mart-45 Reviews

Nyrkki (2019– )

Solid entertainment

[9/10 · 13 July 2023]

When one thinks of Finland in the 1950s, one might mostly picture a sleepy, peaceful country that only made headlines when they hosted the Olympics and groomed the Miss World. However, this series is ripping this image apart and reveals the country that took some beating in the WW II and finished on the wrong side, as a hotbed of espionage, a melting pot of ideologies, as inflammable as the Bay of Pigs was to be some years later. Often over the top, this series gleefully revels in it's own artificiality and bridges the gaping plot holes with stellar acting, solid direction and beautiful visuals. Some googling would enhance the viewing experience, but even without any previous knowledge about the politics of the era, the well drawn characters and the incredible plot twists make the narrative click.

Solo (2016–2018)

Strong and gripping

[8/10 · 17 February 2023]

Not at all a fan of mafia genre, I mostly began to watch this for Marco Bocci, who is really cool. The storyline was rather gripping and soon I found myself binging the series. It's intelligently written and well acted and in total, quite satisfying even if you're not a genre fan.

Now, because of the utterly pointless rule of 500 characters, let me repeat: Not at all a fan of mafia genre, I mostly began to watch this for Marco Bocci, who is really cool. The storyline was rather gripping and soon I found myself binging the series. It's intelligently written and well acted and in total, quite satisfying even if you're not a genre fan.

Absolution (1978)

Hell Hath No Fury Like an Altar Boy Scorned

[9/10 · 29 August 2022]

A gripping film with an intelligent and convoluted storyline and amazing cast, led by the minimalistically stellar Burton. Definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but flawlessly crafted, so it's down to one's preferences whether it will leave a positive or negative impression on the viewer.. Definitely worth a close look - and since this one is not a good choice for a movie night with friends and popcorn, preferrably in the privacy of your living room.

I'm getting the note from IMDB, saying Sorry, your review is too short. It needs to contain at least 600 characters, so I needed to make it a bit longer. Weird, there are some three line reviews here and I'm being asked for an epic. I have no idea how far I am from the finishing line, so perhaps I should just copy / paste some prayers here...

Wounds (2019)

Not your average SCREAMSAWWRONGTURN etc.

[10/10 · 23 August 2022]

It is very sad to realize that most of the viewers out there want films that are ... well, films that are the opposite of Wounds. I found this one near perfect and now I'm getting overprotective, so instead of 8 or 9, I'll award this film 10. For me it made perfect sense (not too much though; that would have meant I'm more clever than the film was, and I am in most of the cases) and the way dread is built up is quite unique. Arnie Hammer is top notch and the rest of the cast do a very decent job as well. The ending... sure, it's puzzling, but give it a thought and I think you'll be able to fill the void if you really try. One of my favourite flicks!

From Hell It Came (1957)

The revenge of something or another.

[4/10 · 7 August 2022]

A tree trunk, moving at the speed of 0,5 mph, catches everyone and somehow kills them. This happens to very unconvincing looking Hawaiian people in a very fake Hawaiian environment, while a California born actress is babbling in a fake Cokney accent .

Mostly unattractive actors, appalling accents, embarrassing special effects and ludicrous storyline result in a film that can be very much enjoyed when you fill yourself up with a gallon of booze. Yes, the 'so bad it's good' factor is definitely there.

However, I still have to meditate on the fact that grown-ups were involved in making this film.

Die Nacht der Zwölf (1949)

Third Reich at its gloomiest.

[8/10 · 5 August 2022]

A man prays on rich women, who then happen to die, leaving their money to that man.

A kind of predecessor to Chaplin's Monsieur Verdoux, this is an interesting Third Reich attempt at Film Noir. The shooting took place in late 1944 and by the time the Reich collapsed, the film was in editing stages and had to wait for four more years to be released.

It's not what you would expect from the Goebbels cinema industry at that late stage if the war. It's a demoralizing story with no heroes - the man, brilliantly played by Ferdinand Marian (he committed suicide in 1946) is a sociopath, his victims are dumb and unsympathetic. Of course, there's no sign of war, but there's also no escapist optimism or propaganda that is so willingly attributed to the films of that era.

The narrative is well crafted and there are some nifty camera moves. Definitely worth a look.

Das Mädchen Juanita (1945)

Grim fun

[8/10 · 5 August 2022]

A young exotic ingenue decides to get her claws into a married German man, but soon tires of him.

What makes this film memorable is the context. Had the WWII lasted a bit longer, this film, shot between November 1944 and January 1945, would have been in German cinemas in the late spring of 1945. However, the war ended, some of the actors fell out of favour or died - or both, and the film was only released 7 years later. By that time, the greatest German actor Heinrich Georg had been starved to death in a Russian internment camp. Charlotte Schellhorn had committed suicide at 23 - as did countess women when the Soviet troops approached, raping everyone in skirts. Anneliese Uhlig, who had been assigned to keep company and take care of Mussolini when he was rescued by Hitler, found it hard to get work under new regime but managed to marry an American and lead a long and active life in the US.

The film itself is an OK escapist comedy. People travel on luxury liners, there's no sign of war, let alone the imminent downfall of the whole system. It's fluently directed and handsomely filmed, there are great costumes and sets (one scene seems to copy similar sets from Blood and Sand). The acting is pleasant and even though the story is rather trivial, it makes a pleasant viewing even without knowing the background.

Der Täter ist unter uns (1944)

From yawn to mildly interesting.

[6/10 · 4 August 2022]

This is a lackluster office romace type of a drama, thinly vailed as a crime story. Bonds are being forged at a company, so everyone is under suspicion. The daughter of the CO is struggling between two love interests.

Sadly the film suffers from uninspired direction and lazy camera work. Even the utterly decorative Margot Hielscher can't save the outcome, as she has nothing much to do. You might expect her to sing, but you'll be disappointed - today she's mostly remembered as one the first true German swing singers who represented her country twice at the Eurovision, but back then UFA only featured her in one major musical, which is a total conundrum, seeing that all the actresses were made to sing in films, even those who were rather miserable at that.

Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)

Bottoms up!

[1/10 · 19 July 2022]

Cinema Saints forgive me, I love this film, but I'm giving it a 1 star rating in order to have it enjoy the status of THE WORST MOVIE EVER! Of course it's not, it's a fun watch and the more the merrier. Many other bad films will be forgotten - rightly so; this one - NEVER!

Il birichino di papà (1943)

A familiar formula

[7/10 · 14 July 2022]

Following the formula of Three Smart Girls, the creators have made a sure bet at success and, inevitably, a success it was. Miss Gelli, here probably no more than 17 years old, is a fine singer and a credible actress, even though she is directed (and made to look) to resemble Deanna Durbin: the energetic little naughty miss fixit, a free spirit who just wants to sing and not confirm to the life at the girl's school.

Sometimes Miss Gelly is much too vivacious, running around like a dervish, but that's all part of the formula. And yet, when Miss Durbin's energy always quells from within and makes her radiant, Miss Gelli does all the movements, but seems to lack the infectious charm of her American counterpart.

However, it's exceedingly difficult to understand why everyone (her teachers etc) are always so very upset and angry, when she bursts into song; even locking her up for the big school show. I just don't buy that.

It seems Miss Gelli only made some five movies, and then disappeared from the screen at barely 22 years of age. This is a shame, because she was quite good, even in the rather different role in Albergo Luna camera 34. There seems to be no information why her career ended.

Vienna Blood (2019– )

Always classy, sometimes silly.

[9/10 · 22 June 2022]

Visually, the series is a triumph. The artistic design - costumes, interiors, exteriors - is opulent; it's beautifully lit and shot (note the often occurring deep focus shots, which however are created in post production using split screen). The acting is good. The scripts often include somewhat silly twists - over-elaborate and rather far fetched, especially in the first two episodes. Music tends to be too programmatic - for example, when the characters venture to have a witty repartee, there's a comedic pizzicato score to ram the point home. If I would need to compare the series with something, I would say it has the silliness of Murdoch, coupled with the authenticity of Downton Abbey and occasionally the grim realism of Morse. Very entertaining.

Agatha Christie's Hjerson (2021– )

Sadly mediocre.

[3/10 · 15 June 2022]

There's something very lame about how the series desperatly meanders between its aspirations at Nordic Noir and eagrness to please as a quirky feel-good comedy. The often embarrassing jokes, the overused pizzicato soundtrack and the completely uninteresting storyline make this a very forgettable pastime and needless to say, irritates all the Christie fans. However, to be honest - Madame Oliver's fictional Hjerson seems to be as irritating and lame in the first place.

Sisi (2021– )

Often classy, mostly messy.

[5/10 · 14 June 2022]

I have to say I enjoyed the first episode quite a lot and was disappointed when the series began to lose its way in the labyrinth of ill-fitting desiner clothes, mediocre rock music, sloppy plot twists and completely improper comedy. A few drone shots of Vienna don't give the series any Viennese flavour, which instead feels kinda very post-Soviet. It struggles between being authentic and modernized, probably to attract a 21st century young adult viewer, and in doing so tends to lose its way. Moments of beautiful camerawork save induvidual scenes but are not enough to cover the somewhat empty narrative and the moments that reak of anachronisms. It almost feels as if there were two competing units at work - one that strives to make a downtonabbeyesque detailed trip into the history, and another that strives to make a rock opera in the vein of The Phantom that really doesn't give a damn about historical etiquette, accuracy or plausability of the events. Many overly dramatic but emotionally empty and disconnected scenes bear witness of an insecure and disfunctional team of writers and script doctors.

Often a nice fairy tale and a handsomely mounted tale, if you can look past the very preposterous twists, Franz Josef's waxed bodybuilder boobs and the endless array of haute couture dresses with zippers. And no, they didn't eat breakfast, ride or roll in the hay always in glittering, much-revealing, sex-oozing evening gowns.

Teatris (1978)

Almost BBC

[10/10 · 19 January 2022]

This very elegant production keeps getting better like old wine. I first saw it when I was a teenager and loved It; thirty years later it has taken on a new dimensioon of quality, because it deals with ageing and the reluctance to age in a most beautiful way. Also, everyone involved in theatre should watch this on regular bases, not only because of the stellar ensemble cast but also and mostly because of the intricate psychology of the medium made is made very clear in the simplest of terms.

Mania (1974)

Trashiest trash of the Trash Kingdom

[5/10 · 30 September 2021]

Gone is the Polselli of the elegant vampire features of the early sixties. Welcome AKA Ralph Brown, a sloppy director who misplaces his actresses behind the hanging cables and furniture, as if to show his contempt to proper filmmaking (or bad acting). This one screams TRASH at every possible moment - just as the heroine Eva Spadaro does. She just screams, screams some more, then laughs hysterically, until she screams. Strangely enough she didn't become the new Scream Queen of the screen - Eva Spadaro is seen here in her only film role and basic internet search doesn't render any information about who she was or what became of her.

The film is a complete mismash - mad scientists, evil twins, torture chambers and, of course, a mandatory and totally unmotivated lesbian struggle which might easily be one of the worst of its kind on the silver screen.

Altogether, if you haven't yet guessed it, it's great fun to watch and giggle!

The Blancheville Monster (1963)

Quintessential Italian Gothic spectacle

[10/10 · 30 September 2021]

Probably not a great masterpiece per se, but there's something here that so beautifully captures the essence of the era and the genre. Now that the 1080p release is available (in Italian, subs are available on opensubs), be sure to watch this one and not a washed out third generation bootleg copy in English on Youtube. You will be amazed by the richness of the black and white texture and delicate detailes in lighting and composition. I'm giving this film a 10 because the current score of 5.1 doesn't do it right!

The Empty Man (2020)

An upgrade of The Ninth Gate

[10/10 · 3 August 2021]

An intelligent supernatural whodunit for connosseurs, this movie evidently doesn't reach every viewer - which accounts for the relatively modest rating. Providing both jump scares and cutting edge philosophical conundrums, this film is perfectly balanced to provide a thoroughly entertaining and provocative cinematic experience for those viewers who allow their brain to stay switched ON while watching a horror movie. Also: a good proof that there exists major acting talent outside the mainstream Hollywood dominance. Well done!

Dead Mountain (2020)

Well constructed and beautifully executed

[9/10 · 8 April 2021]

Told in flashbacks, the series unfolds an intriguing narrative that poses interesting existential questions and dissects such canonized Russian subjects as WWII very boldly. It's also an effective, albeit slow-burning horror story, gorgeously filmed, intelligenty written and well acted. If you like eerie mountains, Soviet nostalgia and Nazi mysticism (stupenduous Wewelsburg castle!) , go for it.

Visul unei nopti de iarna (1946)

A Classic You Are Never Going To See

[9/10 · 13 June 2020]

Sadly, this film hasn't been released with subtitles, so I had to watch it (on Youtube) as it is, not understanding a word. Perhaps that's why the film created a dream-like atmosphere and held me captive from the beginning to the end. It's very well done, beautifully shot and scored. Ana Colda is a beautiful and talented leading lady and there's even a swinging hot musical number, performed by Elisabeta Lazar and a small swing band. As far as I know, the production of this film commenced already during the II World War, when Romania was still an Axis power, and finished, when Romania had emerged from the war on the winning side. It's an elegant Hollywood-style bitter-sweet comedy of manners, the likes of which were no longer produced in Romania as the Communist regime came to power two years later. I wish Romanian film authorities would restore and release this wonderful film with English subtitles!

Vivaldi, the Red Priest (2009)

Worth avoiding

[3/10 · 6 June 2020]

Amazingly sloppily written and directed TV film that consists of random episodes, edited into a seemingly coherent narrative and nothing much more. Poor handsome Steven Cree has hard time remembering which way up the violin needs to be held and can't do much to save the mishmash. Most of the musical scenes are an embarrassment to watch and underlines the writer/director's total ignorance of musical procedures. The make-up and hair of the actors, most of whom seem to be under sedation after having memorized their lines phonetically, seem to be done by a team from a school theatre. Every single scene is overly brightly lit and lacks an ounce of mood or emotion. Sadly not a good film at all.

Anna Karenina: Vronsky's Story (2017)

A worthy version in the multitude of adaptations

[9/10 · 4 June 2020]

Flawlessly produced and meticulously authentic, this production deserves more enthusiasm than it has evidently created. This version is worth checking out not merely because of the breathtaking visuals, authentic costumes and perfectly re-created historical ballroom dances (with actual orchestras playing live music on the set), but also for the compelling character development. The original miniseries takes six hours, but finally we get a compelling glimpse of what might have been going on in the mind and soul of a tormented and spirited woman in a rigid society. The beautiful Elizaveta Boyarskaya creates a high-strung, intense Anna, whose love develops into obsession and spirals down a maelstrom of unstoppable self-destruction. She gives us a mentally unstable, bipolar heroine who is as irritating as she is lovable. Her high octane performance is well balanced by the stoic but eventually deep and touching performances by the handsome Maksim Matveev (Vronski), Boyarskaya's real life husband, and the spooky Vitaliy Kishchenko (Karenin), both unable to provide her with what she needs and yet unable to let her go. The story is presented as a series of flashbacks, told thirty years later by the aged Vronski to Anna's son - not necessarily a very important narrative device, but - why not. One should definitely give this atmospheric version a chance.

Anna Karenina (2017)

Worthy addition to the multitude of versions.

[9/10 · 4 June 2020]

Flawlessly produced and meticulously authentic, this production deserves more enthusiasm than it has evidently created. This version is worth checking out not merely because of the breathtaking visuals, authentic costumes and perfectly re-created historical ballroom dances (with actual orchestras playing live music on the set), but also for the compelling character development. It takes six hours, but finally we get a compelling glimpse of what might have been going on in the mind and soul of a tormented and spirited woman in a rigid society. The beautiful Elizaveta Boyarskaya creates a high-strung, intense Anna, whose love develops into obsession and spirals down a maelstrom of unstoppable self-destruction. She gives us a mentally unstable, bipolar heroine who is as irritating as she is lovable. Her high octane performance is well balanced by the stoic but eventually deep and touching performances by the handsome Maksim Matveev (Vronski) and the spooky Vitaliy Kishchenko (Karenin), both unable to provide her with what she needs and yet unable to let her go. The story is presented as a series of flashbacks, told thirty years later by the aged Vronski to Anna's son - not necessarily a very important narrative device, but - why not. One should definitely give this atmospheric version a chance.

Three Seconds (2017)

Solid sports tearjerker

[8/10 · 25 May 2020]

An ultimate sports tearjerker, this is a reasonably well made buddy movie about the most legendary basketball event of the century. It's heavy with propaganda and Russian patriotism, but what else can be expected. The film is quite tense and smooth, in spite of some blatantly disappointing comic relief towards the end (the hippie-Harley hillbilly couple gets much too much screen time, as does the all-black NY street punk team that seems to be fixed in time to the same street corner, where they miraculously have a TV set). However, it's a very watchable movie, regardless of your political on athletic preferences, even though the story could have be told from quite a different viewpoint, had it been made in the US.

La Traviata (1982)

When will we have bluray?

[10/10 · 26 March 2020]

This version should definitely find its way to the bluray releases list. It's a flawless production with the highest possible values both cinematographically and musically. But then, of course, it's a cursed production - Domingo, Levine and Zefirelli have all been blacklisted as sexual misdemeanors and thus their amazing, life-altering work is doomed to be blacklisted. What a horrible age we live in, when art has to succumb to the fury of a woman (or, man) scorned.

Die Brüder Noltenius (1945)

In The (few still standing) Cinemas Near You!

[9/10 · 24 November 2019]

Both Filmportal and Wikipedia give the date of the opening as April 7, 1945. This makes Noltenius Brothers quite special - as the last of the twelve German films which received its premiere between January 1 and the capitulation of Germany on May 7, 1945. To be precise, another film - Via Mala - received it's first public showing on the same day (in the small town of Mayrhofen, where the filming took place, but no longer made it to the cinemas until 1948). So, exactly one month before Day Zero, there was a good day for German cinema.

The Noltenius Brothers is exactly what you would imagine it to be: very serious, sombre, dignified; a story about honor and duty and responsibility. Everything is played out indoors (as it was, by the late 1944, rather difficult to film anything outdoors and still try to hide the fact there's a war on), in an old patrician household, which serves as a reminder of an era that would be gone forever any moment. It's a "modern" film (meaning the action supposedly takes place in the present), but the whole story-line would have worked better, had the setting been changed to say, late 1800s - we get a bunch of very dignified gentlemen of the town council having very dignified meetings; at home there is a rather boring mousey little hausfrau, supposedly torn by some inner emotions when meeting again 'the other brother' whom she did not marry some twenty years ago. What makes it interesting, is, of course, the fact that we are seeing 1945 - but a warped, fun-house mirror version of that year, where there is no war, people are dancing and lingering in deep thoughts at the grand pianos, as if in a frozen dream. The atmosphere is similar to Opfergang (1944), in itself a much more interesting film (and in color).

This poor film only managed to stay in cinemas (those, that were still standing) for a week or so, as the battle for Berlin with it's brutal door-to-door combat began the very next week. So I believe that for many warn-torn people in Berlin, who were never sure if they would live to see the next morning, this must have been their final escape room from the grim realities outside.