Roq Efeller Reviews

Yshov tramvay N° 9 (2002)

A cheerful piece of animation.

[8/10 · 27 November 2002]

Do you remember "Neverhood"? Well, Tram N9 uses the same technique, but for different purposes. It's also very similar to "Wallace and Gromit": both are brilliant and memorable.

Movie is finely made and incredibly funny to watch. Every minute of it is full of gags which play up the situations, very well known to employee, that uses public conveyances at rush hours.

In 2002 "Tram N9" won a grand-prix at IX International Festival of Animation "KROK", and a 1st place in nomination "Short" at XXXII Kiev International Film Festival "Molodist" ("Youth"). No wonder that the creator of a film, debutant Stepan Koval, at once has become a local celebrity, -- at "Molodist" his "Tram" was the only ukrainian work deserving of praise.

Molytva za hetmana Mazepu (2002)

Horrifying dilettantism.

[2/10 · 27 November 2002]

I've made a brief quiz through my friends, colleagues and relatives (about 60 people in all), after the "Hetman Mazepa" was shown on the wide screens here, in Ukraine. The question was simple: "Did you like it?". Everybody said "no", except for one person, the professional critic, who admired it much, and compared with "Plan 9 from Outer Space".

And this is true. "Hetman Mazepa" compete with films by Edward D. Wood Jr. for the right to be called the worst movie ever made. Don't expect, that you'll make it through all the 2 h 32 min of the show. Usually, 98% of audience left after the first 40 minutes.

Maybe (1999)

Possibly Maybe Probably Love

[27 November 2002]

*** Possible spoilers below ***

I don't know, if Cedric Klapisch have seen "Window to Paris" (1994), but the comparison strongly suggest itself: both main characters, Arthur and Sergei, travel through space-time by the means of corridors, garrets and windows. Artur makes a trip from contemporary Paris to ruinous Paris of future, where he meets his aged son, daughter and their families.

Possibly maybe this film could be a little bit better, if the director won't lose his temper right from the beginning. The movie started very energetically, with some great unusual scenes emerging from very usual situations, -- but, after the Arthur finds the window to future sand-covered Paris and talks to his descendants -- the storyline goes completely illogical and unreal, and I (sorry) can't believe in what is taking place no more.

"Peut-etre" is very nice, sentimental and funny, but it would vanish from your memory right after you'll leave the cinema hall.