The Place Beyond the Pines: the stories follow a meandering, unfocused path that while connected weakly by thematic elements, nevertheless feels inorganic, fabricated. They are, each on their own, interesting and ripe with potential, but the way the film evolves doesn’t allow them to develop fully. The cast is in general very strong, in a quiet, subdued way. The film is also very well shot (It caters to my old bias of long tracking shots; the first shot of the […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama

The Best Years of Our Lives: sporadically heavy-handed drama, its story falling squarely into the “important” category (even thought it’s pretty much a product of its own time, there’s some relevance in this day and age once more). Very well-shot (It was Gregg Toland doing the lensing after all). Acting is somewhat uneven, particularly early on before the characters settle in; Harold Russell presence is very earnest, but more inspirational than strong.

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama

To the Wonder: a challenging film to watch. In this day and age where movies are mostly packaged, bound experiences (and, for the most part, easier), this is a sensorial journey, an exploration of ideas, feelings and images. There is a narrative and a story, however lose. If it works, much like most of Terrence Mallick’s filmography, depends on what you come in with. A big part of the puzzle is the beauty of the images, and Emmanuel Lubezki’s camerawork […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama

The Company You Keep: the biggest attraction of this film is its large, veteran cast playing it low-key and cool; the exception is Shia LaBeouf, overmatched (but perhaps less so than usual). The story is an interesting one, despite some inconsistencies that can be bothering; the slow, ponderous, somewhat unemotional pace can also be a problem, but it also allows the characters and the plot to grow and breathe. Aesthetically, it’s competent but unremarkable.

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama