by Felipe Rosa
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger: not much sound or fury, but indeed it signifies nothing. I can’t remember another Allen movie where the characters were so unpleasant (that’s not a problem in itself) and uninteresting (this is!). Not even a decent zinger in the whole thing.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: comedy
by Felipe Rosa
Never Let Me Go: a movie of undescribable violence and delicacy at the same time. Oh, it’s not visual (in fact, R rating? Really?), it’s worse than that. It’s even more Machiavellian than the last film I saw, and that’s just so devastating. Carey Mulligan is great again; I would actually do a doubleheader with her if I had the time today.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama
by Felipe Rosa
Body of Lies: it’s an effective movie, but then again, with the talent involved, that was to be expected. It’s a lesson in Machiavellianism, and it’s probably not that far from the truth, either.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: thriller
by Felipe Rosa
Mr. & Mrs. Smith: efficient dumb fun, with both stars exuding their starness or however that is called. I particularly like the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid-like (non) finale there; I’ve been known to be a fan of that scene.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: action
by Felipe Rosa
The Town: not particularly distintictive, but solid, muscular entertainment. In fact, it’s quite well acted, even if the characters for most part are not all that interesting. Still, it’s an improvement over Gone Baby Gone, and that’s another movie that I actually liked.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: crime, drama
by Felipe Rosa
Going the Distance: cute-ish, but nothing special. I wonder why the decision to push it to R. I don’t think it added much and it sounded way too artificial.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: romantic comedy
by Felipe Rosa
The American: I’m still a bit on the fence about this one. I don’t mind the ponderous pace; in fact it’s refreshing to see a movie that is not in a rush to the next explosion. Clooney is good as usual, the movie is beautifully shot. But something is missing. The story itself is not all that interesting or novel, but that’s not quite the issue either. Honestly, I need to think about this puzzle for a bit longer.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: crime, drama
by Felipe Rosa
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: it’s a very peculiar, interesting piece. Amazingly quiet and delicate for a movie that deals, basically, with a moment of violence among extremely violent men. It’s ironic how it deals with fame and reputation, since the victim didn’t seem all that different in his cowardice as the perpetrator; it’s almost as if the legend got printed.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: western
by Felipe Rosa
Mr. Arkadin: how appropriate that I watched this right after The Third Man, since this movie seems to be a result of that masterpiece. Mr. Arkadin is Wellesian to a fault, with its extreme angled shots, Kane-ish structure and, yes, its sad story of lack of control over the finished product. Not a great movie, with some very awkward elements (the main actor, for one), but an interesting one anyway.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: crime, drama
Fifth about The Seventh