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Reviews
Kiberderevnya (2023)
Awesome satire if you know the context
I've been following the Birchpunk project for several years and found their production amazingly good. They started as an independent low-budget project without any funding whatsoever and have made several videos which they uploaded on Youtube for free, and immediately received the highest ratings. Top quality video, witty and funny script, good acting - just what a good movie should be about.
Then the war in Ukraine happened and they fell silent for a couple of years. There were rumours that they have signed a contract with Kinopoisk (Russian movie portal) for production of a full series. I initially had big doubts of the outcome, but when I saw the result, I was almost applauding. They have managed to create a subtle, intelligent and funny satire to the current events, so subtle that you really need to know the context to get it. But the ones who know it are rewarded twice.
The Straight Story (1999)
A meta-story
I watched it once 20 years ago or so, and then it didn't leave much of an impression on me. Maybe because I expected something different from Lynch, or maybe because in order to appreciate this film, one simply needs to grow up.
I rewatched it recently, and now I apparently have grown up enough to appreciate this movie. First of all, now I saw that the movie is actually very Lynchian in spirit, in atmosphere, in cinematography, in sound design. It has all the typical Lynchian cinematography techniques in almost every frame.
Basically, it's a road movie, but a very unusual road movie. But it is also a philosophical tale, full of symbolism, and it is this aspect that I was able to perceive only now.
What struck me the most is probably the fact that this story is based on real events that actually happened to a man named Alvin Straight who, in 1994, actually undertook such a journey. The movie was filmed in the exact town the man lived in, with the help of local organizations and residents, and the film crew undertook the same trip in order to shoot the movie (Lynch talks about it in one of his interviews).
I once heard Lynch saying that he attributes special importance to a story. A story told at the right time can change a person's life. And this movie is to a great degree about that. Each of the characters the protagonist meets on his way hears only one of his stories, but the viewer hears all the stories and sees how they change these characters; and at the same time the protagonist has his own story, unifying all the stories into one. So the entire film is a meta-story told by Lynch to the viewer. I found this moment just brilliant.
The name of the movie is thus both a pun and as play of meanings: the straight story turns out to be not as straight as it might seem.
Simple Superstar (2013)
Heart-warming story based on real events
This movie should be watched within the context of Wilbur's other activity. For those who don't know him I recommend to see other videos on his channel. He is a first class social activist, and this movie shows his path from the beginning. Made in a very simple way, it opposes both Hollywood and Bollywood and has a very clear message. I watched it already several times and showed it to some friends :)
Koma (2019)
Mind-blowing for a Russian csi-fi movie
I wasn't expecting much after all the failed Russian attempts to produce a good sci-fi movie. I was properly surprised in a good way. Yes, it has a lot of allusions to memorable Hollywood productions like Inception, The Matrix, Memento, Divergent, also at some points Tarkovsky's Stalker. But at the same time it's fresh and new in a way, and seeing what The Matrix evolved into, this one still has a good potential for a better continuation and the evolution of the philosophical idea behind it.
Black Mirror: Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too (2019)
If after episode 2 you thought it couldn't get any worse, it still did
If it were any other movie, I would have given it a somewhat higher score, maybe 4, for it being an average teen drama/comedy. But this is supposed to be Black Mirror, one of the most uncomfortable and thought provoking TV series.
I don't know what producers were thinking when they decided to 'soften' the initial gritty idea of the series. This is not Black Mirror anymore, this is Pink Blooper.