Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)

In a post-apocalyptic future, an imprisoned criminal is tasked with bringing back the granddaughter of a local chieftain who seems to represent the lawful and unlawful local power.

'Prisoners of the Ghostland' is a film that is hard to define. Probably the closest it could be described as is an absurdist post-apocalyptic thriller. Nicholas Cage is the typical hero played in many other titles (with slightly more intense messianic traits), and Sofia Boutella is the missing girl, but the rest is meaningless madness, possibly with some failed attempts at clever symbolism (the mixture of Oriental and the West represented by the wild west - perhaps representing the cultural pollution coming from the West and such other ideas). Watchable, but pointless.

Director:  Sion Sono     

With: Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Bill Moseley

Rating: 5/10

Vivarium (2019)

A couple looking for a new home gets stuck in a weird suburban neighborhood with identical houses.

'Vivarium' is a mysterious, almost absurdist film with philosophical intentions. The central pieces of the story are the two young people and a child they have to raise as they think best. At some point, the reasons and explanations for anything occuring become redundant and completely irrelevant, the strongest impression left on the viewer being from the memory of the effect of the events on the child and the two young people especially. It all comes down to the human ability to be parents and the quality of the rewards and gratitude for the effort parents make. The overall effect of the film cannot be called anything else but depressive or maybe, in a few cases, a naive one, which generates some form of pride.

Director:  Lorcan Finnegan     

With: Imogen Poots, Danielle Ryan, Molly McCann, Jesse Eisenberg

Rating: 8/10

Vivarium (2019)

Un cuplu ca cauta o casa noua ramane blocat intr-un cartier suburban de case identice.

'Vivarium' e un film misterios, aproape absurdist, cu intentii filozofice. Piesele centrale ale povestii sunt cei doi tineri din cuplu si un copil pe care trebuiesc sa il creasca asa cum cred ei mai bine. Motivele si explicatiile devin redundante si complet irelevante, impresia cea mai puternica fiind de la amintirea efectului evenimentelor asupra copilului si celor doi tineri. Totul se rezuma la abilitatea umana de a fi parinti si calitatea recompenselor  si recunostintei pentru efortul depus. Efectul final al filmului nu se poate chema altfel decat depresiv sau poate, in putine cazuri, unul naiv, generator de o oarecare mandrie.

Regia:  Lorcan Finnegan     

Cu: Imogen Poots, Danielle Ryan, Molly McCann, Jesse Eisenberg

Rating: 8/10

Also available in English

Southland Tales (2006)

Un actor cu legaturi politice ce sufera de amnezie scrie un scenariu de film ce coincide cu o conspiratie reala.

Un film satiric ce aminteste de The Fifth Element, Brazil sau Mars Attacks! Lipsa de popularitate s-ar putea explica prin lipsa de "lipici" al povestii inchegate pentru a lega toate elementele incompatibile sau prin dezamagirea fanilor unor fete indragite in a-si vedea idolii in roluri complet diferite de sablonul lor obisnuit. In ciuda acestora, filmul cumva functioneaza si are sens, mai ales daca devii familiar cu intentiile initiale ale regizorului. Acesta si-a dorit a scrie si regiza o satira ce critica contextul politic al vremii (cu accent pe specificul Americii): libertati civile, securitatea statului, obsesia pentru celebritati, salvarea ecosistemului. Povestea este complexa, adesea incoerenta si totusi consistenta, si atrage tocmai prin originalitate si lipsa completa de predictibil precum si prin multele contraste oferite de rolurile atipice acordate multimii de fete cunoscute.

Se pare ca este si primul film in care The Rock este prezentat cu numele sau real.

Regia:  Richard Kelly   

Cu:  Dwayne Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seann William Scott, Nora Dunn, Beth Grant, Bai Ling, Jon Lovitz, Mandy Moore, Lou Taylor Pucci, Justin Timberlake, Miranda Richardson, Amy Poehler, Christopher Lambert

Rating: 7/10

Also read in English

Preacher (2016-2019)

An unusual pastor with a bleak past turns his life upside down when his old love returns to his life and starts a long adventure to find God who seems to have left his post.

Filled with crazy and absurd ideas, Preacher will provide plenty of uninterrupted fun for fans, whether they want comedy, action or ridiculous situations. Expecting everything to have a deeper meaning, the entire series will unfold in front of the eyes without such satisfaction. Nothing remains holy, nothing is left without offence, all the characters are victims of weaknesses and defects, be they negative or positive characters. Just as colourful as the comic book it's based on, Preacher is visually pleasing and filled with gore-like horrors and gratuitous violence, which is only  a negative for the audience who chose this series by mistake.

Creators: Sam Catlin, Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen

Production: AMC

Featuring: Dominic Cooper, Joseph Gilgun, Ruth Negga, Graham McTavish, Pip Torrens, Noah Taylor, Julie Ann Emery, Ian Colletti

Rating: 9/10