Film reviews | Fifth about The Seventh

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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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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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

Nymphomaniac: Vol. II

March 15, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Nymphomaniac: Vol. II: when looking upon this film by itself, it is an unpleasant experience; the pace is uneven and the story, somewhat depressing.

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama

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Labor Day (2013)

March 14, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Labor Day: Jason Reitman tells this story earnestly, without any shred of irony; and while it develops perhaps too conveniently, too quickly

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama

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Alemão

March 12, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Alemão: solid, competent action film. At its center is a well-told story (with undertones of some Howard Hawks’ westerns, and making good use of a MacGuffin),

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action

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Notorious (1946)

March 11, 2014 by Felipe Rosa

Notorious: a typically classy Alfred Hitchcock’s film; the story is simple, relatively unadorned, but it nevertheless produces some moments of great suspense.

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