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Reviews
The Shift (2023)
An absolutely MASTERPIECE! It left me SPEECHLESS!
The Shift is one of the most beautiful and powerful movies I have ever seen in my life! The acting was perfect, the plot was very intricate and compelling, and the message was powerful!
The Shift offers us a fresh perspective on how we exercise our spirituality, how we handle the challenges and the consequences of our choices in a world riddled with selfishness, evil, apathy, indifference, superficiality, self-centeredness, and narcissism.
Neal McDonough was simply brilliant, powerful, strong, and menacing! The message in The Shift is so powerful and impactful that will compel you to revaluate everything you have done, every single choice you make, and how willing you are to face the consequences, regardless.
Do not let the negative reviews keep you from watching a movie that can really make a difference, and help us endure all broken bones and broken hearts along the way! Go see this brilliant and inspiring movie!!
Sound of Freedom (2023)
A BRILLIANT MOVIE!! A TRUE MASTERPIECE!
Sound of Freedom is a necessary movie for everyone who believes that we have a purpose in this world. Child pornography and human trafficking are within the worst cancers in our society and around the globe. If you are those types who do not believe that there is evil in this world; who sees "human rights" as something that needs to fit into your own view of what is right or wrong; who believes that abnormal behavior, depravity, and perversion are relative concepts, and that "love" surpasses social norms and conventions, then Sound of Freedom can be a real challenge for you.
Jim Caviezel is undoubtedly one of the most authentic and talented actors I have had the privilege to watch on the big screen. He has never been your typical movie celebrity. He has never been those ones who are more preoccupied with the hypocritical world of the seculars, pushing the values of a rotten culture, as a means of empowering themselves in the universe of the famous and relevant, in a society that has lost its way in a long time... To the contrary, Jim Caviezel cares for what really matters and his character portrayals show everything he represents as a person and an actor.
I have personally followed quite a few very disturbing and painful cases of child abduction, rape and murder. I know how darkness and depravity can destroy lives. Destroying a child's innocence is the most cruel thing that could ever happen in a civilized society; a society in which politicians claim to care and fight for "human rights", for the rights of "every minority group", while doing very little to nothing to protect the most precious and innocent ones!
Sound of Freedom is a movie that gives you hope that this world is not completely lost. A hope that there are people out there willing to sacrifice their own career, their public image, their paycheck, and everything else, to a much better cause. The only cause that should have been the driving force in any community, in any society: living with a purpose in this complicated world. Not for your own purpose, but for a greater one: protect children, protect their innocence, protect innocence in itself, allow children to grow with dignity and with their purity intact. Childhood is the most precious time in our lives. Today they are children, tomorrow they will carry this world on their own shoulders. Our future and legacy will depend on them. Instead of attacking the ones you disagree with, put your worldview to the side, and remember when you were a child yourself. These innocent children need more Jim Caviezels of the world! The movie is not about "conspiracy theories". We all really wished that it was. Child sex trafficking is a monster lurking in the background, while many influential people are more concerned with their own agenda. This world is a sad place to exist. But Sound of Freedom will give you a chance to make a difference, to believe that goodness is still in the hearts of people who aren't afraid of telling the truth, who aren't afraid of facing the opposition, facing the persecution, facing unfounded criticism, skepticism, and agnosticism, facing disdain for spiritual things and hatred toward what is right.
There is no Oscar that could measure up to an actor like Jim Caviezel and his passion for portraying the real heroes of this world, specially his portrayal of the ONLY TRUE KING, who came on this earth to teach us to love one another and to always protect the little ones, HIS precious children! Yes, God's children are not for sale!
House of the Dragon (2022)
Extremely disappointing!!
Like many people, after the disastrous GoT 7th and 8th seasons, I decided to watch HOTD with skepticism, but still hopeful.... Unfortunately, everything about these series (based on the two first episodes) is terrible. GoT was a masterpiece. It's story and characters were magnificent and captivating. I consider GoT the best series ever produced on television (not considering 7th and 8th seasons!).
House of the Dragon cannot follow the success of GoT. This series suffers from not having one single attractive character. None of them have charisma, charm, wit, intelligence, and good looks to show for. The acting is terrible with expressionless princesses and kings who have ZERO CHARISMA. The actress playing the teenager Targaryen princess is one of the worst characters in the series. She cannot act and comes across as she is detached from everything that goes on, which isn't much, so far.
The actor playing the defiant Targaryen brother looks more like an Elf. Besides that, he is also very unattractive and uninteresting. The charisma, charm, sexiness and intelligence from ALL characters at GoT are completely absent with these Targaryens who make you feel like you are watching some poorly made version of Lord of the Rings.
GoT had some realness about itself that made the show very relatable, memorable and remarkable. The fantasy would take us away into new territory, while the suffering, losses, betrayals, love stories, perversions, cruelty, malice, and hope that goodness would triumph over evil made us feel very real about it, as if we were there with them, experiencing their battles, sadness, disappointments, anguish, and struggles. This new series cannot ever capture the realism and magnificence of GoT. The CGI is horrible. The show is mostly shot in some dark colors, the interactions are very monotone. The black actors feel out of place, and it is inevitable to think that political correctness lead to this poor choice of casting black actors to play volaryen /Targaryen characters. The woke culture is really destroying everything they touch. The story line about a mid 40 year old king being pressured to marry a 12 year old child was uncomfortable to see and gave some pedophilia vibes. I understand that Targaryens married their brothers and sisters, so incest was a common aspect of their history, but the scene about a 12 year old girl telling an adult that she doesn't have "to bed" him until she is 14 was a bit much, even for the GoT world, and strangely, the dialogue was very bland.
I highly doubt that this series can improve and take us to the marvelous journey that GoT did. In the end, I know that I have to watch GoT again if I ever want to relive the emotions that I once experienced by watching a series such as GoT was. I already watched 5 times and will be watching for the 6th time very soon. If you are a hardcore fan of GoT and fully embraced the events that made GoT a masterpiece, you will be thoroughly disappointed with HOTD!
Pacto Brutal: O Assassinato de Daniella Perez (2022)
I can feel Gloria's pain!
There's a lot that I want to say about this documentary. At the time of the murder I was 24 years old, living in São Paulo. I was born in São Paulo, Brazil and as a child I watched many soap operas. Then, in my adolescent and adult years I just lost interest in telenovelas. I was in Santos, a beach town, when I first heard of this terrible tragedy. Daniella Pérez was a beautiful young lady, who became known throughout the country for her acting abilities and charisma. In her last interview before her untimely death, she said that she had everything she wanted in life, that she was a privileged young lady and had married the man she wanted. She was a happy young woman. Being able to accomplish all of this in Brazil, at a young age, was definitely a blessing. It makes even the more tragic that Daniella was pulled into a web of lies, deceit, envy, and pure jealousy which culminated with her brutal death. Now, 30 years later, and living in the US for 22 years, having already lost both my parents in Brazil, the emptiness that overcame me when I watched the TV series was immense and overwhelming.
In my opinion the series is well done and has succeeded in reaching out to the hearts of everyone who knew of this crime back in 1992. However, I believe that the strongest testimony and interview came from Gloria Perez herself. I personally did not care for most of the other testimonies and, in fact, they only showed more of the weakness that has corroded Brazilian society and culture, which can lead to those types of crimes that remain unpunished forever.
The scene in the cemetery where Daniella Perez in being buried is heartbreaking, and caused me to be very angry with the way Brazilians seem to be so disrespectful with Daniella's family. That behavior was embarrassing and I can only imagine how a foreign person watching this scene would consider it very cringy and bizarre. Then, some people in Rio de Janeiro kept damaging the tomb and threatening to remove Daniella's remains. I guess, after living in another country for so long, I cannot comprehend this kind of behavior and how it seems to be tolerated by both the police and Brazilian society. It really hurts my heart to see how Brazil has been so backwards in dealing with criminal matters.
The TV series lacks the ability to present hard evidence that would speak for itself, and relies heavily on witnesses and testimonies. Growing up in Brazil, I used to despise its criminal system. Unfortunately, Brazil is still very leftist in its political views, which results in a justice system that focuses more on the rights of the criminals, than in seeking justice for the victims. Daniella's murder case is a perfect example. Witnesses are afraid of testifying because they don't want to be the target of a crime and don't want to lose their jobs. The police does nothing about it and Gloria Perez has to seek justice on her own, knocking on doors and begging witnesses to do the right thing. I have been following crime stories in the US for decades and NEVER saw anything like that before. This whole situation left me speechless. A loving mother in pain and the Brazilian justice system just kept throwing salt in her wounds. While I still love Brazil in many ways, I painfully admit that there's no justice in that country, and Brazilian citizens are treated like a number, a shadow that fades away while murderers just receive a pat in the back!
The interviews with both murderers were very bizarre. The exploitation by Brazilian tabloid magazines of both the crime and the character Yasmin played by Daniella in the soap opera De Corpo e Alma was disgusting. I can only imagine the depth and intensity of the pain that Gloria Perez went through. If a talented, famous, and well stablished screenwriter in Brazil has to deal with the amount of disrespect, neglect, and disregard that it was shown from the justice system, the press, witnesses, the tabloids, the people and fans attending Daniella's funeral, lawyers, and even a catholic priest, for 30 years, we all know that there won't be justice for anyone else in Brazil.
I remember when I first heard of those two murderers being released from prison and living a normal life as a pastor (Guilherme de Padua) and an attorney (Paula Thomáz). I just felt very sick and truly believed that leaving Brazil behind was the best thing I ever did in my life. USA has a lot of problems, but they are also relentless in their pursuit of justice for the victims of horrific crimes! It's very disturbing to think that there are good and equally naive evangelicals attending this murderer's church. The devil is a master manipulator camouflaging himself in sheep's clothing! It is also equally revolting that the other murderer becomes an attorney, gets married (whoever married this murderer is a sadist), has more kids, and tries to enroll them in acting classes!
Gloria Perez is the star of the series from start to finish. Her sharp and painful words pierced my heart and I felt her pain deeply in my soul. She is right. Our children have always been in the corner of our lives way before they were even born. And they will always be in the most special corner of our lives. Regardless. I am a person of faith, so I believe in divine justice. I also believe that we will be reunited with our precious children and our loving parents one day. I heard a very wise man say that while happiness is an irregular emotional state that can be dissipated in a blink of an eye, the most important thing is to live a meaningful life, regardless of the pain and tragedies that befall us all. Daniella lived a meaningful life, she was talented, full of life, bright, beautiful and loved by her wonderful family. What could be more meaningful than a loving mother's pursuit for justice for her beautiful daughter?
The Serpent (2021)
Beautifully and masterfully done!
I absolute loved this series! Please, do not let the negative reviews affect your decision to watch this series! The acting is great from all actors involved in the project, specially the two protagonists who play Charles Sobraj and Monique, the actor who plays Ajay and the Dutch diplomat who stop at nothing to catch the killer!
Many reviewers complain of the time structure of the series, however I believe it worked greatly to tie all of the sequences and events together! In anyway it distracts from unraveling the terrible events that are gradually unfolded before us; to the contrary, it provides us with a dynamic way to follow the horrific events, in which many backpackers were tortured and exterminated from this world! The series are superb and it does not glorify the killer, in spite of his romantic involvement with the woman who will turn to be his accomplice in most of his criminal activities and murders.
I also believe the series is very loyal to the time period in which the story occurs, and to the locations where the crimes are committed. The Dutch diplomat is relentless in pursuing justice and catching the killer! I already watched The Serpent three times, and every time I watch it I love it even more! Those were terrifying times with hippies erroneously believing that people are essentially good and finding themselves trapped in the evil ways of a callous and murderous man! It is a cautionary tale and a learning lesson to young people who, still to this day, continue to believe that the world is a fairytale, that humans are inherently good, and that evil does not exist as everything wrong with the world is merely the result of mental illness! You will experience what evil can do to those who undermine its existence!
Christmas with the Chosen: The Messengers (2021)
Disappointing....
I really wanted to like this production. I absolutely love The Chosen series and I believe it to be one of the best portrayals of the life of Jesus Christ, his teachings, and the apostles I personally have ever seen. I was under the impression that the movie was going to take us on the same powerful journey the series did, beautifully depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. My daughter has not seen the series yet, and I was eager to take her with us to the movie theater for her to have her first experience watching an inspirational depiction of the birth and life of Jesus. Unfortunately, 85 minutes into the production/movie or whatever we should call, all I was seeing was musical presentations, interviews with band members, and monologues. I was sincerely confused. Yes, the songs are beautiful, and many of the testimonials are touching, but I could not relate to them so their message was lost. I felt like I was misled into thinking that we were going to watch another powerful portrayal of Jesus Christ and instead, we were there to watch Christian singers sing and give their messages about faith. We are living in difficult times, we are enduring a tough moment in history where tyranny, false accusations, division, criminality, immorality, corruption, lies, and atheism are taking over this world. We need series like The Chosen to keep us in check with our spiritual life. It's heartbreaking to see that an opportunity was truly missed with this production to successfully bring us closer to the Gospel and surrender our lives to Christ. When the movie finally presents the birth of Christ, the experience feels incomplete. For those who never watched the series, it gave an impression of missing something instead of feeling spiritually fulfilled, unlike the series which were so successful in achieving this goal. I left the theater a bit sad. In spite of all of this, I love the series with all my heart and will always be faithful to their production and message, however I will most likely not attend any other movie production they may have in the future!
Vikings (2013)
A great series with a lot of potential wasted...SPOILER ALERT!
I found that the Vikings was a series with a lot of potential that just couldn't live up to the expectations that was created...
The relationship between the priest and Ragnar:
While both characters showed a very touching vulnerability in regard to their faith and their willingness to learn about one another's God, the priest came across as too indecisive and easily persuaded by the circumstances which weakened his credibility in the series..
Ragnar was shown as a man who was capable of compassion and tolerance but would always resort to barbaric actions in the end. His actions made his character less likable. At one point he was willing to give up on his wife and the love of his life to be with another woman so he could have more sons...but he never appeared as connected with his sons from that princess as he was with Bjorn, so what was the point of destroying that family unit? Ragnar decided to go back to England to avenge the death of the farmers from the settlement he originally agreed on with King Ecgberht, and brought with him a bunch of old people who he and his son Ivar ended up killing... so, Ragnar who is supposed to be a leader and wanted to avenge the brutal death of his people, decides to murder the very same people he recruited (his own people) to accompany him in his quest for revenge...why bother bringing them?
In the fourth season Ragnar is seen as a man who seems to be enduring a personal crisis and distancing himself from the second wife as he goes on a strange relationship with a Chinese slave who ended up being a drug provider and who was easily discarded once she had no drug to offer... this is really the leader who became a fearless legend for the Vikings?? What a shame...
At one point, Ragnar appeared to have kept the good memories and even the Christian faith from the priest he originally enslaved. But then, all that he learned about Christianity seemed to mean nothing, and he goes on to become an Atheist and questions the existence of any God.. but then he still dies with the expectation that he would enter Valhalla... so, which was it with Ragnar? One of the most important traits of a leader is his belief and conviction, but if you have a king and a leader who questions everything, changes his mind depending on the circumstances, and kill people cowardly and for silly reasons, then the series start to suffer from lack of credibility and relatability.
Now, the female character Lagherta. She starts strong and engaging. However, as the seasons come and go, you see a woman who has the supernatural qualities of a Wonder Woman, who rather walk away from the man of her life to end up marrying an abuser, kill another man cowardly right before their marriage because that was what she had promised herself when she could have done it way before and not waste anyone's time on that useless romance, and finally end up having a lesbian relationship. Lagherta's lack of vulnerability and continuous endurance only made her the more annoying. In addition, while the men all aged quite well, Lagherta and the tall princess who became Ragnar's second wife didn't have one strand of grey hair! On top of it, to spice things up a bit, you get to see Bjorn having some passionate sex with his mother's new wife! Gross!
Bjorn, first son of Ragnar, seemed very one-dimensional, always angry, with the same super powers that his mother has, unbeatable and with a bland personality. He has a daughter who died mysteriously, and the show never gives any explanation as to what happened, so you see Bjorn very indifferent to what happened to his daughter, making more babies with another woman and ultimately having an affair with his mother's wife.
And.. who was Habard in the end? The show introduces you to this wanderer who happens to be a womanizer, who has sex with the entire female population including the queen, whose actions and presence seemed to cause the death of some children, then as Ragnar is coming back from his aids, this seductive wanderer disappears and there is no closure....
The other sons of Ragnar are introduced half way in the fourth season, but by then you are already very confused and a bit disenchanted with the series. Even King Ecgberht, his son who tolerated his father sleeping with his wife and the bastard boy Alfred who was the result of an adulterous relationship can't save the endless contradictions that constantly rob the series of an authentic feel! Rollo's character is also very contradicting without much closure on the motivations behind his actions, other than the typical revenge against a brother who is more famous, successful and respected. The seer's answers while seem very prophetic, most of the time do not match everything else that goes on on the show which ends up lessening its strength and power. Floki's killing of the priest feels very unresolved as he never really repented, so his indifference toward the brutality of his actions makes it hard to relate and root for his character!
All in all, the series suffers from contradictions and less than honorable motivations that drive its characters to behave, act and react in a certain way that hurts the possibility of an authentic story with genuine and strong characters whose outcome could give closure and satisfaction to the fans!