After Lucia (2012)

Directed by: Michel Franco
Country: Mexico / France

Review: “After Lucia” is an atmospheric drama that will not leave you indifferent. After his wife Lucia has died in a car accident, Roberto and his 17 year-old daughter Alejandra, decide to move from Puerto Vallarta to Mexico City in an attempt to rebuild their lives. Once they arrive, Roberto, visibly depressed, shows incapacity to work properly, while Alejandra seems to start getting along with her new friends at school, being invited to parties where drugs, alcohol, and sex, are pretty common. In one of those parties she has a sexual adventure with Jose who used his mobile phone to record everything. The posterior publication of that video on the Internet, makes Alejandra a victim of her colleagues’ atrocities, transforming her life forever. One or two aspects could have been improved, like Roberto showing some more impatience or concern after Alejandra’s disappearance, but Franco’s discernment and self-confident direction along with the absence of emotional tricks, made the tension grow consistently as the film approaches to the disturbing finale. The spontaneous acting from the cast in general also gave credibility to a story that guaranteed my complete involvement. Presenting a strong conception and execution, “After Lucia” exposes the horrors of bullying, the inconvenience of technology, and the blindness of revenge, all in the same package.

Starlet (2012)

Directed by: Sean Baker
Country: USA

Review: Set in the urbanized area of San Fernando Valley in LA, “Starlet” tells the story of an improbable friendship between Jane, a 21 year-old porn actress, and Sadie, an octogenarian widow who lives alone. The two women met for the first time at Sadie’s yard sale, where Jane bought an old thermos that she was planning to use as a vase. But for her surprise, she found that the thermos contained ten thousand dollars. Intrigued about this fact, feeling guilty, and fed up of getting high with her immature housemates, she will try to get closer to this solitary woman and know more about her life. The film was named after Jane’s dog Starlet, which has a great influence in capital situations along the story. There’s two distinct sides here: a sweet side that depicts the flourishing friendship and growing dependence between the women, and a rough side, with hardcore sex images, drug consumption, and a sense of aimless and meanness from Jane’s supposed friends. Regardless of some predictable occurrences (especially those involving the dog), and a friendship whose evolvement seems more hypothetical than real, “Starlet” could keep up a decent tone thanks to the good performances, suitable direction, and avoidance of sentimental maneuvers. Even with some sad revelations, the ending left much space for hope, prefiguring a better life for both ladies. Sean Baker’s fourth feature film, satisfies without exceed expectations.

Dollhouse (2012)

Directed by: Kirsten Sheridan
Country: Ireland

Review: “Dollhouse” provides an odd cinematic experience, being the third feature film from Kirsten Sheridan, daughter of the famous Irish film director Jim Sheridan (“In America”, “In The Name Of The Father”, “My Left Foot”) who appears here as executive producer. The plot, not so crafted as it should have been, follows a bunch of wild teenagers who break into an empty house in Dublin. The kids start a strange party of drugs, alcohol, and vandalism, showing dangerous behaviors. At some point, we get to know that the house belongs to one of the intruders, but many questions are kept unanswered. The tense moments created with the unexpected arrival of a neighbor, soon fall in a sort of adventure without orientation. I cannot say this is a bad movie, but I can say this is a weak story. The sequence of images often gives the sensation of paranoia or disorientation, while the music was another strong aspect, with a variety of styles being used such as classical, rock, or techno, depending of the circumstances and the desired mood. “Dollhouse” has the visual side as main strength, creating enough tension to depict a lost generation, but its limited story, inexact narrative, vague characters, and lack of a concrete orientation, thwarted its plans to be more successful.

The Dynamiter (2012)

Directed by: Matthew Gordon
Country: USA

Review: In this low-key indie drama, debutant filmmaker Matthew Gordon depicts the troubles of 14-year-old Robbie Kendrick, who leads a wandering life in Glen Allan, Mississippi. Robbie misses his absent mother who has left for California, doesn’t know anything about his father, and lives with his grandmother and his two brothers. Known as a liar and a thief, Robbie is the first to be questioned when trouble is around. His relationship with the family is a key factor for us to understand his erratic behavior and natural tendency to steal. Having a great relationship with his younger half-brother, with whom he likes to play in the fields, Robbie is often influenced in the wrong way by his older brother Lucas, a lazy bum and an exploiter of women. Caught in the middle of chaos and forced to grow up too fast, he will gain some conscience and responsibility, but when one's past is marked by trouble, even getting an honest job becomes doubtful at other people’s eyes. The pure independent style adopted fit well, giving the rawness that the story was asking for, but despite the truthfulness evinced, it lacked intensity and firm pace in several situations. In the end it didn’t create the impact I was expecting, despite the lesson of courage and hope that conveys.

Fill The Void (2012)

Directed by: Rama Burshtein
Country: Israel

Review: “Fill The Void” takes a deep look into an orthodox Hasidic community in Israel. The film portrays their culture with all its creeds, festivities, and rituals, but the central theme here is marriage and how the family poses a huge influence on young women’s decisions on this matter. The story’s protagonist is Shira (Hadas Yaron), an 18 year-old young woman who is happy to be engaged with a successful man of her age. When her older sister dies during childbirth, her mother tries to persuade her to marry her brother-in-law. This peculiar situation was meant just to keep the newborn close to the family. Beautifully shot by newcomer Rema Burshtein, whose credibility is above suspicion since she belongs to an orthodox Jewish community, “Fill The Void” embraces the matter with extreme sensibility and in a non-intrusive way, putting a whirl of complex emotions in each character. Each time Shira changes her mind, we can feel the weight of her decision and the pressure that surrounds her. The persistent religious chants helped to reinforce this sense of oppressiveness and anguish. Burshtein’s smart vision doesn’t hide some problems in terms of pace and unchanged mood throughout the film, although it seems clear that restrained tension was an option and not a limitation. The brilliant performance by Hadas Yaron was awarded in Venice and Israel.

Mud (2012)

Directed by: Jeff Nichols
Country: USA

Review: I was astonished two years ago with the disturbing “Take Shelter”, but this time Jeff Nichols was not capable of maintaining me a hundred percent clung to “Mud”, his third feature film. Ellis is a sensible 14 year-old kid, who is passing through difficult times with the imminent separation of his parents. One day, he and his friend Neckbone, went to a deserted island, across the Mississippi river, to search for an old abandoned boat that has been placed on top of a tree. For their surprise, they found a famished man called Mud living there. Wanted by the police and by some thugs who wanted him dead, Mud asks for the kids' help after telling them his story of love and crime. The old question arises: is the story true or false? The adventure never lost interest, but some excessive situations made the story fall into a sort of triviality. Ellis’ appetite for punching faces was in some cases absolutely ridiculous. The pace didn’t help too, and visually the film didn’t cause much impact for the eyes. The exception to these issues was the final shooting, which was very well done, putting intensity on the screen and adrenaline in our veins. “Mud” showed some moments of sincerity, especially those depicting the relationships between parents/sons, and gave a respectable vision of coming of age and the complexities of love associated to it. Being perfectly watchable, I felt it needed more agitation in the story and the suppression of some unnecessary scenes, to become more appealing.

Almayer's Folly (2011)

Directed by: Chantal Akerman
Country: Belgium / France

Review: Loosely adapted from Joseph Conrad’s debut novel, “Alamayer’s Folly” marks the return of Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman after a seven year absence. The adopted style, not so experimental as in other times, presents recognizable features; steady hand, long and precise shots, and efficient image composition, often using strong contrasts of shadow and light. The tale itself is bitter and powerful, following Gaspard Almayer (was Stanislas Merhar the right choice to play this character?), a French merchant whose great ambition for gold brought him to a remote village in Malaysia, where he got married to a local woman. From that loveless marriage, a beautiful mixed-race girl was born, becoming the proud of her father. Convinced by his employer, Alamayer sends his daughter Nina to a boarding school in town, where she could have a ‘white education’. But this will become a traumatic experience for her. Back to her village, after being kicked out from school, she will become the great love of Dain, a drugs smuggler who was Almayer’s last hope to get rich. Told in a strange but not discouraging way, “Almayer’s Folly” is a film about love, ambition, madness, racial issues, failed intentions, and disillusions. Its deliberate pace, nature sounds, and tropical ambience (reminding me Weerasethakul’s films without the mystical component), will not fit in everyone’s taste, but for those more adventurous, it may be a challenging cinematic experience.

Any Day Now (2012)

Directed by: Travis Fine
Country: USA

Review: Set in the 70’s, “Any Day Now” depicts the struggle of a gay couple to gain the custody of a Down syndrome boy whose junkie mother had been arrested. Despite of some noticeable issues, especially in the story’s development, the film succeeds in gaining our sympathy for the cause. This is achieved through very solid performances, especially from Alan Cumming, and from the anger we feel from observing the negligent attitude of the boy’s mother. The biases were evident in many occasions: in a scene with a police officer, at work, at school, and in courtrooms, the latter with very laughable interventions from lawyer and judges. The couple’s differences were highlighted, with the low profile and sobriety of the law expert Paul (Garret Dillahunt), balancing with the expansiveness of Rudy (Cumming) whose dubious artistic talent only served the purpose of putting more sentiment in the final moments. Inspired on a true story, “Any Day Now” revealed an inevitable tendency for melodrama, but compensates with some honesty and a sense of true feelings. I could not help feeling sorry for the sympathetic young boy Marco (Isaac Levya), in Travis Fine’s most interesting film so far, a real champion of audiences in Festivals such as Chicago, L.A., Seattle, and Tribeca.

Graceland (2012)

Director: Ron Morales
Country: Philippines

Review: “Graceland” is the second feature film directed by Ron Morales, who is best known as an experienced key grip (lighting and rigging technician), having participated in 41 titles, including “The Departed”, “Spider Man 3” or “My Sassy Girl”. Set and filmed in the Philippines, the story centers in a kidnapping that went too far. For eight years, Marlon works as a chauffeur for a corrupt and pedophile congressman, feeling guilty for having to cover-up his recurrent sexual crimes. His daughter Elvie attends the same class as Sophia, his boss's daughter, being best friends for a long time. Certain day, when driving them home from school, Marlon’s car was ambushed by a man disguised of policeman whose goal was to kidnap the congressman’s daughter. However, things didn’t went as expected, and Marlon, cornered between the kidnappers’ orders and a bribed policeman, will try his best to solve the situation. Not so radically explicit as Brillante Mendoza’s “Kinatay”, “Graceland” (what an ironic title!) aims to criticize the Philippine society, showing criminality, corruption, and hypocrisy as part of the day-to-day life. The film was well shot, using both desolated and chaotic landscapes to enhance the sense of helplessness and despair. In a dark tone, Morales was able to make the story flow at a good pace, creating suspenseful moments until reach the unexpected conclusions. A solid thriller.

Oh Boy (2012)

Directed by: Jan Ole Gerster
Country: Germany

Review: Taking advantage of a grained black-and-white picture, adorned with a moody jazz score, “Oh Boy” is not just an intimate portrait about a particular character who feels lost, but also a portrait of a contemporary Berlin. Nothing seems to go right with Niko Fischer (Tom Schilling), who is going through a complicated phase in life. Certain that a law course would not be the right thing for him, Niko gave up his studies two years before, but still lives in Berlin with the allowance sent by his father. Meanwhile, he keeps living a carefree life, taking his time to think what he really wants. After his father finds out, Niko had his bank account closed, and everything seemed to fall apart. However, a few casual encounters with several interesting people across Berlin will become important experiences to learn and grow. I can mention a sweet old woman who, in a moment of affection, made the role of the mother that Niko didn’t have; a former schoolmate girl who is still haunted by a traumatic past; or a lonely man who was abroad for 60 years and was remembering his childhood in the city. Some references to Nazism were naturally introduced as making part of the city's history, in a movie marked by honesty, sensibility, and humor. “Oh Boy” is a mature accomplishment from a debutant cineaste who used beautiful long shots and detailed close-ups to show in a charming and conscious way that both people and city are in constant transformation.

Calm At Sea (2011)

Directed by: Volker Shlondorff
Country: France / Germany

Review: Veteran German filmmaker Volker Shlondorff shows the same characteristic attributes that made him known in the past, although without presenting anything really new, in this war movie with political and psychological substance. “Calm At Sea” was made in an old-fashioned way, but still conveys some emotional breath, despite its simplistic plot. Set in WWII, the film recreates the true events that happened in the Choiseul internment camp in France, where a group of political French prisoners, most of them communist militants, were condemned to be shot as a reprisal for the assassination of a German commandant in Nantes. Among the condemned was the 17-year-old Guy Moquet, who would become a symbol of the French Resistance, and whose love for a young girl named Odette was used here as emotional bait. The same happened with Claude Lalet, a young student who was about to leave the camp. Apart from these two situations, the brave men accepted their fate without much agitation and the film proceeds calmly to its bitter conclusion. It was interesting to see German officials opposing in secrecy to Hitler’s decision, or a French opportunist betraying his compatriots. The less credible scenes had to do with a troubled German soldier who wasn't able to kill. “Calm At Sea” took into account the real documents written by Pierre-Louis Basse, Ernst Junger (the most curious character in the movie), and Heinrich Boll.

42 (2013)

Directed by: Brian Helgeland
Country: USA

Review: 42 is a biopic about Jackie Robinson, the first African American baseball player hired to play in a major league team, breaking the color barrier that prevailed since 1880's. Robinson became an official player of Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, fighting in silence against racist prejudices, both inside and outside the team. His exceptional skills, sporting behavior, and effort put in the field, ended up winning the respect of team mates, managers, reporters, and general public. The film also focuses the importance of his wife Rachel, but great part of its time is spend on provocations, threats, and discriminations related with the racial segregation, as well as assorted episodes from several games that remained forever in the history of baseball. This is the fourth feature film from helmer Brian Helgeland, who seems to have won the heart of American audiences, but unfortunately did not touch mine. The approach was banal and nothing new or unanticipated was added to make it interesting. I felt that Helgeland’s main concern was to impress us with the racial theme, forgetting to spend some time building the character itself. 42 depicts Robinson’s life in the most conventional Hollywood tradition, using the same old formulas and manipulations that most of us are fed up. Its noble intentions and a couple of rousing moments, could not make Jackie Robinson's fantastic achievements seem so special on the screen.

Upstream Color (2013)

Directed by: Shane Carruth
Country: USA

Review: Shane Carruth is the man behind “Upstream Color”, a haunting film that challenges our senses, provoking us with the way it was conceived. In addition to being screenwriter, director, actor, and producer, Carruth was also responsible for the music, cinematography and editing, making a superb job in all of these aspects. Technically outstanding, this new arthouse gem kept me completely immersed in its imagery and story, reminding me the chilling moments of some David Lynch’s works but with a more objective guideline in the plot, or Guy Maddin’s wandering narratives without the saturated colors on the image. Actually, the image here is very clean and absorbing, working in perfection with the distorted sounds of nature. The plot uncovers a vicious and criminal life-cycle, created to control the body and mind, where animals, plants, water, and human beings, interact in an inventive way. Don’t expect an easy watching or quick answers, since its structure will force you to search for them among a variety of obscure occurrences, strange connections, and atmospheric anxieties. “Upstream Color” is a completely different thriller, made with boldness and creativity, and whose hypnotic ambience sticks in our mind like a delirious dream. Carruth shows imagination, promising to be the next brainteaser creator of independent American cinema.

Neighboring Sounds (2012)

Directed by: Kleber Mendonça Filho
Country: Brazil

Review: Simultaneously bizarre and audacious, “Neighboring Sounds” was an agreeable surprise. With his witty vision, Kleber Mendonça Filho portrays a middle-class neighborhood of Recife, Brazil. To define its spirit and insecurity, the story guides us through a series of adventurous situations, most of them unexpected and intriguing. The title is meaningful, since the howl of a dog or loud music in the streets could cause exasperation on some characters. Precious details present in every scene help to compose the bigger picture of an unbalanced society with all the problematic aspects about human relationships and personal needs. While some behaviors are completely normal, depicting a calm quotidian life, others seem mysterious or unusual, creating a curiosity that refuses to leave. Some episodes were so delightful, abrupt, and unforeseen, that I kept them in my mind. I’m remembering of insomniac Bia being attacked by a neighbor, smoking a joint with the help of a vacuum cleaner, or getting horny with a washing machine; or even a realistic condominium meeting to discuss what to do with the old doorman who sleeps in every corner. Some other scenes are meant to baffle us, and then are purposely left behind without explanation, accumulating tension that never really bursts in any occasion. This fact can become frustrating for some viewers, but the originality, irreverence, and loose style adopted, made “Neighboring Sounds” a distinct experience, even with an inarticulate storyline.

Resolution (2012)

Directed by: Justin Benson / Aaron Moorhead
Country: USA

Review: “Resolution” intended to be a thriller but for me it didn’t work exactly as that. It starts with Michael deciding to search for his best friend Chris, whose addiction to drugs is making him aggressive and dangerous. Michael’s plan consisted in handcuffing him for four days in the cabin where he was living, located in an Indian reservation, and then send him to rehab. But during that period, unexplainable events start to occur. The story is filled with unclear menaces, unexpected appearances, and weird conversations. Some unforeseen encounters with strange people were set up purposely to confound us and arouse our curiosity. The problem is the number of times that this situation was repeated throughout the film, falling in a boring cadence that made me give up for searching something tangible or coherent. Michael transforms himself in a sort of detective, trying to find out more about the videotapes, vinyl records, film reels, photographs, or old books that were mysteriously appearing, while Chris’ hangover and behavior were never convincing. “Resolution” stands closer to adventure genre than properly thriller or horror, preferring the rawness to the aesthetic, and adopting a casual and talkative posture that often conflicts with the moments of insecurity that wants to create. The way it was cooked didn’t catch me, failing to convey real paranoia or intrigue me with its inconsequent clues.

Midnight's Children (2012)

Directed by: Deepa Mehta
Country: Canada / UK

Review: I was never a big enthusiast of Deepa Mehta’s cinema, and after watching “Midnight’s Children”, an adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s book with the same name, my opinion haven’t changed. During its 148 minutes, we follow the narration of Saleem Sinai about his origins and what has been his life since his birth date, which also happened to be the day of India's independence. During the film, we get to know that on that special day, a nurse swapped purposely two babies at birth. One was Saleem, who came from a very poor family, and the other was Shiva, the son of a wealthy couple. Throughout all their lives, in war or in peace, these two men will oppose fiercely to each other. As expected from a Rushdie’s novel, the film is immersed on strong political aspects, including the independence of India and the Indo-Pakistani war. Some moments tried to convey the harshness of wartime, while others stood in a soft drama that was never intense or absorbing. There was also a fantasy side on this film, but the magic showed didn’t cast any spell on me. The stiffness of the narrative along with Deepa Mehta’s extreme delicacy on direction smothered the tense situations, making “Midnight’s Children” less riveting than it should be and very far from the epic that it dreamed to become. Instantly forgettable.

Oblivion (2013)

Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Country: USA

Review: Joseph Kosinski makes his second experience on sci-fi with “Oblivion”, after his 2010 debut “Tron: Legacy”. Tom Cruise has a fair performance as Jack, a guardian of the remaining resources of a desolated Earth threatened by Scavs, an army of alien creatures. His principal mission is to fix damaged drones, intelligent machines created to protect what remains of the Earth. Under the strict orders of chief Sally, Jack has been assigned to work with Victoria as an effective team member, after they went through a mandatory memory wipe. The problem is that he still has some vague memories of the past, especially of Julia, a woman he will find preserved inside a survival capsule after her spacecraft has been destroyed 60 years before. Visibly, Kosinski was more concerned with the spectacle of the action rather than intrigue us with any sort of mystery. As you can guess from the title, this film tries to create tension with some aspects of the mind, but don’t expect anything as Inception or Matrix since we are before something much more obvious and quite less appealing. Some beautiful images aren’t sufficient to get us distracted from its basic story, familiar approach, and expected conclusion. “Oblivion” is strictly visual, presenting a love triangle that is hardly interesting, and lacking real thrilling moments. Definitely, it won't be part of my sci-fi references list.

The Company You Keep (2012)

Directed by: Robert Redford
Country: USA

Review: Robert Redford is back as actor, producer, and director, bringing with him a great cast from the ‘old school’. The plot centers in an ex-member of the radical left organization Weather Underground, Jim Grant (Redford), who lives in Albany with his daughter, hidden from the FBI under a false identity. When, after 30 years, his former associate Sharon Solarz (Susan Sarandon) turns herself in to the police, Ben (Shia LaBeouf), a reporter from a local newspaper, uncovers Jim’s real identity, putting the FBI on his trail. Jim flees, helped by some of his old mates, but left his daughter behind, without ever trying to leave the country. This fact will arouse suspicions about Jim’s real involvement in the terrorist attacks from the past. Everything seems tepid in “The Company You Keep”, a political thriller made in a classical style that left much to be desired. I didn’t feel involved or even surprised by the plot (written by Lem Dobbs and based on Neil Gordon’s novel), which was wasted on journalistic investigations so many times seen before, unemotional parental dramas, and boring chases. Many aspects were in need of profound adjustments to make this story and its characters minimally interesting. The unquestionable quality of the cast nothing could have done when worn formulas were used and the tense moments proved to be frustratingly inefficient.

Boxing Day (2012)

Directed by: Bernard Rose
Country: UK

Review: With “Boxing Day”, Bernard Rose presents us his best work so far, in a career with more than 20 years. The plot, based on the short story from 1895 “Master And Man” by Leo Tolstoy, has been magnificently adapted to the current times, following the workaholic businessman Basil on a car trip to a mountain region in Denver to see possible lucrative properties. With him goes a hired chauffeur, Nick, a simple guy who lives alone after has been dumped by his wife. The initial moments were pleasantly tense, with Nick making a lot of questions and trying to make easy conversation, while Basil was trying to maintain a certain distance by showing an arrogant pose of superiority. After Nick’s insistence, Basil starts to talk more and the disagreement between the two men was more than evident in topics such as capitalism, greed, global warming, and how people should live their lives. After spending some relaxed moments inside a bar, Basil and Nick hit the road again in the middle of the night, to get lost and be stuck in the snow in a remote place without communication. With very low temperatures, their fate seemed dark, but even so, Basil shows his awful selfishness. “Boxing Day” is powerful, timeless, and realistic. The excellent performances, poignant humor, and desperate moments, helped to magnify a moral tale that should be taken as an example in our society full of greediness.

To The Wonder (2012)

Directed by: Terrence Malick
Country: USA

Review: “To The Wonder” depicts love and its painful transformations, through a free-floating approach, dreamlike ambience, and ravishing images. Its message may seem unclear but certainly has to do with the arduous process that one has to go through in order to find balance, stability, and happiness, through love, both in its spiritual and physical forms. It also emphasizes many external aspects that can influence our decisions and path in this matter. Malick's highly stylized way of filming is perceptible through elegant plans illuminated by a captivating, tenuous light. The story of a couple who is struggling with the deterioration of their love, is confronted with the story of a priest who devotes his life to God. In both cases we can glimpse doubt, restlessness, tiredness, and oppression. These stories of love and sacrifice are intersected in such way that, at some point, led me to wrong assumptions. Since the dialogs are very few, the way to have access to the character’s thoughts was through their own background narration, expressed in the form of whispered poems or laments. At certain times, the film makes some pointless deviations that didn’t really add anything important to my final perception of the film. This fact weakened the final result but its defiant concept maintained the movie in satisfying levels. Sometimes vague, sometimes intense, “To The Wonder” is flawed but beautiful.