TRIUMPH

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Modern Serbian cinema struggles hard to compete with the other European cinematographies due to lack of money, as well as some extensive corruption and misplaced funding by the state.

Even so, every couple of years, a bright star shines across the Serbian film sky, offering us some truly remarkable dramatic achievements. One of those flicks is yet another great movie by Srdan Golubovic, ”Circles” (other being ''The Trap''), heart chilling war story about the tragedy prevented that led to another tragedy and all of its consequences for the people involved.

Camera and directing are at the level of the more developed film industries in Europe, followed by very well balanced casting. Aleksandar Bercek is simply flawless, backed up by reliable Nebojsa Glogovac andn Leon Lucev, while the much appraised young Nikola Rakocevic falls behind the rest of the cast.

As for the flaws, the major would be too sudden and sketchy ending, undeserved by such a quality developed story and characters.

Overall, ”Circles” represent one of the best European indie dramas in 2013, as well as the best Serbian movie in this decade.

CIRCLES - 8/10

PERFECT TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

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”Fast and furious” franchise has always been meant to be spectacular macho corny entertainment and nothing more. Tragic loss of Paul Walker (Brian) during the shooting of the final part changed things forever, giving the seventh iteration huge hype and aura of special expectations.

Crew didn’t let the public down with the ”Furious 7”, probably the most spectacular segment of the entire saga. To put octane-driven chases around the world aside, action is now on serious steroids, with much care given to good old street fighting with fists and car wrenches.

Cast is now bursting with guest names, led by Jason Statham and Kurt Russell, while all the other guys from the past are there, including the real/doubled/CGI created Paul Walker.

The thing that separates ”Furious 7” from all the other parts is the heart chilling end with one of the most moving movie epitaphs in recent years. One more reason to finish the entire franchise here, before it loses any sense left.

”Furious 7” is one of the most spectacular action blockbusters of 2015 with a beautiful and sad ending Paul Walker deserved.

FURIOUS 7 - 8/10

SLOW RISING SMALL WESTERN

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Michael Fassbender has a tender spot for independent production on both sides of the Atlantic, so his decision to star in a small scale production western shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Although the story is pretty thin, as with every western, the cast and the script slowly develops onto a decently satisfying final showdown between the bounty hunters and several Europeans seeking each other inside Colorado wastelands.

”Slow West” is a refreshment inside almost completely worn out genre and a welcome change in the era of overwhelming digitalization.

SLOW WEST - 7/10

AMERICAN INDIE STRIKES BACK

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SF genre has grown weary and tired in the past two decades, and quality flicks are being counted by the fingers of one hand. This goes equally for both mainstream and indie production from the USA.

”Ex Machina” is the first decent SF tryout from the smaller scale American production since the Bowie’s ”Moon”. In this case, the expensive CGI are being sent to back plan with the story taking the headlights. Script itself is pretty much philosophical, being deeply sunk into claustrophobic architectural interior of the production set, leaving the podium to the two actors and a AI impersonation (Alicia Vikander) to debate about the difference between the Machine and the Man.

”Ex machina” is minimalistic quality indie SF for the new age and deserves your attention and time even though you’re no genre fan.

EX MACHINA - 7/10

SILENT, BUT GREAT

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Georgian cinematography is small, but has some really talented people making movies. Budgets are low, production are simple, but the scripts and the stories are good, revolving mainly about several civil war conflicts that shook the small Caucasian country in the past couple of decades.

”Corn island” is about the hard and stark life of an old farmer and his daughter that exploit small island created by the river floods to grow the seasonal crop of corn. Most of the flick is almost silent, with graphic presentation of the exhausting agricultural process of turning a pile of mud into a fertile ground, while all the spoken interaction happens when different fractions of war parties conjure on the little island seeking one of the wounded soldiers that got away from captivity.

George Ovasvilli's camera is just plain magnificent, as well as the Old man, portrayed by Ilyas Salman. Although very slow, movie gradually builds the eminent tragedy that strikes at the very end, giving the entire story meaning.

”Corn island” is one great artistic movie with the strong symbolic message for the viewer.

CORN ISLAND - 8/10

MAD, BUT NOT MAX

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One of the most anticipated movies of 2015 didn’t disappoint ”Mad Max” fans, offering some fresh blood(bag) to the faltering franchise, revamping everything and boosting the script for the new century.

Much more like the second two parts of the post apocalyptic story about stranded Australian wasteland, George Miller's story now offers different fragments of the society, highly dependable on motor oil and crazy dictators guarding the sparse life resources.

Mel Gibson is replaced by promising Tom Hardy who doesn’t succeed in filling his shoes being way to inconsistent and undefined as Max Rockatansky. On the other hand, Charlize Teron is just mesmerizing as a true lead role (Furiosa), giving the movie much needed dramatic depth.

As for the story, there isn’t any, just a series of spectacular car chases and battles, done mostly the old fashioned ”analogue” way, which is quite a refreshment in a almost 100% CGI era. Tensions are ultra high, lines are mainly senseless and there isn’t any determined goal for the actors.

All said and done, ”Mad Max” is one hugely entertaining spectacular blockbuster and a completely different concept from the original movies.

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD - 8/10

GRADUALLY BUILDING TRAGEDY

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Chilean coup d’etat that lead to military hunta hasn’t been a frequent subject in the movies until ”Machuca” tackled it through the story of two boys from the different sides of social pyramid joined together in the classroom of a liberal Catholic elementary school.

Boys grow to be friends only to realize that in mentally contained surroundings differences can be almost impossible to overcome. Tragic outcome sinisterly lurks throughout the entire second part of the movie, removing the ”family” prefix from this drama of the entire nation.

”Machuca” is one good true life dramatic depiction of the irreversible changes of 20^th century Chilean society.

MACHUCA - 7/10

STOP MAKIN’ THESE KIND OF MOVIES!

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Horror movies can be really frightening or really stupid, depending on the persuasiveness of the script.

”The Lazarus effect” with its brain insulting story about the reviving the dead people with the help of some gland serum that goes horribly wrong when Olivia Wilde is electrocuted while trying to revive a dead dog.

Everything that follows can be scary and gruesome to some of you, but for vast majority will be just plain stupid.

Hollywood should stop spending money for making trash horrors like ”The Lazarus effect”.

THE LAZARUS EFFECT - 2/10