Lima

The clash of genius and mediocrity in a thrilling narrative whirlwind of emotions. Forman's film is sometimes accused of historical inaccuracies, but unfairly so. Amadeus is not a biopic, but a film about the clash of two different worlds – the world of gifted talent and the world of stubborn striving – and about the toll that an incredibly gifted man must pay to be "the one on top". Tom Hulce overacts quite a bit as Mozart, but I can't imagine any other actor in the role, and F.M. Abraham as Salieri is simply stunning, it's a shame he didn't get any other big roles. It's no wonder that sales of Mozart records increased by 50 percent in the U.S. after the film's premiere. Summary: Well deserved 8 Oscars and in my opinion, Forman’s best film.

Masterful craftsmanship without artistic compromise. A perfect study of an ambitious, egocentric soul, in whose bearer – the oilman Plainview – the film world has one of the juiciest characters in its history. The gripping first half, when the plot revolves more around the building of an oil empire, is almost visually hypnotic (the scene of the oil rig fire accompanied by rhythmic percussive music has a kind of horror-apocalyptic feel). The second half is more intimate, with the narrative focusing more on the oilman's troubled relationship with his son and the sycophantic religious fanatic Ali (Plainview's "confession" at the baptism gave me chills). It seems as if no one played Plainview, that this slightly stooped man with a distinctive moustache was brought in by Anderson in a time machine from a hundred years ago and filmed with a hidden camera, letting him live out his story… No, really. Daniel Day Lewis… There are no words to describe my fascination with his performance; the facial expressions, the complete change of voice (which doesn't seem mannerist at all), the slightly hunched posture, the imposing appearance. That's no longer acting, that's reincarnation, which perhaps only Day-Lewis is capable of using his famous 'Stanislavsky method'. Daniel and Paul, you have my applause. When Day-Lewis accepted his second Oscar this year with his aristocratic appearance and massive earrings, he looked like a being from another world. And so does this film.

I recently saw this gem for about the fifth time, but finally for the first time in widescreen uncut format (shame on our distributors that this, one of the best films of the 70s, has never been released on DVD with Czech support). It's rare that a film draws me into the action as if I were there, but Chinatown has an extremely dense, almost oppressive atmosphere of the sun-baked streets of summer Los Angeles in the 1930s, where the slowly escalating plot begins as a fairly ordinary noirish detective story, only to grow into a drama of antique proportions at the end. I've seen Jack Nicholson in many, many films, but here he plays the role of his life in my eyes, and the same can be said about Faye Dunaway. Jerry Goldsmith's music touches on perfection in places, with the saxophone never sounding sweeter than during the melodically expressive “Love Theme”. There was strong competition at the Oscars that year (Godfather II, The Towering Inferno, etc.), but I still can't shake the feeling that the academics were asleep when they awarded Polanski's masterpiece only one statuette out of eleven nominations - for screenplay. One of my Top 10 films.

A sci-fi cult-classic for true connoisseurs. I remember years ago when I was at the premiere of the Director's Cut, there were three of us sitting in the cinema. Enjoying the visual beauty of Blade Runner on the big screen back then was a completely different experience than a cropped image on TV. It's not easy viewing, it's not popcorn entertainment. The whole film follows an ambient mood that has to be felt. And if you see Blade Runner with perfect sound, you can really enjoy Vangelis' masterful soundtrack and catch the various sonic flourishes in some scenes, like all sorts of whispering or ambient sounds that add to the mood of the film. Ridley Scott created a fascinating, dark, futuristic world, and even if he hadn’t made anything else after that, he would still have been an immortal director.

Probably my greatest cinema experience. I don't know what I could praise first, the cinematography, Liška's esoteric music, the acting (the incredible Kemr), the locations – everything is perfect. A film with a multi-layered plot that captivates with its visual beauty, which combined with the magical music creates an almost spiritual experience for the immersed viewer. Markéta Lazarová is a three-hour-long visual composition, a cinematic poem to which you will either open your heart and let yourself be carried away by the raw images of the harsh Middle Ages, or you will be bored. It will depend on how sensitive you are… And by the way, Markéta Lazarová has been a regular winner of all polls for the best Czech film of all time since its release.

I first saw it in the cinema at the Czech premiere, when nobody had heard of Pulp Fiction and the name Tarantino was unknown. My friend and I walked out of the cinema and I was overjoyed to have seen something original again after a long time. My friend looked puzzled and told me he had to let it soak in overnight, he didn't know what to do. The next morning he came running to my room (in the college dorm) and excitedly announced: "Dude, it's been going through my head. It was awesome!” He ran to everyone he knew and recommended it to them and went back every day for the rest of the week with an ever growing crowd of curious people. They wrote lines from the film on pieces of paper and taped them to their walls – maybe that’s also how a cult classic is born. I really don’t know why I’m writing this, but Pulp Fiction is in my TOP 10 and I felt an almost moral obligation to say something without being repetitive. This film is like a refreshing spring in the middle of a desert of uniformity and deserves only words of praise.

Perfect in every moment. The film is of a similar vein as Malick's The New World – poetic cinematography, no rush, a story that flows very slowly and gives the great performances of the protagonists space to shine through. In Casey Affleck's case, I feel that maybe he was born to play Bob Ford. A perfect prototype of a down-to-earth little rat without a shred of charisma (in appearance, speech, gesticulation), who tries to match his bandit idol, but it’s clear that he is not up to it. At the same time, however, he arouses ambivalent feelings, partly you strongly dislike him, partly you pity him and even understand him a little. Affleck's performance was so mesmerizing that it almost overshadowed Pitt himself. He plays everything with the power of his personality, he doesn't have to try too hard, it’s enough that he "is", one probing gaze can bring you to your knees. His Jesse James is a perfectly unreadable character who hides behind a stoic, calm and animalistic brute who can blow your head off and not even blink. I have no hesitation in writing that I saw Pitt give the best performance of his career here. There are no fireworks, the film is more of an emotional affair, and if you are into MTV and believe Transformers is the best movie you’ve ever seen, do not bother with this one. For me personally, the best western in years, where every scene has a solid place and where the editor's scissors should be hidden deep in a drawer for once. PS: After 6 unsuccessful nominations, it's really time for that Oscar, Roger Deakins.

Gorgeous. With the very first shot and the first notes of the piano, I was captured and only released with the closing credits, emotionally enriched. It's hard to see a film so well directed, so easily narrated and so wonderfully acted. Artistically, too, it is flawless – thoughtful composition of images, imaginative cinematography, elaborate sets and costumes, here the Oscar nominations are very appropriate. Same with Keira Knightley, she doesn't really appeal to me as a woman (see Tetsuo's comment), but here she was divine, in both her acting and expression. And I can hardly imagine a better Mr Darcy than Matthew Macfadyen's either. In short: for the first time in a long time, a film that struck a chord with me. PS: I'm getting really interested in Jane Austen adaptations, I'm going to look for Lee's Sense and Sensibility.

An eighty-minute showcase of the Master's imagination with the irresistible Miloš Kopecký in the lead role and a completely unique and detailed visual design, even for international standards. Even Gilliam's version couldn't top this nearly 50-year-old gem. It is no wonder that Karel Zeman's films have made it into the curricula of foreign film schools. Karel Zeman is a film personality of worldwide importance!!

I could write almost the same thing for this film as I did for Pulp Fiction. When it premiered, I was studying in České Budějovice and I couldn't miss the screening in the local cinema, especially after reading the enthusiastic review in Cinema (at that time, under the guidance of Iva Hejlíčková, it was still worth something). There were about twenty of us in the cinema, and at the end there was a chorus of sniffling, accompanied by wiping tears on handkerchiefs. And what happened next? Then, full of enthusiasm, I recommended Forrest Gump to all my friends and acquaintances at the uni, and it’s admirable how word of mouth worked at a time when there was no internet (and mobile phones were the size of a small suitcase and owned only by a select few). Five days later, on the day before the last screening, I wanted to repeat the experience and I was unlucky – it was sold out! Back then, premieres and films in general were screened only for a week, unlike today's multiplexes, but with Forrest Gump they made an exception and extended the screenings for another week and almost all the screenings were full. As far as I know, Forrest continued to fill cinemas across the country for at least another year and a half after its premiere. You know, back then it you couldn't download a hideous screen-rip from the internet, you had go to the cinema for the experience.