isistfreitas Reviews

Dune: Part Two (2024)

The beauty and the horror.

[5 May 2024]

"Lead them to paradise."

The best experience I've had at the cinema so far. Because that's what this movie is... An absorbing, otherworldly experience.

This is enforced by every aspect of it, the imagery, the script, the soundtrack, the characters, the tale... It somehow manages to transport you into a whole other universe, while still focusing on the basic emotions and complexities of each character. It dares to be grand, without ever losing its soul.

I noticed at least three scenes that made the whole theater hold its breath, as if we were experiencing history unfold. The first one was the black and white arena scene, with all its raw brutalism. The second one, the magnificent arrival of the worms for battle. And the third one was, of course, Paul's speech, the climax of his fascinating arc. "Fear the moment."

It's an overall epic movie, a tragic cautionary tale about blind religion and false gods, a theme which never ceases to be relevant. Each character only earns your respect and your pity, as they take the paths they believe to be right for them. And the sand, with its song, is a permanent character of the movie, reminding us of the harshness and the vastness of the universe.

"The beauty and the horror."

All the President's Men (1976)

Impactful and entertaining

[16 February 2024]

From the very first scene when the typewriter keys are pressed, mimicking the sound of gunshots, I was taken aback and couldn't look away anymore.

This is one of those movies where you become as invested as the characters, trying to piece the story together, even though you already know what happened. They made a wonderful job of showing the work of these journalists, their struggles and their impact on the country.

The story of how this movie got made is also interesting, and I appreciate the fact that they scrapped the "Hollywood" version of it, in favor of a more down to earth, realistic look on their work. As the director stated, their story was told because of what they did, "not because of their fascinating personal lives".

I wish more movies were like this, as not everything needs to be romanticised in order to be impactful or entertaining.

Last Night in Soho (2021)

Thrilling dream trip

[6 February 2024]

A dream trip that at first embraces and enamours you, then fills you with dread. It makes you feel like you are truly in another realm, taken aback by its beauty and horrors, while still displaying the reality of being a young woman.

The first act showcases the hopes and dreams of a coming-of-age girl. From dancing by yourself in your bedroom, to the exhilarating feeling of falling in love with your dream world and everything in it.

But even all the glamour of the 60's can't hide the horror in our lives. The fear of being followed in a dark street, watched from a corner, touched when you're helpless. The feeling of being completely alone in a city that doesn't know you exist.

In a city with so much history, where so many lives were lived, we forget how much people have been through, and all that we have in common. Just like Eloise saw herself in Sandie, so many women have shared the same fears and hopes that we have.

Beautifully edited, shot and soundtracked, this movie gives you a feeling very few movies nowadays can, as it abstains from being realistic and goes for a stylised dreamlike London, where you can be fully immersed in this thrilling ghost story.

The Way We Were (1973)

Real and emotional

[3 February 2024]

I watched this movie late at night after a long day, thinking it was going to be a cute feel-good movie. Oh boy, was I wrong. I was completely broken by the time it ended. Couldn't sleep for over an hour afterwards.

I don't know what made it so emotional for me. I think it was all very... real. The characters were deeply flawed and didn't match at all, but you can't help but root for their love.

Katie calling him late at night, crying, saying he was the only best friend she had, promising not to beg him to come back, then doing exactly that. Katie apologizing and saying that it was all just a tantrum, that she was going to be good. Katie saying she would change the way she was just to have him. Katie crying and pleading, "you'll never find anyone as good for you as I am, to believe in you as much as I do or love you as much"!

It's all painfully real. That feeling when you know a person is no good for you, that you know you deserve better, and yet you make a fool of yourself just because you love them and can't see yourself without them. "Couldn't we both win?"

In the end the only way is to let them go. To remember fondly of the way you were together. And to never lose sight of who you are.

The Prize (1963)

Entertainment at its best

[21 January 2024]

The Nobel prizes are about to be delivered to their winners. An ensemble of characters is introduced, each with their own troubles and peculiarities, setting the scene for the crime. And the most unusual Nobel winner is set on solving the mystery and saving the day.

Paul Newman is more charming than ever, this possibly being his most underrated movie. His character, Andrew Craig, is a man disillusioned with life. Not anymore interested in writing meaningful books, or in doing anything meaningful at all, he hides behind humour and drinks, looking for the easy way out. As he states, "Never deny a man his right to be unconscious".

However, his curiosity gets the best of him, as he suddenly finds himself in the midst of a whole criminal scheme, where people will be in danger if he doesn't act.

This movie will remind you of Bond, Hitchcock and Agatha Christie, while keeping all the fun that is inherent to the 60's. It's entertainment at its best - with elements of thriller, comedy, romance, drama, action and other genres.

The writing, in particular, is quite something. As you process one witty remark, another one is already being made - one funnier and cleverer than the other. And they're not only made by the leading man, but by everyone, including the women, who in this movie are ahead of their time.

Overall, it's a joy of a movie, with just about enough clichés of its time, a solid and well-paced plot, as well as well written remarks and good deliveries. You won't be able to look away, as you'll be experiencing one emotion after the other.

The World's End (2013)

So much more than meets the eye

[21 January 2024]

The movie is about Gary King, an eternal adolescent who decides to invite his old mates from high school to complete the Golden Mile - the pub crawl in their hometown that they tried to embark on decades ago. However, midway through it they start noticing the town is not quite how they remembered it.

I'm a huge fan of the Cornetto trilogy and of the rest of Edgar Wright's films. That being said, I consider World's End to be his masterpiece.

Everything is great in it - the cast, their chemistry, the editing, the nostalgic soundtrack, the jokes, dialogues, action and Easter eggs. But there's just so much more than meets the eye.

Out of the films in the Cornetto trilogy, World's End is definitely the most complex one. It tackles serious issues while joking around and fighting alien robots in a way that only they could.

I believe the movie deals with three topics that are ultimately joined as one:

First off, it handles maturity. It shows the struggles of growing up and embracing adulthood - which none of them quite manage to do healthily, amid overworking, having past traumas and dating much younger girls. However, Gary King stands out, as we learn in the movie that he truly never accepted the fact that he's an adult. He's a great and complex character, with mental problems and overly attached to the past, who never managed to conform or achieve anything in his adult life.

Secondly, it acknowledges the "Starbucking" phenomenon. As the characters go back to the little town they grew up in, they're shocked to find out that the pubs have lost their individual charms and become part of chains, identical to pubs that can be found anywhere in the world. They find that much of the town has lost its essence with the overt globalization of the current century, and are nostalgic for the simpler times.

Finally, the movie nods to the question of free will. As the aliens take over the world they imagine they're doing us all a favour, by introducing new technology and civilizing us. However, as Gary puts it in the climax - and surprisingly touching - scene, "it is our basic human right" to be screw-ups.

Ultimately, thus, we can say the movie is about letting go of the past. It's about facing the fact that we need to mature, but not as much as to lose touch with our inner child. It's about being nostalgic for the places and people that you once knew, for the world that used to be. It's about conforming to what society expects of you, but without losing sight of your rebel self.

As Edgar has stated, the robots represent the fears, the nostalgia that faces the characters as they return to their old hometown. They look similar to what they remember on the outside, but in reality both the characters and the place have irrevocably changed. And, as much as they try to fight the robots, in the end they are forced to accept them. And that's okay, because accepting change and moving on is a part of life.

In Secret (2013)

How far do we go for love?

[2 January 2018]

The first part of the movie is a beautiful insight of the life in old France, with its fairy tale appeal - the orphan girl who lives a dull life, full of hopes and dreams, who meets a handsome painter and makes all sorts of love promises. They begin to meet in secret, and although sympathising for her ill husband, I slowly wished for her and prince charming to be together. Their hopes and love are contagious. But they begin to wish for more than they have - and by acting without foreseeing the consequences of guilt, they forge the path to their doom.

The second part is where the real trouble begins. I wish that, given all that she had suffered, they would have a happy ending. But that would've been too simple, and maybe careless about their morals or the poor ill husband, who just wanted to make her happy but couldn't. I watched this part afflicted, because it was so devastating to see their once beautiful and contagious love fade into chaos and the realisation that there was no love left.

While the first part was full of hope, the second part took it all away. But it's no different from any tragedy story, sort of like Romeo and Juliet; and people don't stop believing in their romance because of that. It is a painful message that love doesn't survive everything. That the wonder of youth eventually fades away - and maybe you can't survive what's left, the cold truth that is reality.