Alien

On The Structure of Tension in Alien

written by

confettigirl

The pacing of the movie reminds me of the concept of Nishikado Motion, the steadily increasing and decreasing challenge in a video game named for it's inventor, the creator of Space Invaders. Specifically in that the movie is constantly escalating in tension, while still providing a buildup and release to make it feel freshly scary the entire time. In combination with rich, detailed sets and human, natural dialogue the movie is adept at drawing you in and scaring the shit out of you. Quite possibly my favorite horror movie (yet). Also, Sigourney Weaver is possibly one of the most beautiful women ever put to film.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Um fim agridoce para uma ótima franquia.

written by

lenataros

Finais sempre foram coisas difíceis de se assimilar para mim, e lidar com conclusões podem tanto ser decepções quanto podem ser gratificantes, e bem, Como Treinar Seu Dragão, faz uma conclusão... Diferente. Desde sempre eu fui muito fã dessa grande saga, e definitivamente esse fechamento deixa um final feliz para nós, diferentes de outras sagas da Dreamworks e Disney/Pixar por exemplo podem deixar para muitos. E é claro, com o histórico de continuações ruins, eu honestamente tinha expectativas baixas para o terceiro depois do segundo ser tão bom. Porém, realmente, é um filme que fecha essa saga tão importante para mim de uma maneira satisfatória, não deixa um gosto amargo na boca. Porém, também não é mil maravilhas, definitivamente o mais fraco dentre toda a trilogia e com a história mais fraca. Com um vilão muito inferior ao segundo filme, faz com que eu genuinamente não tenha aproveitado tanto essa experiência, os personagens não parecem ter evoluído muito tirando obviamente a Astrid e o Soluço. Um fechamento bem feito, porém, claro com seus defeitos, emocionante na medida certa e bem executado. Obrigada Dean DeBlois, eu amo essa saga, e ela é super importante pra mim. Obrigada meu amor, por ver essa saga toda comigo, obrigada para todos os meus amigos que viram conosco, e eu fico feliz em finalmente ter essa conclusão.

The Zone of Interest

"the life we enjoy is very much worth the sacrifice"

written by

carol

Had to rewatch it to fully digest the film and write a proper review, so here we go. The subject is the daily life of an SS commandant and his family living right next to Auschwitz. Throughout the entire film, you won't see anything that's happening behind the walls separating the camp from their home but you'll hear it. You don't have to see it, you know what's going on there. And they know too. The whole point is to show how they are completely aware of what's going on just right next to them and are still able to live their lives normally without that affecting them at all. It's just noise. Most films' depiction of the holocaust tend to highlight how evil the nazis were, when in reality, the scariest part is that they were ordinary people just like us. The commandant is a husband and father. It's very important that we don't forget that. Zone of Interest makes sure that we won't forget that. The aim is not to humanize him but simply illustrate how the idea of them being monsters tends to separate us from what happened. It's likely that we'd think we couldn't ever do anything like that, when in reality we ignore tragedies everyday "exactly" like the characters portraited in the film do. Their wall can be translated to our television, for instance. We can hear horrific atrocities being said in the news and still manage to have dinner while listening to it. That's how easy it is to disconnect us from these events. The difference is that it seems absurd to us that they could ignore it in the film because we know the context. Relating to the technical part, I loved the static shot, it makes you feel as a mere observer of their lives and that made the experience more interesting to me. Also, the contrast between stories using a thermal photography camera was a nice touch and the sound design was brilliant. I understand why some didn't like it or even found it boring because of the slow pace but to me, it's one of the best films of the year. In a nutshell, it's supposed to be a haunting unsettling watch. It shattered my heart and the ending made me want to throw up. A social commentary on how easy it is to banalize the evil and how it's still apparent today. Are we really that far from them? A hard one to grasp and in my opinion, a masterpiece.

Solaris

"we don't need other worlds, we need a mirror"

written by

carol

I had really high hopes as it was my first ever tarkovsky and thought this would be an easy five stars but i must say, this is not for everyone. The visuals are insane. cinematography-wise, the shots are beautiful. sci-fi isn't really my cup of tea, luckily solaris doesn't focus much on space and futuristic technology but on complex themes revolving around human nature and its psychological aspects instead. The different approach seemed fresh and the plot is compelling. I'll reflect on tons of the philosophical questions that were brought up, i really liked the thought-provoking side. still have to let it sit for a while but it's safe to say that i won't be the same after learning the film's message, the kind that never leaves you. However, my issue is that it's very slow paced and even boring at times. I'm a huge fan of pictures where nothing much happens and usually i have no problem with longer films therefore never complained but in this particular case, the length seemed unnecessary and could be shortened without compromising the story (there's footage of a car traffic that goes on for about five minutes) because of that i felt it wasn't too engaging. Don't get me wrong, i'm glad i watched this since it completely changed the genre and even my view on some life aspects but the execution was not what i was anticipating at all. I'll surely watch his other films but next time, I'll have all that in mind and lower my expectations a bit.

The Devil Wears Prada 2

nostalgia

written by

੯‧̀͡⬮

esse twink da andy nao ta disfarçando muito bem o marketing apostou forte na nostalgia e funcionou, mas o filme em si parece menos seguro do que promete. o humor é insistente, é inserido a cada poucos minutos e, pra mim, desgasta o ritmo e me sinto mais entendiada do que investida nisso. as jogadas de câmera foram certeiras em partes específicas – e muito bem feitas! –, mas ainda soadas ao meu ver como artificiais, como um olhar externo tentando imitar algo que não domina. senti falta de mais drama, como no primeiro. a miranda dessa vez não é tanto uma chefe horrível, mas sim uma chefe desesperada; calma e serena por fora, mas secretamente em pânico com o declínio do setor editorial e com o seu emprego. ainda assim, é revigorante ver esses personagens juntos de novo uma segunda vez! e não consigo nem imaginar o orçamento, só pela quantidade de carinhas bem conhecidas e cenários gigantescos e bem detalhados. VERSACE 💜

Gargi

Gargi Review

written by

Gopal

Hard-hitting..Raw..Grounded..Impactful beauty of cinema with some truly sensitive handling of heinous crime, it's tense music, metaphorical scenes. AMAZING. remained grounded and very REAL, no melodrama no shouting, simple real life exhibition it is. Important Movie, Great Performances ❤️

The House Is Black

"we wait for light and darkness reigns"

written by

carol

I had a really hard time finding the words to review this documentary. At first, I didn't know what to expect but as soon as it began I was completely immersed until the very end, even in the most gut-wrenching moments. The subject is absolutely heartbreaking yet told in the most raw and honest way possible. the emotional narration complements the scenes superbly. rough but human and that's the beauty of it. On the more technical side, the footage was astonishing. beautifully shot, every frame was poetic. well directed and edited. I'm truly glad I've watched this, art on it's purest form to document such important matter. The House is Black is only 21 minutes long but will forever be engraved in my mind.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

"in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: those with loaded guns and those who dig, you dig"

written by

carol

My first spaghetti western and I couldn't have picked a better one to start. the good, the bad and the ugly is beyond iconic, it's THE epitome of the genre. you can easily notice the influence and impact this film had on many later productions whilst watching since its scenes are still being referenced today. Thus there's a reason why it's a classic, it has everything. leone excelled in setting the atmosphere, from the acting to the cinematography to the soundtrack (hats off to ennio morricone). everything about it is epic. You might've never seen it but surely heard the score before and can recognize the scenes, maybe even quote it. though, if you really haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favour and watch it!

Kinds of Kindness

"this is it. the moment of truth"

written by

carol

After watching most of his filmography, it's safe to say that I'm definitely not a fan of yorgos absurdist style (wtf was that second act?) so instead of yapping about the film itself, I've decided to just use this review to compliment the casting that I adored. As of emma stone and willem defoe, no surprises really. they're one of the greats and this is just another phenomenal performance, as expected. Thus, I'd like to point out jesse plemons, who has been fantastic from the little I've seen from him so far, and margaret qualley, who has been one of my favorite young actresses ever since Maid. I'm really excited to see more from them and where their careers goes. (I have to be fair and say that I did like the color palette in this and some shots as well, it's just hard to make an actual criticism on a style I don't enjoy much and a film that in my opinion was very boring. also, I just thought about that annoying piano while writing this so I might lower the rating later IF I even remember anything about this tomorrow... shallow and forgettable)

Tokyo Story

"isn't life disappointing?"

written by

carol

First off, I immediately noticed the influence Tokyo Story had in Koreeda's Still Walking, that I think is very similiar in its themes, style and the realistic approach. Needless to say that I love minimalism in film but for the same reason Still Walking didn't resonate with me as much as his other features, Tokyo Story didn't as well. both films are much more meditative than my usual go-to personal preference and that made it harder to deeply connect with. the film's subdued nature even felt emotionally distant to me at times. Still, Ozu is one of the best filmmakers ever and this film is great! I guess it's just that personally I can relate more to his later works rather than the earlier stuff.