12 Years a Slave: a brutal experience, as a realistic film about the slavery needs to be. (One has to wonder if, and why, modern audiences need to be reminded of the cruelty of such obviously evil institution, but I digress.) The story is more emotional than the film, but probably it’s just as well, as it is quite powerful without the need of additional accentuating. Beautifully directed by Steve McQueen, from the superb acting by the whole cast (but […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: biopic / historic, drama

Rush (written by Francisco Rosa): motivated by what my filmmaker, film-critic son wrote in this blog, I decided to watch Rush.

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: biopic / historic, drama

Rush: entertaining and solid, if not very innovative, sports drama; it all starts with the good script that lays down appealingly the rivalry between the two main characters. It’s a sign of strength that both are flawed but reasonably well-rounded, and attractive in their own different ways. Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl are both strong in their portraits. Furthermore, they are physically a great match to their real counterparts, the most notable (but not only) sign of attention to detail […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: biopic / historic, drama

Lee Daniels’ The Butler: there is no denying this is an important film, due to the issues (the civil rights movement, the racial divide) it touches. However, Lee Daniels seemed content in making an important movie and not an engaging one. It resembles a superficial travelogue through the fight against racism and, as such, it’s emotionally uninvolving. The title character is, more often than not, a passive observant of the action (as his station required), a supporting player in his […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: biopic / historic, drama

Fruitvale Station: well-grounded by two solid, modulated performances by Michael B. Jordan and Olivia Spencer, this is a sad, touching drama. The main character is well written, complex and flawed but undeserving of his fate. The story is a simple one, but going any further than it did would reduce its impact. Shot simply and effectively, one good example of the story justifying the style. As it’s usually the case with reality-based tales, how accurate a portrait of the actual […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: biopic / historic, drama

42: while this is certainly an “important” story, it has also the earmarking of a good one. The material, however, is dealt with such solemnity that all humanity is almost snuffed out of it. From the golden hues of the cinematography (which, should be said, is good-looking but very generic) to the excessive cleanliness of the costumes and sets; from the bombastic music to the heavy acting of Harrison Ford. At least the biggest mistake of deifying the main character […]

Categories: Film reviews • Tags: biopic / historic, drama