Shaban_Avdulaj

One of the things I like the most about Park's style is how he takes his time establishing character and story without boring the viewer. The pace in his films is slow but never tiring. In 'Thirst' also, he moves in a sluggish rhythm throughout and still manages to not lose you, not even for a second. Park's subtle direction, at least for the most part, because there were moments where I thought it was a bit off, and the quirky writing, which generates some excellent bits of humor, especially when you're less expecting it, creates a captivating atmosphere.

Though highly bizarre, the film works excellently in keeping your attention away from the time passing. And that's a win on its own. Yet, you don't get immediately aboard this film. I found the editing slightly distracting in the first couple of scenes until I "got used" to it. And that's why I started this review with the word "perplexing." See, in the beginning, the editing feels wrong. They jump from the middle of a scene to another one, and without wrapping this second scene, they go back to the first one, making it look like amateurish work. Because it doesn't work for any purpose, it's just an inadequate transition of scenes. But then, later in the film, they'd use this type of editing again, and this time around, it'll work remarkably well in linking the spread-out plot and moving it forward. It fits so well it makes you doubt your judgment on how they used it in those first few scenes. Yet again, it's just a minor distraction that would've probably gone unnoticed if I would've embraced the odd nature of the film from the get-go.

'Thirst' is worth watching if only for the freshness it brings to the "vampire films" catalog and, being such a different endeavor for Chan-wook, it's also a must-watch for all his fans. Although, compared to Park's bests, 'The Handmaiden' or even to what I consider his slightly overrated work, and to what its most dedicated fans will tell you is his masterpiece, 'Oldboy,' 'Thirst' is somewhat inferior.

I'm under the impression that, unlike its subject matter, being part of this film has to have been a lot of fun, especially for the actors. There are moments here as you're watching the movie where you can tell the cast is having a great time on set, and although that doesn't speak well regarding how they're doing their job, it creates this "buddy atmosphere" and, weirdly, makes everything more welcoming, and delightful.

It's fascinating how similar this movie is to its "big brother," the undeniably best Brasilian film of the 2000s, 'City of God.' You'd find similarities between the two films story-wise, character-wise (though that's a given since both films revolve around the same culture), and also, the way the films are shot it's very similar too. Yet, unlike 'City of God,' 'Carandiru' leaves you wanting.

If it weren't for the last fifteen minutes, more or less, you'd think this film has nothing to do with any massacre. 'Carandiru' feels like an anthology film where it'd talk episodically about a few stand-out characters: the prison's most intriguing inmates. The characters are everything here, and the cast does a great job constantly keeping you engaged with them. Wagner Moura especially gives an enjoyable early performance in his career. Quick confession: for me, a massive fan of Moura's performance on 'Narcos,' seeing him here say, "Filho da puta," was a peculiar, most welcomed treat. I can see how part of this performance could've worked as the perfect audition for his role in 'Narcos.'

As I already mentioned, the film is shot very similarly to 'City of God.' There's a lot of hand-held camerawork here, which it's very fitting and effective in bringing the messy, flesh-and-blood intensity of prison life compellingly to our eyes. Alongside the hand-held camerawork, there's also the use steady camera here and there, which, again, it's effective but nothing worth noting. Visually, the film felt a bit bland - 101, basic stuff. And, I'm afraid that goes for the film overall if it weren't for the entertaining characters. 'Carandiru' is social realism seen with the utmost heartfelt eyes, but as a film, it's too episodic, often meandering, and that ending makes it all look like a numb mashup of a few short stories.

Out of the six Kurosawa films I've seen, this one is the only film I've rated lower than 4.5/5. This review is the first time I talk about a Kurosawa film, and while I'd have liked to talk about one of his better works first, a rec is a rec, and you have to respect it.

First of all, I'm not sure if you can find this film in a more curated video quality than the one I watched, but the video file I saw it from needed a restoration. The images were badly washed-out throughout, and that, I think, dragged down to a great extent my experience with the movie. I'd have enjoyed the film more if the frames had a proper, more dynamic lighting contrast.

All Kurosawa films I've watched until now have never bored me. Akira knows how to find the right rhythm for his pictures, and no matter how long their running time is (even 'Seven Samurai'), they flow effortlessly, and you don't feel the time passing. 'Stray Dog,' though, got me a bit tired. Unlike in his other films, Kurosawa hadn't yet developed his mathematical pacing precision here. The film starts a bit slow, then it quickens a bit, then back to running slow, and all that inconsistency in the pacing didn't sit well with me. On top of all that, the transition of some of the scenes it's slightly off-putting. It almost looks amateurish, where they'd hasten the cuts without the scene fully encased and jump to the next one like that. It's weird. I thought they could've managed much better the overall editing here. I was expecting more because, even though this is an "early Kurosawa," and you'll find issues in it, I checked, and this is his ninth film (though they were all made in less than a decade). Apparently, Kurosawa had a slow start evolving in the film giant he'd later become.

Anyway, other than the pace, I can't find any other problem with the film. I liked how skillfully Kurosawa managed to create a mysterious atmosphere and how easily it immerses you in it. The writing here is subtle throughout, and it's the main "ingredient" keeping you glued to what you're watching. Kurosawa's patient but sumptuous police procedural narrative it's bold all the way through.

Though sometimes a little over the top, Mifune's acting performances are always a pleasure to see, and here, together with Shimura, another Kurosawa regular, they deliver magnetic acting performances. 'Stray Dog' is far from the bests of Kurosawa, but still, it's a respectful effort, and, regardless of my issues with it, it's a quality addition to his filmography.