October | 2014 | Fifth about The Seventh

Foxcatcher

October 17, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Foxcatcher: Bennett Miller’s film is a ponderous (brimming with silence and emptiness), rigorous, almost cold look at a very complex triangle of relationships. Beautifully shot by Greig Fraser, it gives the trio of actors the chance to disappear in their characters; beyond the simple physical transformation (which all of them go through), they are able to shed their usual screen personas. Steve Carell is the standout (and goes through the most radical make-up changes, almost to the point of distraction), but Channing […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: biopic / historic, drama

El Color Que Cayó del Cielo

October 17, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

El Color Que Cayó del Cielo: in spite of its unique, almost dry subject matter and very simple style, Sergio Wolf’s documentary is nevertheless able to resonate. As the film slowly tells its story, it reveals itself as an investigation of obsession (albeit a very particular one) with many of its facets being shown through its choice of character. The use of music (composed by the director) is particularly important and effective; it’s simple, at times eerie, but they match the […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: documentary

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Trash (2014)

October 15, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Trash: Stephen Daldry tells with great energy this fantasy in a hiper-realistic setting. The smart editing by Elliot Graham, camerawork by Adriano Goldman, as well as the sound design, are all important factors to move the plot (which is intriguing) and portray the film’s world. The characters are not as important as the plot, so it’s not a surprise that the cast, despite attractive, is not given all that much to do; the exception are the kids (Rickson Tevez, Eduardo Luís and Gabriel Weinstein), who display […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: thriller

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A Most Wanted Man

October 10, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

A Most Wanted Man: Anton Corbijn weaves this tale, even if there is a certain emotional distance in the final result. The film has not so much a plot as a sequence of events that serve as basis for a character study. The gallery of characters leans towards shades-of-grey, therefore more interesting to watch. Philip Seymour Hoffman has a great, nuanced performance; the whole cast is, indeed, solid. Beautifully crafted: well edited by Claire Simpson and shot by Benoît Delhomme (the handheld style is thematically […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: thriller

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Double Indemnity (1944)

October 4, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Double Indemnity: Billy Wilder’s great movie starts from the basics: a seedy, engaging plot from James M. Cain’s head, enriched by the snappy dialogue of Raymond Chandler. Such dialogue calls for precise line reading, and the cast obliges. Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray and Edward G. Robinson are all great; Stanwyck gets the edge by playing such a great femme fatale; in fact, there’s just one character that is “virtuous”, but they are all well-written and great to watch. Elegantly done through and through. A masterpiece.

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: noir, top

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Gone Girl

October 2, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Gone Girl: David Fincher’s methodical, detail-oriented filmmaking is probably the best way to tell this story that, more than most, depends not only on what is told, but also on the way it’s told. The plot doesn’t hide its pulpy origin (nothing wrong with that) and is fun to follow; furthermore, it touches many different issues that make it richer than a first look would suggest. Technically, the film is a beauty: Jeff Cronenweth’s camerawork is simple but precise, always spot […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama, thriller

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

October 2, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For: Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’s work is more of a charicature than a film; it’s a very profane and violent experience, but far from an interesting one. While its stylized visuals adhere to the original source, they are interesting for only a while. Which is more than can be said about the characters (with one notable exception) and storylines, truth be told. The cast, for the most part, is not given much to do; Joseph Gordon-Levitt […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action, crime

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Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bête – 2014)

October 1, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Beauty and the Beast: Christophe Gans’ film tells an old, well-known story, making liberal use of visuals: the art direction, costume design, makeup and visual effects are all very rich and innovative. (It does, however, get excessively dark and desaturated at times.) The film portrays well the traditional fairy-tale sense of wonder and terror; however, there is certain coldness when dealing with the love story, the most important of the three aspects. Vincent Cassel is not given much to do, but Léa Seydoux […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: fantasy

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