sergiokapusta Reviews

Sweetwater (2013)

Ed Harris adds spice to a good western

[8/10 · 24 January 2013]

Just finished watching Sweetwater at the Sundance. Great audience reception! I think we were ready for a renewal of the western, an action packed morality play in an otherwise overly-intellectual festival. January Jones plays Sara, the prostitute turned good housewife. After his husband is killed by maniac prophet Josiah (Jason Isaacs, in role tailor made for his cold features) she goes on a cleaning spree a-la-Dirty Harry. And does she clean up shop! All the bad guys get what they had coming, and in the wild west the only penalty for misbehaving is lead. She does a very credible job as an avenging angel with a cute face and a purple umbrella.

A highly entertaining film, with few good guys but a satisfying morality tale. Ed Harris is a treat as an anachronic elder flower child of the 1970's. I wished to see Sara and Sheriff Jackson ride into the sunset, and meet again in a later film.

Overall a highly recommended movie.

Mother of George (2013)

Good movie, way too long. Storytelling also needs pace.

[5/10 · 23 January 2013]

Just saw Mother of George at Sundance. Movie tells a good story, spiced with ethnical flavor, colorful dresses and way too many close ups. The actors are very good, especially Yaya Alafia. She conveys the naivety of the character and her tortuous decisions. I think that the storytelling needed some faster pace. Many side tales shown in excruciating detail detract from the main thrust. The cinematographer has overdone the close ups and fade aways out of focus. And what is it with starting scenes focusing away from the action (a foot here, a finger there) and letting the audience guess what is going on from noise alone? The best scene, when Ayodele learns the truth about his son, is one time when fading of view and sound are truly effective. Many of the other seem contrived.