Film reviews | Fifth about The Seventh

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

June 21, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Grave of the Fireflies: it is possible to have magic in an animation film without talking animals or fantastic environments; a great story in a realistic setting will have the same effect. In this particular case, the story is as touching as in very few cases before or since, and that includes live-action films; it is both very particular to its time and place, and universal. While it’s very different in tone to the majority of Studio Ghibli’s films, it […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: animation, drama, top

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The Bling Ring

June 20, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

The Bling Ring: while it may be tempting to attach the vacuousness of the characters into the film itself, that would neglect that, this being a Sofia Coppola work, there are some other themes in play. She touches, as usual, the feeling of social isolation; curiously, however, that is not the main issue and it seems that by reaching further, she overextended herself a bit. Nevertheless, this is an interesting story and the acting is convincing. The lensing of Harris Savides […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: crime, drama

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Epic (2013)

June 18, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Epic: a solid, if unspectacular animated film. The story is above average (it seems to be a bit inspired by Studio Ghibli’s works) and avoiding cheap jokes as well as pop culture references was a good choice. Character and world design are well done, in particular the way one integrated with the other; the exception is that some of the textures are a bit off. Voice acting is, for the most part, good; Christoph Waltz is expectedly the high point.

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: adventure, animation

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The Dark Knight Rises – Revisit

June 17, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

The Dark Knight Rises: as I revisited this film, I was impressed at how little action (relatively; for films of this genre) there is. The focus is on the characters and the story, which are well in concert with the essence of the main character. Therefore, the whole thing feels organic and closing the circle, the right way to go. The attractive cast is very solid, Anne Hathaway and Marion Cotillard being the stand-outs. Production values are great, and visually […]

Categories: Film reviews, Revisit • Tags: action, super hero

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Man of Steel

June 15, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Man of Steel: the main problem of this film is that, however iconic he may be, Superman is uninteresting as a character, particularly by himself. While some efforts are made, the gravitas of this straight-as-an-arrow man is simply too much and the general graveness becomes dull. Henry Cavill seems to be, indeed, made of steel, but the rest of the cast is interesting and solid. Visually, the choice of going desaturated, shaky, gritty is consistent with the way the character […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action, super hero

Sweet Smell of Success

June 13, 2013 by Felipe Rosa

Sweet Smell of Success: solid, powerful drama which is very noir-like thematically and aesthetically, if not in the setting. The cast, spearheaded by a chilly performance by Burt Lancaster, spits the sharp dialogue as such dialogue requires; it’s a great pleasure to see great lines read so well. The real standout, however, is the camera work of James Wong Howe: expressive, dynamic, always interesting to look at. Nice little gem of a movie.

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama

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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

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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