domingo, 27 de outubro de 2013

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

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"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room." - President Merkin Muffley

A spectacular comedy directed by the brilliant Stanley Kubrick, satirizing the period of cold war between Americans and communists after World War II. No individual performances to highlight, all the cast did good in their respective roles, collaborating with brilliant screenplay written by Kubrick.

Dark humor intelligent from the most high quality.


****3/4

domingo, 11 de agosto de 2013

The Kid (1921)

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 "A picture with a smile - and perhaps, a tear."

The tramp discovers an abandoned kid and decides to take care of him. A silent masterpice with simply sensational performances Chaplin (as The Tramp) and Jackie Coogan (as The Kid).

As the opening title says, you will laugh and will surely be touched by these two.

*****

domingo, 14 de julho de 2013

Man of Steel (2013)

"You are not alone... My name is General Zod. I have journeyed across an ocean of stars to reach here. Your world has sheltered one of my citizens. He will look like you, but he is not one of you. To those of you who know of his location: the fate of your planet rests in your hands. To Kal-El, I say this: surrender within 24 hours, or watch this world suffer the consequences..." - General Zod

Absolutely fantastic movie. Zack Snyder tells the story of the birth of the man of steel from the rivalry between Jor-El and General Zod on Krypton, showing the origin of the trip Kal-el to earth to an epic battle when General decides to come back for one of their citizens.

Excellent performances from Henry Cavill playing the man of steel and with a height rival, Michael Shannon was awesome in the role of General Zod.


****1/4

domingo, 30 de junho de 2013

Paths of Glory (1957)

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"There are few things more fundamentally encouraging and stimulating than seeing someone else die." - General Broulard

Paths of Glory shows the coldness of the commanders with their soldiers in World War I, during the refusal to advance on a mission impossible. One of the best war films of the cinema where Kubick shows the cruel reality of the time in a simple and magnificent way.

****1/2

quarta-feira, 5 de junho de 2013

Safety Last! (1923)

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 *Lot of Laugh* - You watching this film

As I'm a huge fan of black/white and silent films I feel guilty for never have watched this one before, it's looks so underrated. We're used to hear about the great classics of Chaplin and Buster Keaton, but Harold Lloyd is one to put in together with them.

I felt like a child watching Looney Tunes cartoons, and again I confirmed that a good comedy can be a simple one, and more simple more funny it is. It's incredible how this kind of movie can make you laugh out of silly things when todays movies just throw a bunch of images, words and sounds to force people to laugh.

The building climbing scene is fantastic, it's made of funny moments and some quite intences. Sometimes it seemed so realistic for it's time. The film doesn't get boring and the comedy has a good timing.

I shall never forget to mention this film when the "silent films" subject comes up.

I'll give it Five Star soon as I ditch the cop.

*****

domingo, 2 de junho de 2013

The Great Dictator (1940)

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"Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed." - Jewish Barber

The comedy in cinema today is cheapened, with directors leaving aside the intelligence and focusing on sex appeals and other ignorances meaningless. In this film Chaplin had first of all, a huge courage in the middle of World War II to criticize superb two of the greatest dictators this world has ever seen, Hitler and Mussolini.

For those unfamiliar, is worth watching the story of a Jewish barber in times of war and of a dictator who wanted to dominate the world, both played by Chaplin in this masterpiece that should always be remembered. A spectacular intelligent comedy, which was written and directed impeccably.


*****

quinta-feira, 25 de abril de 2013

The Godfather: Part II (1974)

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"If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it is that you can kill anyone." - Michael Corleone

Making a film worthy of being called a work of art, is for a few, make two movies in a row in a same story, just Francis Ford Coppola could do.

The Godfather Part II continues to tell the story of the rise of Michael Corleone to his downfall in another phenomenal performance of Al Pacino. In parallel, it is also told through a phenomenal performance for a young Robert De Niro, the story of the coming of Vito Corleone coming to the United States and its growth in the world of mafia.

There is no need of many words to describe this film, if not one of the best productions of the cinema history.

*****

segunda-feira, 4 de fevereiro de 2013

The Rite (2011)

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"Choosing not to believe in the Devil, won't protect you from him" - Father Lucas Trevant

It's about a young skeptic seminarist, that starts doubting his faith and then is sent to study exorcism in Rome.

Besides all the effects and the hollywood terror drama, the film is based on a real facts that helps to make the film even more interesting. It's full of symbology and some great short dialogues, things that comes back to your mind through the whole film.

By the way, no one could deliver it better than Antonhy Hopkins (Who interpretates a old exorcist), his acting is always captivating.


****

domingo, 13 de janeiro de 2013

The Dark Knight Trilogy

Batman Begins (2005)

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"Gotham's time has come. Like Constantinople or Rome before it the city has become a breeding ground for suffering and injustice. It is beyond saving and must be allowed to die. This is the most important function of the League of Shadows. It is one we've performed for centuries. Gotham... must be destroyed." - Ra's Al Ghul

The first film in the trilogy was the first film so far, to tell the story of the birth of the Dark Knight, also exploring his training and background in martial arts. Excelent movie for those who do not know the story of Bruce Wayne and think it's just a billionaire man who had money to make clothes and special equipment.

****1/4

The Dark Knight (2008)

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"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent

The continuation of Batman Begins shows a Gotham City with its criminals cornered by the actions of the Dark Knight and the new DA Harvey Dent. Until the rise of a new criminal totally different, the Joker. A masterpiece of Christopher Nolan, showing how greed affects mankind, regardless of social class or employment, as this film shows how a city can be corrupted by money. The highlight of the movie is the performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker, in my opinion the best heel that I've ever seen in the cinema history with not just an ordinary a punk, but a very intelligent man outthinking every move of the Dark Knight During Their rivalry.

*****

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) 
 
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"A hero can be anyone. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a little boy's shoulders to let him know that the world hadn't ended." - Batman

And the trilogy that has totally changed the landscape of comics and movies about superheroes in cinema history ends. After eight years of absence, the Dark Knight needs to back to Gotham to face a new terrorist called Bane, who has a big plan to crash the city and to fulfill Ra's al Ghul's destiny. Excellent movie to end the trilogy with great performances from Christian Bale and Tom Hardy.

****1/2

terça-feira, 1 de janeiro de 2013

The Untouchables (1987)

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"Yes! There is violence in Chicago. But not by me, and not by anybody who works for me, and I'll tell you why because it's bad for business." - Al Capone

The Untouchables (1987) tells the story of a totally corrupt Chicago by Al Capone in Prohibition times, until the emergence of a federal agent Eliot Ness, who along with a small team selected by him, embark on mission to end the Capone's city reign.

Awesome movie, if you like mafia movies, you surely will love this one.


****