As Faces da Verdade

Frankly, I hated it.

I kept watching to see if somehow the dots would connect. I rewound trying to force them to connect; collected clues that led nowhere.

Unfortunately, the dots didn't connect to anything at all; the balloon dream was a moment of interesting visual but just another dead end. Not a single character redeemed the film. At best they were all unlikable; even the doctor who delivered the diagnosis.

It felt as though I was trapped in a modern art museum with a bunch of people looking at a blue square and pontificating a meaning. There was none to be found...just sad, random dots and an hour and forty minutes that I can't get back. My advise, skip this movie. Anything you spend the time doing will be an improvement.

The way I see this movie is quite straightforward - it makes you think. It pushes you to delve deep down your soul and find answers to something you see but can not perceive easily. The manner of direction is splendid - it's warm and cozy, with a touch of dreamy effect that makes you all enchanted until you see the final cut of the scene. It's lucid that people are tired nowadays. Most of them don't enjoy witnessing something that remains oblivious. They'd rather sit down with a sandwich and watch kitsch, or a crime story or a fervent romance that usually doesn't occur in life. What does transpire is the verity that we are born with a man and a woman living inside us. They navigate our life, they switch the driver's seat as required - they go hand in hand. It's just some people refuse to see it, some deny it. Some even don't realize it. But I believe that's one of the most important ideas of the film - to signify (in an artsy way) that the moment we acknowledge the aforementioned, the moment we accept it, only then we become complete.

This dreamy-like movie isn't perfect, but life isn't either. I love the non-linear approach of the theme, how it drives you beyond senses we usually perceive to the highs of truth and oneness.

The movie gets there. We are limited by what we see. We need to feel, to suffer, to elevate.

Carefully written stories like this broaden our perspectives to respect each other more. To allow ourselves to be who we are. To allow ourselves to get there.

By releasing the traumas and burdens of any kind, we become lighter. We are ready to see ourselves. To see the other side.

The script is junk, and so is some of the acting - except for Andreja Pevic who was excellent! And perhaps the only reason to watch this movie (hence FF - she stole every scene she was in, perhaps because her character may be very close to her real life persona). Some of the cinematography is quite competent if not downright good - nothing groundbreaking because you think you might have seen the images before - but it alone can never save a lousy script especially in a character centric story like this one. More backstory to provide more insights into Sturgess's character better anchor his story.

Jim Sturgess gives a fantastic performance in this film made by a writer director with no real interest in making a movie. There are no stakes as Jim's character is an "architect" with only vague concept drawing of designs that will "change the world" taped to his wall.

The real issue with this film is that none of the post production departments were paid for their labor. The production used the 2020 lockdown as a paper thin excuse not to pay anyone. I was the sound designer / re-recording mixer and this production owes me over $20,000.00.

These filmmakers have abhorrent business practices. They only care about calling themselves filmmakers.

4 stars because the movie sounded good.