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Reviews
Amigos... (2011)
A twisted plot movie that is more than a summer hit
If you watch the trailer of AMIGOS... you will be tempted to think that that was it, that you no longer have to watch this film because the plot has been laid open before your eyes. When you watch it you realise that this is not the case.
"Amigos..." is a comedy with a twisted plot. While there are drama elements in the story, the spectator's mood is always kept away from it because of one or another comedy element that invariably gets a smile.
The movie has a good pace. I enjoyed the well achieved build-up for the main event that triggers the main story.
AMIGOS... is entertaining and there is more to it than the trailer suggests.
A Noite (1999)
A very special animation
This movie is special because it creates an atmosphere of its own. The technique uses carvings in blocks of clay and makes the image look unique. It becomes the continuous animation of a unique carving. No possibility to go back and change any frame. It is a real work of art and persistence. A relation must exist between the animator and the characters of the story.
I recently had the opportunity to see a later movie of this director: "História trágica com final feliz" (tragic story with happy ending). It is also a story with a little girl and her emotions. Even if the girls have similarities, the techniques employed in the two movies are quite different but both visually interesting.
O Testamento do Senhor Napumoceno (1997)
A nice film which does not destroy the book on which it is based
I read the book of Germano de Almeida and enjoyed both the simplicity and the chronological order by which the story is told. The style somehow fits and respects the main character of the story, which, as the title suggests, deals with Napumocenos life and legacy. When you enjoy a book it is often a risk to see the movie. Not only the director can have his own interpretation but the plot can change and bad acting can destroy the whole thing. In this case, watching the film was a big a pleasure as reading the book, because the adaptation does not destroy the plot and the acting is good, specially the actor who plays Napumoceno. In addition, the movie shows how beautiful Cape Verde is and enhances the story in this respect for audiences who, like me, never saw Cabo Verde. Conclusion: Worth to see even if you read the book or know the story.