Felipe Rosa

Much Ado About Nothing (2012)

June 12, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Much Ado About Nothing: Joss Whedon’s choices for this play are good evidence that strong writing (and a Shakespeare play will almost by default qualify) works in almost any setting, particularly if anchored by good acting. The cast, for the most part, makes the Bard’s words sing and dance, bringing the lovely farce to life. The film has a very simple, unadorned look (to be expected considering how the project came to life) and the black-and-white cinematography is just serviceable; […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: comedy, drama, romance

Despicable Me

June 8, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Despicable Me: uninspired and bland animated film. The problem starts (but not ends) with the underdeveloped story and the unmemorable characters. The brand of humour is as low-brow as it could be while still being kid-friendly. Finally, visually it’s as flat and uninteresting as everything else. The one saving grace, to a point, is the group of minions, but that’s a one-trick pony that can only go so far.

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: animation, comedy

Skyfall – Revisit

June 5, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Skyfall: other than the colorful, rich, mesmerizing camera work by Roger Deakins (I have rambled about him before), which I had noticed but now could pay more attention to, there was not much new in a second visit to this film. That was not necessarily unexpected: firstly, by circling back to traditional elements, we are (or will be) back in familiar territory; secondly, a 007 movie is never exactly brimming with subtext. Worth mentioning, since I neglected to do so […]

Categories: Film reviews, Revisit • Tags: action

Hot Fuzz

June 4, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Hot Fuzz: a funny parody of a whole genre (the buddy cop films) that wears all possible references on its sleeves, and then some. The absurdity is over-the-top, but also well modulated. The result is (intentionally) as empty as the films it is emulating, but also a satisfying ride. Visually, it’s ultra kinetic both in the camera work and in the editing. The cast is playing this for all there is, as the material requires.

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action, comedy

Now You See Me

June 2, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Now You See Me: flashy but vacuous as only a film with this title and tagline can be. However, as it’s said here and elsewhere, time and again, this is what generally comes with summer fare. It’s a very good-looking cast, but they are not playing characters, they are just reading dialogue as fast as they can to hide the lack of a decent story. Visually slick, but that’s yet another trick for distracting the audience. In that regard, the […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: crime

Before Midnight

June 2, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Before Midnight: a rare breed, this film is a sequel that continues the story of its predecessors organically; it almost requires them to be enjoyed in full, but the investment is well paid. Visually, it serves the purpose beautifully, which is to let the characters have their conversation without being obtrusive; it’s simple and elegant. (The beautiful backdrop of Greece helps a lot.) Most pleasurable, however, is to watch the actors interact and react to each other in the (mostly) […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama

Stories We Tell

May 31, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Stories We Tell: it is rare to come across of a work of such intelligence and sensibility. Sarah Polley conceived and executed this documentary marvelously, as such a personal story requires. The story being told has great elements, that make it funny and touching; the film, however is as much about itself as it is about the story, and this deep layering (the story, telling this story in particular and stories in general) makes the experience very rich. As I […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: documentary, top

Fast & Furious 6

May 30, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Fast & Furious 6: particularly this late in the franchise, what one gets is a known quantity: mayhem, pure and simple. In the timeless rule of sequels, the mayhem is getting bigger, more preposterous as time goes by: one or two sequences here reach all-time highs, which, considering the bar set by the previous entries, is saying quite a lot. Characters, acting, a sensible story, all those take a back seat. Of course, it doesn’t mean that if you are […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action

Take Shelter

May 29, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Take Shelter: this quiet little film tells beautifully its heart-breaking, sad journey. The slow descent would not be as touching or realistic if not for the delicate performance of Michael Shannon, in particular, but also Jessica Chastain, as this is not an easy story to sell effectively, in particular without falling into the traps of overacting or disrespect for the characters. The camera work is simple, elegant, non-obstrusive.