by Felipe Rosa
The Hunger Games: there is a level of discomfort with this film that comes from the story: how barbaric is a society that does that to children? The discomfort, from a story point of view, goes even beyond that, but any comments would entail spoilers. The film feels a tad overlong; luckily, Jennifer Lawrence is more than capable of holding any frame she is part of.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action, sci fi
by Felipe Rosa
Act of Valor: there is a reason actors are trained and paid to work: they are able to sell a story. The same thing with screenwriters, for that matter. The lack of either makes this film a bad rendition of a story that has been told time and time again, generally with more success.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action
by Felipe Rosa
Jeff, Who Lives at Home: a nice little story, despite itself with the almost excessive neatness. This is also a perfect example of how aesthetics can be a disservice to the story: is there really a reason to punctuate almost every shot with a zoom?
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: comedy, drama
by Felipe Rosa
John Carter: old-fashioned epic, that has the sad disadvantage of looking like a copy of uncountable films that are likely copies of the original material this is based on. It has some visual flair going for it in the design of the alien species.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: adventure, fantasy
by Felipe Rosa
21 Jump Street: a cardinal sin of a comedy, of course, is to not provoke any laughs, particularly if it doesn’t have much else going for it (a good story, for starters). This one gets very close to that particular sin, but it’s saved by a minor character. Barely.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action, comedy
by Felipe Rosa
Footnote: the mix of light farce and heavy familiar drama is unusual. That’s not a bad thing, quite the opposite. The problem lies with the fact that the story is attractive (particularly for being so different), as is the conflict between the characters. The characters themselves, however, are a bit unsympathetic.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama
by Felipe Rosa
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: charming, mostly due to its attractive cast, but ultimately rather inocuous romantic comedy. The unusual setting for the story shows some glimpses of what might have been, in particular in Kristin Scott Thomas’ character.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: romantic comedy
by Felipe Rosa
Jane Eyre: beautifully realized movie, with good-looking cinematography and art, above average acting. It does, however, fall on the same trap of so many period movies: the coldness and distance of the characters end up permeating to the narrative itself; it ends up being a cold, if beautiful, spectacle.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama
by Felipe Rosa
The Secret World of Arrietty: a great example of how stunning the hand drawn animation style still can be; it’s rich and detailed, full of life. The sweet, touching story complements the visual aspect perfectly, oozing charm and magic. There is a reason (many, indeed) for the Pixar artists to hold Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli in such high regard, and they are in display here.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: animation, fantasy
Fifth about The Seventh