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First Cow (2019)
Milk it baby!
Cookie, a talented cook who works for a group of fur trappers meets King-Lu, a Chinese immigrant, and together they carry out a daring and dangerous business.
First Cow is one of those movies that divide audiences, with no room for middle ground: those who don't like it want it to end as soon as possible, if they don't give up halfway through, and those who like it don't mind if it lasts for another 2 hours. I'm for the second btw.
It's not perfect, it's not made of a set of layers that throughout the narrative expose complex motifs that shake the story, but it's more than capable to transmite tranquility, emotion and above all a sense of resilience and unity.
First Cow's best moment is the last arc, no doubt for me. The final scenes hits us well, really really well.
I'm a sucker for this aspect ratio (1.66:1), with great compositions and color scheme, like a painting in motion.
Army of the Dead (2021)
Throw the dice and kill zombies
Las Vegas is infested with zombies, and just days before being bombed, a team of mercenaries attempt the biggest coup ever, before hundreds of millions of dollars are reduced to ashes.
Zack Snyder's return to the style he's used to, and that made him the Golden Boy of the genre for a while, but as with sports in some cases, sometimes it's not good to come home, and hanging up your shoes is the right decision.
In Army of the Dead, Snyder, who wrote, directed and produced (calm down boy) tries to achieve too much, creating a mix of various genres that needed someone who wasn't so daring to work on screen.
The annoying and illogical moments outweigh the amusing scenes, and even with a runtime of 2 hours and 30 minutes there is no character development whatsoever, which leads us to not empathize with them, and support in certain cases their death on the screen.
If you're looking for some fun time, with badass guys and girls, maybe it's good for you, or not, I really don't know..
Ah fei jing juen (1990)
Be wild!
After discovering that he's adopted, Yuddy sets off in search of his real mother. In between, he's disputed by two women, Su Lizhen and Mimi.
Made with a darker tone and mood, and with a less plastic and eccentric aesthetic that characterizes the director, Days of Being Wild is a tragic story about emotions and the endless search for the meaning of our existence.
Alone, even surrounded by people, the protagonist, Yuddy, is the center of a complex story where eroticism and the raw and honest feeling get mixed up, with great contrasts between the characters, which are full of personal conflicts and lack of peace. It's a great character study, especially for the path that it takes when comes to explore the sexual issue, with no use of explicit or provocative scenes, using only suggestion and dialogues as catalysts for action.
The score plays an important role, much more than the photography (slower movements and "noisier" scenery), which is good, but nowhere near my favorite in Wong Kar-Wai's filmography.
For many it's Kar-Wai masterpiece, for me, it's an important film , which completes the almost immaculate circle of Kar-Wai filmography.
Wong Gok ka moon (1988)
Strong debut by Kar-Wai
Wah, a criminal who aspires to be a gang leader, falls in love with Ngor, a mysterious and attractive girl, who happens to be his cousin. Between forbidden love and his criminal life, Wah must save his best friend, Fly, from a terrible fate.
The debut film by Wong Kar-Wai, the mythical Hong Kong director, who showed his genius and irreverence right at the start. Few are the directors who, since the start of their career, have known the path that his work will take over the years, as in the case of Kar-Wai.
In As Tears Go By the topics for which he is known, such as everyday life in the city, love or disappointment are already present. With strong inspiration in Scorsese's Mean Streets, but with its own touch, it's a very adult and thoughtful film, although it gets a little lost in the transition between acts, which weakens the narrative at some levels.
Visually it has a beautiful color scheme, with neon lights that give a sense of dystopian mood.
Jerichow (2008)
Welcome ti Jerichow
Thomas, a returned war veteran, returns to his native village of Jerichow, in eastern Germany. Looking for a job, he agrees to be the driver for Ali, who owns a chain of snack bars in the area, and that's where he meets Laura, Ali's attractive wife.
Another film by Petzold, starring Nina Hoss (no news here), Benno Fürmann and Hilmi Sözer.
Jerichow is a free adaptation of the classic novel 'The Postman Always Rings Twice', by James M. Cain, where we have the story of a love triangle and all the consequences that lies, betrayal and forbidden love can have in the lives of the persons envolved.
It's different from the previous adaptations, even though it follows a similar pace, differentiating itself by giving, on almost equal parts, screen time among the three characters, making the narrative more humble, without focusing to much on character a or b.
It's also a criticism of German society, on the matter of multiculturalism and xenophobia.
The cinematography is ok, with the right choice of locations for the different moments of the film.
Un cuento chino (2011)
Cows and friendship
Roberto, who owns a modest hardware store, helps a Chinese man who will change his life forever.
One of the strengths of Chinese Take-Away is that it shows, right from the start, what it intends to be: a kind of century-old Chinese fable transported to the present, which pulls on goodness, humidity and affection.
The script is really well writen. The humor is very well thought out, with no easy jokes or cliché moments.
Seeing for 90 minutes an Argentine and a Chinese men communicating without saying a single word is really fun, in such a tender and friendly and divine way.
For a comedy, I would even say that it is too intense and dramatic in certain scenes.
The actors are all fabulous, it's a film made with very few resources, but with a lot of dedication, and above all attention to details that makr the story a whole.
The Father (2020)
Real, painful drama
Anthony, 80 years old, rejects all the caregivers his daughter, Anne, hires to help him, leading her to exhaustion.
There are films that are good, others that are really good, and then there is a very restricted selection where The Father is in.
Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman are two colossus, of those who do not need awards to be recognized.
The aspect of continuity in this film is at a level that I don't remember seeing in a long time, being almost perfect from start to finish.
The cinematography is really smart, confusing everything and everyone, with transitions between scenarios and characters that leave the viewer with doubt and not knowing what to believe.
It's real, emotional, rational, in the midst of the irrationality of dementia, it's a desolate chaos that plants doubt and suspicion, and exposes the vulnerability and the absence, while present, of a person who is lost between memories and suffering.
Oxygène (2021)
Oxygen running low
Elizabeth wakes up inside a cryogenic chamber without knowing who she is and how she got there. With the oxygen level running low, she will have to rebuild her memory in order to get the answer that can save her.
Oxygen is perhaps the most interesting film (so far) about the covid 19 pandemic, without mentioning the covid 19 pandemic.
Director Alexandre Aja dives into a sci-fi after a long filmography in the terror and suspense genres, and toasting the audience with a film that leaves us clinging, more for the eagerness to understand how the story ends than for the steps it takes until reaching the conclusion.
Mélanie Laurent is the protagonist in this one woman show, providing a solid role. As the layers of the story are being deciphered, there are elements in the narrative that are predictable, but that doesn't limit the pace and rhythm.
It's a one scenario film, but thanks to a decent job from the photography department, we never felt a repetition of the same action, which helps to avoid going into monotonous mode.
Positive notes for the script and direction, but there's no great lessons to be learned from this film.
Minari (2020)
I'm good looking
Minari follows the journey of the Yi family, who moves from California to a small rural area in Arkansas, in search of a better life.
Much more than a comfort film, Minari manages to intelligently explore the challenges that the so-called American Dream brought to emigrants, in the midst of Ronald Reagan's (80's) governance.
Family conflicts, disappointments, distrust reverted to support and friendship, all play in favor of a perfectly balanced and focused narrative.
There's no references to racist or xenophobic attitudes towards minority communities (in this case, Koreans), and thankfully, because it is also necessary to told stories in which people are genuinely good, because they exist, in fact, in real life.
Steven Yeun and Yeri Han are solid, but without a doubt, the Youn Yuh-jung/Alan Kim relationship is the engine of this film, without neglecting Will Patton.
Minari is like a cinematographic hug, given in a late summer sundown.
Code inconnu: Récit incomplet de divers voyages (2000)
Wrong code, try again
In Paris, an incident is seen through the eyes of several people, revealing racial tensions, social problems and relationships at breaking point.
It may not seem to the most distracted, but Code Inconnu is more about the racial and discriminatory issue in France than properly a loving drama between the two main characters (Juliette Binoche and Thierry Neuvic). The film takes an obvious political side, really evident, but maintains a balance between what can be seen as the closest to reality, without being too naive.
It has some dull and predictable moments, namely when it enters into the personal problems of the members of the privileged class, which although they have all the legitimacy to feel bad and with doubts about themselves, do not fit very well in the narrative.
Each character gives to the viewer a personal dimension about their past, present and what will become of their future, inserted in a multicultural society that still struggles for equality and opportunities.
Druk (2020)
Drink up!
Four teachers decide to consume alcohol daily, in a controlled way, to put a theory to the test.
To begin with, Another Round is not a film that celebrates alcoholism or the culture of excess. In some ways I consider this film to be one of the best since a long long time, because of the way it keeps the storyline attractive and exciting from start to finish.
At its core, Another Round is an internal battle, ranging from existential doubts to nirvana, through issues such as depression, marital problems and the worst about human behavior.
It's provocative, daring, corrosive and delightfully fun. It's a coming-of-age in reverse, a Benjamin Button, if you can say that.
Mads Mikkelsen is superb, an actor who has shown his talent over the years, however, I do not feel that he has surpassed the role that for me is his best: The Hunt, also by Thomas Vinterberg.
Nomadland (2020)
Nomad life
Fran, a middle-aged woman who lost everything, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a nomad.
Nomadland is going to be, for sure, a film that I will constantly review. Chloé Zhao committed herself to this project, taking over the reins of the script, the production and the editing, and she did everything right. In an increasingly rushed and artificial world, Nomadland is a breath of fresh air, lasting 2 hours, which transports us to another reality, one that does not tell us how to survive, but about how to live.
Francis McDormand is very strong in the main role, showing an independent and resilient Fran, but also vulnerable and insecure in certain situations. The story gains a lot by focusing on the people who built it, especially the real nomads who are part of the cast, with real and emotional testimonies.
I take my hat off to Joshua James Richards (Director of Photography) for the ability to capture an United States of America so cold and empty in such a beautiful and cozy way.
"I'm not homeless, I'm just houseless".
Songs My Brothers Taught Me (2015)
Never forget these songs
Johnny, a teenager living with his mother and younger sister in the Pine Ridge Reserve, decides to change the course of his life, with the unexpected death of his father, a rodeo cowboy.
Chloé Zhao's debut film, director of the acclaimed Nomadland (which I look forward to for see it), where she adresses her concern for social issues, forgotten minorities and outcasts.
The script is a bit poor in detail, because it was written as it was shot, day by day, which makes the experience interesting but at the same time vague. The film is very competent when it comes to what it gives to the audience, considering the human condition and the way it portrays the day-to-day lives of those who live with the uncertainty of tomorrow.
The cinematography resembles to documentary, with the perfect atmosphere to create empathy with the characters.
It's a tribute to traditions, affective bonds and respect for the lifestyle that deviates from the so-called normal patterns.
Undine (2020)
The catfish
Undine works as a historian in Berlin, in the urban development department. One day, the man she loves leaves her, and the legend behind her name reappears.
For a better understanding of this film it's necessary to know the origin of Undine (a mythical being/entity associated with water). The film message takes on another meaning with that.
Undine is a mixture of lucidity and logic with fantasy and unknown, which effectively represents human behavior. I found it interesting how Petzold combines something that is boring and monotonous in itself, like talking about urban development in a city as rich in history and tragedies as Berlin, with mythology, in a modern and captivating vision.
Paula Beer and Franz Rogowski make a fantastic duo. In short, Undine is a modern fairy tale, where women has the dominant role, and where they manage to unleash their strength and resilience.
Une enfance (2015)
Sometimes it's hard to be a kid
During a particularly difficult summer, Jimmy, a 13-year-old boy, is forced to grow up in order to fight the misfortunes of his life.
It's part of the genre in which the story is the main factor, and the way we look at it and interpret it. It is quite slow, perhaps boring for many people, but it is part of the way the plot unfolds, and what it is like to be in the shoes of someone who has no dreams, goals or even a home.
The dialogues are not elaborated, they go straight for what's important, and that's a good thing for the film, which lives on the simplicity and humanity of the people it portrays.
It should be noted that the cast features professional and amateur actors, and the gap between them is hardly noticed.
The social problems scrutinized in Une Enfance are transversal to several European societies (and in several other parts of the globe), however, I feel that it is one of those melodramas that always work better in French, I cannot explain why.
Concrete Cowboy (2020)
Take that horse
A rebellious teenager discovers a new world when he goes to live with his father in Philadelphia, the most unlikely place for a cowboy community to exist.
Concrete Cowboy joins a coming-of-age film with an urban western, in a narrative that develops within the father-son relationship, with Idris Elba being the absent father, who never managed to stabilize his life after being in prison, and Caleb McLaughlin, the angry son who wants to be something more, but who follows the easiest and most dangerous route to achieve it, acting irrationally.
The atmosphere of the film is funny, after all it is a group of men and women living in a large American metropolis surrounded by horses, but it loses when it tries to be deep, with lame dialogues that try to pull on the most sensitive side of the audience.
The story is predictable, and after the first 15/20 min you can see how everything is going to unfold.
Unrelated (2007)
Italy mood
A woman unhappy with her relationship seeks refuge at a friend's family summer house in Tuscania, Italy.
Far from being a great film, it has interesting notes, especially when it comes to the authenticity of relationships and self-discovery.
The characters lack a background, and because of that it's a bit difficult to connect with them. Certain scenes are strange, especially when the characters who say they are childhood friends, for example, lack a sense of touch.
The plot is ok, playing it safe and tries to withstand the tension throughout the narrative until it reaches the climax, where the confrontation between characters explodes, so to speak, which despite being predictable is executed in a good way.
The cinematography is perhaps the most interesting aspect of the entire film, with a good choice of camera and shots.
His House (2020)
Horror done right
A refugee couple from South Sudan, looking for asylum in England, faces an evil that lurks in every corner.
This film passed me by completely at the time of his debut, but now, during festivals where it caught the attention of critics and general audience (namely at BAFTA, where the director Remi Weekes won the Outstanding Debut by a British Director award) I finally watched it.
It's a distinct and non-standard horror film, where fear and tension are perfectly balanced. The question of the supernatural can be interpreted in several ways, and this is a good thing.
The migration issue is present since the beginning until the very end, but I do not believe that it is another film about this problem, but rather a story about people, their fears, their beliefs and their survival instinct.
All actions have consequences, and bad ones have their ghosts always present.
Moxie (2021)
Ok, I guess
Vivian, a 16-year-old teenager, draws inspiration from her mother's rebellious past and creates a school zine, to draw attention to problems such as sexism and discrimination.
Directed by Amy Poehler, known to the public for being part of one of the best comedy series of the last decades (Parks and Recreation), Moxie is a mix of good intentions and ideas that do not have enough substance to work well.
It's a teen movie like many others, with recurring subjects, such as isolation and social anxiety or juvenile depression, which includes a recent and necessary fight, which is the feminine struggle for equality and security.
The biggest problem is the lack of humor in moments that call for it, making the drama too heavy and unrealistic. The score goes well with the mood of the film, which plays in its favor.
Domicile conjugal (1970)
Bed & Breakfast french style
Antoine works as a florist's assistant, in the courtyard of his house. Christine, his wife, a violin teacher, finds out she's pregnant. Amid unforeseen circumstances and arguments, Antoine gets involved with a woman, putting his marriage at risk.
From the saga of Antoine Doinel (Truffaut followed the fictional life of this character for 20 years), Bed & Board, the penultimate film in the collection, is the lightest and most entertaining, thus breaking the content of the previous ones, which were material for reflection in the character study and social situation at the time (from the late 60s to the late 80s).
Truffaut never told bad stories, and here is an example of a marriage, which, like so many others, reached the breaking point faster than previously thought, and need help to survive.
The chemistry between Jean-Pierre Léaud and Claude Jade is fabulous, with really good scenes and dialogues, even when the result is not as good as expected.
Silvia Prieto (1999)
Argentina meets reality
Silvia Prieto decides to change her whole life, and discovers that there's another woman with the same name as hers.
This Argentine film explores the lifestyle that took over a large part of that country's society at the beginning of the 21st century, where uncertainty and economic difficulties began to have an impact on the way people relate and deal with life.
Martín Rejtman intelligently manages to capture the audience's attention through moments and situations that are very down-to-earth, without exaggeration, in a narrative that doesn't really matter much, but can still be satisfying.
The cast is great, the chemistry between the actors is visible and helps the characters to gain more background and be more solid.
The last act is a bit rushed, and even bizarre sometimes, but ends in a fun way.
How to ting ting yang rai mai hai leua ter (2019)
Happy year!
Jean decides to adopt the minimalist style and throw away almost everything she has. Among useless objects, she finds a camera that reminds her of the past.
A nice Thai film, winner of 2 trophies at secondary film festivals in Asia, which turned out to be a good surprise. The pace is slow, there's no over the top dramatic moments, even when we find out about shocking revelations for the storyline.
I felt that the narrative was like a river, with a destination (flowing into the ocean), that runs through several key points, some where the current can be more dangerous and put the characters at risk and others where calm and tranquility reigns.
It's a film about leaving the past behind, in a peaceful way. Memories are good, but we cannot hold on to them if we want to achieve fullness in life.
Chutimon puts body and soul to the character and is undoubtedly the starting engine that brings life this melodrama.
A Cure for Wellness (2016)
Give me something to drink and forget this story
A young executive is sent to a mysterious SPA in the Swiss Alps, with a mission to bring his company's CEO back to New York.
Although the premise is interesting, the exaggeration in the production and runtime (there's no way that this is a 2h26m story) makes the film way over the top at key moments, and at others too predictable and bland.
This film gets the credits for the risk they took, for creating something like this, but also to be aware that a cast with some familiar faces is not enough for this sometimes pretentious film to be received with open arms by the general public.
There is no strong basis for us to empathize with the protagonist, his past is not explored enough, so we can't see any connection and cheer for him. The reasons that lead the main character to take certain actions sometimes seem vague and random, adding to the fact that there are plot holes so ludacris that nobody bothered to explain, because would look even more weird.
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
The best Royal family
A dysfunctional family meets in the same house for different reasons. Wes Anderson is perhaps the most imaginative director of the last few decades, with his unmistakable style.
The Royal Tenenbaums is truly revolutionary because of the way it addresses complex issues like depression and grief, and we are often left wondering what's the right emotion to feel, so to speak, to a particular scene or interaction between the characters.
The narrative follows a course very similar to a theater play, like in many others Anderson's films, where the entire structure is built in such a way that everything we see and hear makes sense, and, above all, it's relevant to the story.
Anderson has the Midas touch when it comes to the cast of all his films, whether the "old guard" or newcomers, for the way he manages to create balance and bring spontaneity and ease to the all crew.
Visually it's not one of my favorites, but it's impossible to say that The Royal Tenenbaums isn't a work of art.
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
Story? Very Bad. Action between 2 titans? AWESOME!
The battle of battles, icon vs icon, the terrible Godzilla against the mighty Kong.
Of the 4 films that make up the Monsterverse, without a doubt that Godzilla vs Kong is the weakest in terms of plot, there is practically nothing in the narrative that has relevance, except for a few moments of interaction that help to "humanize" the creatures.
There are an exaggerated number of characters, of no importance, that most of the time are disturbing the action and diverting attention from what really matters in this film, which is a lizard with atomic breath against a 100 meter gorilla.
The 2 hours runtime could be just Godzilla and Kong fighting, and nothing else, and it would be awesome.
The CGI is great, as should be. There's a clear inspiration in the Japanese classics (Gojira, 1954 and Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla, 1974) when it comes to cinematography.