david_castillo7 Reviews

Beau Is Afraid (2023)

Great ideas in a too histrionic film

[6/10 · 11 March 2024]

I loved what I have watched from Ari Aster...until this one movie. It is not that I dislike it. In fact, I think it has some brilliant moments that stole a laugh from me. The acting is superb. The cinematography is beautiful to my taste and suits well with the story. But...yesss, but it is way too histrionic at times and too long as a whole. As a plain viewer and nothing else, some scenes are way too long (like the very last one), where the point is made within the first minute or two and there is no need to keep it 20 minutes long. And that gets me out of the story. It might be the pace, the editing or even that I am not getting something I should.

I don't like or dislike the movie. I do know that if it was about one hour shorter, I would have been more compelled. And that is what I believe this art of cinema was invented for.

American Factory (2019)

Beautiful and sad at the same time

[9/10 · 1 May 2023]

Parallellisms between this work scenario and any job will most likely be found in one way or another. In my case, income being split in two while having to work more from one year to the next; also, getting surprised by the newbies being the ones more conservative when fighting to the unfair conditions or being more afraid to lose their jobs; automatization replacing people as the company sees us as mere numbers with no family conciliation needs.

Not one situation is easy. Even the factory owner, being so much "life's meaning is working" not realizing that is exactly the reason why he is not happy...or at least not admitting it.

This documentary does an incredible job giving us the different views while stealing our feelings surprising us being in almost tears, almost anger, or even laughs (few of these ones, though).

Capitalism is here to stay in more radical ways. Americans might have invented it, but the Chinese new generations are stretching the meaning of work and money as a way of life. A way of life that is not based on happinness but on having the latest tech you used not to have before while enjoying it in the free time you don't have anymore.

Sharp Objects (2018)

Brilliant characters and direction

[9/10 · 15 February 2022]

A newspaper reporter (Amy Adams) has to go to her hometown against her will to do research about girls dissapearing. Soon all her chilhood traumas hit her with her mother as the personification of them all.

Natural photography is what hit me when I found out that not even light reflectors were used when filming outside. No artificial lights were used when out of the buildings (Jean Marc Vallee himself said this in a video I watched in YouTube) to pursue following the actors "real" reactions as they moved. Green is the colour you will almost always see that identifies this beautifully shot series.

If you want a fast action series, this is not it. If you are keen on more psychologically based characters that keep on building up faster than you realize, where just about any grown up woman is basically drunk (and in most cases you understand you would do the same),this is your series. Brilliant result.

The Grandmaster (2013)

Beautifully shot,but...

[6/10 · 23 April 2021]

This movie was beautifully shot, but as an spectator, something is off in the film. I wished to be more specific because that would mean my knowledge about the subject would pay my bills. And it doesn't, since it is always me paying to watch instead.

Anyhow, let's throw a guess or three just in case anybody about to watch this movie accidentally is reading this. It will be short: To me it might be something in the script or even in the editing. There is something in the rythm that takes me out of the story. It might be too many long fights because it had to be so hard for the editora to choose among so many beautiful and artistic looking images. It might be the script where conversations might have been too simple, predictable or even not realistic (I am no Chinese,so what do I know). It might have been that since it was shot in such a long time, the cinematographers or even the director lost the inmediate feeling, the flow in the future cuts of the product they were making.

So there are the three guesses as an spectator. I really wanted to love this movie because on paper and being a fan of many of the people here involved, this promised to be greater than I felt while watching it. But then, maybe my expectations made me misjudge (is that even a word in English?) this piece of art. So who knows,maybe it is even my fault. Sorry for that.

LA 92 (2017)

Tense. I was tensed.

[8/10 · 6 December 2020]

Tense. Yes, I got tense watching this brilliantly edited documentary. Helplessness grew in me when watching police brutality to Mr. King. Helplessness grew in me when watching Latisha Harling´s death and later injustice. Helplessness grew in me when random white citizens were beaten up and even killed because some thought that lowering themselves to the same ethic level as the system would change something. This film is a genius edit in its rhythm, in its perfect score, and in its end where it cleverly proves that us, human beings, are the only animals that trip twice on the same stone. Because that is what we are: animals.

How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast): Buy It. Sell It. Love It. (2020) Season 2, Episode 4

The show keeps on getting better

[9/10 · 10 September 2020]

Amazing editing with very funny and fast scenes. Confidence has been built in the show...and it shows in the actors,screenwriters,editors and everyone it seems. Great episode and show.

Contagion (2011)

Atonishing prediction with ackward editing

[6/10 · 23 August 2020]

The end of this film intrigued me because as far as halfway of the movie they "guessed" about 80-90 percent of Covid's world such as ways of possible contagion (touching social distance,masks being common, China origined, bat source for the virus,conspiration theories,washing hands...). Made in 2010, this movie is amazingly like a documentary about a made up Covid's brother/sister virus.

But then,something in the editing,or rythm,angles,too many static takes...even colour,like if the director of photography wasn't inspired at all, making this movie a bit dull for what it tells even in 2020.

Sex Education: Episode 4 (2019) Season 1, Episode 4

Picks up again

[8/10 · 5 June 2020]

After chapter one,I thought it was going to be fun to watch. After chapters 2 and 3,I even thought I was not going to get to the end of the season. This chapter 4 is giving me a sort of bipolar espectator complex where I want to watch next one. Jackson,among others, is really well acted character, and seems like the series will give him more importance. The toilet scene is one of the best scenes in a series ever. It made me laugh while enjoying the perfect song for it. Sort of like Trainspotting,but...cleaner.

Uncut Gems (2019)

I expected more

[5/10 · 29 February 2020]

With all the hype,plus the main topic being bets,and Kevin Garnett in it,I expected a very entertaining movie to watch. But what I felt I watched was a well made film,with so many histrionic characters that they got me out of the story many times.

I understand what the pretension was by trying to cause stress on the viewer. But to my taste,it was not the best way to do it since,as I said,there was so much continous human yelling,shouting,talking at the same time,etc,that I almost opted to not finish the movie. I would not watch it a second time,which is what I do if I love a movie. Not this one.

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018)

Amazing acting

[7/10 · 26 August 2019]

The movie is not bad,but it lacks some flow/rythm to my taste (second half is better at it). But what picks up the movie is the acting. Even characterization is unbelievable...Jonah Hill. It took me a third of the movie to recognize him,and it was thanx to imdb to realize who he was in the movie. Wow. Respect for all the actors. I believe the humour in the main character due to his drawing jokes could have been a bit more developed with his personality. I watched the movie until the end,so the goal was achieved with someone (me),who is not sold on finishing every movie (or book),when so much good stuff is waiting to be watched or read in life. Good movie.