film_weaver

Do you belong to the target group of this movie? For each positive answer, add a star to your rating: * Are you rooting for sweaty beefy guys with a good soul, but a bad choice of profession and hobbies, and a simple mind who have significantly more luck than brains, but still prefer to give rather than get advice?

* Can you stand Stallone's acting performance, which consists of a constant blank expression on his face and a frequent tottering as a country bumpkin trying to attract the attention of simpler females in front of a disco?

* Would you be satisfied with the climax of an (otherwise passable) romantic plot that is more primitive than the main protagonist himself?

* Do you like to watch the contrast between a poor main acting performance and a collection of well-acted but sometimes bizarre supporting characters?

* Are you such a miserable existence that you console yourself with the fact that there is a much bigger nuisance (Paulie) on the screen than you are after six beers?

* Do you enjoy the almost artistic depiction of a shabby industrial district, downfall and life that leads nowhere (as if cut out of Russian reality) in occasional contrast with shiny shots of the city and the arena?

* Do you really not mind watching boxing, although decently filmed?

* Do you find Gonna Fly Now an inspirational song?

However, I don't know if the high rating does not say more about you than about the qualities of this film.

And who and why would consider this film a legend? Perhaps some muscular thickhead who hopes that someday he too might strike it lucky?

And what about the Oscar for the best picture awarded by American academics? I don't know if there were too many Republicans or why All the President's Men didn't win, but this Oscar didn't age well.

Once upon a time there was a kid who wanted to break into the world of film, but many picked on him for his simple-mindedness. But he had the "privilege" of growing up in a "conservative" American family, so he was surrounded by superficial American ideals and motivational platitudes like "I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength." Thus he managed a career directing TV commercials full of actors with a stiff smile and silly lines. When pride went to his head, he decided he can do better and made Soul Surfer - a collage of superficial surfing videos in the manner of toothpaste commercials. It is characterized by artificial characters as if taken out of a (bad) American dream, or TV commercial of one. These characters adore success and beauty, produce fake emotions, cheesy dialogues and affected reactions; all of them donning unified faces with bleached hair and whitened strained smiles. All the scenes look like commercials - even the one where Bethany loses her arm; some are completely bizarre, e.g. Returning from the hospital or identifying a shark by its teeth (sic!). Many scenes literally are commercials for the Ripcurl brand.

I guess we shouldn't be surprised that the main protagonist does not suffer from post-traumatic stress in this idyll. But that neither do the Thai children, to whom American volunteers brought surfboards to let them ride sea waves after a devastating tsunami?! And even more realistic is the scene in which Bethany single-handedly overtakes a two-handed paddling opponent.

A majestic tribute to all those who fight against the exploitation of people and their shortcomings. Or even a homage to rebels against past conventions. It's basically the Matrix in six different flavours, not only conceptually, but also dramatically and especially visually.

In addition to the central message about the responsibility of each individual for the development of society, the creators did not forget to highlight the contribution of investigative journalists or remind indifference of people to the climate crisis.

Intertwining stories also present rather fascinating multi-roles of actors, among which Hugo Weaving stood out for me, whom I would dare to compare to Johnny Depp from Wish.