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Reviews
Leonardo (2021)
Astonishingly inept...
...it's almost capable of undermining Leonardo's genius. So many things are wrong with it, that I don't know where to begin to do it justice.
A twisted plot where absolutely nothing makes any sense. Leonardo's girlfriend has an illegitimate child from a duke, but possibly from another nobleman. The duke, who is in prison far away in France, nevertheless takes close to heart the child's existence, fearing that the child may be his and that the French, who rule his dukedom of Milan, may instal the child as a duke in Milan to rule in his name. So, the duke decides to kill the child, and Leonardo's girlfriend too thinks it could be a real possibility and decides that the child is in danger. Sorry, what? An illegitimate child who could be anybody is a threat to a duke and the key to power for a foreign nation that seems to be doing a good job holding it without any key? How can anyone prove that the boy was conceived from the duke in the age before DNA testing? How can an illegitimate child from a peasant woman lay a claim to a dukedom?
In a fit to save the child, Leonardo moves his girlfriend with the child to Milan. Why? Because it's ruled by the French, who are the duke's enemies, and therefore it's safe from the duke's supporters. What? And where on earth would you find supporters of a Milanese statesman if not in Milan? Allow and behold, they indeed are there, and with close links to the existing government. They soon raid Leonardo's house looking for the child. Then Leonardo devises a cunning plan (he's a genius after all). He decides to hide the child in a monastery and to make sure no one ever finds the child, he resolves to poison the child's mother (the love of his life). Furthermore, he burns all the drawings and paintings he has ever made of her, so that no image of her remains either (talking about a cover-up). Then he invites a witness to see her die of poisoning to make sure he is reported as a murderer. Before he is arrested, though, he administers an antidote to her in secret and brings her back to life. Then he is sentenced to death and almost hangs... We do remember this is all to make sure that the child is safe from the evil duke (who is imprisoned by the French, who rule his dukedom without the child, who is the key to their rule). Tell yah, child protection agencies are hopeless amateurs.
But this is just a plot and in the end it's not the plot twists themselves that suspend disbelief. It's always the concept, the underlying spirit, the inspiring idea... All of which completely fail in this particular case and for one big reason.
In order to bring the story into the mainstream, Leonardo's homosexuality is badly downplayed. The hetero-normality is desperately woven into the fabrics of the film, but struggles to hold them together. Leonardo is given a female love of his life, with whom he appears to never consummate a relationship, because of his natural inaptitude in all things worldly, pertinent to all geniuses. Leonardo brings her child into their relationship and does what he can to make it look as a proper family unit. He longs for that coveted "normal" life. This relationship is so contrived that it's not difficult to see that it has absolutely no basis in reality. The real life Leonardo never had a romantic or sexual relationship with a woman. He had it with Salai, whom in the series he barely touches and never sleeps with. His famous homosexual encounter which landed him in court facing allegations of sodomy is duly mentioned, but Leonardo is portrayed as inexperienced and seduced, practically coerced into the liaison (shall I mention that the guy he sleeps with on that occasion is a male prostitute acting in the course of his duties?)
We all know that Leonardo was well ahead of his time. Seeing this, you're beginning to realise that he was also well ahead of our time.
Passengers (2016)
Thoroughly uncomfortable, but not thoroughly bad
I will start with saying that I did not like this film, but I cannot give it one star, because there's a lot of sense and quality in it. The idea that you can build a relationship on the violation of someone's autonomy and will is thoroughly repugnant, but it's not to say that it's equally unrealistic. "He" who wakes up 90 years too early and is doomed to spend his life in solitude, decides to wake up "she" to satisfy his needs, condemning her to his company for the rest of her life . This is a form of rape and her violent reaction when she finds out about it is the only thing which is morally right about this story. It's difficult to watch when she develops affection for him, calling their relationship "accidental happiness" or asking him not to leave her, but in truth, in total isolation these things do happen. Only that I don't want to be part of it.
The science makes sense overall, but suspension of disbelief is required in details. I will overlook completely that both characters (separately) technically speaking die and then come to life for no good reason, otherwise I would have to give it one star. The film is visually beautiful and acting is good. But I can't deny I'd rather not have seen it.
Away (2020)
Space melodrama with a touch of racism
This is more of a drama than a sci-fi, which I have no problems with (even though I came to watch a sci-fi). I like good drama. However, it wasn't a good, nuanced, psychological drama. It was a recyclable collection of clichéd stories with nothing to cling on to when it's all over. Stereotyping actually went too far when it comes to the treatment of different nations. Who are causing problems on the mission? The Russian and the Chinese, of course. The Chinese, naturally, have no respect for human life and the most moral lot are, of course, the Americans - this is where our empathy is routed. Guess who the ship's idiot is. The African guy! He is the one the rest of the crew members feel free to patronise. I did try to look beyond the stereotypes, but it was almost impossible with this series. The landing on Mars was presented very well, though.
The Martian (2015)
A pure cerebral feast
It was great to see a scientific sci-fi where everything made sense and wasn't moulding into fantasy. No little green men. No oversized bugs. A pure cerebral feast. The whole blend was superb - acting, scenery, dialogues. I had a problem only with overly, but predictably, twisted plot, where every single thing goes wrong in order to introduce a new thing (which will go wrong). This multitude of suspenses levels out your attention after a while. However, if this film is not ten stars, I don't know what is.
Coming 2 America (2021)
I'll stick with nostalgia
I loved the first one so much, I can no longer recall how many times I watched it... It was one of those when you watch it to the end and immediately start from the beginning. Of course, it was too much to live up to, but I think this one didn't live up even to a half of that. I did like the characters. I was glad to see Eddie Murphy on screen again. That was what urged me on.
Time Trap (2017)
Brilliant concept, whatever came out of it doesn't stand up to scrutiny
It has some brilliant thinking behind it and good cinematography, but still the wholesome ideas did not materialise that well. A lot of what's happening on the screen just doesn't make sense and feels like it was made up on the go. The acting is the worst thing about it - they know how to put words together, but that's about it.
Clara (2018)
Grand design it is
This film features some very good acting and organic, balanced presentation. The story is very simple and even coarse, but somehow they managed to create suspense, make you hold your breath and experience ups and downs along with the characters. It's subtly told, but gives a bold, ambitious and totally unconvincing answer to a fundamental question, which has actually never been answered - is the world a chaos or made to a grand design?
OXV: The Manual (2013)
Interesting ideas, no luck in putting them together
It has some interesting ideas, but their delivery lacks cohesion and step-by-step development, which in my view loses exactly the viewer it's meant to attract - the thinking, curious type. This is what we read in Wikipedia: "Zak discovers with Theo that sound waves, when combined with gibberish two-syllable words, are able to temporarily raise one's frequency. They create a cell phone device which, based on the environment, is able to determine which words can raise one's frequency." This is not what we see on the screen. We can just about figure out that the combination of sound waves and meaningless words can cause a fluctuation (we're still left to guess that the fluctuation means Zak's frequency is raised), but the creation of the cell phone device is left completely outside the narrative. We are expected to do the guess work every step of the way, but there's simply not enough material to arrive at determinant conclusions. And this is coming from a director who decided to resurrect the idea of scientific determinism, which had been buried at the turn of the 20th century. It totally makes sense that every human being should have a frequency, since every particle is also a wave (in itself not a deterministic concept), but the question what to make of it has not been answered with this effort.
Bliss (2021)
Brilliant and mind-boggling
Great acting, deep ideas, nuanced delivery. I really don't have a bad word to say about this film. What seems like a spree of two callous individuals, turns out to be a thought-through experiment. The final admission of a scientist - I don't really know how it works - turns it back into a callous spree and the question what is real remains unanswered. Bloody brilliant!
Lola (2020)
Silence of tension & tears of deliverance
Incredibly charged, emotional and profound story told with dark alleways and unspoken words. Astonishing attention to detail, making it work at the sensory level - through shapes, motions and colours (the pink comet on the grey cityscape is sensational). The tears of acceptance and the immediate relief they bring must be one of the finest sinematic climaxes. Awe inspiring performance. The whole thing invades you to such extent that towards the end you just feel it's been your own emotional rollercoaster, your personal journey...