If there is someone you can associate with adventure, it's Indiana Jones. A scholar beloved by his students can also be the protagonist of a series of exciting films and a womanizer. And, as every complex character, he's bound to have some women issues and father and son issues to make him more of an ordinary human. Ordinary is not something he seeks, however. He is there for the unattainable - magic, legend, and power of religious artifacts. All the above are hidden, protected, and to reach them, you have to come up against some deadly challenges, fierce and dangerous competition, with a lot of stamina and self-wisdom involved. But is there a better adventure? At this point almost legendary, a series of entertaining and compelling films, and one lonely hero against the power of history: Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade, and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Enjoy.
We all come from somewhere: our current location, dream job and desired destination in the world of emigrants and immigrants cannot wipe out our roots. And these roots, entangling our toes, feet, and ankles, remind us of long-forgotten history, ancestry, and family. But in the melting pot of new traditions, Starbucks' culture, borrowed ideas, foreign fashion and languages isn't it good to go back to the square one and appreciate our own uniqueness, diversity and depth? Maybe family meetings are great lesson of being humble and in peace with oneself? All cultures, however, have their unwritten rules which need to be accepted. One of Chinese traditions is lying to someone who is about to die about their actual health. Knowing that someone dear to you is sick, can you really blend in and maintain a lie? The Farewell.
Seventeen is not really a dream come true age to get pregnant. That's right, you can glorify it in teen reality TV dramas about how teenage girls try to juggle growing up and motherhood, but you can have a better idea about your future and not really want a child in it (either at all or for now). But your country/state/politics might not help you to deal with your situation especially when you're left without the support of your family, friends, and a boyfriend. You might have to find money, travel miles, and take with you someone who you can trust the most. A Thelma-and-Louise-like journey with a contemporary problem. How to deal with the world when you're a young woman in the country full of religious fanatics and irrational paradoxes? How valuable does a real friendship turn out to be, and why so many of us, young women, will find it a heart-warming story about a heartbreaking life choice. Unpregnant.
We love the lives of the rich, beautiful, and successful. However, there are only a few of those who will have a chance to enjoy luxury lives without limits. The reality is far harsher. Some of us will at some point in our lives lose their jobs, witness the break-up of their marriages, and face the struggle with the system that doesn't respect the old, weak, sick, or in need. How humiliating can be acquiring help from officials, dealing with people's lack of imagination, unwillingness, and indifference? Why can it happen to us all, many of whom are just one salary away from being homeless, hungry, or in debt? Why providing for your children forces you to take up any profession, even one socially condemned? A story of an unusual friendship in need and one man's fight with the British social system: I am Daniel Blake.
We got used to male detectives: Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie's Hercules Poirot occupied our consciousness for decades. What we needed was someone new and fresh. And a woman. Because what was for decades ignored by others, was female intelligence, bravery, and the ability to notice what to man's eye is unseen. So wouldn't you like to engage in a detective mystery and a brave escape from the strict rules of conventions, tight structures of corsets in the male-dominated world of 19th century England? Enola Holmes is a smart aspiring detective and an example to follow for many girls growing up nowadays with access to Netflix. Based on a series of novels by Nancy Springer, Enola Holmes.
You can't be successful forever and in any profession, there will come younger, more talented and eager. But giving them a chance, might change your outlook on your career and allow you to go with the time dynamics. The values of each generation won't stand the test of time for the younger, just as video casettes were replaced by on demand streaming platforms. But wouldn't it be great to merge experience and reputation with the fresh perspective? Maybe this is what a true cooperation should look like in the changing times, allowing the young to learn and the old to get to know the new exciting stuff. Television is a great example of how experience supports novelty. What if two young women at the beginning of their careers were to face very stubborn established TV personalities and win their hearts? Late Night and Morning Glory. Enjoy.
Go fight the forces of nature and find out how small you are and how weak! Pride is our greatest sin; our belief in our unstoppable, unsinkable, undefeated - laughed by Mother Nature with countless casualties. And we tend to forget about it just as often as we are reminded. We established rules, which are here to curb our wild tempers but up there, far away at sea, those rules don't apply. Imagine a ship that sets sails to hunt for whales' oil. Imagine a monster whale that can destroy a human plan with one move of its tail. Imagine being lost, stranded, and alone: with death breathing into your neck and choices no one wants to make. Inspired by America's epic Moby Dick, a story of the sea, friendship, and a sense of duty to the core of human values. In the Heart of the Sea.
We've been obsessed with immortality for centuries. The fact that we believe in Jesus Christ's resurrection, reincarnation, and afterlife tells us that we, people, do fear death and the unknown beyond it, and, having gotten used to the life's charm, would like to prolong our stay on Earth as long as possible. This leads us to the pursuit of life eternal. Imagine people who never die, but heal from every wound and every excruciating unsurvivable crash. Imagine a team of such individuals who meet at some point in history to work together. What can be done with such potential? Is the mystery of immortality reserved for the few selected or should it be available to everybody? Is eternal life possible without pains of the hostile world or does it lead to loneliness and abandonment? And is there really something like a bottomless well of life energy or there's an end to everything? The Old Guard.
The human body doesn't have the limitless potential and godlike powers. Unfortunately, either the brain or the muscles have finite capacity and can't accomplish the impossible. For anything that should work we need teams. And maybe one Ethan Hunt alone (or if you prefer Tom Cruise alone) wouldn't be able to save his beloved from certain death or the world from collapsing, but with a team of qualified friends, gadgets and technology, a plan and a bit of luck, he might leave you speachless. At the end of the day, is there anything that the cinema can't create? The suspencion of disbelief can allow you to take part in a series of action films and grant you that no mission is impossible indeed. Enjoy.
You cannot treat Hollywood too seriously. At the end of the day, it's a business. Award-winning shows, gossip, scandals, blockbusters and flops, big money, bigger loves, even bigger falls, and sexual exploitation are the background for the hundreds of stories which are just stories with fictitious characters, decorations, and costumes. But what is great about it all is the fact that this business can actually laugh about itself in the way the best Hollywood magic allows. So can you make fun of all historical films, Robin Hood legends, Star Wars glory and the fear of Dracula? Of course, you can. With the naughtiness of a boy, who pokes fun at our naivety and far too serious creator's ideas. Mel Brooks had a gift for being such a naughty clever boy in the middle of Hollywood pompousness. History of the World, Part 1; Spaceballs, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and Dracula: Dead and Loving It. Honestly, so much fun!
What a better way to be entertained than to engage in a police case of chasing ruthless criminals, with the assassination of Elizabeth II, the President or guests at the Academy Awards in the background? Especially, when your protagonist, a policeman, Sergeant Frank Drebin is not a typical successful representative of the profession. Full of unbelievably bizarre situations, hilarious serendipities, no respect for any kind of authority, be it power, age, and good taste, comes a series of films which after over thirty years can make you laugh and find the situations relatable. At the end of the day, the good guy wins it all along with a beautiful woman, so no time wasted. The Naked Gun.
There are very few stories that are known by practically everybody in the World, and truthfully so, they deserve to be. Whether you're in your seventies or in your teens, you are familiar with Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, R2D2, C3P0, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padme Amidala, Rey, Kylo Ren, Yoda, and many many more. George Lucas did something unthinkable for the human race. He created a myth, not even claiming to base it on reality, and amassed a cult following of willing, younger and younger fans. He provided children and adults with game ideas, Halloween costumes, and dreams. He launched careers, made personalities alive, inspired toys and gadgets. But also, he left a saga of unforgettable, funny, original characters who are willing to stand up against the forces of evil. Nine films in the saga, spanning from 1977, additional stories and TV series, hours of entertainment: endless possibilities to become a fan yourself. And can there be a greater Force? Star Wars.
It's funny how as teenagers we dream about our ideal future and as young adults, we tend to plan our lives, marriages, children, careers, but these dreams and plans turn up to have little to do with reality. But can you really plan these things? When all your friends are dating guys their own age can you expect to fall in love with a much older man? Can you dream about being someone's stepmother? Do you picture yourself as a second or third wife? Do you take into account that fairy tales happen usually only in fairy tales and the prince is just a regular guy with a lot of kingdom-related problems and a wandering eye for ladies of the court? What if you (realistically assessing your personal life) decided on single motherhood, but life got in a way? And if you aren't happy with the result, can you really plan a way out? Maggie's Plan.
The most frustrating thing in life is to run into a stumbling block of your ambition. But some things are just so difficult to overcome. Money, class, background, education - these things you won't easily acquire and there are no shortcuts. But if once rejected, you badly needed to be accepted back? What can you resort to in order to make your plan work and the girl of your dreams like and trust you back? Is there a limit to your scruples or Machiavelli was right and "The end justifies the means"? How a boy with no money and prospects tried to make it in the city of Warsaw. The Hater.
It takes time to learn your true vocation. You might get in the trap of money, sex, and idleness and be too blind to learn the value of work and love. But time is a great teacher. What comes easily to you, can be as easily taken away. True skills, however, will stay and help you recover from the greatest misfortunes. The loss will teach you the value of friendship, love, parenthood, and profession. And then - you're changed. And people do change, once they suffered enough, learned a lot or got bored with the same things over and over again. How did it happen to a young, arrogant medic who happened to find himself at the king's court? Great costumes, palaces, and rituals of the epoch and one lost young man prone to sin, Restoration.
You always remember those who wronged you, don't you? Even one critical remark lingers for years, one hateful comment blurs hundreds of positive ones, one failed purchase sours your mood and memories of many successful ones. One accident leaves you traumatized and one failure in a relationship makes you cautious with the subsequent loves. But if you're innocent, entirely and blissfully and there are those who purposefully destroy your career, freedom, love, and family? Can you forget the betrayal? Can you really let go? Or will you find peace only when you revenge those who wronged you? Taking into account circumstances, making use of the true reversal of fate and pure luck, you might regain what was once taken from you. Life is made of ups and downs and this story is the epitome of its giggles of fate. A classic still exciting, enjoyable and interesting, based on a lengthy Alexandre Dumas' novel, with multiple film adaptations. Do you believe in God's justice? The Count of Monte Cristo.
Some die young. Yes, tragically, not everybody is going to make it and enjoy their lives to the fullest. Some will end up with many unfinished stories and unfinished business. But if you had a chance to come back in another body with memories of your past life and were able to mend what was once broken? Young Robert Downey, Jr. and Cybill Shephard as a pair of lost lovers. A play on reincarnation and a feel-good comedy that hasn't lost its appeal. Chances Are.
Have you ever experienced a job burnout? However motivated you might be entering a profession, after a while, after months and months of problems, conflicts, or simple overwork, you start to lose the sense of your vocation. What if your job is playing in a science fiction TV series which has been dragging for some time and even fan meetings started to be tiresome? Looks like a long way down? But what if the fiction was far closer to reality than you thought? Maybe your job had an actual purpose to save the galaxy from perishing? Fun to watch, Galaxy Quest. Enjoy.
I've read somewhere that now it's a good time to have a daughter. She can decide on her future, make her conscious professional and personal choices, and add so much to the society. Still some countries perceive having a daughter as a waste of resources: abortions of unborn girls are common as families welcome boys. Boys: the future, the business resources, the fathers, the succession of the family name. You are lucky if you weren't born in these places. You can also consider yourself lucky if you weren't born in times when being a woman was almost a curse. What if your only duty was to get married and bear children, without which you'd be considered worthless? What if having a boy was your only path to privilege? What if your adult life started as being nothing more than the third wife? Enjoy.
Every epoch has its do's and don'ts. And if you're set firmly in the society and wish to fit in the norms for the reasons of career and financial security, your personal feelings and happiness might be completely disregarded. What if a man on the verge of getting married met a woman who redefined his idea of love and passion? Would he follow his heart, abandoning what he had and deep down didn't want and chasing after what he really desired? Or would he conform for the sake of security and reputation? In every epoch, there are women more independent and scandalous than the accepted norm. Not all marriages of love survive and not all liaisons out of reason are unhappy, which makes the choice even harder. But despite the glamorous clothes, society's balls and slightly outdated lifestyle, is the situation any less different than what can happen to you at present? The Age of Innocence.
