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Reviews
Sibirskiy tsiryulnik (1998)
A Classic
The truth is that films like "Barber Of Siberia" do not need introduction. You can only write one thing about this film and you'll be totally right. So I'll summarize my opinion by writing three words. Fantastic and incredible.
Of course I knew that Mihalkov is a great and famous director in Russia but I didn't expect to see such a good film. The settings were really beautiful. "Barber Of Siberia" guides you through the Russia of the 19th Century and the film familiarizes you with Russia of 19th Century. Sometimes I had this feeling of watching a documentary because the dialogs and the settings was so realistic.
Apart from this, the scenario is great. I have to say that the story is very good and enchanting. It is not a classic love story but something more. A story of passion, devotion and jealously. But you won't feel sad when you watch this film because it has and its merry moments of course. There are some unforgettable humorous scenes on this work which will make you laugh for sure.
The direction was excellent too. Mihalkov demonstrated again his abilities as a director and shows us that he is one of the best directors in the world. I believe that everyone will be satisfied by watching this film and especially those people who love Russian culture.
The Last Station (2009)
Rather interesting
The Last Station, directed by Michael Hoffman, is set in Russia and recounts us the last days of the famous writer Leo Tolstoy. I can't say that there is only one main character in this film. Leo Tolstoy, his wife Sofia Andreyevna, Vlantimir Chertkov and Valentin Bulgakov all play significant roles in this interesting story where we can learn how significant was the Russian writer and thinker Leo Tolstoy.
The film centres on his relations with his wife. Tolstoy had many disputes with his wife because of his new way of life. Moreover, his goal was to change the world by a strange revolution centred on love and pacifism. However many of his acolytes they just wanted to exploit his fame in order to make their own aspirations and ambitions come true.
The Last Station covers many of the problems that Leo Tolstoy had in the last days of his life and it makes us understand that Tolstoyan movement was so pure as it seemed. In addition to this the story is very interesting and the scenario is well-written. Of course there some flaws in them movie and sometimes it seems really predictable. But overall the film is touching and you must watch especially if you are fan of the writer Leo Tolstoy.
The Ghost Writer (2010)
A nice political mystery
The Ghost Writer, directed by Roman Polanski, is an interesting political thriller full of mystery and suspense. The main character is a writer, played by Ewan McGregor, who is specialized in writing biographies. He is introduced to us as the ghost because his work is to assist the former British prime minister in writing his book. The film is interesting and mysterious something that the avid film watcher will realize it from the start.
The film centers on the life of the former British prime minister and his relations with a strange professor. The ghost writer realizes that he is tangled in a mystery because his predecessor was killed and he tries to resolve the mystery behind the book. Actually the acting is very good and the directorship is superb. Something that anyone would expect from Roman Polanski. Apart from this the scenario is also very interesting and captivating. You don't know what will happen the other moment and every scene makes you anticipating for the resolution of the mystery.
"Ghost Writer" covers many of the affairs of our world today. It is a fact that the film implies that the world is being governed not from politician or prime ministers but by secret agents and enterprise interests. It is true that the film is a criticizes our current political system which seems unfair and unstable to maintain order and justice. Personally I think that Roman Polanski came back with a film, a film that not only entertain us but also makes us think and trouble ourselves about the truth in politics.
If you like to see a good political mystery film without excesses and stupid stunts, then you should definitely see this film. Although it is probably not the most fascinating mystery film you have ever watched, scenario and directorship are outstanding.
The A-Team (2010)
Unoriginal style
A-Team is an interesting action story. Actually it is a film that combines many movie genres into one. It is an action,war,comedy and spy film. The main characters are four war veterans whose job is to undertake the most dangerous missions of the world.
The plot focuses on the revenge of the four veterans after being misled from a CIA agent. But if we want to be sincere the truth is that there is no plot just sudden changes in a dismal scenario. Of course there are some good points in this film but these sense you get when watching this movie is that you have watched it somewhere else before. Needless to say that the film was predictable and the stunts were really comic at a time.
However I have to say that Liam Neeson was good. A such good actor as him can even change the destiny of a bad film as that. But Neeson wasn't enough. Overall the acting was mediocre. I wasn't satisfied from the lunatic guy cliché or the handsome man cliché. These are things that we have seen them in other films too so there is nothing new here.
Overall the film was a disappointment and I would say that it is just a waste of time if you want to watch it. On the whole, I wouldn't recommend it, because it's boring and without originality.
Iztochni piesi (2009)
A token of realism and truthfulness
Eastern Plays, directed and written by Kamen Kalev a young and rising director, is set in Sofia the capital city of Bulgaria. The main character is a former drug addict Christo played by Christo Christov. Christo confronts many problems in his life as he is searching for some meaning in a strange and unfriendly world.
The main characters Christo and his brother Georgi worry about their umeaningful lives. Christo finds resort in alcohol and his art on the other hand Georgi joins a fascist skinhead gang because he just wants to belong somewhere. Obviously the two brothers have very much in common and they are trying to find a meaning in a world that seems so volatile and sometimes hostile too. The film shows to us that human beings deserve a better way of life without hostilities between men, a life where love and respect will reign and this can be achieved only by young people such as Christo, Georgi and Ishil because most of the adults are lost in their problems and totally compromised with this unfriendly way of life.
Eastern Plays covers many of the problems young people face in society today. Drug addiction, racist gangs, generation gap, the need to belong somewhere. This is all done in a realistic way with which most of us can identify. Christo Christov and the other actors too are brilliant in their roles and convincing in the emotions they portray throughout.
Of course there are some flaws in the film. Moreover the absence of a concrete and stable scenario. To a certain extent the film is predictable and it doesn't surprise you with sudden changes. The dialogs also could be better and more extensive in ideas.
Overall the film was good and it's a pity that many of s don't know about the Balkan cinema scene and particularly the Bulgarian cinema scene. I think and I hope that job such as that film will encourage new directors from Bulgaria to express their ideas and their feelings through filming.
Götter der Pest (1970)
Dark and heavy
Götter Der Pest, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder is set in Munich, Germany. The main character Franz Walsch is a former prisoner played by Harry Baer. The setting is really dark and it reminds of film-noir but the plot is really realistic and I have to say anti-heroic. Franz doesn't have dreams, he seems that he doesn't want anything from his live. He is like a bored nihilist, a stoic human very different from the other characters of the film.
The film centers on this character and his life. Franz had the chance to create a new life, he has every woman he wants, friends and his mother is still alone. But this affection seems to be drowned in hypocrisy of the modern society. Franz understands this and he chooses to continue a life of crime. Hanna Schygulla who plays Johanna is like the femme fatale of the story and she leads Franz to his death even if she loves him. Margarethe seems more loyal to Franz even if she is still lingered to society and her job. The male friends of Franz such as Gorilla are the only ones who can understand him. We have to point that Gorilla dies with him.
Götter Der Pest is a punch to our society. Even if it is full of defects. The movie is very dark and at sometimes boring, the dialogs seem rather stodgy and arid. I think that Fassbinder shows his class here, because without a writing a great scenario he managed to do a nice movie which is worth of seeing even if it's not one of his bests. I recommend this movie to all of you who like artistic cinema and film-noir.