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Casa de Antiguidades (2020)
Representation of Brazil in form of art
From the beginning it is clear that the main character would talk little. The first scene is with the owner of the company he work for, rambling in an European language to say that his salary would decrease. Lastly, the boss asked the translator to say to him that being black and old, what else he could have?
It is a good representation of three things:
1 - The vision colonizers have of Brazilian people.
2 - When the boss talk to employees, it is mainly to take than to give.
3 - The employee don't need even to understand what is being said.
White teens in the absence of an arm to kill him, kill his dog. White young threatened him and destroyed things of African religion. He see it through a window and there is "DEUSASSIMATODOS" written beside it, meaning "GODABOVEALL" which is sort of slogan of the Brazilian president elected the year before the movie was released. But it is mispelled: 'acima' not 'assima' is 'above'. It is a good representation of the ignorance of allegedlly Brazilian conservatives. There is written also the number used to vote. One day he was arriving in the kind of abandoned house he was living, and two of the men that threatened him were having sex and continued when he saw. After he screamed, they leave telling he should back from where he came because he wasn't from the South. It is a good representation of the contradictions of allegedlly Brazilian conservatives.
He met another employee, a black woman, and they had an affair. Then in the only time he spoke about his life, he said that his father used to beat him and his mother when he was a child. After he received more violence from the community, he goes to the woman house and screams he would fix things, she refuted his behavior and he beat her. It is a good representation of the cycle of violence in Brazilian society.
I don't think the part where a panther simply appears in front of him and other parts fit well with the rest of the story. Actually, I will add the fantasy genre here.
Longlegs (2024)
Very well-made with a sharp cast
I remember realizing Maika Monroe is a good actress when watched for the first time in Greta (2018), and maybe I tought only for movies about young people (which I particularly enjoy). I confirmed it in the first scene of It Follows (2014), with her laughing in a swimming a pool. Then, I knew it was her in The Watcher (2022) only after I finished (this is something really nice). But in Longlegs, somehow I knew it would be good because of her and she plays a complex character very well. The way she moves, the way she looks, the way she lets herself be carried away by sensitivity, the way she doesn't say a word while her boss' family asked things until she is in the child room. It is very real for what many would call a 'weirdo'.
There are some (original) scenes where a shadow or goat appears and despite together with sound effect, for more fearlful viewers or not, may go unnoticed because for few seconds.
It might seem like longlegs would be difficult to arrest, but that fragile figure with baggage at a bus stop was because what he does is not in the physical world.
The only gap was how he was invited to any house with that appearence, for the killing spree before using a woman with church clothes. But after the very good ending and as I don't like to check much or watch trailers, I didn't know it was Nicolas Cage until his name was in the cool upside down credits, I laughed not only because his (and the makeup) talent, but because for a reason I recalled 8mm (1999) while watching! So the gap was nothing.
Late Night with the Devil (2023)
How far media barons can go?
Firstly, seems it would be more caricatured than anything. But actually it is a movie that covers many subjects. From skepticism to believe in something spiritual and mainly: how far one group with the power of mass communication can go for a larger audience?!
In 1977, television had only half century and who controled it already realized the way people would stood in front of it. The celebration about the audience at the phone "angry, confused" after someone vomited a black liquid and got out in an ambulance is the first example. After they knew he was dead, the producer's phrases like "dial it up and get on with your job", "just think that this is the biggest tv event since moon landing, who was I to disagree?" also because this is controversy and "after tonight, every fortune 500 will be lining up to be part".
I can't say it depicts a talk show from the 70's well because I didn't watched any, but the hair, the clothes, the image quality, the screens for the interstitials - the one mixing 'owl' with 'halloween' is very crative - are all very well depicted/good.
The cast is precisely selected. The girl staring at the camera is awesome. I didn't like the visual effects when her head opened for the demon but as the scene goes, the way it does the killing spree was ruthless, including the visual effects. The skeptical asked forgiveness only to avoid death and when offered money, no matter how much, it meant nothing.
And the host which had said "this could become a regular spot" got the fame but was the most used by the bosses. The metaphor of them with the fantasies from The Grove praising for maybe 50 share is to show what was the price. And he was also paying for a possible murder among the "tall trees", as the demon explicitly yelled that was with him. When in an ilusion he kills the wife to cease her pain, the demon was in his mind to let him know what happened and make him kill the girl. It was the last charge and now he would pay in the human law because lights were on so for the movie narrative, it was aired live for all America.
As a communication researcher, I can tell this movie is very good because it is not the technology itself, but depending how the few groups which own this tool of mass control use it, television can be from the 'devil'.
The Ring (2002)
Above horror average
I remember not giving credit to this movie when I saw a bit on TV, just after it was released. It was better like this because today I'm a journalist and it is nice how the main character was introduced dealing with her boss. I tought it would be trough the story but, in a good pace, it turns all about the investigation on the tape.
In early 2000's, VHS and landlines were more used and a journalist still make research in newspaper and when she searched in the web, it was very slow. How it seems strange only two decades later?
It is very creative that the 'ring' is of the phone, in the image of the cover, look like a ring for finger, but actually is a water well closing.
Toy Story (1995)
Played as a child, watched as an adult
I had neven seen the movie but used to play Toy Story for N64 with my sister. Today I saw it with her daughter.
Very nice how "come in Star Command... Star Command" and "to infinity and beyond" went to my brain to remember that time. Also I think all Andy's toys are on the game. Even the head with spider legs which help them in the movie I think appears there.
And guess what? Buzz can not fly, but he do fall with style with his 'wings' opened. Good times from childhood.
I liked the story and the details of scenes are very well depicted . Animation gets the attention of children but are made to relate to many adults issues.
In few days I'm going to watch Mario Bros which is in theaters. With my sister because it is another one we played in N64 (I think the first Mario 3D).
Cabeça de Nêgo (2020)
typical of the Brazilian public structure
There is no money for proper food, pest control, textbooks for students but the school's conservative principal - who wants to expel a student for using his voice - has a very new car. It is very simbolic that the car was turned upside down inside the school after a clash with the repressive force.
X (2022)
The fact of the truth of the matter is
That this movie brings a good point to how confusing can be to have sex for make a living and to date for real with someone at the same time. Lorraine was't necessarily someone who stares everyone. Since the beginning she was observing how people who make porn relate to each other, just like 'how can they be normal?', so her voyeur side was activated live and she had sure they are... 'normal' as herself.
Also to the point that it is easier when you are taping and having fun in the background when it is not your girlfriend which never did it. Not everyone is capable of that. It can make you change from cheerful to want to abandon.
Lorraine saw freedom, even more when the actors talked about their vision of sexuality.
Regarding to the story, it has a great cinematography (what a beautiful place with the pond) and is original. The guts, gore, corpses effects are in shape! And at the end: life beats death, and keep taking the risk of coke.
I used to have Horror as a favorite but there are too many bad movies. Probably the genre with more repetitive subjects.
If this world last, for me it will be a classical.
O Lobo Atrás da Porta (2013)
Linguistically accurate
I study Communication Science and the body language, the way of speaking the slangs of the woman who make the call at the bar is very well represented, specifically from Zona Norte region in Rio de Janeiro, which is where the movie took place.
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
madness of a masterpiece
Among war movies, this is not one of the best with battle scenes, that's not the idea, but it is the best about military state of mind, officers' ego, difference between military codes of western and eastern armies and how these codes can be used in the favor of an army which has prisoners.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
Too comedian
First time I went to a movie theater after coronavirus pandemic came out
I always liked the imagery of Venom, besides he is like an anti-hero. But it could be less comedian. The first is way better.
Single White Female (1992)
psychological concept
You can invite someone to your bedroom but you won't allow people open your drawers so easily.
At the beginning, Allison is caught in the tenant's room and apologizes embarassed saying it was less than two weeks and she was already in her room and almost opened drawers.
I dont mean that what happened in the story afterwards was because of that.
Bacurau (2019)
hit the bull's eye
The scene in which people of the village is warned that the mayor is coming (before, from a point that give time to do not take anyone by surprise) in order to hide and let him alone with his lies is far away from happen in reality but is exactly what should happen in all places in Brazil. Unfortunely, this kind of organization is utopical because of a corrupt culture in a general manner, mainly by politicians which are the worse in the corrupt scale and serves the elite. Thus, most people are uneducated and have a lot of problems to worry about instead of organizing to fight.
Another thing worth mention here: it shows how pathetic can be a latin which thinks be a pure white but it is nothing more than something to be used and thrown in the trash by their white 'equals'.
Fim de Festa (2019)
Simple and complex at the same time
It is nice that there is no need to 'explain things' to be good... the kind of movie that plays with the imagination of the spectator and it will depend on spectator's unsterdanding about Brazil.
It picture well some issues the country is facing right now with completely different types of characters saying that do not like to live or to be in it.
The movie is very contemporany if you look the way technology is introduced, including a podcast which has a key role.
Even with cinema industry suffering attacks, it is possible to make art that at least try to break the status quo.
The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)
Incompatible language
Why a movie about a king of France would be in English which is the language of a historic rival country?
Anyways the story is good - you can see and think a lot about values on it - and very well acted.
"I wear the mask, it does not wear me"!
Tout nous sépare (2017)
a matter of family
Besides the "romance" cliche of a rich girl in love for a bandit, the point to me is the class struggle. Cause when Ben is confronted blackmailing Louise, he says that is doing it, cause he could (knowing about the murder) and that she must knows how does it feel to do things cause you can (with power of money) including the example of how her husband treated him as an employee. And also because when you have this kind of power, you know people inside the social structures, so if you know someone in the police (as she do) it is easier to "fix" things with the "justice".
Operações Especiais (2015)
More sociological than action
It worth and prove me more that cinema in Brazil is improving in the 21th century. Same level of Cidade de Deus and Tropa de Elite (I mean the first from 2007)
Despite not like the action scenes at the beginning it is a very good movie which show many problems in Brazilian society. Just like be an honest police officer (or not), honest citizen (or not), and mainly an honest politician (or not) and it does in a very critical way.
Also is about the issues a woman can face joining a police department being the only woman among men.
The main actors are very talented (know their works) and the actions scenes get better as time goes by.