Reviews

I think the Mirror Boy is a great children movie, simple in spirit, yet powerful, effective and well performed. It may seem almost nothing takes place in the adventure, but the spiritual concepts developed throughout are interesting and deep. It's truly a journey of initiation into the culture of the ancestors.

The soundtrack is awesome, varied and rich, quite appealing and also bridging tradition and contemporary concepts! For me the best performance is from Osita Iheme as the Mirror Boy.

This was my introduction to Nollywood cinema and I loved it. Will be looking for more Nigerian movies.

I found Oka! to be an interesting and entertaining movie. The story is compelling and I felt constantly challenged to confront the western culture in which I live with this foreign ancient rainforest tradition that has survived against the enormous pressure of the outside world. Although it's true that it doesn't have very much depth as far as the work of Louis Sarno is concerned and the plot develops very much in the vein of a commercial movie, I still found this picture to be quite honest, beautiful and unique. I think it is a nice introduction to the life of the Bayaka pygmies and the curious life of Louis Sarno. For me it was an interesting blend of documentary and fiction. Loved it.

Don't vote 10 for a movie if you feel it deserves a higher rating. If you vote 10, your vote does not count. Vote 9 instead.

This is a movie about dreams, imagination and magic. Also a film that tells us about Africa as the spiritual cradle of mankind. It's filled with beautiful little tales all united by the fantastic dreams shared by a boy and a girl. A journey of initiation and communion with nature on a deep spiritual level. It's so beautiful!

Maybe people that don't like this movie think it's lacking violence and a war of good against evil. Ain't you tired of that yet? Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, they all need villains to justify being heroes. Here there is no need for any of that. And yet there is so much to enjoy! What a heart-warming quest! Learn to talk to the spirits of trees and animals. Learn the importance of tales and memory. So much in this movie that I haven't seen anywhere else! Congratulations to everyone that made this film possible. A true treasure for the children of the world.

If you're a fan of good-humored low-budget sci-fi that lives on its words and ideas floating upon a theatrical canvas, then I think this might be a movie you'll fall in love with. I surely did. It's all about the imagination! So, how far does it dare to tread? I love the way the monster was put into the picture! There is quite some gore at a certain point. It's definitely not suitable for children. But the way the violence comes undone does seem and work like a fairytale trick on the mind. Quite refreshing for its original blend of genres and emotional honesty! The direction is accurate and non-intrusive. The script: magical! The story and its main characters are the real stars here. All the actors are very competent and Zarko Potocnjak does his part with a trace of irony that perfectly befits his role.

All the bad reviews here (nightmarish actually) made me think very carefully before deciding to watch this movie. I'm so infinitely glad that I did choose to go ahead! I absolutely loved the movie and the only thing that kept creeping through the back of my mind to subtract something from the experience was the thought: why people feel the need to bash this movie? what made them so uncomfortable? But then that is probably for the exact same reason that I feel the film is so poignant. Isn't it a fact that people find it so difficult to make a marriage actually work? Isn't it true that most people are still struggling through their relationships facing the challenges the movie puts right in front of our eyes but that mostly we just prefer to ignore and get laid or just escape not really facing the most ardent issues? So many are shocked at the inherent sexuality of the reverend. And it's really a shame because the big problems with celibacy really start when you can't accept that you live in a sexual world, even if you chose not to have sexual relationships. This means priests should be able to talk about sex, and when counseling couples this should be an essential part of their guidance. It reminds me of an interview by Julie Delpy about her comedy 2 Days in New York where she says the USA are the most puritan country in the western world and something along the lines that little prejudices grow big without people realizing so.

People talk about a thin plot, flat characters, evil all over the place... It really amazes me that almost no one realizes the intriguing challenge posed on the viewer about his earnest commitment to a most personal and intimate relationship. It's the grand part of your life that we're talking about! (the celebration of the parents' marriage longevity highlights this) Unless you are committed to not having any serious relationship ever, I think you should give this movie a chance.

I had a very interesting experience while watching this movie. As soon as I saw the main character, Guido (brilliantly interpreted by Antonio Fagundes) laying his head on the table, I thought: OK, everything that follows is but a dream... The thing is: the next scene is brilliantly done; that long corridor, the fading out effect of the voices... soon, I also fell asleep, if very briefly. When I regained conscience I had totally forgotten I was dreaming (or that Guido was dreaming), perfectly emulating the situation of the main character. What follows is a very surreal voyage into transgression of norms, particularly of a sexual nature. I suppose it also questions the effects of this particular model of school and how subversive enclosure can be... I love the original Portuguese title, which can not be perfectly translated, as it is an idiomatic expression. It's a lot about all you have to endure and how physical and emotional aspects collide... An interesting movie, that made me curious about other films by Ana Carolina.

The film is disturbing and ugly. I don't really find any beauty in it. There is a passion for dogs and the best moments are when the dogs perform all alone. I could eventually see it as philosophical inquiry into what we've done as humans, turning wolves into dogs and then becoming savage animals ourselves in the way we many times treat the animals that trust us. The human characters in the movie are very hard to sympathize with. All of them. So, again, a very dark movie. Not for sensitive people and while there is not gore per se, the violence suggested can be quite disturbing. The direction is not bad. Perhaps the most interesting part of the movie.

In Portugal cinema is a very strange thing indeed. Loved by all as long as it is not produced by the Portuguese themselves. Because if it is, it becomes the most peculiar oddity. Difficult to find, with no space on TV, no DVD editions, no awards and regularly discredited as boring and pointless. What else could justify this movie's extremely low rating? It is well directed, it has interesting photography, the subject matter is poignant, the actors perform well. So why such miserable rating? Why so much hate? The highlight of the movie for me is Dalila do Carmo's performance. Marvellous. She is a magnificent actress. I didn't find her performance on Florbela very brilliant, but here she shines wonderfully.

What an amazing accomplishment! A movie filmed during the most important year of Portuguese history of the 20th century, 1974. Deeply immersed in the realms of old tales, ancient lore and spiritual practices that last to this day in the innermost regions of Portugal, The Principle of Wisdom is a cultural milestone. Herein are registered some of the most essential traits of the ancient Portuguese soul. All put in contrast with the modern man, the overworked, overambitious, over-exhausted man that is the child of the 20th century. What a clash... And it all takes place in two or three essential places: 1. the big living room of the house, where light enters colored by stained glass, that further enlightens the peculiarities of the inside of man (feelings, emotions, thoughts); 2. the garden, the most central piece of all, where things are lost, retrieved, even the unexpected, the ludicrous, the surreal... and however meaningless anything seems, when revealed through a personal lens, we come to discover purpose, fulfillment, exaltation, achievement... 3. the ruins from ancient times, where we find that the grand human tragedy is a play revolving through the centuries with a big core that remains throughout as its central piece: the human soul and its quest.

All this said I will only add that direction and photography are excellent for the most part of the film (by the end I think it derails a little bit) and the script runs solid throughout. The acting is also very accomplished. If you ever get the chance to see it, don't miss it.

Magical movie based on ancient legends and alchemy. Parallel worlds. The power of love. Knowledge, fortune, rebirth into a higher plane. A wonderful fantasy movie that takes Portuguese cinema to rare ends. I do find a few negative points. The script presents a few inconsistencies that I deem quite unnecessary and even moral faults which seem inadequate to me because the film presents a passage to an ideal world. I also don't think the direction is very inspired. I like the scenarios, the ambiance, but I think color and photography could be improved in significant portions of the movie. The presentation of the village is a notable exception. Still, some powerful symbolism, a nice magical tale and an interesting soundtrack composed by the director's son who was just 20 when the film was made and also appears playing piano in the movie bringing Casablanca to mind with the hypnotic repetition of the theme song symbolic of a newfound love.

Worth seeing for fans of fantasy/alchemy/supernatural tales.

And I don't feel like doing so, although I do suspect it to be much better than the book. What I really don't like about the book/story, is how perverse the main premise really is. I don't believe evil comes out of nothing. If anything, evil comes from the absence of good, and that's already something quite significant. I just don't buy it. You can tell me this is the mother's perspective and there's many things she overlooked while telling her story and all that jazz, it just doesn't roll for me. I look at problematic children and on closer inspection I always find at least one of the following: a) absent/abusive parents, b) lack of an emotionally balanced environment, c) materiality without a spiritual bone to back it up.

Exuberant use of color and speech. I think it is as much a tribute to french cinema, where photography and dialogs prevail, as it is a bizarre caricature of American imperialism. I find the direction quite good. The use of space and light is excellent. The acting is marvelous. We find here a cast that includes some of the best Portuguese actresses, lead by Alexandra whose maturity is perfect for the role she so well develops and sustains throughout the movie. Another favorite character of mine, is the lady that always speaks in Latin, citing the great orators of antiquity. Being this a film with so much dialog, and quite unusual conversations at that, I'm marveled at the specifics that elaborate the speech of each character. It's easy to get lost and come out saying it was just meaningless. But many times I feel I'm listening either to a poem or an essay. It's also very interesting how such a strong questioning of American imperialism can be made without ever being aggressive about it. I think anyone who sees this film can hardly call it a waste of time. It's quite entertaining and humorous as well. I'm proud of Portuguese cinema for pulling this one out.

This is in my opinion an excellent movie. I will start by its cinematic qualities, which in my opinion should always come first when reviewing a movie, and then extend into contents and general feel.

The direction and photography are amazing. I've seen some bold attempts at making sexual sequences into art, but rarely have I seen such great achievement as in this movie. The use of colors, patterns, shades and glitter, is superb. I find the acting excellent as well. The soundtrack compliments the images adoringly and finds its climax at the music video-like sequences that emerge as marijuana visions with simple mellow songs that do shine, unfolding all the emotional tension that has been gathered throughout our incursion into this bleak urban universe we've dived into... A faithful portrait of contemporary contradictions in human society interlocked with the everlasting themes of the pursuit of pleasure, love, momentary relief and loss of purpose.

On second notes I would add that this movie brings an excellent opportunity to have a first look at Taiwan's most exotic cuisine...

In the end this comes as a strong movie (emotionally violent) whose thematic is well developed and as an artistic experience perfectly accomplished.

If you're new to Plympton world you may be not at home with the language, but I'm sure you'll fall into it throughout the first 20 minutes or so. The fact is I left the cinema with a lot of words in my mind only to learn soon after that the movie is in fact wordless. It didn't feel like that at all. The images are so expressive that the story is perfectly conveyed by their sharp meaning... Illusory as ever Plympton delves ever more deeper and clearer through the imaginary of the human psyche. This is humanity in a nutshell if you will. Plympton takes its pulse on the world along with some great music that further compliments the drawings' edge... Plympton has matured to become a refined groundbreaking animator that will mark cinematic animation for years to come.

violence and sex burning high in a dizzy flash that projects the built icon of our contemporary world, America and her leader.

you can put yourself through many intriguing ideas throughout this movie. do Japanese love urban America lifestyle? are they just addicted to the glamour fantasy like on a cheap drug? or do they seriously take it as a joke upon themselves that ultimately hits back to the source?

giving in to the senses will melt preconceptions and make it so more real... but don't just take it for the lust it brings upon you. if you do give in try to keep yourself cool

• it's like a bullet in the head!

i must confess i felt a little disappointed when leaving the cinema. i've seen a few brilliant movies from argentina this last two, three years (nueve reinas, moebius, hombre mirando al sudeste) and so, my expectations on this one were pretty high. but, however, thinking the movie later on, i really come to like it more and more. this movie is about the simple stories of three characters intersecting in simple ways, on a very simple landscape. it's very well directed, the colors very well captured with some moments of delightful photography. i feel like this simplified environment is set to bring forth that which is most purely human. the importance of human relationships in life. the need to evolve, create, aspire. the goal not being important, but the process itself being the key as a means to feel truly alive. not sentencing at any moment, it's all put before your eyes for you not only to see it, but to see through it.