nycerealover's reviews

I think this movie was quite remarkable. While it's true that it seems to have drawn inspiration and certain themes from a variety of other films, including Water World, Mad Max, Star Wars, etc., that can be said of any movie. Can you dismiss Cold Mountain as a knock-off of Gone With The Wind? To do so would be a fool's errand, as you'd be ignoring that film for what it is, just as some might do with Acquaria. There are scenes in films as praised as Return of the King that look as if they were lifted directly from Star Wars, and there are certain "stock characters" common to films of this genre. There are also elements and themes that are shared by most any film of this kind, so you cannot fault this movie for employing them when necessary. Read up on myths and legends, or even studies of myths and legends by the likes of Joseph Campbell, and you will see just how common many of these elements are in storytelling across the globe and throughout the ages.

Acquaria looks beautiful, the sets, design, and music are first rate, and the actors all show considerable skill and promise, especially the young and charismatic Sandy and Junior. I hope that this movie, a stunning technical and artistic achievement and an unexpected surprise out of Brasil, sees a wider distribution, and I look forward to seeing more from those involved in the future.