nunoaraujoduarte Reviews

K-PAX (2001)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[7/10 · 12 February 2012]

Based on a novel by Gene Brewer, Iain Softley brings up this story about a man (Kevin Spacey) calling himself Prot and claiming to have arrived from a distant planet - K-PAX - who is hospitalized in the Manhattan Psychiatric Center. His doctor, Dr Powell (Jeff Bridges), suddenly gets into an abnormal situation, as his patient was being extremely convincing and in possession of very uncommon knowledge. Naturally, he does not really believe there's truth so he takes him to astronomy experts which failed to result and after having Prot turning the Hospital upside down, he finally realizes it all has to do with an old trauma and goes for treatment, with very interesting procedures, including hypnosis. Interesting how you can turn a singular psychiatric case into criminal- like investigation. On the other hand, the movie fails in astronomical and psychiatric accuracy and is very predictable. Including Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges the result is most likely to be successful, being two of my favorite actors brought by the US, especially Jeff Bridges, who can amazingly embody both psychiatry and psychopath with virtue. 7/10

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2009)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[6/10 · 11 February 2012]

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. By Daniel Alfredson, based on the last piece of Stieg Larsson's trilogy. Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) is in the Hospital after a savage fight with her father and the blond devil. She's accused of several murders and after attempting to kill her father again, avoiding psychiatric internment turns almost impossible. Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) won't stand indifferent and he requests Millennium's help. It's way better than expected, considering Flickan Som Lekte Med Elden's loss of interest, causing some decrease in enthusiasm. The argument regains the heat of the first piece with a great story and recovers Lisbeth Salander. In some sort of brief summary of the trilogy, this last piece really saves it. During the pieces, the trilogy loses what stunned me the most, Noomi Rapace is amazing in the first movie, very common in the second and somewhere in between in the third. Almost everything develops in the same manner thanks to the mess Alfredson made. For the trilogy as for the movie. 7/10

The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[6/10 · 9 February 2012]

The Girl Who Played with Fire, by Daniel Alfredson continuing Niels Oplev's Män Som Hatar Kvinnor, being the second of the Millennium trilogy. In this piece, Millennium is about to release a shocking article incriminating very important people when its author is assassinated. Lisbeth (Noomi Rapace) is accused to be responsible, as well as for other two murders. She disappears a starts and starts her investigation. On the meantime, Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), failing to find her, starts his own investigation and struggles to convince the police she ain't the murderer. The case is clearly less interesting, which obviously didn't help the movie, emptier and trivial, relatively to the first movie. The same happened with the best feature of the trilogy so far, Lisbeth Salander. Not half the brightness, though still fascinating. 6/10

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[8/10 · 5 February 2012]

The real version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. With 15% of the budget Fincher arranged, Niels Arden Oplev makes his own version of the trilogy. Naturally beginning here, he's less spectacular but much more real. The plot, based in the same novel, has it's natural similarities, though they can still be found pretty different, especially the second half. Easier to follow, solid and consistent. It's also understandable that the American let himself float around Blomfvist's personal life, compromising the main point of the argument. On the other hand, 2011 version has a great scenery. The Winter is astonishingly well generated and Lisbeth has an awesome character, perhaps leading Mara to an Oscar. Noomi Rapace kills as Lisbeth Salander. Doesn't have half the image and style of Rooney Mara but achieves equal level excellence. I won't say the same about Michael Nyqvist, as Blomkvist, who was visibly overpast by Daniel Craig. Really puts Fincher in a pocket, with a another punch in the stomach for the American industry. 8/10

A Dangerous Method (2011)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[6/10 · 30 January 2012]

This film is quite a disappointment. The topic is very fertile but Cronenbergapproached it very poorly. The relationship between Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) is one of the biggest dramas in psychoanalysis or perhaps between the sciences related. More than the differences in opinion which caused several discussions (Freud didn't accept Jung's constant reference to religious aspects and Jung couldn't stand Freud's inflexibility, taking every single diagnosis to sexual fields), there's the actual psychoanalysis that David Cronenberg left to third layer, the first being the relationship between Jung and his patient Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley) , which he kept in secret and also led to degradation in his relationship with Freud, the second layer. There are some verbal arguments between Jung and Freud or Spielrein, but all of them very distant and unrelated to the main story. My idea of Freud also differs from the one showed. Freud is supposed to be cold, arrogant and smart, showing great ability to explain scientific what's related the the subconscious. Sarah Gadon and Vincent Cassel also participate, as Emma Jung and Otto Gross, respectively, the first with bigger participation but less influence. Good movie if you're into the subject or want to at least. 6/10

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[8/10 · 29 January 2012]

David Fincher already accustomed his public to both quality and mediocrity. Specially since The Social Network about Facebook, perhaps the most overrated movie of all time. Anyway, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo already existed, written by a Sewdish writer, Stieg Larsson. The title wasn't chosen by Finch but that doesn't exculpate it from its huge stupidity. The story is also very poor and uninteresting, but Fincher gets away with it thanks to three or four aspects: Daniel Craig, like him or not, he's good; Rooney Mara, she's a stunning performance, perhaps the real deal boosting her to a big career and Lisbeth Salander, a great inspiring character, quite implausible situation when you meet her the first time. Fincher leaves there a window of curiosity opened. I doesn't seem like his remaking the following two parts of the trilogy, and there's quite well evaluated Swedish version of it. Just to end in some sort of summary, Mikael (Daniel Craig) is a journalist hired to solve a case of a teenage disappearance and requests the help of Lesbeth (Rooney Mara), this severally troubled woman detached from society, but with great informatic skills especially when it comes to hacking. 7/10

The Insider (1999)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[8/10 · 26 January 2012]

The Elephant Man (1980) By David Lynch. Curiosly set in the 19th century England with an incredible cast with Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft or John Hurt. John Hurt embodies John Merrick, a very disfigured young man, is victim of savage treatment and obligated to participate in freak shows. At one time, doctor Frederick Treves (Hopkins) rescues him and takes him with him to his Hospital. There he gets very well treated, despite several incidental occurrences, now that he bumps into a whole new experience, being exposed to the society, not as an animal but as a sick person. Brilliant how Lynch empowers one's humanity and personality from his physical semblance, always keeping our stupid practise to despise and dehumanize the abnormal alive reaching a stunning level of contrast. Never seen one like it. This movie is both emotional and medically great. Notice that even Dr Treves starts to use Merrick as an awesome target for enhancing his reputation around medical community, until he notices his great intellectual capabilities. The Elephant Man also very elucidative of Lynch's career. The whole movie portrays how Human life roams around fear and how it explains both lacking and excess of power, as strategy of defense or submission to avoid pain. 9/10

Psycho (1960)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[10/10 · 17 January 2012]

Probably Alfred Hitchcock's most famous and recognised movie. Personally I can't find an explanation for its ratings, it probably lies in its originality, mostly concerning when it was made. Psycho portrays a story of this woman from Pheonix, Lila Crane (Vera Miless) who stole 40000$ from one client and runs away. She draws the attention from the police, so she decides to change cars and drives by night until she gets lost and finds a motel. She checks in in that motel, with a very peculiar keeper, Norman (Anthony Perkins), who revealed a very cool personality, indifferent to current paradigms, who lived with her very annoying mother, increasingly senile. Anyway, somebody enters her bathroom when she was in the shower and stabs her several times, presumably the insane mother. The missing money causes discomfort back in Pheonix and when her client finds out she's also missing he hires a private detective to look for her. He eventually gets to the Motel, but he is kileef as well, this time inside Normans' house, suspecting he'd be hiding Mrs Crane. Then, it's time for her boyfriend and sister to look for her. It's a fine movie. Very old school, no one dares to make such a bizarre movie nowadays. Probably inaccurate concerning the psychopathology involved, naturally to help the twist, which is perhaps spectacular but definitely repeated and copied too frequently over the years turning it predictable. It arouses quite a curiosity on Vera Miles as we're used to watch her in Westerns, a lot less demanding though emotionally richer. There's probably a lot of subjectivity or taste interfering with my rating, but when it comes to art, taste comes before justification. 6/10

Wait Until Dark (1967)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[10/10 · 30 December 2011]

From Terence Young, inspired in a play written by Frederick Knott. There's no need to argue, it's an awesome movie. Staring Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna, it's about a blind woman (Suzy - Audrey Hepburn) that is married to a man who was given a doll which both of them didn't know it contained cocaine. They lose the doll for the girl supposed to help Suzy with her homework when her husband was away. A group of three criminals discover that the family possessed the doll and invade the apartment when empty but fail to find it, so they plan to persuade Suzy to give it away, building a whole lot of lies to turn her against the husband and get the doll. And the plan was good, but Suzy's competence was hugely underestimated. Tremendous scenes, terrific screenplay and awesome cast. That's incredible how Terence Young can turn a movie that near all of it is set in a single living room into a breathtaking and suspenseful drama. There are some flaws though, concerning Suzy's blindness, as she'd be able to notice the presence of other people in other apartment, especially when she passes near them, because of the smell or even other capabilities the blind gain. Apart from that, and against many people say, there ain't no plot holes and this movie is one of the deepest I've seen. There are two points that mustn't pass unclear. The first one is related to one conversation Suzie has with Sophie the girl helping her, when the Suzie's inability and Sophie's lack of beauty meant nobody can have everything, when nobody feels sorry for the ugly and everybody feels sorry for the blind. The same goes for the second point. This movie comes with a very strong message, a message of strength. I mean, what's a blind lady, with a fragile body like Hepburn's, against three strong armed men? She uses her blindness as her biggest weapon. Spectacular. 10/10

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[4/10 · 28 December 2011]

Only Woody Allen would be allowed such a nerve. Characters coming out of the screen, able to mingle with us and establish the relationships and make a living. The Purple Rose of Cairo came to town and Cecilia (Mia Farrow), one of the habitués of the local cinema fall in love with it. Being terrible at her job and married to an asshole she watches the movie over and over until the moment where a character, Tom (Jeff Daniels), strangely notices shes always in the room and comes out of the screen to talk to her. They go out several times, and of course, the situation creates a huge mess between the corporation. If it weren't for the end the movie would be much more poor. Very good end. I liked Farrow's job as well. Very positive and loving. I won't say the same about the argument. This sort of creativity, in spite of its originality, it's too much implausible and strange. Not only the idea but the way it's faced on the movie. And that's not very usual with Woody Allen, that normally can introduce very well his ideas, that normally lack in plausibility. 6/10

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[8/10 · 27 December 2011]

From Blake Edwards, known for the Pink Panther series, who unfortunately died very recently. This movie portrays the relationship between a naive but extremely beautiful lady and her new neighbour, Holly (Audrey Hepburn) and Paul (George Peppard). The argument is very poor. Basically, a writer arrives to NYC and goes living upstairs from this girl with quite a social life. He gets to know her other side and falls in love with it, but she won't give up her dream, marry a very rich man. This is actually the biggest problem with America, very few can write. Happily, there are still several exceptions for our bliss. You should note that in spite of the awful technique, the acting is very good. Specially Audrey Hepburn, I don't know what's with that name but there a whole bunch of actresses with that name that match great acting with extreme beauty. Anyhow, kind of a dramatic or romantic comedy, this movie explores a very stupid way of making comedy. Typical in the American 60s, very strange if you analyse the rest of the cinematic panorama around the world, as comedy was much more evolved, suble and clever, after the golden comedian times with people like Jacques Tati and Jerry Lewis, in the 50s. 7/10

Das Boot (1981)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[8/10 · 26 December 2011]

German for The Boat. From Wolfgang Petersen, the director of Troy and Poseidon, more than two months in a German submarine, describing the whole everyday inside the U-boat, seen from the eyes of a correspondent, Lt. Werner (Herbert Grönemeyer). It's astonishing. Believe me it's amazing how such a movie can turn out to be so breathtaking, consisting of 293 minutes, almost all of them inside the submarine. Of course, it's painful to watch it in a row, I won't incite you to do it, you always have the later release with less 2 hours but I don't know if the quality remains. Anyway, the movie contains all the incidents of a trip taken by the crew of a German U-boat during the WW2, firstly in the Atlantic Ocean, with very few incidents, filling the whole crew with boredom and disease, except for a couple of encounters, that eventually don't end up as wanted. Finally, when returning home, a message from Berlin orders them to go to Italy. Obviously, going to Italy forced them to attempt to pass the straight of Gibraltar, and that's when things get real. The end is brutal. I'm not giving any information to avoid spoilers but I guarantee you that the end alone makes this movie recomendable, despite it's runtime. The acting s actually good, unlike what I was expecting, as happened with the image, including very interesting shots of the submarine at the surface, underwater, and also in battle. I didn't know if I'd give it a 7, but when I understood what the end was turning out to be. Not yet. 8/10

The Lives of Others (2006)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[9/10 · 18 December 2011]

The lives of Others. A striking drama concerning an agent (Ulrich Mühe) of the Eastern Germany Stasi and the man he is spying, a famous writer (Sebastian Koch). The plot is top quality, very well written and captivating. The Stasi suspects of Dreyman (the writer)'s political position, and as the influent person he is, his house is immediately wired and all his steps and breaths are controlled. The agent in charge of the operation, agent Wiesler, is this very tough, cold and incredibly loyal to the government, who slowly starts gaining sympathy towards the Dreyman and his wife, an actress who was keeping a sexual relationship with the minister, afraid to lose her job and reputation, and note that this minister was the one who had ordered the whole operation concerning Dreyman. Wiesler slowly falls back and suddenly, when a friends "commits suicide", Dreyman starts planning to write an article about the strange suiciding rate taking place in Eastern Germany, to be sent to the western press. Wiesler covers the whole thing, pretending they were preparing a piece, until the article arrives to West Germany as a bomb and invades the media. In fact, one o the best German movies I've seen, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (both director and writer) actually surprised me, questioning how was it possible to succeed this with The Tourist (2010). One time job? I hope not, but this proves that cast doesn't always have to mean something, it might just well be another crappy American movie. 8/10

The Godfather (1972)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[10/10 · 17 December 2011]

One of the most seen movies of all time. Very few are those who haven't seen it or those who don't value it. The Godfather came to life in 1972 by the hands of Francis Ford Coppola transferring Mario Puzo's novel into the screen. It stars Marlon Brando (Don Corleone), Al Pacino (Michael Corleone), Diane Keaton (Kay), between others. The plot describes one of the five families of organised crime in New York around the late 40s and the first half of the 50s, the Corleones, more specifically the transition of power from Don Corleone to his son, Michael. Marlon Brando has one of the best performances I've seen, if not the best. It's amazing how he managed to incorporate the old gangster. Many people appreciate more his way of talking, this is not what makes it unique though, try to notice his facial expressions and you'll see it. Al Pacino also comes in great form but falls to second layout because of Brando's marvel. Coppola confines himself to the family and mixes it with the sheer and simple life that gangsters try to attach to their family, but many times fail to. Godfather is a great movie, probably the best related to mafia you've seen and will ever see, with many other unsuccessfully attempts movies (though strangely over-rated) such as Scarface, but that is a whole different story.

The 400 Blows (1959)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[8/10 · 8 December 2011]

The 400 Blows. A Truffaut's about a 12 year-old, Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud), perhaps too much independent for his young age. As great 20th century minds, he rejected school and the whole system in general. The only ones he relied on was his father, who in spite of all the incomprehension, was actually faithful to him, and his closest friend, René. They skip classes together to go to the cinema and one day he actually runs away from home. He goes living in an abandoned factory and gets away with it by stealing. This leeps on until his parents (finally) understand they are incapable of educating him and Doinel his sent to an observation centre. This movie is then turned into a sequel by Truffaut himself, and emphasised the beginning of the nouvelle vague, which is believed to have truly began one year earlier, by Claude Chabrol. Being the first movie directed by Truffaut, and if enframed in its time, it's quite impressive how it turned out so forward and full of character. 7/10

He Was a Quiet Man (2007)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[6/10 · 24 November 2011]

It's the story of this common fellow working for a company, Bob Maconel (Christian Slater). Nobody cares about him, except for this superior who takes advantage of his own power. He hated everyone at his department, except for this chick carrying a smile that'd lighten up a room, Nancy (Anzu Lawson). Everyday he takes this handgun to work, for the eventuality he'd gain the guts to pull the trigger and unleash hell for six unlike chosen ones. One day, he eventually gains courage and whilst preparing, this colleague Coleman (David Wells) starts shooting. As he notices Coleman has fired upon Nancy, he shoots him. Maconel becomes a hero, and Nancy a paraplegic. His life changes radically. Still, he keeps haunted by his previous situation. Unlike most may think, this movie is not focused on maniacs, it focuses on you judging "maniacs", for maniac is not who kills alone, maniac is he who kills and them who drive him into that specific situation. Very interesting insight from Frank Cappello. Apart from that, it's the first movie that, being about depression, suicide and homicide, can actually lift you up. 7/10

The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[5/10 · 20 November 2011]

The last and final Wachowski's piece of the Matrix trilogy. It doesn't get as low as feared, but actually keeps the same level as in the previous movie. The story lacks in creativity and nothing new is added. Clearly, a movie to meet schedule. Fortunately, it had a great first movie, otherwise, I'd find it unbelievable how it reached this sort of budget. I'm gonna tell you exactly the same as in Reloaded, do not watch it, unless you really liked the first of the sequel, and the second one met your expectations. Commenting on the whole trilogy after watching all the three movies is quite hard, being there a big contrast between the first and both following it. Anyway, the way the Wachowski brothers mixed the substantial ideas with a mere action movie is impressing, and that mustn't be devalued. That is undoubtedly the thing with Matrix, though plots alone don't make movies, or good movies at least. Therefore, 5/10 for the movie, 7/10 for the sequel.

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[6/10 · 10 November 2011]

This one comes following the first. Neo is now a hero between the Humanity, now that the final and decisive battle is approaching. He and the crew are trying to get crucial questions answered but all they get is more questions. The movie is notably weaker, but there you go, as in everything, when something impresses by innovating, it's almost impossible to keep up with the expectations.. There's an attempt to recreate another existential scene, not as successful but eventually interesting, when Neo has to decide between automatically saving humanity and losing Trinity, or going back to save Trinity, putting Humanity's survival at risk. The cast is almost the same, despite some new faces. The only one worth mentioning is really Monica Bellucci as Persephone. Naturally good. It makes absolute no sense when watched separately from the first, and leaves even worse predictions for the quality of the final one, but it does in fact leave you with the natural feeling, typical of heroic movies, when good is fighting evil in great disadvantage, everything is seconds way from falling apart, the usual crap. Technical aspects are very good, maybe better than in the first one, balancing for plot inconsistencies. Recommended if you really liked the first one. Ande please, don't commit the foolishness of watching this one first. 6/10

The Matrix (1999)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[8/10 · 9 November 2011]

The Wachowski brothers are starting to gain their own space in the American Cinema. The Matrix was their first big hit. The first of this very successful trilogy incorporates one of the biggest moments of 1999 cinema has offered. Would you take the blue pill, or the red one? That applies to almost every second of our life, and whether you want it or not, choosing between the comfort of the easy way, keeping your mind away from the brutality of the cold knowledge or the opposite one. Easy to say, bloody hard to materialise. If you don't agree, you've taken the blue pill way to many times. Keanu Reeves is good, as Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving. I won't analyse the fighting or the incredibly hot chick with amazing skills in fighting that we can presumes since the beginning that will end up in love with the main character, that was obviously included for selling, and obviously resulted. Apart from that, is amazing how you find out great deep thoughts in common movies such as The Matrix, and the pills scene is not the only one, the movie as a great connection with the last year Crhis Nolan hit Inception, as both ask what makes reality more real than everything else that we assume not to be. I don't agree very much Morpheus point of defining reality though, but the idea remains. 8/10

Antichrist (2009)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[6/10 · 8 November 2011]

Four times the bible refers to the Antichrist, all of them in the Epistles of John. He keeps advising humanity that Antichrists are coming, but he defines them to be the ones who believe that Jesus Christ was not the son of God. I believe Christians defend that Antichrist is the symbol of sin, he who provides every man's which, except his salvation. This last point really applies for this Lars Von Trier's movie. Willem Daffoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg represent male and female sides of Man, very victimised by his glut, selfishness, ego and animalism. We can distinguish some traces of humanity, feeling and grace in this movie but they vanish, always masked by those mentioned in first place. Not only humanity is separeted from animality, as men are visibly opposed to women. In the beginning, he is rational, calm, cold and old, she is emotional, unstable and naive. While the movie is running, he keeps exactly as in the beginning, while she becomes more and more savage, deeply angry with men. Between the plot, awkward situations arise, all of them motivated by her actions, revealing great insecurity and bipolarity. I figure it's her trying to get her son back, punishing her for her loss by finding any other way to avoid herself from any sort of pleasure. In the Garden of Eden, Nature betrayed Man by enticing Eve to commit the Original Sin, that resulted on punishment, depriving all their sons of holiness. The same way happened with he and she. The movie is symbolically rich but it's way too negative. It leaves you thinking about Mankind's soul, not yours. 7/10

The Dreamers (2003)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[8/10 · 27 October 2011]

Paris, 1968. Bernardo Bertolucci sets up this sort of tribute to the French cinema that composed their New Wave with directors such as Godard or Truffaut or actresses like Anna Karina or Jean Seberg. The thing is Bertolucci din't make neither a movie that would fit in the 60's, neither a movie suiting for the lovers of the Nouvelle Vague. He created this very confused teenagers, probably old enough not to be called teenagers. A couple of twin brothers, Theo (Louis Garrel) and Isabelle (Eva Green), carrying a very strange relationship, touching delicate sexual issues and sharing a huge love for contemporary cinema with an American studying french in Paris, Matthew (Michael Pitt). It's quite possible that Bertolucci used this two sides to oppose our present to theirs (the 60's), Matthew representing our paradigm, rational, cool and defensive, against the brothers, creative, singular and passionate. The movie then goes on describing a week or two following the moment they met each other while the brother's parents go on vacation leaving the house for their non sense. Non sense that kind of reminds you of Godard, mixed with the loose but hollow commentaries. But there you go, if you watch it, you'll want to get back at Bande à Part or À Bout de Soufflé, and that's brilliant. 8/10

Gandhi (1982)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[9/10 · 26 October 2011]

"Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth." Albert Einstein said it. For great minds such as his, stunning is the result when allied with great actors. Ben Kinglsey reaches in here what might be his best performance as main actor, competing with his secondary role in Schindler's List. I imagine it would be unnecessary to describe the movie since everybody knows a little bit of Mahatma Gandhi. The movie is well made, you can get an idea of Gandhi's life. Nevertheless, I believe some crucial parts of his life are omitted, including some mistakes he made and plenty of his bizarre attitudes. It's understandable because the main goal here is obviously to emphasize Gandhi and his ideas' extreme uniqueness, but takes away some value, as it is always pleasant to lead with cool and courageous directors and writers. Richard Attenborough, as a director, never got very far, not further than this for sure. The most appealing feature lies in fact of, while being British, Attenborough embraces in a plot that blackens Great Britain's image very sharply. Anyway, that's a point in his favor, as the movie seemed very neutral on that matter. The beauty of his wiser words build a great movie, recommended not only for cinematographic reasons, but mainly philosophical, political and religious. It's this way because this movie doens't bright for technical effects or plot gymnastics. It's about the greatest man of the 20th century, and it's good. 10/10

Donnie Brasco (1997)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[6/10 · 17 October 2011]

Al Pacino embodies Lefty, nickname for Benjamin Ruggiero, a man looking to rise between the NY mafia. One day, Donnie Brasco (Johnny Depp), a local jeweler coming from Florida is introduced to him. The truth is Donnie Brasco is a FBI agent called Joe Pistone, attempting to infiltrate in the mafia to bring it down. Pistone is later to become is right hand or whatever they call it. The movie then consists of how Pistone is or isn't able to face the mob life and keep his own life at the same time. The movie is not brilliant. Good but not between the best of its sort. Pacino is good, but he can be more astonishing. Johnny Depp is also good, as it consists in his debut in mob related movies. As I said, I don't find any second layer in this movie, other than the mere representation of the story, with a very disappointing ending. 6/10

The Tree of Life (2011)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[8/10 · 7 October 2011]

The title The Tree of Life suggests a deep reflexion about the most unclear questions of Life. It is mostly set in the middle of the last century, within a 5-membered family. It focuses on the oldest son, Jack (Hunter McCracken and Sean Penn), now remembering his past, centred on his puberty and his first opening to life, seeking answers about to life, existence and our being. In fact, this movie has much more of a reflection than a story being told. Remembering his teenhood, he finds answers in what his mother (Jessica Chastain) thought the paths life could take, in the way his father (Brad Pitt) raised him, in the death of one of his brothers, etc. The Tree of Life is obviously not a concept created by Mallick to this movie, as it comes from very far, like Egypt. Always in time has the Tree of Life been used to unite life and death, life and nature, life and God, nature and grace. All of them are approached in this film one way or another. The best feature clearly doesn't lie in the movie itself, that even gets very annoying and slow in some parts, but on some ideas. It's my first Terrence Malick 's, but it's easy to notice that is a clear attempt to come back after failed ones since The Thin Red Line. It's good, it's an 8/10 and I'll leave you with it's best thought.

The nuns taught us there were two ways through life - the way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you'll follow. Grace doesn't try to please itself. Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked. Accepts insults and injuries. Nature only wants to please itself. Get others to please it too. Likes to lord it over them. To have its own way. It finds reasons to be unhappy when all the world is shining around it. And love is smiling through all things.

Last Life in the Universe (2003)

movieinthepark.blogspot.com

[6/10 · 28 September 2011]

Kenji (Tadanobu Asano), a thirty-something year-old Japanese librarian living in Thailand, who doens't suffer from obsessive–compulsive disorder but he surely exaggerates about cleaning or packing. Anyway, has a complicated brother whose scams and irresponsible acts leave Kenji's house with two dead bodies in it, his brother's and the assassin's. For the record, there's a scene where we see Kenji spying on a girl in a uniform, Nid (Laila Boonyasak), who works on the bar where we previously watch Kinji's brother. Kenji's got to run. Having already tried to kill himself before, he heads to a bridge and while preparing to jump, as he looks back a running over takes place right behind him. Nid was the victim He immediately helps the injured young woman and ends up requesting shelter to the girl who'd been making company to Nid, her sister Noi (Sinitta Boonyasak). Nid didn't survive. The story is not confusing at all, told in this way. The problem is that this isn't told to you very clearly. And from this point, scenes come up where Nid and Noi alternate. Like the Asian cinema has been showing, the director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang explores both loneliness and love. Eventually, the notion of the love being explored diverges from the normal, now more related to family or friendship, but still, very inspiring and audacious. The biggest problem with this one, is that it gets incredibly boring at certain points, making it quite uncomfortable to make it until the end, 6/10