artscommented Reviews

Room (I) (2015)

Probably one of the best films of the year!

[9/10 · 7 November 2015]

I had never heard about this movie (or the book on which is based) until I got a call from my cousin inviting me to see it. When I heard its name, my first reaction was "is it a horror movie?". And she explained that it wasn't and told me briefly the story. I'll try to tell as little as I can, because I believe one of the reasons this film had such a huge impact on me was precisely my lack of previous knowledge.

Jack (Jacob Tremblay), a five-year old boy, lives with his mother Joy (Brie Larson) in a tiny room in precarious conditions. The boy has very long hair, is still breastfed, and sleeps inside the closet. Soon you realize they are not there by option: Joy was kidnapped 7 years before and Jack was born there, inside that room, which he believes to be the only thing that exists in the world. He has absolutely no idea that there is an "outside" behind the door.

I had all the possible emotions while watching Room. I was sad, happy, angry, and nervous (almost having a heart attack during an specific scene). Even my cousin was on the edge of her seat and she already knew what was going to happen.

Everything in this film is great, starting with the cast. Brie Larson is so perfect with her portrayal of a young woman who has been through such a trauma that I strongly believe she has real chances to be awarded for this role. Her character is so complex and she's able to transmit to us the sadness due to the situation and the happiness for having her son with her. And, of course, the boy! Jacob Tremblay is perfect and you can't help but feel both sorry and sympathetic towards him. He is so genuinely naïve and oblivious of the bad (and good) things in the world that is impossible not to like him.

Full review: http://wp.me/p5Rk4c-fB

Carol (2015)

Simply beautiful

[9/10 · 7 November 2015]

I watched Carol at the New York Film Festival, days after watching Freeheld. Since both movies talk about love relationship between two women, I was afraid I was going to see the same thing. Gladly, I couldn't be more wrong. Carol is such a beautiful movie, subtler than I had expected.

Even though I loved the movie, I'm aware that it's not for everybody. It's not fast paced, as current films tend to be. It takes its time to carefully construct the characters and to make us root for them. Credit is due to the cast, as Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara are brilliant, and to the director Todd Haynes, who conducts well the story.

Moreover, the film is visually stunning, with impeccable make-ups and wardrobes, not to mention the beautiful locations covered in snow while they take a road-trip. Finally, the soundtrack is equally wonderful, with songs that correctly set the tone of their relationship.

It probably won't be a box office hit, but I do hope everybody gets a chance to see it eventually.

Full review: http://wp.me/p5Rk4c-f6

Freeheld (2015)

Could have been better...

[7/10 · 7 November 2015]

If you've already seen Philadelphia (1993, with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington), you'll watch Freeheld and have a feeling of déjà vu. Written by the same screenwriter, Ron Nyswaner, Freeheld has all the elements of its predecessor: (i) it's inspired by true events, (ii) the main character has a disease and enters into a legal battle while sick, and (iii) there is a lot of prejudice against homosexuals. Despite all the similarities, Philadelphia is superior, and I'll try to explain why.

As Tom Hanks in Philadelphia, we see Julianne Moore transforms physically as the disease progresses. She always gives great performances, but I felt like I enjoyed it more during the first act, when she was struggling to keep her relationship a secret. Ellen Page is also great, especially when she's defied by her future boss who doesn't believe she can work repairing cars because she's a woman.

Having said that, the best character, in my opinion, is Dane Wells (Michael Shannon), Laurel's partner in the police who struggles with himself when he finds out she's gay, but ends up helping her. Steve Carell is also in the cast and he was very applauded by the audience in the session I was in. He definitely gave the film a lighter and funnier tone, since it's clearly a tearjerker.

Philadelphia had a different effect on me because the characters involved are more complex: the audience knows why Tom Hanks' character was fired, but the discussion is deeper than "because he's gay". In Freeheld, on the other hand, we see the "Freeholders" discussing Laurel's request behind close doors and their decision is simple and fast, with no further questions (except for Josh Charles' character). So, even though we all knew the ending to both films before they actually end, Freeheld felt like an old formula to me.

Full review: http://wp.me/p5Rk4c-em

Spectre (I) (2015)

Great way to follow Skyfall

[9/10 · 7 November 2015]

Having watched SPECTRE twice now, I believe I can write about it more objectively, given that I'm a fan of the franchise and of Daniel Craig's, so the text may be a little biased.

Following the massive success of Skyfall, it is natural that SPECTRE would suffer with the comparison to its predecessor. The fact that Sam Mendes is back to direct it also adds a factor to the comparison. I'm not ready to say if it's better or worse. It's just different, but I enjoyed it quite a lot.

The epigraph "The Dead are Alive" already hints that this movie is going to talk about deceased people who might still influence those who remained (Bond, in this case). Cut to the opening sequence in Mexico City, precisely on the Day of the Dead, with the country's traditional celebration in costumes. That sequence is breathtaking not only because of the amount of extras and the gorgeous costumes involved, but also because of the way it was shot. It seems to be a long take with no edits, something like Birdman.

The opening credits are always entertaining, and it also let us know that we will hear about characters from Bond's past, as their faces appear while Sam Smith's "Writing's on the Wall" is playing precisely during the verses "A million shards of glass/ That haunt me from my past". A side note about the song: is it better than Adele's "Skyfall"? No, but it's much better than previous Bond themes... besides, the way the credits roll are so entertaining that it's worth it.

The movie itself is filled with references to other films from the franchise, some more subtle, others more evident. He does ask for his Martini shaken, not stirred, he says "Bond, James Bond", he has gadgets from Q (Ben Whishaw), he drives an Aston Martin and he flirts with Moneypenny (Naomi Harris).

What I liked about this film is that M, Q and Moneypenny have more involvement with the plot, putting their jobs on the line to help Bond. The scenes between Bond and Q are priceless and I laughed in almost every interaction they had.

Sam Mendes did a wonderful job again, in my opinion. The film is long, but the pacing was good. It's always changing places, from one stunning location to another. Thomas Newman's score bothered me a little bit, because it sounded much alike Skyfall's at times and I was expecting something more different.

I didn't like the ending the first time I saw it. However, after the second time it grew on me a little bit. What bothered me was that there was no explanation for the word SPECTRE. So, those who don't know that it means Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion will not learn that while watching this movie. It's also good to know that this organization, recurring in older films, was led by Ernst Blofeld, who always had a white cat (and satirized by Mike Myers in Austin Powers).

No one knows if Daniel Craig will be back for a 5th film (and I hope he does!) but, in case he doesn't, SPECTRE is a nice ending to his 10-year run as 007. It solves the mysteries of his previous movies in a good way and it establishes him forever as a completely different Bond: more physical, darker, less silly and more realistic (I'll never forget the crazy plot of Die Another Day…).

Full review: http://wp.me/p5Rk4c-g0

Aloha (I) (2015)

Enjoyable, but a little disappointing...

[5/10 · 12 June 2015]

This movie is a typical example of a project that had everything to work… but didn't. Written and directed by Cameron Crowe (who also directed Jerry Mcguire, Say Anything, Vanilla Sky, etc.), "Aloha" had a great trailer, but the movie itself was disappointing.

I believe it was mainly supposed to be a romantic comedy, but I didn't laugh that much… The beginning of the movie is quite confusing and it takes a while to fully understand what's going on. It feels like the script was out of order sometimes. Besides, it is very similar to Elizabethtown (2005), also directed and written by Cameron Crowe, which helps me to prove the point that it's not one of Crowe's best movies.

It's a watchable movie, but it's also very forgettable, in my opinion. The cast is what makes it worth watching.

http://www.artscommented.com/movie-review-aloha-2015/

Tomorrowland (2015)

Disappointing...

[4/10 · 6 June 2015]

Would you like to see a fun Tomorrowland? Go to a Disney Park! I guarantee it will be ten times more entertaining than the movie with the same name. Inspired by a section of Disney's Park Magic Kindgom, "Tomorrowland," directed by Brad Bird (who also directed "The Incredibles"), was extremely disappointing.

The movie tells the story of Casey Newton (Britt Robertson), a teenage girl who has a lot of curiosity for anything related to science, and Frank Walker (George Clooney), who used to be considered a genius when he was only a boy (his younger version is played by Thomas Robinson). Their destinies are intertwined when Casey is given a pin that mysteriously transports her to a different world every time she touches it (it doesn't work when anybody else tries). Intrigued by the pin's power, she is led by Athena (Raffey Cassidy), a little girl whose intentions are unknown, until they find Frank and understand what the pin is (as it turns out, the pin is only given to selected people who have a very specific quality – I can't tell more without spoiling it).

If the summary seems confusing, it's because the movie is confusing. It takes a long time for the plot to be completely clear to the audience. If you've seen the trailer or read the official synopsis released by Disney, you probably know what I'm talking about: neither explains what the movie is really about. I went into the theater thinking that I would see a film set in Tomorrowland, but that's not what happens. It really is a huge flashback to show why Tomorrowland didn't work. Therefore, it's basically set in the present.

The visual spectacle I was expecting after having seen the trailer almost doesn't happen. We only get a few glimpses of Tomorrowland and its beautiful buildings and landscapes. One of the buildings even resembles Space Mountain and it made me wish I was riding it instead of watching the movie…

The final message of the movie is interesting, but I wish they had done something else to transmit that message to us. I don't know if Walt Disney would be entirely happy about this movie, but I do know he approved the park. So, again, go see that Tomorrowland. http://www.artscommented.com/movie-review-tomorrowland-2015

Inside Out (I) (2015)

Pixar has done it again!

[9/10 · 6 June 2015]

Best movie I've seen this year, so far! Easily! I've been anxiously waiting for this movie since I first heard about it, in August 2013. I attended an event where a clip was shown and I was immediately hooked. So, even though "Inside Out" comes out in the U.S. on June 19, I was able to see an advance screening this week! And it did not disappoint me!

The premise of the movie is to "meet the little voices inside your head", which I find interesting per se, especially since we are talking about an animated movie. So we are introduced to Riley: a 11-year-old girl from Minnesota who has to move to San Francisco with her family. How does Riley feel about that? Well, her emotions tell us! We meet Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler), Sadness (voiced by Phyllis Smith), Anger (voiced by Lewis Black), Fear (voiced by Bill Hader) and Disgust (voiced by Mindy Kaling). They stay in the brain's "headquarters", and they control every reaction Riley has thorough the day and organize her memories when she goes to sleep.

Joy tries to take control over almost everything and doesn't let the other emotions in charge, especially Sadness. So, when Sadness touches a hardcore joyful memory and turns it into a sad one, things start to get a little messy inside Riley's head. Joy tries to fix it, but she and Sadness end up being transported out of the headquarters and into the other parts of Riley's brain, so the girl is left only with Anger, Disgust and Fear.

The movie is brilliant across the board: the script is original, the casting is perfect (Lewis Black really is the personification of Anger), the running time is adequate, the animation is beautiful, etc. It was a really smart move to show only 5 emotions, even though we have many more. It makes it simpler and smoother to watch. There is one thing about the script that worries me is how it's going to be translated into other languages. What makes it brilliant is the number of words and expressions they play with, like "train of thought": they put an actual train inside her head. This expression, however, is not the same in Portuguese, for example. So I believe the movie will lose a little bit when it gets translated, but it's still extremely good.

Like most Pixar movies, it has a very strong connection to adult audiences, so probably children won't get all the jokes and references, but their parents certainly will. It also shows us, beautifully, how we shouldn't try to suppress any emotion, because every moment in our lives consist of different emotions and all those experiences shape us. This may seem obvious to adults, but it's good to show it to children, who are the demographic Pixar is aiming. But adults can certainly enjoy the way it's portrait.

This will probably be a big success for Pixar and it got outstanding reviews during the Cannes Festival last month. This is certainly good for the studio, since it had lost its touch in the last movies (don't get me started on "Brave" and "Cars 2"…). The problems inside Pixar were evident last year, when the studio decided not to release "The Good Dinosaur" due to script problems. So 2015 will be the first year we'll have two Pixar movies. (http://www.artscommented.com/movie-review-inside-out-2015)