World Cup, Season 3, Match 1E: Czechia vs Australia vs Latvia vs Bolivia

[RogerTheMovieManiac88]

A lot of harsh raters on here, haha. 6s, 7s and 8s abound. 'Motociklu vasara' looks doomed.

Wait until sebby comes forward.

Before him it was mightysparks, but she gave up of cups.

I like to make full use of the 1-10 range. People who give out a 10/10 once every three or four years are just too stingy and hyper-critical in my book. sebby's scores are interesting for sure!

[Mario Gaborović]

A lot of harsh raters on here, haha. 6s, 7s and 8s abound. 'Motociklu vasara' looks doomed.

Wait until sebby comes forward.

Before him it was mightysparks, but she gave up of cups.

I like to make full use of the 1-10 range. People who give out a 10/10 once every three or four years are just too stingy and hyper-critical in my book. sebby's scores are interesting for sure!

Yeah I'm scale-aware myself. But 1 is only reserved for Friedberg/Seltzer comedies or sorts, I can't believe someone would rate Yeelen so low unless being in a state of anger.

[Mate_cosido]

1. Ukamau
2. Neúplné zatmení
3. Samson and Delilah
4. Motociklu vasara

[sebby]

A lot of harsh raters on here, haha. 6s, 7s and 8s abound. 'Motociklu vasara' looks doomed.

Wait until sebby comes forward.

Before him it was mightysparks, but she gave up of cups.

Haha.

I believe in the entirety of the 1-10 scale. A 6 is a good film for me, not an average one. 4-5 is average. 8 and above is a masterstroke of some kind or another.

And as the years have gone by and I've seen more films, I've certainly been more stingy about giving out high ratings.

[Fergenaprido]

A lot of harsh raters on here, haha. 6s, 7s and 8s abound. 'Motociklu vasara' looks doomed.

What's harsh about 6's, 7's and 8's? Did you expect people to rate lots of 9's and 10's in the world cup? For a lot of people 6 is average, so lots of 7's and 8's is not that bad. To me Motociklu vasara didn't rise above average.

Well, 6 is an average film for me as well. 7 is a like with minor shortcomings. 8 is a very fine film but short of greatness. 9 is either a borderline great or a particular favourite. 10 is a film to cherish with every fibre of my being.

Going by my ratings framework, I would personally expect to hand out at least one and maybe two 9s in each match. Most people surely are nominating films that are at least personal favourites.

Maybe I'm just a more forgiving rater than is the norm!

Why do you expect so many 9s over the course of the each match?

In three seasons, I've given out one 10 (Along the Abandoned Road, a short I'd already seen before the match) and zero 9s. The lowest I've rated a film in the cup is 4 (though I do use the full 1-10 scale for all films)

I think I'm rather a generous rater, though I rate few things very high. My average rating across all films is 7.4, and for world cup films is 7.0. I've only had one new favourite from a world cup viewing (The Fifth Seal), though nine came close and may become favourites upon review.

Full distribution thus far for 171 films from three seasons:
10 - 1
9 - 0
8 - 51
7 - 85
6 - 24
5 - 8
4 - 2
3 - 0
2 - 0
1 - 0

[RogerTheMovieManiac88]

What's harsh about 6's, 7's and 8's? Did you expect people to rate lots of 9's and 10's in the world cup? For a lot of people 6 is average, so lots of 7's and 8's is not that bad. To me Motociklu vasara didn't rise above average.

Well, 6 is an average film for me as well. 7 is a like with minor shortcomings. 8 is a very fine film but short of greatness. 9 is either a borderline great or a particular favourite. 10 is a film to cherish with every fibre of my being.

Going by my ratings framework, I would personally expect to hand out at least one and maybe two 9s in each match. Most people surely are nominating films that are at least personal favourites.

Maybe I'm just a more forgiving rater than is the norm!

Why do you expect so many 9s over the course of the each match?

In three seasons, I've given out one 10 (Along the Abandoned Road, a short I'd already seen before the match) and zero 9s. The lowest I've rated a film in the cup is 4 (though I do use the full 1-10 scale for all films)

I think I'm rather a generous rater, though I rate few things very high. My average rating across all films is 7.4, and for world cup films is 7.0. I've only had one new favourite from a world cup viewing (The Fifth Seal), though nine came close and may become favourites upon review.

Full distribution thus far for 171 films from three seasons:
10 - 1
9 - 0
8 - 51
7 - 85
6 - 24
5 - 8
4 - 2
3 - 0
2 - 0
1 - 0

I suppose I am a forgiving rater. The vast majority of films selected are likely to be favourites of the particular manager and it strikes me as very likely that at least one out of each four will similarly work for me. I've given out three 9/10 ratings over the two matches I've voted in so far.

[Renegade]

1. Neúplné zatmení
2. Ukamau
3. Samson and Delilah
4. Motociklu vasara

[joachimt]

Ukamau: 1.867 (32-13)
Neúplné zatmení: 2.267 (26-19)
Samson and Delilah: 2.867 (17-28)
Motociklu vasara: 3 (15-30)

[Gershwin]

I would be no one's friend if I was assigning numerical values to the World Cup films lol

(except last round, that round was good, sans one)

My man Funky hittin' the nail on the World Cup's head. Last round was good indeed. But besides, meh. My chances of finding a new favourite are higher when I simply watch films by number of top lists they're on.

[Gershwin]

I've been breaking my head about this, but would someone please explain the greatness of Ukamau, preferably with a spoiler-tagged summary so I'm sure I don't miss any relevant plot details? That might help me appreciate it a bit better. Apart from some good cinematography, it just looks so completely average to me, even while I played some parts twice ...

[zuma]

I've been breaking my head about this, but would someone please explain the greatness of Ukamau, preferably with a spoiler-tagged summary so I'm sure I don't miss any relevant plot details? That might help me appreciate it a bit better. Apart from some good cinematography, it just looks so completely average to me, even while I played some parts twice ...

Who said it was great? A common mistake we make in the World Cup is to assume that a film ranked first means it is loved/liked/favourite.

[Mario Gaborović]

I've been breaking my head about this, but would someone please explain the greatness of Ukamau, preferably with a spoiler-tagged summary so I'm sure I don't miss any relevant plot details? That might help me appreciate it a bit better. Apart from some good cinematography, it just looks so completely average to me, even while I played some parts twice ...

It's about treatment of indigenous people by Hispanic powerholders. From our point of view a detail easy to overlook.

[sebby]

I've been breaking my head about this, but would someone please explain the greatness of Ukamau, preferably with a spoiler-tagged summary so I'm sure I don't miss any relevant plot details? That might help me appreciate it a bit better. Apart from some good cinematography, it just looks so completely average to me, even while I played some parts twice ...

It's about treatment of indigenous people by Hispanic powerholders. From our point of view a detail easy to overlook.

There is this, which lends the film a specific sense of gravity, and there is the astonishing final sequence, and there is the interesting fact of being a film both influenced by and influencing the european new wave movements of the time.

I think it's a powerful and very interesting film. And I am personally more likely to favor spit and gravel cinema over glitz and glamour, so there's that, too.

[Gershwin]

So handling important material (I can see that, of course) makes it legitimate to use very flat characterizations and a meagre narrative?

I'm afraid I'm just not very much into activist cinema.

[Smoover]

1. Neúplné zatmení 7.5
2. Ukamau 7.0
3. Samson and Delilah 7.0
4. Motociklu vasara 6.0

[Gershwin]

1. Samson and Delilah - 8.5
2. Neúplné zatmení - 6.5
3. Motociklu vasara - 5.5
4. Ukamau - 4.0

[filmbantha]

1. Samson and Delilah
2. Motociklu vasara
3. Ukamau
4. Neúplné zatmení

[Muellwind]

1 Neúplné zatmení
2 Samson and Delilah
3 Ukamau
4 Motociklu vasara

[joachimt]

Ukamau: 2.105 (36-21)
Neúplné zatmení: 2.211 (34-23)
Samson and Delilah: 2.632 (26-31)
Motociklu vasara: 3.053 (18-39)

[jdidaco]

1. Motociklu vasara
2. Ukamau
3. Samson and Delilah
4. Neúplné zatmení

Congratulations to the managers, fine round, with two major masterworks in there.

[jdidaco]

A lot of harsh raters on here, haha. 6s, 7s and 8s abound. 'Motociklu vasara' looks doomed.

What's harsh about 6's, 7's and 8's? Did you expect people to rate lots of 9's and 10's in the world cup? For a lot of people 6 is average, so lots of 7's and 8's is not that bad. To me Motociklu vasara didn't rise above average.

Well, 6 is an average film for me as well. 7 is a like with minor shortcomings. 8 is a very fine film but short of greatness. 9 is either a borderline great or a particular favourite. 10 is a film to cherish with every fibre of my being.

Going by my ratings framework, I would personally expect to hand out at least one and maybe two 9s in each match. Most people surely are nominating films that are at least personal favourites. 'Motociklu' vasara' is a film that falls into the category of 'favourite' and 'Ukamau' is a truly masterful film. How someone can rate 'Ukamau' a 6/10 I truly cannot comprehend.

Here's a little sharing of reactions from the old IMDb boards between myself and jdidaco on 'Motociklu vasara' and its qualities: https://filmboards.com/board/p/893/4/.

Maybe I'm just a more forgiving rater than is the norm!

Thanks for that link, Roger. I especially love the greenery that adorns our ancient thoughts. It makes it look like a virtual scroll preserved from a very distant epoch!

[clemmetarey]

1. Neúplné zatmení (1983) 6/10
2. Samson and Delilah (2009) 6/10
3. Ukamau (1966) 5/10
4. Motociklu vasara (1975) 5/10

Last two didn't do much for me.

[Lilarcor]

Interesting thoughts about ranking. I see 5/10 as average but worthwhile and everything above good or great. Since I don't select movies to watch completely random and watch them when I am in the mood for them most films I watch score above 5.

Regarding Ukamau, it really works for me as visual storytelling. Landscapes and people are shot in a way that is expressive. I have some issues with the POV of the aftermath of a major plot point, which limits its complexity somewhat.

Incomplete eclipse was quite fun and left me in a good mood. Motorcycle summer similarly so, I really appreciated the constant change of the "rules" of the film. Was weirded out by the Australian connections as I saw the Australian film just before. Samson and Delilah was mostly misery porn but I really liked how empowering it became over time which made me score it two points higher by the end, still I share most of sol's sentiments.

1. Motorcycle summer 7/10
2. Ukamau 7/10
3. Incomplete eclipse 7/10
4. Samson and Delilah 6/10

[weirdboy]

OK, I think I'm ready to vote!

1. Ukamau (And So It Is) - 1966 - Jorge Sanjines 8/10
2. Neúplné zatmení (Incomplete Eclipse) - 1983 - Jaromil Jires 8/10
3. Motociklu vasara (Motocycle Summer) - 1975 - Uldis Brauns 7/10
4. Samson and Delilah - 2009 - Warwick Thornton 7/10

I liked all of the movies in this match, so it was a bit tough to rank them relative to one another. I have seen some other Jaromil Jires films, but this was my first time seeing Incomplete Eclipse. Based on the few of his films I've seen, it seems like he has a thing about making films involving girls on the verge of womanhood, so to speak.

[burneyfan]

1. Ukamau (Bolivia)
4. Samson and Delilah (Australia)
2. Neúplné zatmení (Czechia)
3. Motociklu vasara (Latvia)

Thanks to Carmel98, Daviddoes, and RogerTheMovieManiac88 for a great round!

[joachimt]

1. Ukamau (Bolivia)
4. Samson and Delilah (Australia)
2. Neúplné zatmení (Czechia)
3. Motociklu vasara (Latvia)

Thanks to Carmel98, Daviddoes, and RogerTheMovieManiac88 for a great round!

How should I read those numbers?

[Armoreska]

1. Ukamau (Bolivia)
4. Samson and Delilah (Australia)
2. Neúplné zatmení (Czechia)
3. Motociklu vasara (Latvia)

Thanks to Carmel98, Daviddoes, and RogerTheMovieManiac88 for a great round!

How should I read those numbers?

May I suggest numbers should take precedence over order

[joachimt]

1. Ukamau (Bolivia)
4. Samson and Delilah (Australia)
2. Neúplné zatmení (Czechia)
3. Motociklu vasara (Latvia)

Thanks to Carmel98, Daviddoes, and RogerTheMovieManiac88 for a great round!

How should I read those numbers?

May I suggest numbers should take precedence over order

Good idea, because that's how I voted as well.

[hurluberlu]

1. Ukamau: 7-
2. Neúplné zatmení: 6+
3. Samson and Delilah: 6-
4. Motociklu vasara: 5+

[RogerTheMovieManiac88]

How should I read those numbers?

May I suggest numbers should take precedence over order

Good idea, because that's how I voted as well.

I'm praying for a third place and not another last place. LOL

[burneyfan]

1. Ukamau (Bolivia)
4. Samson and Delilah (Australia)
2. Neúplné zatmení (Czechia)
3. Motociklu vasara (Latvia)

Thanks to Carmel98, Daviddoes, and RogerTheMovieManiac88 for a great round!

How should I read those numbers?

Oh, I'm so sorry. I was cutting and pasting from another person's post. The order should take precedence, not the numbers. It should be:

1. Ukamau
2. Samson and Delilah
3. Neuplne zatmeni
4. Motociklu vasara

Very sorry for the confusion -- thanks, joachim, for alerting me to the problem.

[joachimt]

Thanks for clearing that up, burneyfan. Vote counted.

Ukamau: 2 (50-25)
Neúplné zatmení: 2.28 (43-32)
Samson and Delilah: 2.72 (32-43)
Motociklu vasara: 3 (25-50)

[metaller]

Can't say that I was particularly impressed by this round. None of the films was bad, but none was excellent for sure for me.

1. Samson and Delilah (2009, Warwick Thornton) 7/10
Downward spiral of two troubled Aboriginee youths, that flee their downtrodden hometown life to sink further as homeless people in a bigger city. Had me engaged well throughout, even or because of its sparse dialogue.

2. Neúplné zatmení (1983, Jaromil Jires) 6.5/10
Story of a young girl having problems to come to terms with her blindness and life in an institute for the blind. Some nice creative ideas at times and some coming of age touches.

3. Motociklu vasara (1975, Uldis Brauns) 6/10
Fun slice of life romp as a guy "robs" a bride-to-be on his 18th birthday.

4. Ukamau (1966, Jorge Sanjinés) 6/10
Beautifully shot, but horribly acted and not very well structured or engaging. The final strong sequnce hasn't much impact as I just didn't care for anyone much at that point.

[tommy_leazaq]

Wow, its really painful to have to sit through and supposedly care for an unlikable character and her romantic adventure for almost an hour. And that too when the movie promised to be engaging and interesting only to make this nosedive in plot and gave us a sappy irritating romance episode

Motocycle film has easily became my least liked film of all three wcs combined. Shame really, as i was really got interested in the beginning and anticipated for an road adventure with beautiful bikes and its stunts. Then the railway crossing scene came. wish the bikers crossed the railway line.

[Nopros]

Wow, this bunch was definitely the hardest for me to rank so far. Such great movies!

1. Motociklu vasara (1975)
2. Neúplné zatmení (1983)
3. Ukamau (1966)
4. Samson and Delilah (2009)

To be honest, 2nd (and possibly even 3rd) place on my list could just as well be placed on top.

[jvv]

1. Motociklu vasara - 7.5/10
2. Neúplné zatmení - 7/10
3. Samson and Delilah - 6/10
4. Ukamau - 6/10

Motociklu vasara - playful and a bit weird
Neúplné zatmení - well made coming of age movie
Samson and Delilah - ending feels a bit out of line with the rest of the movie
Ukamau - acting was rather stiff

[Armoreska]

Czechia closed within 2 points of the lead

[joachimt]

Czechia closed within 2 points of the lead

Ukamau: 2.179 (51-33)
Neúplné zatmení: 2.25 (49-35)
Samson and Delilah: 2.714 (36-48)
Motociklu vasara: 2.857 (32-52)

The gap between #2 and #3 is rather big, so it's pretty clear at the moment which two countries will proceed.

[Mochard]

1. Samson and Delilah - 7/10
2. Neúplné zatmení - 6/10
3. Ukamau - 6/10
4. Motociklu vasara - 6/10

[Mario Gaborović]

2.5 days left.