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El delfín: La historia de un soñador (2009)
Boring and brutal
When I saw trailers, I thought this would be a good movie for my 4-year old son. Calm water, nice dolphins, fish, sunsets on the sea etc. "Maybe it would be something like 'Finding Nemo'" - I thought. So we went to the cinema with all family and after about 25 minutes we left it. It was the first time ever I left the cinema before movie ending credits.
First of all, one doesn't know what the movie is about. There is a dolphin, his family and he wants to leave them and find something, probably it's like searching for the sense of life. It's called "dreaming" in the movie. We don't know why he feels bad with his family, what is wrong, and so on. The time goes by and we are feeling bored, because we know no reasons and goals, we don't even know that there are any, but they are to be revealed later.
But OK, he escapes. He is then chased by some kind of 100 meters large barracuda. Is it his imagination? Or is it real? One doesn't know, but I think that asking and answering such questions is too difficult for a 4-year old kid.
This barracuda is very horrible, not only because of it's behavior (attempting to kill the dolphin), it looks very scary, it's large and aggressive. When it had shown up for the second time, we went away, or maybe "escaped" would be a better word.
The only thing I found quite good was the animation of water. In fact, each small wave was shown in high detail, each light reflection seems to be physically correct. I think, although I'm no biologist, that the animals may have been designed correctly.
In my opinion this is not a movie for children, because of its brutality and, in fact, no sense the kid could understand. Neither it is not a movie for older people, it's waste of time, it is boring. It is also difficult to distinguish characters (dolphins) from one another.
The Final Countdown (1980)
Nice war movie
The movie is based on the idea of time-travelling. There were lots of such movies and novels, but this one is somewhat different. There is USS Nimitz, nuclear carrier, equipped in jets, reconnaissance planes, marines, and so on, everything that is needed in modern warfare. Somehow Nimitz is taken back to 1941, just before Pearl Harbour battle. Now it is a super-weapon that can change history and alone destroy all the Japanese fleet.
One interesting question is if it is possible to change history. The crew are soldiers and want to participate the battle. In movies such "Back to the Future" characters were able to change history, in more "real", like "Twelve Monkeys" -- they were creating it. Is Nimitz able to win the battle that was lost? What would happen to people who lived then? With some senator, who is going to win presidential elections, but was "missing" after the battle? Will he survive it and lead his nation after the war? The main question is not "will Nimitz finally go back to its time" but "will Nimitz join the battle". One does not think about future but about soldier's duty.
The movie consists nice photo shots. The carrier itself, its planes, dogfights between Japanese motor-planes and modern F14. Even if it is not even a candidate for the Oscar, I think it is always a good SF and war movie.
The Lighthorsemen (1987)
Better than "Gallipoli"
This is a story about some episode British-Turk campaign in Palestine in 1917. Very important role in this campaign was played by Australian forces. The key to conquer the Holy Land is city of Gaza. British general wants however to throw his forces to bypass the city and capture another one - Beersheba. To take them both it is necessary to keep his plan secret.
As a person who is interested in all WWI history I was waiting for this movie. I find it very good. All equipment seems to be very accurate, however, I've never heard about use of tanks in this front. There is a nice scene of air attack by German biplane, cars from that times, uniforms, and so on -- it all seems to be historical correct. The final charge is worth waiting for. I think that anyone who is interested in this campaign would be satisfied.
Because of Australian point of view the role of British army seems to be a little underrated. I especially mean British commander -- general Allenby. I think it would be good to say at the very end that after capturing Beersheba, Gaza fell as well a week later, and the road to Jerusalem was opened. This was what was lacking for me.
Match Point (2005)
A little too long
The movie at its beginning goes very fast. There is a man who meets two women. One of them becomes his wife, the other -- his lover. Then the movie slows down, in my opinion, too much. The problem is typical: how to hide man's affair without letting his wife know too much. The action again goes faster, when he gets to know that the lover is pregnant. It is now very interesting, how he will manage the situation. The surprising ending is however worth waiting, but I would say, the time could be shorter.
The motto of the movie, which is said at the very beginning, is that everybody needs luck in his/her life. OK, we remember the sentence, and start watching. Then, there is nothing about it. I forgot the motto. Then you can remember it again, but only having watched everything.
Alternatywy 4 (1986)
Every day's life in Poland
The beginning of 1980s was a difficult time for Polish people. This series tries to show it. While it is a comedy and some things can be exaggerated, it has the spirit of these times. The action takes place for few months in some building (with the title address "4 Alternative Street") of Warsaw's newly built district. Everyone has his/her own life and fights socialism problems. So, you have a house-master, who believes to be the most important person in the building. He does nothing and make people, whom he should be about to serve, do all the work for him. There is also a minister, who lives in the building with his lover. He says privately different things than he does in TV. Everyone had to wait for one's flat for years (true in Poland), but there is a man, who has lots of flats. There is a man, who was shown in TV that he got a flat, but he had not and no officer wants to help him. There are two families with similar names, who were given the same one flat, so they have to live together, having no understanding in bureaucracy. And so on. Not everything is true, but I say -- the main idea of socialism is shown. The people are treated like animals, with no respect, only the top of the iceberg has lots of privileges. The success of the series was reached because everyone in Poland could identify with the characters of the movie and everyone could say 'it's an absurd, but could also happen to me'.
Co mi zrobisz jak mnie zlapiesz (1978)
Great movie
One day Mr. Krzakowski, the President of some state-owned company, believed to be replaced soon, gets to know that a girl is pregnant with him. He realizes that she is a daughter of some high officer in the state. He wants to marry her to keep his job, but first he must get a divorce. He uses anything and anybody he can to find a proof of his wife's infidelity.
The movie, made by the same author as _Mis (1981)_, has the similar concept. The characteristic for communistic regime hierarchy of officers, in which anybody knows his/her place. Nobody wants to work for anybody else, everybody is disparaged by those who are higher than him. Lots of funny jokes, gags, however, some of them can be understood only by people who lived in those times.
Pilkarski poker (1989)
True story about Polish soccer league?
A comedy that shows Polish soccer business in Poland in middle of 1980s. The movie (made a few years before collapse of communistic regime) is also some portrait of these times. While the club names and their presidents or players seem to be fictional, it is obvious that in this movie everything is connected with reality. The director (Mr. Zaorski) seems to be a fan of Legia Warsaw (in the movie as Powisle Warszawa). However you can believe that soccer is full of corruption and the fans really know nothing that the games' results are set not on the grass but in some bars, brothels and other places.
The main character is ex-player, now referee, Mr. Laguna. He is the one honest man left in the league, however he has the problems with his wife. Because he is very naive, everyone uses him - without letting him to know - to get necessary results of the games. But one day his ex-friend shows him the truth. Now, he is going to play his own game and starts to use his rivals' methods. But one day there is a game for that he can get lots of money. Will he keep his rest of honesty?
Mis (1981)
Great movie - a must-see
If you live in the USA or Western Europe, you probably cannot realize how the life was beyond the Iron Curtain. Here is the answer. This movie is a comedy, so some things are exaggerated, however, not much. This is a story about people living in socialism. You can see a tree of human dependencies, everyone has someone who is under him, and someone, whom he is afraid of. No-one is going to do anything, only when it gives him profits. No-one is going to make a decision, everyone needs instructions to act. This might be not understandable for people from the West, but really is in Poland. The main character is a sport club president. He has lots of people in his hand, but one day his wife becomes a lover of some minister. She's trying to get money from their account in London. It is necessary to him to be the first. But he has his passport destroyed (it was almost impossible to get a new one in those times), so he finds another way to get the money. He will use all people he can to reach his goal.
Swiat wedlug Kiepskich (1999)
Very primitive
This series tries to be funny. The "jokes" are very stupid and primitive. The creators say they "wanted to show a typical Polish family". This is designed like -- and probably even copied from -- Al Bundy (the Polish title is very similar to that one, so the connection is clear). The characters are not funny, they are stupid at all. All the jokes come from the people being stupid, you won't find any situation jokes or gags. However, Al Bundy was much funnier, I could believe, that he was stupid, here I can't. If there is some wiser joke, it would be completely clear -- you know what is going to happen next. If you look for something that will keep your attention, better find something else. This series is boring and a waste of time.