The One Where Women Sing Better Then Men

Les Misérables

It would be a masterpiece, were it not for the two main characters... Russell Crowe (here as inspector Javert) cannot both sing and act at the same time. Hugh Jackman (playing Jean Valjean, a runaway convict) does both, let's say, satisfactorily. (Actually, the only male character that, in my opinion, does sing well is the priest, who only appears for something like 5 minutes). However, the supporting actors - wow! Anne Heathaway's performance is stunning! And all the others are great as well. In fact, the average impression of Valjean and Javert's conflict lets the other, smaller threads shine.
Add to that: wonderful decorations, costumes, make-up.
Everything beautifully shot and edited.

Btw, I have a confession to make: I did not read the book before watching the movie. Shame on me, I know. In my defence, I can only say that I had only heard about the adaptation shortly before it premièred and I really did not have enough time to get the book and read the whole five volumes, if I wanted to see the show still on the big screen...
On the other hand it is not a film adaptation of the book, but of a stage musical (which, of course, is based on that book); so maybe I should rather have regrets about not having watched the musical...? Or - by the right of transitivity - both...?!

Stay tuned.

The One With Two Brothers

Lasting (Nieulotne)

A girl and a boy, students from Poland on their working holidays, meet in Spain. They fell in love. And then one terrible event breaks the romance. Back in Poland they struggle to deal with what happened.
I always find it difficult to watch this kind of stories. When you you are certain it is not going to end well, and just wait for the inevitable catastrophe. And as for that aspect, the film is an open-ended surprise.
Visually perfect. Long, trembling shots - bright colourful and dull grey, alternately... The Sundance Festival Cinematography Award well deserved, I believe.
Beautiful music by Daniel Bloom. Some piano tunes and some ambient electro pieces. (Btw, a little secret I have found out: his real name is Daniel Borcuch; and, yes, that is the reason why he often works with this movie's director Jacek Borcuch - they are brothers).
Whether it makes sense as a whole or not, is, I think, entirely up to the viewer. You can either perceive the film as a loose collection of scenes from one couple's strange relationship. However, if you keep in mind the initial event and try imagining how it may affect them in every second of their lives - then it becomes much more than just a pretty kaleidoscope.

Stay tuned.

The One Where What Is Little Becomes Big

Wreck-It Ralph

I don't know why I was so convinced that it was another film by Pixar. Which would be weird, since Brave came out not so long ago.
Whereas it is just a Disney movie - only it's not a hand-drawn but computer-generated animation. Which is not surprising, since we have already seen it in Tangled.

Ralph is trully funny. Sometimes sophisticated-funny and sometimes plain-funny - and somehow I enjoyed both; yes, even the simplest and close-to-bad-taste jokes, which were always on but never over the edge.
It's imaginative. The story is simple and predictable - but that doesn't spoil the film a bit, because it's more of an excuse to show you various worlds, their logic and dynamics.
Retro and modern at the same time. Funny when you realise the creators used sophisticated techniques in order to make an illusion of worse graphics. But only an illusion, not actual simulation - I mean the quality of the animation is very good.
Polish dubbing is quite decent - sometimes a bit worse, but sometimes better than the original.
Music by Henry Jackman (whom I love for X-Men: First Class, mostly). I have been listening to the score for quite some time now and I like it very much. It does capture varying game styles, moods, sets of characters.
However, little things are what really makes this film big: konami code (!!); angular splashes, which are supposed to imitate pixelised world; discrete movement mode of some arcade game characters; psychonaut-like Vanellope herself - for me she steals the whole show (now that I think of it, she does steal the movie: 90% of action takes place in her, not Ralph's game, and she seems to become more and more important throughout the film); her candy Wonderland-like world, which makes you look for the Cheshire Cat at every corner; Bad Guys Anonymous support group... So many tasty details!

Adorable, isn't she?

---

I have already commented on Paperman, but having seen it on a big screen, I can now truly appreciate the genius behind the technique. More on the subject:


Stay tuned.

The Short One

Paperman

A new Disney Pixar short animated film. See for yourselves:

In my opinion: technically correct and pretty; its style (computer-generated and hand-drawn animation techniques merged) matches the story. But, all in all - bland.

Stay tuned.