Usually I am watching travel documentaries to get ready for a next vacations trip. I watched Simon's before and frankly, his films are not usual documentaries, they do not show tourists sightseeings, but rather some things hidden from the eye of the casual passerby. Plus, they are too sensitive and, well, hard. But being Russian, how could I miss his Russia series? In these series some things I liked, some not. But there was not a minute in all the playtime I had any doubts regarding Simon's sincerity. So, sad, but true, beautiful, but degrading. So - take a look, take a trip, make your opinion! Thanks, Simon!
Reviews
3 Reviews
The Veteran
(2011)
slow and boring instead of violent and terrifying
30 June 2014
Some sad, thoughtful and speechless English guy, supposedly Veteran, returns home (from somewhere) and submerges into strange investigation of the plans of some obscure terrorists and confrontation with local criminal with his own little army of gangsters.
Storyline is in truth a combination of two tales (about terrorists and about gangsters), it is a complete mess, unconvincing and boring, neither terrifying, nor violent. It is very slow paced and all the action is accumulated in the last 5 or 10 minutes. Finale is well worth the film - senseless and flat.
Cannot recommend it to anybody, 3/10 just for the fact I watched it till the end (will never again believe to the reviews so very inconsistent with main (low) rating)...
Storyline is in truth a combination of two tales (about terrorists and about gangsters), it is a complete mess, unconvincing and boring, neither terrifying, nor violent. It is very slow paced and all the action is accumulated in the last 5 or 10 minutes. Finale is well worth the film - senseless and flat.
Cannot recommend it to anybody, 3/10 just for the fact I watched it till the end (will never again believe to the reviews so very inconsistent with main (low) rating)...
Adventures in Zambezia
(2012)
good enough for single watch or cinema trip
10 September 2012
This is a story of a young and disobedient falcon who left his father and their nest in the isolated desert to challenge the mysterious bird-city Zambezia.
I watched this with two kids, 4 and 9, both liked it a lot and so am I. It's pretty dynamic and funny, colorful (beautiful nature, birds, animals) and has nice and lively soundtrack. Storyline is easy to follow, not too complicated for children and not too boring to fall asleep in the middle for grownups. Characters are OK, although no really memorable ones (don't remember the kids to discuss anyone on the way back from the cinema). As an extra plus I see the absence of hidden context or jokes for adults.
Overall, I think it's underrated and surely worth at least a single watch in the cinema or at home by all of your family.
I watched this with two kids, 4 and 9, both liked it a lot and so am I. It's pretty dynamic and funny, colorful (beautiful nature, birds, animals) and has nice and lively soundtrack. Storyline is easy to follow, not too complicated for children and not too boring to fall asleep in the middle for grownups. Characters are OK, although no really memorable ones (don't remember the kids to discuss anyone on the way back from the cinema). As an extra plus I see the absence of hidden context or jokes for adults.
Overall, I think it's underrated and surely worth at least a single watch in the cinema or at home by all of your family.
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