Marketa Lazarova (Frantisek Vlacil)
***1/2 - I've read this being compared to Game
of Thrones. I can definitely see it. It's about a clan that runs afoul of
their ruling king and all sorts of complications abound. The title character is
the virgin daughter of a neighbor village whom the rebel clan kidnaps. It takes
a while to get into and it drags here and there but when it delivers, it really
delivers and becomes a really exciting, compelling piece of work. This is my
second film from director Frantisek Vlacil whose other film I've seen of his,
Valley of the Bees also similarly
juxtaposes and depicts religion, sexuality and savage violence. I liked that
film just a tad better but I think this one is excellent piece of work. It's
nice to discover great filmmakers.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
(Peter Jackson) *** - Is it as good as the original Lord of the Rings trilogy? Overall as a film?
No. Does this film justify turning a light-hearted adventure book whose story
should have just been told in a packed 2.5 hours into a full trilogy? Not
really. But that doesn't mean that this film doesn't have really good moments.
Peter Jackson still knows how to create exciting action sequences. The barrell
chase scene was delightful and fun. But the highlight is of course Smaug, voiced
by Benedict Cumberbatch, a really awe-inspiring creation. Even at over 2.5 hours
long, the film feels brisk. It is enjoyable overall. But I still think splitting
this into three is a huge mistake.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Great update
should've been two films instead
Definitely gonna check out Marketa Lazarova! I love black and white movies and I love game of throwns!
As for the Hobbit? I agree the barrel scene was best, but I think putting it in three parts was a great idea! Heck if I had my way, each Lord of the Rings movie would have been in three parts! A Nineology (or whatever) instead of a trilogy!! Heck they'd have been making the movies right up till the Hobbit was released!!
Post a Comment