by Felipe Rosa
Dirty Knees: this short I produced got awarded recently in the 2013 Asian American FilmLab’s 72-Hour Shootout with a spot in the Top Ten and the Best Screenplay Award. I’ll refrain from stating my opinion about it since I am conflicted.
Categories: Non-Reviews • Tags: comedy, drama, short
by Felipe Rosa
Blue Jasmine: Cate Blanchett’s acting is not the only reason to see this film, but it certainly is the main one. She has the elegance, the physique du rôle and the acting chops to play this interesting, complex character. The whole cast is in fine shape, making the most out of the well-written parts in such a rich story. Woody Allen’s dialogue is spot-on, funny (in the right moments) but natural. Camera-work is attractive, without being showy (It would be […]
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: comedy, drama
by Felipe Rosa
12 Minutes: Filmmaking is deceptively time-consuming. Coming out with a story, writing a working script, shooting, editing, it all takes much more time than it looks. A good friend of mine recently produced this short for the 48 Hour Film Project. The end result is a very fun short, all the more impressive because of the restraints. Enjoy!
Categories: Non-Reviews • Tags: drama, horror, short
by Felipe Rosa
Lolita: this story is not an easy one to tell, both because of the taboo subject matter and the generally unsympathetic characters. The relationships between the characters, however, is an interesting one. The detached, cold approach may ease the process, but it also makes it harder to relate to anyone. Acting is generally very solid; Peter Sellers makes use of his powers to create a great manipulative creep. The standout is the camera work, meticulous and rich without being excessively […]
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama
by Felipe Rosa
The Way, Way Back: a story is often dismissed out of hand if it’s not considered original; however, while freshness is desired, a heartfelt, well-though tale will more often than not generate a better film. This one has a story that is universal in its broad strokes and distinctive in some of the particulars. It also has some of the usual indie quirkiness, but the characters are rich, well-rounded and interesting to watch. The cast is uniformly great; Steve Carell […]
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: comedy, drama
by Felipe Rosa
The Attack: while the starting point for this drama is interesting, even strong, the way it unfolds leaves a bit to be desired, given the choice of trying to stir up a controversy instead of telling its story organically. While that’s part of the premise, the characters feel detached from their actions, making it harder to sympathize. It’s not particularly well shot or edited (jump cuts abound, for no particular reason) either.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama
by Felipe Rosa
Barbary Coast: strong drama which is very frank in dealing with the realities of the time and place of its story. Characters are well-rounded and complex; not one is unblemished (even thought, of course, some are more than others). Such realism is refreshing. The cast is generally good, but the highlight is Walter Brennan. The film is well shot, making the fogginess almost a character.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama
by Felipe Rosa
Unfinished Song: watching great actors at work is always an enormous pleasure; in this case, particularly Vanessa Redgrave (not many are greater, no matter the role) and Terence Stamp. When the story helps and allows the viewer to connect to the characters, so much the better. It’s easy to call this touching film manipulative (even if all films, perhaps all forms of art, are trying to tug the public one way or another), but it’s organically done (the real crime […]
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama
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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