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9/10
A very "Russian" rendering by a non-Russian animation crew
14 February 2011
This one might be controversial. In a time when animation studios like Pixar or DreamWorks create tons of successful high-budget animation films with lots of action and tension in it, one might wonder if there's still a place for films like these. Well, in my opinion, those are two very different animals. If you want action and suspense and you don't care about anything else, then go see "Toy Story 3" or "The Incredibles" and forget about this one.

This story is from a time when nothing of the above-mentioned existed and people weren't dreaming of flying superheroes. This is a down-to- earth picture which deals with philosophical issues, without being pretentious and without demanding to much of its viewers.

This particular realisation of that powerful and touching story is perfect in every way. Wonderful figures, a great attention to detail and an adequate rendition of Prokofiev's Suite altogether create a very genuine "Russian atmosphere". It is a true masterpiece and definitely deserves a wider audience.
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An Education (2009)
9/10
Wow! That sure educated me!
13 February 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Well, clearly this film isn't for everyone. Judging by the other reviews, I can say that most people mistook this for a simple "romance flick" and didn't see the point in it at all. But even if you miss the point, it still remains an aesthetic masterpiece. You can feel genuine 60s atmosphere all around, the characters have quite diverse and interesting personalities and are yet well defined, the lines are intelligent and yet often exhilaratingly funny. And the cast was just amazing. I was intrigued by an arcane Peter Sarsgaard, carried away by the effectual mimic of Carey Mulligan, I was amused and felt yet identified with Alfred Molina's funny inhibitions, and I literally melted away from Rosamund Pike's sweetly silliness.

I have to admit, that after watching it the first time, I didn't understand the moral of the whole story. The fact, that David was married, seemed to me as an unfortunate circumstance that shouldn't have kept the girl from doing what she enjoys and living her dream. When she was accepted at Oxford, her problem still hadn't been solved. She would have be doing what she declared to be boring. Once again her life would have lacked excitement and pleasure.

But... You have to remember what gave her that excitement in the first place. Everything David possessed, whether material or non-material, he acquired dishonestly. And as easily something is acquired or achieved, as easily it can be taken away. That applies to both his wealth and his personal life. In his professional life, he chose the easy path by stealing, and in his personal life he made it easy for himself by lying. When Jenny found out about him being married, the whole dream just vanished into thin air. Now let's just imagine for a second that the police found out about David's criminal activities... He would have been left with nothing. Just like what happened to their relationship. Easy come, easy go.

When Jenny said: "The life I want, there's no shortcut", she understood that if you want to possess something permanently, there is no other way, than to earn it with your own sweat.
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2/10
I'll give it 3 D's: Drawn out, Dreary, Disgusting.
13 February 2011
If this film had not been directed by Tarantino, but still would have been the same film, it would have become a C-picture with a rating not above 5.0. What is this supposed to be anyway? Pseudo-intellectual? Pseudo-aesthetic? I don't know. I don't see any beauty or intellectual challenge in this whatsoever. It is an agony to watch a man inspecting a sword for two minutes, which he was supposed to be looking at for a whole month before that. And a soon as the viewer is about to fall asleep, someone's guts are spilled all over the place. I can't imagine brutality that is more pointless and sickening. People who take other people's lives without feeling anything should not be glorified like this. Mr. Tarantino clearly has some serious issues. If only he kept them to himself...
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