michael_palin Reviews

V for Vendetta (2005)

Don't hope or you'll be disappointed, Hollywood prevails

[3/10 · 1 August 2006]

Well, every good part of the movie was taken from the book, and half of it which was rewritten is terrible. They have changed so much for commercial reasons, flattened the story, simplified it, took every human aspect away. The movie could be made without changes and would still sell, but no. The party leader isn't a man in the movie rather an angry, dumb psychotic face on an lcd screen. One of the best parts originally was the his humanity, his complexes his love for his nation. They changed the story line, the ending is different (beggining too) excellent characters were taken out, great points of the plot. The Kitch rules. There are two good actors, Nataly Portman (surprisingly) and Stephen Rea, most others are written too simply to have a chance to act bad. The technology the Brothers added - giant lcd screens, new age computers - also make it worse.

Beside the bad points, the movie has beautiful shots in it, although i still liked these shots better in the comics (really). If you haven't read the graphic novel than you'll enjoy it more than i did, but if you enjoyed it you must read the book, you'll like it more it will also explain many things you didn't understand because of the missing scenes.

I'm not saying not to watch it, - watch it, but wait for it to come out on TV, the theater screen is either for excellent movies or for ones that there's no point to watch without the special feel the theater gives to the visual and sound effects (lord of the rings). This one is neither.

Blue White Collar Criminal (2004)

A fictive documentary about left-wing raves, attempts of selling of xtc, and a flight to Prague.

[10/10 · 29 June 2005]

This movie is a fictive comic documentary about Eitan Kalish. The creators of the film are students of the Sam Spiegel school for film-making and television, and it is registered as the lowest-budget movie ever made in Israel. Eitan Kalish had just broke-up with his Czech girlfriend because she decided to return to Prague, and was afraid to live in a foreign country. Later he decides to fly there anyway, so he gather's money by selling ecstasy in left-wing rave (for non-Israelis: our country's left-wings aren't radicals or extreme socialists, they are simply burgua, mostly high-educated pacifists). The storyline doesn't take an important position in the movie, and there is more of a feeling of the individuality of each scene.

Operation 'Y' & Other Shurik's Adventures (1965)

Great, most amusing soviet film.

[26 October 2004]

It is one of those 'must' soviet films that any educated man should see. Most talented actors, really cleverly made script and all, and also containing many words and phrases that got into lexicon. Nikulin as always geniusely acts both the facial expressions in the song "Postoy Porovoz", and the ones in other scenes (like the fight with Shurik). I could say that the song alone is enough to watch it, even for those who did not directly experience that kind of life, it would still cause a sense of cheerful nostalgy. Morgunov - also one of the most talented and known soviet actors, for those who ever liked him - it is most definitely one of his best pictures. Few more can be said, I mean - just watch it.