evgueny Reviews

The Boss Baby (2017)

Very pleased with my son's reaction to the film

[7/10 · 29 April 2017]

I went to see this movie with my six-year old son. He has a baby sister and is rather familiar with sibling jealousy. While watching the film I thought that it was only slightly better than terrible because the story line was too complex for kids and too boring for adults. Moreover, my son felt pretty scared during a few episodes, which was quite contrary to my expectations, too. However, after we left the theater, he said that he had enjoyed the movie. He added that he was happy his sister was not a baby boss and that he loved her very much. As soon as we returned home, my son hugged and kissed our baby daughter. And before going to bed he said he wanted her to sleep with him in his room. So apparently the creators of this film got something right after all.

Transcendence (I) (2014)

Good for entertainment

[6/10 · 19 April 2014]

The first two thirds of this two hour long movie are surprisingly good. Solid work by the director, captivating story, nice overall acting, especially by Johnny Depp and Rebecca Hall. At its climax the film offers the viewer an interesting choice. One side is an ostensibly good, but also powerful, unpredictable and therefore fearsome monster. The other side is predictably evil, violent, murderous and destructive. There could be lots of ways to resolve this dilemma, so the lack of both imagination and logic in the last third is just staggering. If you are going to see the movie with your kids, to avoid facing questions that have no answers, it may be a good idea to think together about a different ending. Still, even the last part is visually quite entertaining.

Hipsters (2008)

Enjoyable and with insight into postwar Russian history

[10/10 · 15 February 2009]

"Stilyagi" is one of the best Russian movies I have seen in the past 10 years. The director and actors did wonderful job. The movie is both romantic and fun, and at the same time it gives insight about a curious historical phenomenon.

The World War II not only devastated Russia, but also exposed the otherwise isolated country to Western culture through captured movies, vinyl LPs, art, fashion clothes, and other spoils of war. This was particularly valuable for people who wanted to express their difference from others. They started to copy perceived "American" lifestyle, especially the clothes, using films like "Sun Valley Serenade" and the covers of jazz LPs as primary references. Not surprisingly, the result was an outlook more typical for Western show business entertainers than for mainstream design. Although the group believed that their attire was the true definition of style, the rest of Soviet population labeled them "stilyagi" to show their disapproval. In the totalitarian regime "admiration for the West" was a felony, however, after Stalin's death state security was reluctant to take action and stilyagi were facing relatively modest retaliation, mostly from local Komsomol (Communist Party youth wing) activists.

Since the movie is about liberty and has elements of a modern musical, I feel like comparing it with "Across the Universe" (2007). In this comparison, "Stilyagi" is more dynamic and psychological, while actors' voices are just as good. The main duo of Anton Shagin and Oksana Akinshina, who are playing a Komsomol activist Mels in love with a female stilyagi member Polza, are delivering excellent performance, which is especially striking given their young ages. (It is ironic that Mels is an acronym for "Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin," and "Polza" in translation from Russian means "use.") A scene of a Komsomol meeting is truly memorable and in my view is a masterpiece. The music is mostly modern Russian pop and alternative rock, with lyrics adapted to the plot. The ending, which makes a connection between liberty ideals of stilyagi and modern youth, sounds like a bold statement in the nation that is still re-thinking its past.

Atonement (2007)

Have a Guinness when you are tired

[5/10 · 29 December 2007]

I have found Atonement somewhat disappointing. Even though I have not read Ian McEwan's novel, it is rather obvious that only a great novel could inspire such a good story and the story is by far the best what this movie has. Acting is distant second best and the rest is only fair. Apparently the main problem is that the director Joe Wright has little clue about how to make a psychological drama and with amazing persistence treats this genre as an action movie or a thriller. After the first 15 minutes I became so annoyed and tired with an endless stream of fast-pacing flash-and-go scenes that I was really looking forward to a commercial break. And -- surprise! -- the commercial break came up, although a little late. It happened when Cecilia (Keira Knightley) was leaving on a bus, with Robbie (James McAvoy) running after her. The back of the bus had a large slogan painted across: "Have a Guinness when you are tired". It looked just perfect beside beautiful Keira Knightley, indeed. To summarize, it would be unfair to say that the film has totally ruined the story; however, it leaves an impression that its creators perhaps needed a bit more Guinness.

Children of Men (2006)

Pointless and pretentious

[3/10 · 11 February 2007]

What other reviewers consider an advantage of this movie, I consider serious drawbacks. In my opinion, an anti-utopia is supposed to be thought provoking, to have an agenda and to be highly psychological. Unfortunately, this movie has none of these. The behavior of the characters (especially secondary ones) is often rather illogical, which makes it impossible to understand their motives and what is really going on, and why. A few scenes are very emotional, however, their ethical side remains obscure because, again, you cannot understand what people really think. It is definitely not the result of poor acting -- on the contrary, the acting is pretty good, it just does not help. Overall, Children of Men would have qualified for a typical entertaining and pointless action movie if it had not been so dark and pretentious.

Nightcap (2000)

Highly conflicting

[3/10 · 20 August 2002]

The dominating conflict is between a couple of fine actors (Huppert and Dutronc) and the horrible script. Evidently, the actors lost, since the director/screenwriter Claude Chabrol eventually forced the leading couple to follow this worthless piece of sick imagination to the letter. Fortunately, the powerful performances by Huppert and Dutronc dramatically improve the overall quality of the movie, which miraculously gains the depth and humor. As for Chabrol's persistence in keeping the film bland and illogical, it reaches the climax in the final scene, which is so incredibly poor that you will wonder which pills he was taking himself while directing it.

The Piano Teacher (2001)

Disgrace to the Cannes

[3/10 · 27 April 2002]

This film has left me fairly indifferent, maybe with a little dash of disgust. It is tasteless, ostentatious and as dull as the main character. The behavior of the only positive character is as senseless as can only happen in the movies. I was prepared to some sort of a strong film, perhaps like Dancing in the Dark, but got instead ridiculous nonsense that was crying for a few good parodies. It can only attract medical students who study psychiatry. I still believe that Isabelle Huppert is a fine actress, though. Anyway, giving a second-best award to a "C" grade movie - let us hope that Cannes will not make such a blunder again.

C'est la vie (2001)

Good drama to watch with your retired parents

[13 April 2002]

Wow, it seems like I am going to be the first to comment on this movie... Well, I saw it in Los Angeles and it was followed by the meeting with the director Jean-Pierre Améris. In a middle of this meeting, the French interpreter suddenly broke into the tears and quit. Do I sound like it is a depressing film? Actually, it is not a miserable morbid melodrama, when you may take it to the heart as long as you watch it, but you forget it after it is over and go home happy. Instead of playing the traditional role of the cinema as a total escape from reality, C'est La Vie is inevitably perceived as a story of your own life. The screenplay, the direction and acting are very good and by the way, there were excellent amateur actors playing in this movie and some of them must have already passed away... Life consists of years, days and seconds - and you don't want to waste time. If you spend a couple of hours of your life on this drama, you will feel like it was worth it!

Zoom (2000)

Even good actors cannot drag a film with poor screenplay out of dull hollowness.

[3/10 · 18 November 2001]

An attractive immigrant from Romania breaks free from her husband through prostitution, blackmail, robbery and murder. She is accompanied by her next-door neighbor, a skinny unemployed male who is equally obsessed with videotaping the above mentioned sex service worker and with robbing her clients of excessive cash. Better-than-average acting by Oana Solomonescu and Florian Lukas and good operator work by the cameraman J. Widmer can not offset the complete absence of humor in the entire movie. The showcase of the handheld weapons and the apparent nonexistence of the police in the city of Berlin are hardly convincing as well. Evidently, the director (Otto Jahrreiss) was much more preoccupied with lights, shadows and colors than with producing a valuable story.