Velvet Goldmine
by Felipe Rosa
Velvet Goldmine: Todd Haynes follows a prestigious, well-known blueprint to tell this
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama, musical
Tag: musical
Magic Mike XXL
by Felipe Rosa
Magic Mike XXL: Gregory Jacobs embraces the facts that there is barely any story to be told and that the characters are mere
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama, musical
Into the Woods (2014)
by Felipe Rosa
Into the Woods: Rob Marshall’s film commits a cardinal sin for a musical:
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: adventure, musical
Begin Again
by Felipe Rosa
Begin Again: in spite of the simple, old story, John Carney’s film is an interesting watch; it is driven by the passion of art (music in particular) that, for being so earnest, is very relatable. The great looking cast (Mark Ruffalo is a great presence, Hailee Steinfeld and Catherine Keener good additions for the time they are on, but it’s Keira Knightley, who has a nice singing voice, who is the highlight) and the nice songs go a long way to make it a pleasant ride. […]
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama, musical
Jersey Boys
by Felipe Rosa
Jersey Boys: most of the entertainment value of Clint Eastwood’s film (which, at least, is existent) comes from the music; otherwise, as a film experience, this is surprisingly flat. The main problem lies in the story and most of the character gallery, which are nondescript and unfocused; another issue is that the film meanders among many genres without convincing at any of them. The performances are usually too broad, theatrical (betraying the origin of the material in a different way than usual, […]
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: biopic / historic, drama, musical
The Broken Circle Breakdown
by Felipe Rosa
The Broken Circle Breakdown: a sad, touching story (if not particularly original), that is improved by the structure and the odd mix of Bluegrass music in a Belgian setting
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama, musical
Inside Llewyn Davis
by Felipe Rosa
Inside Llewyn Davis: one mark of a good story and interesting world is that the end is not welcome, that it could just keep going, showing off more. Such is the case here; the writing is more complex that a cursory look suggests, and always thoroughly entertaining. The character gallery is typical Coen Brothers material, with characters that are attractive, distinctive and flawed. The titular semi-anti-hero, well-played by Oscar Isaac is one; the best of the bunch is created by […]
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: comedy, drama, musical
Cabaret (1972)
by Felipe Rosa
Cabaret: while the narrative structure of this film is somewhat uneven (mostly because the musical interludes are used to comment, not advance the story), the story itself and the setting are so interesting that they make up for it. Liza Minnelli gives life to a great character, while Michael York was somewhat bland (even thought the character somewhat required it). The songs are all beautifully executed, but also somewhat uneven: a few are memorable, a few are readily forgettable. The […]
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: drama, musical
The Sapphires
by Felipe Rosa
The Sapphires: good, efficient feel-good movie, that makes use of its most powerful weapon: the soul music that is spread around. The story, such as many real stories that inspire movies, is a good one; the notes that book-end the film may seem a bit heavy-handed, as they only provide direct context to a minor relationship. They are, nevertheless, of the “important” kind. The cast works well, particularly Chris O’Dowd.
Categories: Film reviews • Tags: biopic / historic, drama, musical
Fifth about The Seventh 