Night Of Silence (2012)

Directed by: Reis Çelik
Country: Turkey

Movie Review: The captivating story of “Night Of Silence” presents a unique vision of duty and tradition in Turkish society. Accurately written and impeccably directed by Anatolian filmmaker Reis Çelik, the film uncovers the reality of Gelin (Ilyas Salman), a 13 year-old young bride who after being prepared according to tradition, was taken to the nuptial room where she awaits her new husband of 60 years-old, Damat (Dilan Aksut). The first scenes of the film made us conclude right away that Damat, recently released from a long-time imprisonment, belongs to those zealous men whose duty and honor is above everything and everyone. With this premise we cannot blame Gelin for being so afraid and trying to delay her inevitable fate of giving herself to this man. Surprisingly, the story takes a different turn and what seemed obvious became a game of words in the form of stories, unexpected revelations, and fear behaviors that happened to be very interesting to follow through. The overwhelmed ambiance shared by the protagonists could be strongly sensed, thanks to the incredible performances, rigorous cinematography by Gokhan Tiryaki (known for working with Nuri Bilge Ceylan), and every meaningful detail in a non-invasive direction. This is a film of patience for both characters and viewers, but the different angle of vision set up by Çelik along with the exposure of demanding rituals, and a finale whose ambiguity will force you to think afterwards, make “Night Of Silence” a genuine experience that comes very much intriguing.

Mood Indigo (2013)

Directed by: Michel Gondry
Country: France

Movie Review: Adapted from a novel by Boris Vian, Michel Gondry’s “Mood Indigo” is a futuristic romantic comedy filled with animation, which lies somewhere between the happiness of “Amélie” and the fantasy of Jan Svankmajer’s films without the darkness associated to its stories and mechanical creatures. This sounds good, but Gondry’s versatility has already proved not to be always consistent and this is another case in which the technical aspects are much more highlighted than the story. The film stars Romain Duris and Audrey Tautou as Colin and Chloé, respectively, a loving couple whose happiness is tested after Chloé got sick with a growing daffodil in her lungs caught during their honeymoon. A great soundtrack along with alluring visuals containing vivid colors, animated animals and objects that gain life, and unexpected distortions of the body, were scarcely sufficient to content me, since the romance was enable to convey any empathy or emotion. Many scenes, despite beautifully set up, lack depth and were presented in a childish way, with a joyful posture that was often annoying. I didn’t find it funny either, and must confess that for several occasions I had to struggle with myself to keep on watching so many details created to catch the eye but evincing a superficiality behind them that could not be ignored. The sumptuous yet frivolous “Mood Indigo” left me indifferent all the way through, becoming another failed adventure from Gondry’s creative mind.

The Gilded Cage (2013)

Directed by: Ruben Alves
Country: France

Movie Review: Ruben Alves’ directorial debut “The Gilded Cage” puts face-to-face Portuguese immigrants and French bosses in order to create a simple but amusing social comedy of errors. Maria (Rita Blanco) and José (Joaquim de Almeida) make a typical Portuguese couple who have been working in France for 30 years, becoming indispensable in their jobs. Maria works as a concierge in a building, while José is supervisor in a construction company. When they are informed about an heritage left by Jose’s brother, the couple ponders return to Portugal, but their bosses will do everything to keep their hard working employees and the doubt will be installed since their own children are French. To complicate even more the decision, the couple’s daughter assumes to be in love with the son of her dad’s boss. The film addresses quite well the spirit of the immigrants who live to work and save money for one day get back to their origin country. The film boasts a certain success as comedy, playing with culture differences, feelings of inferiority, and language puns, to create hilarious scenes without ever being offensive or derogatory. Rich on visuals and music, but with a modest direction, “The Gilded Cage” will say much more to the Portuguese and French, especially considering that many funny language expressions can be lost when translated. In this family comedy with several aspects to be enjoyed, actresses Rita Blanco and Chantal Lauby excelled.

Chasing The Wind (2013)

Directed by: Rune Denstad Langlo
Country: Norway

Movie Review: Rune Denstad Langlo’s sophomore fictional-feature, “Chasing The Wind”, was not skillful enough to arouse the same interest as the previous “North”(2009). The story follows Anna (Marie Blokhus) who lives in Germany and reluctantly returns to her small hometown ten years after a terrible accident that victimized her parents, in order to attend her grandmother’s funeral. The first minutes, without being much explanatory, make us anticipate family problems, which became more and more evident in conversations with her grumpy grandfather and her ex-boyfriend, for whom she still harbors strong feelings. The characters’ moods vary among anger, resentment, forgiveness, and ultimately understanding and acceptance of their fate. The problem comes from the fact that all these variations occur in too familiar tones, relying in a dragging pace and in a failed attempt to look poetic. The first real moments of some impact just arrived in its final moments with surprising revelations from Anna’s granddad, but they came too late to provoke us in a more acceptable way. The performances were forgettable and Langlo was never determined to leave his comfort zone, being the biggest responsible for the film’s pale temper. Aesthetically clean on visuals and with an unattractive original music by Ola Kvernberg, “Chasing The Wind” didn’t surpass the standard ways of storytelling.

Moebius (2013)

Directed by: Kim Ki-Duk
Country: South Korea

Movie Review: After “Pietà”, winner of last year’s Venice Film Fest, South Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-Duk portraits once again a dysfunctional family, using his habitual style in order to provoke with violent, shocking, and disturbing images. From the start, we can guess the heaviness that the film will carry out, addressing topics such as adultery, sexual perversion, bullying, and incest. The insanity presented in this picture is based on the sickness of the mind, which is posteriorly extended to the body in multiple forms. We can ask what kind of woman cuts the penis of her own son as a way to get revenge on her husband? Well, you have to see the film to get the answers, but I can affirm it’s almost impossible to feel any kind of sympathy for such obnoxious characters. Other curious aspect is that the film is speechless, just relying on the power of the images to tell the story, but also making the protagonists even more inhuman. Every frame created from the poor script, including rape and castration, was meant to make you uncomfortable, without trying to say anything valuable. That’s why this film was a complete failure to me; you are provoked in a disgusting way and then there is no lesson to be learned from the ridiculous occurrences. Far from a pleasant watching, the almost unbearable “Moebius” is just another big setback in Kim Ki-Duk’s intermittent career. Tiresome and unnecessary…you may skip it, for your mental sanity!!

Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013)

Directed by: David Lowery
Country: USA

Movie Review: The first scenes of “Ain’t Them Bodies Saint” were the premise to what would be a notable independent film. In a fantastic sequence of images set up in a field of Texas, Ruth (Rooney Mara) shows her love for the outlaw on the run, Bob (Casey Affleck), telling him that she’s expecting a baby and doesn’t want to go to jail. After a shooting with the authorities, Ruth wounds officer Patrick Wheeler (Ben Foster), but is Bob who claims responsibility, getting arrested and sentenced to several years in prison. Nine months later, she gives birth to a little girl and curiously gets the protection of Patrick who creates a special bond with her daughter, while Bob, unable to stand apart from his family, escapes from prison after five failed attempts. However, all the cops and some reward hunters have an eye on his family and are ready to prevent him to see the daughter he has never met. Although patient and reflective most of the time, the film lets us sense a constant tension in the story along with an oppressive atmosphere. Indoor scenes were set with yellowish and dark reddish hues, while some outdoors images were picturesquely shot in counter-light, creating a diverging ambiance. The script, a love story marked by sacrifice of a forced separation, was positively structured by helmer David Lowery, becoming affectionate in its final scenes, where a tired Bob shows his huge will to redeem himself and have a family life as anybody else. As he said: ‘I used to be the devil, but now I’m just a man’.

The Kings Of Summer (2013)

Directed by: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Country: USA

Movie Review: “The Kings Of Summer” is a funny, observant coming-of-age film that entertains and satisfies much more than most of the vast options focused on the same subject matter. Comparing it with two other recent alternatives of the same genre, Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ debut feature is not so serious as “The Spectacular Now” but is much funnier and less dramatic than “The Way, Way Back”. The script, written by other debutant, Chris Galletta, revealed to have a sharp eye and the smartness required for a type of tale so many times revisited in the story of cinema. There were no idle times in this film and every scene was of tremendous importance to the development of a story about three kids who decided to abandon their families to live in a shack built in the woods where they can rule instead of obey. The parents are literally the enemy here and it was great to see a didactic side but in a different perspective, more the children saying how their parents should behave. Some scenes were a delight for the eyes, like when Patrick dances on top of a steel pipeline while Joe and the peculiar Biaggio played a tribal rhythm; others were simply funny, especially when involving Biaggio or when Joe appears with an ludicrous moustache as a symbol of his affirmation. This might well have been a Wes Anderson film, in which weird humor, distorted romance, and exciting adventure are present.

Closed Circuit (2013)

Directed by: John Crowley
Country: UK / USA

Movie Review: “Closed Circuit” is a minor thriller directed by John Crowley (“Boy A”) and written by Steven Knight (“Redemption”, “Dirty Pretty Things”, “Eastern Promises”). When a Turkish man is arrested and accused of having blown up the Borough Market in London, two lawyers are promptly selected by the British Attorney General to defend him. Martin Rose (Eric Bana) and Claudia Simmons-Howe (Rebecca Hall) accept the case but share the secret of having been ex-lovers, lying about it before the law and breaking the rules of communication. The conspiracy gains intensity when the lawyers find out that the MI5 may be involved in the case, and that the defendant’s son is the key to the truth. Regardless the threatening music that constantly gives a sense of danger, the story never took that direction, lacking boldness and clarity in its vision. Crowley’s bland approach might have contributed to the poor outcome, but it was the plot the most adverse factor, since it seemed a collage of preexisting ideas from other films with the aggravation of never add anything new or surprising. A relentless perception of falsity could be felt when the two lawyers meet and change information with each other as if nothing had happened, even compromising their jobs. For all this reasons and some more, “Closed Circuit” is an unchallenging film, which conveys a sort of dishonesty that leads to discouragement.

Rush (2013)

Directed by: Ron Howard
Country: USA

Movie Review: Ron Howard offers us another film of great intensity and humanity. The film, set in the 70’s, recreates the rivalry between F1 drivers, James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Written by Peter Morgan, who already had worked with Howard on “Frost/Nixon”, the film gives a precise notion of the protagonists’ characters. While Hunt was an impulsive man, spirited, and minded to life’s pleasures, Lauda was very serious, methodical, and strongly committed to what he loved most. Despite these huge differences, they shared the same talent to drive fast and ambition to win. In parallel with the sport's covering, we can see the posture adopted by these two men outside the racing tracks. Love relationships were faced in completely opposite ways: Hunt much more undisciplined and in a marriage that never convinced; Lauda always very truthful to himself and in a steady relationship with his supportive wife, Marlene. The flowing and fast pace, along with the brilliance of storytelling, make the almost two hours seem shorter, never allowing the story to be softened. The F1 security issues were very well approached, a matter that would have severe repercussions in Lauda’s career, after a terrible accident in the German Grand Prix, that almost took his life. Summarizing: a story of fierce rivalry that doesn’t hide admiration and recognition, intense races, amazing performances, and flawless direction, make “Rush” a film not to be missed.

C.O.G. (2013)

Directed by: Kyle Patrick Alvarez
Country: USA

Movie Review: In this drama based on a short story from “Naked”, a book of collected essays by humorist, comedian, and author David Sedaris, we can follow David’s adventures in his quest for life experiences. After graduating in Yale, David refuses to go back to Connecticut to start a career right away, which caused a cut in the relationship with his parents, and decides to go to Oregon where he will try a job on an apple farm. Among several disillusions along the way, David is always confronted with faith issues that put to a test his profound atheism. Ironically, he ends up working with John, a self-called c.o.g. aka child of god, who shapes stones in order to turn them into clocks, selling them at local craft fairs. The film is presented as a sad song describing an unfortunate guy who is caught in recurrent bad experiences, but the question is: is he learning something valuable with all those characters who cross his path? The situations presented are more dramatic than funny, conveying a weird mood that gives a touch of darkness and acceptance to David’s life. The problem is that the whole is weaker than the sum of its little stories, which means that the film leaves us with interesting experiences but flat conclusions. The good performances by Jonathan Groff , Denis O’Hare, and Corey Stoll, don’t make Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s sophomore distinguishable for us to remember it in the future. However, enthusiasts of Sedaris’ stories may find something more tasteful here.

É o Amor (2013)

Directed by: João Canijo
Country: Portugal

Movie Review: João Canijo’s new feature film focuses once again on very specific characters of the traditional Portugal. It comes after “Blood Of My Blood”, a tremendous success in Portugal and abroad, and consists in a sort of experimental documentary. The idea was to send the actress Anabela Moreira to live for several months with Sonia Nunes, a fisherman’s wife who has been working all her life in the fish trade in Caxinas, a Northern fishing town. The approach highlights the contrasts in the way that both women see and deal with love and life in general. While Sonia describes her past experiences, boasts about her child and solid relationship, and denotes a confident personality, Anabela seems more and more depressed after realize her incapability for love in the same way as Sonia, which led to identity issues to the point of calling into question her own professional career. Despite the curiosity that arouses, “É o Amor” was unable to convey stable levels of interest till the end, and the reason has to do with the repetition of its ideas. Canijo throws us long and repetitive close-ups of Anabela confessing her emotional state and admitting some kind of envy, invariable shots of women singing corny music inside a car, and detailed aspects about the everyday work and family life in Caxinas. In my eyes, not all the scenes were essential for this strange comparison between two worlds that nothing have to do with each other, and a good editing would have been fundamental to achieve better results.

+1 (2013)

Directed by: Dennis Iliadis
Country: USA

Movie Review: The third feature film from Greek-born filmmaker Dennis Iliadis (“Hardcore”, “The Last House On The Left”) is a comedy turned into supernatural thriller that works fine during the first half but gradually loses power and interest as it comes to an end. David (Rhys Wakefield) and Jill (Ashley Hinshaw) seem to be a very passionate couple who care for each other. One day, after Jill’s fencing game, David was caught kissing her opponent and the couple eventually split up. Next time they cross again, in a huge college party in a friend’s house, David will do everything he can to bring his relationship with Jill into good terms, but some supernatural occurrences will difficult his mission. When they found out that this strange effect caused the duplication of each of them, the chaos soon is installed among the young students. Time seems to shift back, giving the possibility to remake what was done shortly before, but the real question is to know if they are the real ones or their doubles. The film starts to be funny, presenting a certain mood and energy that was appreciated, but somehow it became confusing since the moment that everybody decides to kill their duplicates. From that moment on, the farce was never handled in a satisfying way, a fact that was reinforced with its insufficient finale and the amount of unanswered questions left behind. With a lame script, “+1” was able to minimally entertain, working far better as crazy-wild comedy rather than thriller, but as a whole it was far from convincing.

Short Term 12 (2013)

Directed by: Destin Cretton
Country: USA

Movie Review: Based on his 2008 multi-awarded short film with the same title, helmer Destin Cretton creates one of the most heart-warming movies of 2013. The story is centered on Grace (Brie Larson), who works as a supervisor in a foster-care facility intended to accommodate at-risk teens. Despite doing her job with love and patience, Grace also had a difficult past and is not completely free from it. All her fears will come to her mind when a troubled young girl named Jayden (Kaitlyn Diver) arrives at the facility. They established a special bond that will be tested when Jayden’s father takes her for the weekend, leaving a sense of danger in the air. This situation along with the fact that Grace was expecting a baby from her boyfriend and co-worker, Mason (John Gallagher Jr.), will trigger a lot of confusion, fear, and angry feelings. Meanwhile, they have to keep an eye on Marcus (Keith Stanfield), a restless boy who is struggling with the idea of leaving the facility for good, due to turn 18. The outstanding performances made all the characters seem real, while Cretton’s direction, punctuated by intimate close-ups, creates a smothered atmosphere yet giving it some space to breath. I was amazed by how the humor worked so fine within a story with such a deep emotional weight. Beautifully and intelligently conceived, “Short Term 12” showed to be in a level of understanding and maturity that is quite difficult to find in films of its genre. Above all, and without being forced, it revealed to be human in every sense.

Prisoners (2013)

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Country: USA

Movie Review: “Prisoners” is an admirable thriller without being outstanding. Directed by Canadian helmer Denis Villeneuve, the film never achieved the gripping tones of “Incendies” or the shocking coldness of “Polytechnique”, but I was able to follow its story with attention and curiosity. The plot, written by Aaron Guzikowski (the same author of “Contraband”, directed by Baltasar Kormakur in 2012), follows Keller Dover’s (Hugh Jackman) efforts to find his 6-year-old daughter and her friend, mysteriously vanished in a rainy day during a Thanksgiving celebration in his neighbor’s. Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal), so far faultless in his assignments, will be in charge of the investigation case whose main suspect is the weird and non-cooperative Alex Jones (Paul Dano), driver of a recreational vehicle that was parked nearby the house. Villeneuve’s direction was superb and above reproach, but the film was more absorbing than breathtaking, with some surprises and tense moments failing to obtain a greater impact. Not all the performances were at the same level; Gyllenhaall and Dano were very good while Jackman and Maria Bello as the grieving couple, didn’t convinced me so much. Regardless the setbacks, the story is followed with pleasantness towards its sudden yet unsettling ending, making me attest that this is not the best Villeneuve, but is still capable of disclose some of his talent, especially if we take into account a screenplay that ended up being not so thrilling.

Ip Man: The Final Fight (2013)

Directed by: Herman Yau
Country: Hong Kong / China

Movie Review: Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man was the subject of several films since 2008, going from illustrious unknown to appreciated martial-artist. His later life was depicted once again by the hand of Herman Yau, who already has directed “The Legend Is Born” in 2010, and the results are not so stylish and sumptuous as in Wong Kar Wai’s “The Grandmaster”, or entertaining as Wilson Yip’s “Ip Man”. Similar to those traditional martial-arts flicks in which multiple fights happen in the streets at the same time, “Ip Man: The Final Fight” seemed to have been prepared to look nice in its vivid colors but forgetting to tell this man’s story in a more captivating way. I was looking for something more vibrant and not so dramatic, a tendency that threw away any possibility of success. The cinematography was capable, while the soundtrack by Mark Chun-hung, alternating between sentimental and rambunctious, just intensifies everything that appears on the screen. The best aspect in the film is undoubtedly Anthony Wong’s performance, which despite not so charismatic as Tony Leung’s in “The Grandmaster”, was convincing and powerful. Some historical aspects concerning the political situation of Hong Kong at that time were not even mentioned, and as the title suggests, the most exciting moments were reserved for the final fight. In the end I had the impression that this wobbling portrait could have been done differently, for better, both in accuracy and spectacularity.

A Single Shot (2013)

Directed by: David M. Rosenthal
Country: USA / UK / Canada

Movie Review: “A Single Shot” is a murky neo-noir thriller written by Mathew F. Jones (based in his own novel), and directed by David M.Rosenthal. Sam Rockwell plays decently a solitary hunter named John Moon who is doing the best he can to retrieve his family, but an accident in the woods will change the course of his life forever. John accidentally shot a teenager when pursuing a deer, posteriorly finding her place and a box with a hundred thousand dollars. Scared, he keeps the money for himself and hides the body, but from that moment on, he becomes victim of several intimidating threats that put his secret uncovered. His wife and kids are also in danger and John Moon starts to ask himself who could be the ones behind his insomnias. His hints include two drug dealers who are frequenting his wife’s house, an unreliable lawyer who is working on his divorce case, and his long pal Simon who seems to live for drink. Adopting a similar dark atmosphere as in Smarzowski’s “The Dark House” or Granik’s “Winter’s Bone”, “A Single Shot” maintains the mystery till final but stumbles in crucial moments. Some aspects should have been clearer, like Simon, drunk, grumbling a long and almost indistinguishable explanation about the money’s origin, or how John was tracked. Although not totally satisfying in its details, its intriguing story of greed and degradation punctuated by accurate frames of the backwoods deserves a chance.

The Last Time I Saw Macao (2012)

Directed by: João Pedro Rodrigues / Guerra da Mata
Country: Portugal / France / Macao

Movie Review: After “To Die Like A Man”, João Pedro Rodrigues continues his incursions into the world of Portuguese travestis, this time with the help of João Rui Guerra da Mata on direction, who also plays the main character. With a completely different approach, the plot was built in mystery, following Guerra da Mata’s return to Macao to meet with an old friend named Candy, a travesti who wrote to him asking for help and saying that strange and scary things were happening there. He also takes the opportunity to reminisce his childhood, since he lived in that former Portuguese colony for several years. Presented as an enigmatic espionage thriller in which we are not allowed to see the participants’ faces, the film arouses apprehension as the trip dives into obscurity. Among failed meetings, death premonitions, threats to leave the country, and mystical components associated to the local mafia operations, there are also considerations about the multicultural Macao, described in words and images that seemed to want to guide us throughout the city. The way it was done impelled me to want to see more in order to find more about the story. It remained in my memory after watching it, as a compulsive exercise on experimentalism, set up with an exquisite storytelling and ghostly images. Awarded at Locarno with the jury’s special mention, “The Last Time I Saw Macao” stands as a very personal work presented in the form of fake-documentary, becoming highly recommended for fans of alternative cinema.

Blue Caprice (2013)

Directed by: Alexandre Moors
Country: USA

Movie Review: Life is not pleasant in Alexandre Moors’ fantastic directorial debut, “Blue Caprice”, which was based on the true events occurred in October 2002, when two men started to shoot random people during three weeks, in three different states. The case got known by the name of Beltway sniper attacks and the title of the film makes reference to the blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice used in the murders. The story takes us to Antigua Caribbean, and we can follow the killer’s path and the motives that led him to commit those abominable crimes. Lee (Tequan Richmond), a 17-year-old boy who is despised by his mother, decides to kill himself by drowning in the sea, but in the last minute he was saved by John (Isaiah Washington), an American who was taking a special vacation with his kidnapped children, after lose their custody. John takes Lee with him to US, playing the role of adoptive father and brainwashing him until he becomes in a relentless killing machine ready to enter in action at any time. This balanced and meticulous tale of cruelty and anguish about two dangerous outcasts who decided to take revenge on society, was carried out in an unhurried pace and directed with sufficient intelligence to avoid conventional guidelines. The veracity conveyed by the performances was never in cause, making of “Blue Caprice” an enthralling crime/drama with a lot to think and discuss especially in the psychological field.

Simon Killer (2012)

Directed by: Antonio Campos
Country: USA / France

Movie Review: Antonio Campos’ new film “Simon Killer” is a compelling character study, presented with an indie style, well matching soundtrack, and counting with convincing performances by Brady Corbet and Mati Diop. Since its first minutes, we realize that Simon (Corbet) is an unusual character, when he explains to his cousin he is in Paris to rest and try to recover from the shock of having been abandoned by his girlfriend. Seeming a bit disoriented and with nothing to do, he aimlessly walks through the streets of Paris searching for new experiences or fortuitous encounters. One night he enters a nightclub and gets to know Victoria (Diop), a prostitute who gave him her personal cellphone. Eventually they became lovers and confidents, and progressively we start to understand more about Simon’s personality and his true nature. Revealing a mundane side that lies between “Shame” and “American Psycho”, “Simon Killer” shows Parisian nightlife, carnal pleasures, and obscurities of the soul, from a perspective that challenges the viewer. Despite the usual cleanness in its presentation, almost every image was set in dark hues, in opposition to Campos’ previous film, “Afterschool”, which used a much brighter light to depict a story about juvenile delinquency. I could sense a beneficial experimentalism in direction, which coupled to the unpredictability of Simon’s moves, kept me interested in the darkness of this wandering soul.

Sandcastle (2012)

Directed by: Shomshuklla Das
Country: India

Movie Review: “Sandcastle” is the first film written and directed by Shomshuklla Das (also poet and singer), resulting in a personal vision about the role of women in Indian society. The film starts to introduce us Sheila (Shahana Chatterjee), a successful writer, exposing her thoughts by a long monologue about freedom and how to find the ideal man. That's when Maya (Malvika Jethwani), created from Sheila’s imagination, gained life of her own. In the next scenes we understand that Sheila is disappointed with her marriage; she starts taking advices from her brother, the fictitious Maya, and also from her real friend and publisher, Koushik. With constant social pressures, what will Sheila decide to do about her private life and work, which is always under judgment? Despite the valid idea, the film gives the answers to this question in a disjointed way, using long, dense, and unsatisfactory dialogues that made me disconnect completely from the characters. This aspect was reinforced by the constant changing of chapters (in a total of 20), breaking down the flow of happenings. Repeated close-ups of feet, food, and hands, were used in an attempt to approximate viewer and protagonists, but this tactic only distracted me from the central point of the debates. With theatrical tones and an almost amateurish style, “Sandcastle” weighs tradition and emotion without a favorable outcome, losing itself in spiritual and literary considerations that were never exciting or even inspired.