DaViD´82

The most impressive thing about this series is not the unprecedented realistic (as far as possible) behind-the-scenes access, strong emotions, troubles, joys, backtalk, the difference between press releases and what is really “on their mind", the portrayal of adrenaline-fueled races (Fast and Furious is no match for this action), the absolutely masterful editing (even routine scenes with not much action are breathtaking, not to mention those packed with action), intrigues full of backstabbing between stables and (together with) (co-)riders in the style of “Game of Thrones", the non-linear structure, peeling of tinfoil from polished F1 facade, to “Clarkson-Hammond-Mayovsky" (they will definitely cut that out) snapshots or the running joke in the form of “ignoring" Räikkönen. No, by far the most impressive thing about this whole masterpiece is that it gives the polished and prescribed motor-circus the human face, individuality, emotions and charm that F1 had for many of us in the 1990s, sometime around the age of Senna or the later rivalry between Schumacher and Häkkinen. I'm not at all surprised that the first season about 2018 brought an increase in interest and viewership of the season about 2019 as a result. And what about the second one, when the crew, in addition to the rest of the field, also got really close to the unstoppable Mercedes/Ferrari duo (if only for just a few races and not the whole season). This real, high-quality sports documentary series provides an insight into how it looks when the TV cameras are turned off and the press conferences are over. Generally speaking, that is something Amazon is good at, but with this series (and also Sunderland), Netflix has has an ace up its sleeve. There is currently no better-filmed, emotion-packed and information-rich insight into top sports (and there are a few damn good ones). | S1: 5/5 | S2: 5/5 |

Dark Waters is a rather standard, though high-quality, drama about a long “David versus Goliath" legislative battle in which the arrangement is clear. A conglomerate hiding its misconduct against nature/humanity and a lawyer who is becoming disillusioned but not losing his ethics. It follows the plot of the well-known Erin Brockovich and other, similar movies. What makes this memorable is the impressively disturbing Chernobyl-esque atmosphere, especially during the first half.

The first third is so packed with energy and drive that the last time I remember watching something like this was the last Mad Max. It pushes you forward, one idea alternates with another idea, you don't know whether to admire the technical aspecte, the mise-en-scène or the content, which never falls short...and is inevitably followed by a fall into the darkness. As much as the technical mastery remains, the more the film progresses, the more it turns into a variation on Come and See; the more reserved it becomes, despite the “one-shot integrity", the more episodic it is. Eventually, it completely falls apart into a jumble of scenes; sometimes unusually impressive, sometimes already seen, sometimes rather repetitive. Having slightly more or less scenes doesn’t really matter. The path (physical and internal) of the hero and the viewer would be quite the same. It's not bad or boring, not for a second. Only it's never as good as it was at the beginning. Which might be a problem for a movie intended to provide an exhilarating experience. So, it's not exactly a matter of form over content, but it's dangerously close to that. No doubt about it. However, given the very high level of the form, that wouldn't be anything negative.

Bim, guess what? FUKAFUTOKY? Finally? No, but the concept is not so different. During a journey of several weeks from the northern islands to the southern ones, May seeks to penetrate the "specifics of the Japanese nature" through one haiku after another, costume changes, food, attractions, J-POP, encounters with the keepers of tradition and many current and historical “specifics" that might look strange from the perspective of the Western world. But he bursts out laughing at every hint of a phallic symbol, any talking robot, the extroverted and loudest guide in all of Japan, his own staff and everything else too. The series' biggest shortcoming is the imbalance of individual episodes; for example, the first and fourth are pure gold, while the third about Tokyo is almost annoying. That's a shame, but I still hope that the series “Bim bursting out laughing on the road" will continue. Because the main driver of the show is undoubtedly May rather than Japan. After all, he somehow summarizes everything rather than traveling. Which, in this particular case, paradoxically, is not a shortcoming, but an advantage. And a big one. It's basically more of a sitcom about the troubles of a babbling old man than a documentary.

A mind-bending mindfuck. What you will first find interesting is the distinctive graphic stylization (using slightly sloppy rotoscoping), which you need to get used to for a while. However, this is not a gimmick. Rather, it is used for a reason, because it makes every portrayal and perception of dreamy (non-)reality work absolutely magnificently. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, because Undone is about Alma, a kindergarten teacher and her problems with her mother, sister, friend, job, herself, family history / predisposition to mental illness, moods, relationships, emotions and... Simply put, Alma is one of the most vital female characters in all quality TV production. In the category of “outrageously sympathetic sarcastic bitch", she is unrivaled. And it's not just about her. It would even work really well as a pure drama without the “extra something". But that “extra something" is present here. And in significant amounts. Alma enters a whole new world thanks to a serious car accident. She begins to perceive space-time in four dimensions. And this is where the sophisticated game with the viewer begins, where the creators very consciously juggle many balls (is she still in a coma? Has she stopped taking her meds and sunk into the depths of her madness? Is it really sci-fi based on shamanic experiences?). We will notice that in a certain type of scene, Alma always wears specific clothes and shoes. You will look at Alma both from her point of view as an unreliable narrator and from the outside, from the point of view of the characters close to her. And what a form. There is basically nothing more difficult than “filming" the (il)logic and (non-)continuity of dream (il)logic. Despite the fact that it basically doesn't make sense, as the setting, characters and events change, it nevertheless follows a logical connecting storyline, which paradoxically makes sense. Many have tried, but who has ever really succeeded? Gondry in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an exception. However, it looks like a piece of cake for the creators of Undone. And they never, not for a moment, forget the fact that it is mainly and above all about Alma and not about holotropic traveling through space and time. | S1: 5/5 |

How much did Heidi know? Not that I don't understand why a derogatory label “emptied stylistic exercise" was used, but it simply doesn't fit for one simple reason. As it turns out in the second half, the subliminal über-form that is deliberately slowly being built and which cherish conspiracy thrillers (Esmail and Campbell shall have the credit) is not a reason, but a tool. On top of that this tool does the job, because despite the seeming being cold and reserved, it is surprisingly emotional in the final episodes. Which works thanks to the fact that we gradually get to like the characters that keep making mistakes. | S1: 4/5 |

Dōmo arigatō, Mr. Robot. I believe Esmail’s statement that he had thought out the course and conclusion of the opening scene of the first episode (besides, the structure and the composition is fully in line with that; it even adheres strictly to “the course" of the song). But I only trust him in terms of Ellit's and Darlin's storyline. Not on the society-hacker level. He fell into his own trap, giving some characters too much space and then forgetting about them and... Well, let´s put it this way: He slipped more than once. However, not in the final season. Everything works as it should. Thanks to the trio of Esmail, Campbell and Quayle, the robot has always looked and sounded unmistakable and great. The fourth season takes it considerably further; each scene is an audio-visual masterpiece full of original shots, unconventional angles and unmistakable camera approaches. Light, composition, (a)symmetry, mise-en-scène; if you are into these components and you can appreciate them, then you will hardly find another project with such distinctive features, on top of which the content serves well. It would take a long time to celebrate the perfection of the final season, but basically it can by summarized by saying that even a purely gimmicky episode (on paper) along the lines of “we will film a wordless heist episode" turned out to be so nerve-racking and captivating that, although you are aware of the gimmick, it doesn't even come to your mind when watching. Great job. In fact, the excellence of the content, character development and form of the final season are unprecedented and full of one memorable moments. Even so, I will complain about one thing: The whole series comprises storylines about “hacking for a better tomorrow/dealing with Elliot's inner demons", which are basically balanced and mostly go hand in hand. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but always together. In the final part, however, this is not the case. First, the hacking storyline is addressed (in a damn good way) in two episodes, which, however, is completely free of the main, personal storyline. And then the next three episodes deal only with the personal aspect. And that is a problem. Two and a half episodes are devoted to building “something", but it must be clear to you that Esmail is too sophisticated a creator to spoil his opus magnum with something like that. So, he needlessly designs a twist out of nothing, but no one believes it. The final part is something completely different, when Elliot's story is finally addressed. Again, there is nothing to complain about, because it is specific enough to change your view of the whole series during subsequent viewings, but it is also ambivalent enough to leave room for interpretation and it is emotional when it turns out that despite all the technologies and great ideas, it has always been mainly a deeply personal character odyssey.

The concept of Cimrman's Záskok (ten golden rules of non-acting, Hamlet without Hamlet, etc...you know, what I mean) in a British interpretation and played out ad absurdum. And even further. I mean much further. It is extremely funny without exception, packed with one-liners and with some gimmicks. And so, in the “Tennessee Williams" episode, the set designers didn’t understand that 90 degrees is related to weather, not the position of the set, and in another episode they mix up the scale, enter the set during dramatic scenes, etc. On top of that, you have actors with top comedy timing (and stunt training) who play amateur actors with a really straight face; they forget the script, do not understand the allusions, look at the audience, exaggerate their accents... Well, above all this there is another level, when in every episode there is a deliberately failed and misunderstood adaptation of the traditional drama genre; southern drama, gothic horror, Christmas story, “Austen story", court drama or war/spy drama. Some are damn good, while others are just good. Some jokes are repeated across performances, but thanks to the running time, you will fortunately not become bored by them. However, there are several parts in each episode when you won’t stop laughing. Even the worst episode is still a fast-paced, above-average comedy. But there is also the third “judicial" episode and... And I'm really wondering if I've ever seen a funnier half-hour containing that many running gags. It is so incredibly good that it can be put on the pedestal of the “funniest performance" next to the Czech stage play Záskok. And that means a lot.

#MeToo goes to (synthwave) eighties space. It works as long as the duo of directors relies purely on (non-)Carpi and the visuals. It often even has unprecedented drive. Like in first movie. However, with the swelling of the running time comes the effort to frame it in a sci-fi concept from a genuine 1980s VHS B-movie, including (non-)action, (non-)dialogue, (non-)acting by (non-)actors, etc. And when handling these aspects, the Ickermans are completely clueless and unintentionally ridiculous.

A fine, Nineties-style Bruckheimer-esque flick with all of the strengths and weaknesses that we haven’t seen for a long time. Furthermore, it's a sequel that is, within limits, not likably not over the top (except for the scene with the armed sidecar). With its style and scale, the duo of music-video directors definitely come closer to the first movie than to the crazy second one. If there had not been pointless filler and the slow paced middle sequences resulting from it and rather slow action, there wouldn't be much to fault them for apart from trying to copy early Bay (albeit successfully). But the most important thing is that, surprisingly, this is not the worst movie of the trilogy. Taking into account that the main roles are played by two 50-year-old actors (one is fat and the other is past his prime) after almost two decades, that is encouraging as well as surprising.