Restore Point

The visuals are top-notch, not only for a Czech film, but on a world scale. The shots of the futuristic Prague must warm the heart of every Czech. Awesome cinematography by Filip Marek, plus a dramatic score that mimics a weaker Zimmer, and a pretty decent story that makes sense and is coherent. Unfortunately, though, to its detriment, the film is overcomplicated, terribly talky and doesn't bring much that's revolutionary, plus the twists are like from a film school. It’s like a crime TV-show but set in the future. The uneven cast and the little action show the limits that should be the focus for next time. Robert Hloz, however, did an incredible job and hats off to him for making it. Ironically, the "terrorists" were the most interesting. (01/27/2024)

A random collection of futuristic wallpapers surrounded by robotic characters, wooden dialogue and an utterly stupid plot devoid of psychology and a basic characterization of the world. In terms of narrative, Restore Point is on the level of a made-for-TV detective movie. The emphasis on design elevates it slightly, but this post-autopsy Blade Runner and post-trepanation Minority Report can’t be taken too seriously. (07/04/2023)

The 4 stars really aren't out of mercy. Anyone who's even a little bit interested in the filmmaking process knows what a pain in the ass it is, especially in our neck of the woods, where you have to beg for every cent. I won’t even mention that the whole film could have been made into a 5-minute trailer with all the visual effects shots, because I'm glad at least for that. Also for the fact that finally there was a domestic film in the cinemas without Langmajer, young Polívka, Prachař etc., and that it is not one of the usual provincial semi-romantic movies Czech cinemas are full of and that nobody remembers two months later. Here, in the case of Robert Hloz, you can feel a worthy ambition to come up with something that stands out from the current Czech film production that is contentedly rotting away on Voyo and similar channels. And in this case, I have to turn a blind eye to the fact that, if you ignore the basic premise of "resetting", which is the only one that meets the standards of sci-fi, the whole plot and the paths it winds its way through is rather on the level of a mediocre TV crime show. But otherwise, the cinematography is very nice, the compositions are great at times, and in general the individual elements (the piano, the teeth with projection) are interesting and imaginative. Thanks for that, really. And by the way, the last such good Czech sci-fi film was a long 61 years ago! (01/28/2024)

“It’s 9 o’clock. Have you backed up today yet?” On one hand, Blade Rubber stretches dialogues, is worn out in terms of ethical questions, and has a tired theme of a visionary evil corporation versus individuals with a sense of justice. On the other hand, there’s the sexy dimple on Andrea Mohylová’s chin. And there’s the audiovisual aspect that, by combining futurism with brutalism and modern development, adding bold loops, dressing up an Octavia and an old Citroën, creates a setting with a vision that can captivate with its small details (like Karel Dobrý’s pinky prosthesis). And if everyone who uses the phrase “by Czech standards” in a review added a hundred crowns to the budget, it would look even better. (02/06/2024)

In terms of production design, special effects and the depiction of the atmosphere and functioning of its world, Restore Point is definitely one of the most remarkable achievements in the field of Czech cinema in recent years. It's a shame, however, that all this is undermined by a rather generic plot and a half-baked screenplay, which, when you strip away the visual trappings, offers nothing more than a banal TV-style crime drama, plus variations on motifs you've seen in other, often better films (Minority Report comes to mind). I appreciate the effort, but it could have been much more polished. [KVIFF 2023] (07/08/2023)