Felipe Rosa

Rear Window (1954)

April 1, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Rear Window: this film is, to put it simply, a masterpiece. Alfred Hitchcock was in full command of the language; that is clear by the fact of how many stories he is able to tell, mostly visually (and with just hints of sound). They form a mosaic, but the centerpiece is the suspense story, of course; it’s a slow burner, but not one bit less effective for that. It’s a great-looking cast (one can’t go wrong with James Stewart and […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: thriller, top

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Mad Men – Season 1

March 30, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Mad Men – Season 1: on this day and age when television series are, for the most part, plot-centered (those which major or minor story arcs are the reason for the series to exist), when a character-centered series appears, it takes some time to get used to the different pace and tone. Such was the case here; the first season calmly introduces the characters, their traits and relationships, and requires some patience, which is amply rewarded. Well-written and very well-acted […]

Categories: Non-Film Reviews • Tags: drama

Between Us (Entre Nós)

March 28, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Between Us: delicate and sorrowful, this film’s story is effective for being, in general terms, so relatable; the characters, their relationship and dialogues are realistic and touching. Paulo and Pedro Morelli get beautiful performances from the whole cast, and it would be unfair to mention any one over the others. Gustavo Hadba’s camera work is a joy to look at, as it makes full use of the location and find interesting ways to frame some conversations. The great location, incidentally, provides […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama

Lone Survivor

March 27, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Lone Survivor: this film has a decent story (truth-inspired, but not particularly original), in spite of its terrible title. The characters are so poorly written that, if they were not played by recognizable talent (which don’t have much to do), they would be virtually indistinguishable. Peter Berg shot the action scenes efficiently (the sound design is, indeed, rather strong), but they are also repetitive and unimaginative; furthermore, they lack geographical clarity, letting the viewer more disoriented than the characters. Jingoism and […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: war

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Hitchcock/Truffaut

March 25, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Hitchcock/Truffaut: Alfred Hitchcock was, for too much time, shoehorned as a genre director, the Master of Suspense, as if that was a minor accomplishment in itself. François Truffaut, along with other French critics, spearheaded a movement to recognize Hitchcock as what he truly was: a truly cinematic director, that made full use of the image to tell his stories.

Categories: Non-Film Reviews • Tags: top

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No Country for Old Men

March 21, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

No Country for Old Men: a solid, grim film. It has no-frills, simple story which is made special by a great gallery of characters. The cast is, therefore, of great importance, and they deliver in spades; while Javier Bardem has the meatier role, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin are both equally good. While it’s the darkness that dominates, there’s also a great sense of irony that is present; it’s a serious film made by people who have a sense […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: crime, drama

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The Incredibles

March 17, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

The Incredibles: an immensely fun film. It all starts with the great story by director Brad Bird, which has recognizable elements but is also very fresh; it’s also rather layered. The sense of humor is low-key; it’s present in the dialogue, character design and in the frame, and much of it comes from references about culture in general, superheroes, Pixar itself. It’s extremely well-done, drawn in a clean, retro style that fits the story being told; the character design is […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: adventure, animation, pixar, super hero, top