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ferreiragon
Reviews
Absentia (2011)
One of the best directors in a new era of horror films
I made my way to absentia in reverse, Having watched and liked quite a lot the more recent film by Mike Flanagan "Oculus", i wanted to watch more works from this director.
I find very interesting the scripts and the atmosphere of his movies. Its mostly psychological atmospheric thriller following things that do not have a clear answer in the end. Those of you who like gore or horror mostly based on visual effects and action might not like his work. However, pay attention to the development of the stories and how are they getting more and more intense as the film develops.
I love that Flanagan usually plays (inteniollay or not), with contemporary physics issues that are quite controversial (time travels, parallel universes, chord theory, mater and antimatter). At the same time those issues are developed in a normal neighborhood or house. Added to all this there is drama and tension as well. For me a plus on these movies is that they also keep you thinking in many philosophical issues and that the reading of them is almost infinite. It is like listening to a good record in which you will always find something different. With these movies, any time they are "replayed" in our heads, you always get different explanations and results, travelling in an universe with twisted logic causes and effects.
This movie, along with "Oculus" by the same director, share all these issues. Highly recommended if you like David Lynch. Peter Weir first Australian era movies.
In summary a very smart director and writer that likes to play with mysterious things that can be find in ordinary life, making the audience extremely confused as what to believe, what not to believe and what did it really happened or how can you explain the movie.
Oculus (2013)
A new kind of eerie mysterious horror films with multiple readings
I made my way "oculus" and "absentia", from the same director, the same day. Though they are clearly different, both films share many issues regarding the cinematographic style.
I find very interesting the scripts and the atmosphere of Flanagan's movies. They are mostly psychological atmospheric thrillers following things that do not have a clear answer in the end.
Those of you who like gore or horror mostly based on visual effects and action might not like his work. However, pay attention to the development of the stories and how they are getting more and more intense as the film develops.
I love that Flanagan usually plays (inteniollay or not), with contemporary physics issues that are quite controversial (time travels, parallel universes, chord theory, mater and antimatter). At the same time those issues are developed in a normal neighborhood, house, objects. Added to all these, there is drama and tension as well. To myself a plus on these movies is that they also keep you thinking in many philosophical issues and that the reading of them is almost infinite. It is like listening to a good record in which you will always find something different. With these movies, any time they are "replayed" in our heads, you always get different explanations and results, travelling in a universe with twisted logic causes and effects.
This movie, along with "Absentia" by the same director, share all these issues. Highly recommended if you like David Lynch. Peter Weir first Australian era movies or Adrian Lyne's "Jacobs ladder".
In summary, a very smart director and writer that likes to play with mysterious things that can be find in ordinary life, making the audience extremely confused regarding what to believe, what not to believe and what did it really happened or how can you explain the movie.
The Words (2012)
A great movie about twists of life, choices and human diversity
This movie is quite good from the beginning. It actually contains three related and intertwined stories but each one inside the other ones. In all the cases the unpredictable course of life appears and the possible decisions one could take are shown in characters with moral and ethical dilemmas. Its not a romantic movie but a deep movie about life, fiction reality, the decisions we take and how we cope to deal with them. Its also about memory and learning to forget when we do things that when done cannot be changed anymore. About the decisions we take sometimes quickly in our lives, that can have great consequences almost impossible to repair later. About thinking from the very beginning to do our best before having actions we can regret later, as well as we learning to forget or live with our actions when we make mistakes that cannot be repaired once done.
The script and editing is quite good and the acting is superb by all the staff. One of the best movies I saw by the end of 2012 because of all the combinations I mentioned.
If you like to think and watch movies with no clear message of what you should do in particular situations, those movies that will keep you wondering and thinking about the movie plot as well as life, you shouldn't miss this one.
The Speed of Thought (2011)
A new Ed Wood from our times....
I have followed this writer and director and he reminded me of Ed Wood. Quite creative and almost ridiculous plots mixed up with a director's cut where things can change magically with distorted almost funny and confusing logic (if there is any). So, if you watch this movie and also the other ones from the same writer/director you will find things that are quite funny if you take these movies as made by a contemporary Ed Wood. The funny thing as it happened with Ed Wood, is that they are done with the intention of doing art cinema though the result is absurd and makes you laugh. Doing this in a delicate balance with no intention of being funny having the opposite result is not for anyone...that is why I give it an 8!!
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
It should have been called "Return to wonderland"
Usually, I like quite a lot the Burton/Depp partnership work. I have to say though, that this movie its quite poor regarding the script and also the characters. Its about a re experience of Alice in Wonderland when she is 20 years old and about getting a proposition to get married. Revisiting wonderland, all the original characters from Alice in Wonderland and Through the glass mirror reappear, taking action in a somehow similar way as Alice in Wonderland. It adapts many ideas from the original book but some are done right and others are simply stunning surreal images with a plot that has no creativity at all, when compared to other children alike movies. The only thing that saves it are the parts that are like an extraction from the original Carroll's books. It usually lacks the logic plays, the absurd humor and the astonishment of another world, that could be the grown ups world metaphorically speaking, but from the perspective of a child. The music id from the famous Danny Elfman from the Simpsons and it doesn't fail. Though somehow overplayed, the best performances from the cast are Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen. In summary, If you are looking for visuals and nothing deep go see it. If you are looking for a good script and witty conversation, a good adaptation from Carroll's masterpieces, you will be disappointed.