All posts by Ewald

Hell
6.7

Hell

Dark days have come under the scorching sun. The world was plunged into chaos which after the greatest natural catastrophe. The temperature rose 10 degrees, and the Earth gradually burned under the scorching rays of the sun. The water disappeared, all living things gradually faded. So the sun, called to give life, became a terrible tool for the destruction of our planet. At the same time, people, in their desire to survive, have brought to the Earth a haze of heartlessness, cruelty, and malice.

A group of three young people tries to reach the mountains by car, where there are water and food. Along the way, they face the troubles and cruelty of the survivors. There are explosions, a chase, a fight. People are confronted not only by nature but also by a group of other survivors

As is the rule in this genre, the viewer watches several people who, by the will of fate, find themselves together and are looking for ways to survive. What is not easy in an environment where water and fuel are worth its weight in gold and the planet gradually turns into a desert like Mars. The emphasis here is on people’s attitudes and their moral principles.

In my mind, it is a very good movie. I watched it in one breath. The film captures and every minute makes you think and guess what happens next. There are no forewords and explanations, the viewer must comprehend the whole picture and digest the self-such approach. The film was worthwhile and all this time I was in suspense, I was sympathizing for the heroes who had to survive in a catastrophically difficult situation, without any resources.


My Blind Date with Life
9.5

My Blind Date with Life

“My Blind Date with Life” is a light and pleasant, soulful and life-affirming film, with a perfect soundtrack, a good sense of humor. This life story is about a hero who thanks to willpower and perseverance goes to his goal through obstacles, leaving behind a positive image and a lot of positive emotions.

The film is based on the autobiographical book of Salia Kahahuatta and is really inspired by a real simple guy from a small town who suddenly lost 95% of his sight due to illness by the end of the school. But that fact didn’t stop him not even for a second on his way to achieving his goal.

Here we have a beautiful and touching picture depicting the path of Salia from blindness to the first of his achievements: he completes training at one of the famous hotels in Munich.

Frankly speaking, in this movie, we can observe the opposite side of the life of a disabled person. A small choice of work (the hero is constantly told to forget about the dream, to accept his situation), distrust, difficulties, perfectly realizing that it is easier to forget about your big dream. And that’s why the film is worth seeing for romantics and pragmatists!

I think the movie is a bit difficult to watch because you are so sympathizing with what is happening on the screen that sometimes it becomes unbearable to stand it. But at the same time, you are felling happiness for the main hero.
If to say, in general, the film turned out to be dramatic, but at the same time dynamic, kind, funny, sweet, touching, and after watching, you still have more bright and positive emotions than negative ones.

A fascinating story, unforgettable heroes, an inexpressible atmosphere of warmth, friendship, sincerity, and love saturates the whole movie. After watching, you will definitely want to believe in the best and make your dreams come true!


In the Aisles
8.8

In the Aisles

The main hero of the movie, a guy named Christian, gets a job in one of the local supermarkets and even doesn’t suspect that inside the utility rooms flows a completely different life. Life between the rows has its own characteristics; therefore, no one except workers can understand its principles and accept conditions. Huge rows with goods are daily witnessed quarrels, love relationships, gossip, and the birth of a strong friendship.
The protagonist immediately finds a common language with the staff and soon realizes that he has become one of the members of this huge community. Bruno who works in the drinks department becomes a mentor for Christian, devoting a newcomer to the fine points of retail. Affair with Marion who works in the confectionery department very quickly develops into love. But, it turns out that Marion is a married woman. When Marion takes sick days, Christian plunges into the deep melancholy.
This is a fairy tale, translated into the language of modern reality. A small kingdom with its own laws and an invisible king – the director of a supermarket. Blond Princess Marion from the confectionery department, who lives in the castle and is waiting for salvation. Wise mentor Bruno and meeting with death. Taming the dragon, who took the form of a forklift truck. Christmas night, where there is a place for lights, food, legends and faith in a miracle.
All this is very subtle, deeply and concisely intertwined in the gray routine of an ordinary German supermarket. The scene severely limits and at the same time reveals the talent of 37-year-old director Thomas Stuber. He finds expressive details, locations and counterpoints, creates an atmosphere that accurately conveys not only emotion but also a deep meaning.


10 billion
9

10 billion

The planet population is constantly growing and there will be 10 billion people by the middle of the 21st century. Is is possible to feed all people, using the usual ways of food production? In different parts of the world genetic engineering specialists, poultry farm owners, scientists and farmers answer this question. The era of low-tech agriculture has to come to an end. Genetically engineered salmon, grown on a Canadian farm, does not differ from ordinary by the quality, but twice as big. Concentrated forage allows cows to give more milk. Professor of the University of Maastricht (Netherlands) eat a hamburger, the cutlet of which consists of meat made in a test tube. If in twenty years on the supermarket shelf we have two absolutely identical products in front of us, while one of them is grown in the laboratory, and the other one is on the farm, what will we choose? It’s time to think about what we will eat tomorrow.


Four Minutes
9.5

Four Minutes

It is a story about two women: the 80-year-old Traude Krueger, a church organist in old age and a virtuoso pianist in her youth, and 20-year-old prisoner Jenny von Loeben who committed the brutal murder. The story takes place in a women’s prison at the end of the 20th century. Frau Kruger is an intelligent, almost arrogant woman; Jenny is a daring, but talented former young pianist with an unhappy fate. Traude Krueger has been giving music lessons in a women’s prison for many years. From day to day. But everything changes when she meets Jenny. It took a long time toget used to each other. Traude Krueger made Jenny to play the piano and escape from prison to participate in a prestigious piano contest in which Jenny will play for four minutes. She will play with such emotions and inspiration that people applauded her. Jenny will tell her sad story by music. She will play, and even when she is taken away by the police, Jenny will be followed by applause. Obviuosly, brilliant and beautiful music should be born this way.


M
9.5

M

It is classics of world cinematography, the first sound-film of the famous German director Fritz Lang, by that time famous as a silent movie expressionist, neo-romantic and for his epic works ( “Tired Death”, “Dr. Mabuse the Gambler”, “Nibelungen”, “Metropolis”).

At first glance, this is a common criminal history between drama and detective thriller about case of “The Vampire of Düsseldorf” that shook the whole Germany. Such films in cinema, especially in Hollywood, are not unusual, and it seems that there is nothing to talk about if it wasn’t for the great professional skill of the author and humanistic message of the movie.


Young Goethe in Love
9

Young Goethe in Love

The film is dedicated to the younger days of the future great poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Young Goethe, who hasn’t yet proved himself, studies in law school, but neglects his studying what makes his father angry. The angry parent sends his son to the sleepy town to work in an insignificant position at the courthouse. But in a new place Goethe falls deliriously in love with young Charlotte Buff and begins to dream of happiness with her, which seems so possible. However, as it turns out, the main character has a competitor. Great camera work in combination with harmonious music and stunning plot create a true masterpiece of cinematography.

Young Goethe in Love wants only to engage an audience with a capital-R Romantic ideal of Goethe’s first love. It does so very well. And it was well worth the effort. Also, the first kiss between Fehling and Stein is exceptionally warm — the stuff that novels, or poems, are made on.

Chicago Tribune

Winter Sleepers
8

Winter Sleepers

The film is set in a small Alpine town during Christmas holidays. Rebecca, who works as a translator, lives in the house of her friend Laura, who works as a nurse and acts in amateur performances. Rebecca’s boyfriend Marco, who works as an instructor at the ski resort, is coming to visit her. Marco leaves the door of his car unlocked with the keys in the ignition.  Projectionist René, who passes by, gets into the car and gets on the highway. Farmer Theo, carrying his horse to the vet, gets on the same highway. The fate of many characters begin to intertwined dramatically.


Engel & Joe
8.5

Engel & Joe

Joe is a 15-year-old girl who has run away from her dysfunctional mother. Engel is not a name, it is the last name of handsome blond guy, who is also an orphan and punk, who also conducts a worthless way of life. After meeting, those two fall in love with each other. They are together all the time, they make great plans for the future. Neither treason nor lie, nor prison, nor even hard drugs can separate them… They experience enormous difficulties of teenage street life, but their young, but strong feeling helps to build heir own family after all. This film is about love, mistakes and life. Ordinary young people, still almost children, live like an adult, but make a lot of crazy things on their way.


A Friend of Mine
7

A Friend of Mine

Two completely different young people (Karl, who is a successful mathematician who has a prestigious job at the insurance office, but who has nothing in his life, and Hans, who does not have a permanent job, who has no achievements, no money, but he is happy and enjoys every minute of his life). At the request of the boss, Karl gets a job at the car rental company, and here gets to know another newcomer – Hans, who is very talkative. They begin to work together rather accidentally and become real friends later. Karl slowly begins to love his life, he realizes that friendship doesn’t need cool Lamborghini or other material goods, and that completely different people can be friends, his weekdays were no longer so boring, and he also finds a girl, and he madly falls in love with her…