Phantom (2013)

Directed by: Jonathan Soler
Country: France

Movie Review: “Phantom” is an experimental drama wrapped in a dreamlike atmosphere and narrated completely in voice-off by its pair of protagonists. Jonathan Soler’s first feature film was shot in Tokyo, exposing a bunch of personal thoughts in Japanese about the world, life, and people, in a logical order. Since the beginning, I could anticipate what the story would be. A woman (Yuki Fujita) arrives home and goes to bed alone, but instantly begins a long conversation with her boyfriend (Masato Tsujioka) who appeared from nowhere. She confesses her sadness for not feeling useful in a world where people are evaluated for their status and salary. After this topic, a lot more would come, including the search for self-identity, financial problems, environmental issues, the changes of turning into adult, the roles played inside their families, and their dreams and hopes for the future. In precise moments, a clear connection could be found between the images and what was being told, but most of the time Soler gives us merely shots of the couple inside the room or walking along the city, all intercalated with Tokyo’s out-of-focus landscapes. I can understand this approach (once phantoms don’t talk or sleep, and got no influence in the world), even if sometimes its repetition didn’t allow a better outcome. Adopting Hong Sang-soo’s melancholic and talkative posture in order to point many of today’s main problems, “Phantom” is far from being faultless, but definitely is a film to discover for whoever fancies different experiences.

Her (2013)

Directed by: Spike Jonze
Country: USA

Movie Review: “Her” is the latest creation from inventive writer, director, and filmmaker Spike Jonze, four years after the not so catchy “Where the Wild Things Are”. This character study, set in a super technological L.A., follows a curious phase in the life of lonely and disoriented Theodore, a writer who circumstantially falls in love with the female sexy voice and enigmatic ‘personality’ of his brand new operating system. Coming from a failed relationship, and in the middle of a divorce process, Theodore’s struggle visibly carries pain disguised through the gentle delineation of an undecided and mildly shy temperament. Well aware of his problems dealing with emotions and feelings and avoiding serious commitment, Theodore starts to live a dangerous cybernetic adventure, involving us in its tangle of sadness, hope, frustration, and excitement, which feel very authentic. Joaquin Phoenix was not so brilliant as in “The Master”, but he was still amazing in a different way, thoroughly conveying his confusion, dependence, and uncertainty. Almost in a dreamlike atmosphere where melancholy prevails, the film carries deep sadness, but thankfully, from time to time, this dominant mood is broken up with a few hilarious moments (the peak was a virtual creature living inside a computer game). In “Her”, the weird obsession of “Lars and the Real Girl” mixes with the dreamy romanticism of “To the Wonder”. The result isn’t any masterpiece but its conception and execution were no less than thought provoking.

20 Feet from Stardom (2013)

Directed by: Morgan Neville
Country: USA

Movie Review: “20 Feet from Stardom” is an appreciable documentary about some of the most known backup singers who have been playing with the greatest bands and musicians along the years. After watching it, I got the clear notion of their powerful work, both on stage and backstage, and the tough life that sometimes their confident voices can conceal. The film gives us historical insight on how everything started, explaining the transition from white singers (called ‘readers’ due to their inability to improvise) to black singers, in times where cultural differences were seen as an obstacle. Songs such as Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama”, “Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” or David Bowie’s “Young Americans” revealed to be of great cultural importance in music history. Actually, it was quite rewarding to hear musicians such as Springsteen, Botti, Sting, or Jagger, affirming the pleasure they feel when giving enough space to backup singers, so they can loose and create something by themselves. These opportunities to shine represent what music should be: a joyful communion among all the musicians involved. Additionally, we can learn more about the motivations, expectations, and past lives of these magnificent singers, featuring Lisa Fischer, Merry Clayton, Marlene Love, and Judith Hill. Regardless if the stories carry sadness, happiness, mischance, or lucky, each one of them seemed rich and talented enough to turn “20 Feet from Stardom” into a conclusive and fascinating documentary.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)

Directed by: Justin Chadwick
Country: South Africa / UK

Movie Review: Not so pertinent as it could be, “Mandela: a Long Walk to Freedom” is a limited biopic that inform us of some facts and ideas that persisted in Nelson Mandela’s life, without append anything else worthy. Initially, it showed some passion and was presented through eye-catching frames, but suffering from continual problems in the most varied details, that hampered the film from being satisfactory. The first half was far more interesting, showing the first steps of a young Mandela towards the historic liberation of his people from the white oppressiveness in South Africa called ‘apartheid’. In turn, the second half was very poor, with the scenes dragging one after another, at the same time that gave the sensation of being condensing a lot of information and leaving something behind. Considering its conventional approach, it was quite clear that helmer Justin Chadwick tried to please audiences, in detriment of risking any bold move that could make it distinctive. Idris Elba’s performance was the best aspect in the film, despite the awful characterization he was subjected to (close to a wax figure) and the fact of bearing a weak resemblance to the real man. Nelson’s wife, Winnie, well performed by Naomie Harris, still aroused some curiosity by taking an opposite position with respect to the conflict resolution, but even here, where the familiar tension should be imperative, Chadwick didn’t know how to take advantage of it, and remained stubbornly in his lack of vision and flawed narrative.

Tango Libre (2012)

Directed by: Frédéric Fonteyne
Country: France / Belgium / others

Movie Review: “Tango Libre”, 2012 Venice’s special jury prize and Warsaw’s grand prix, is a shallow drama with humorous touches that completely fails to be credible. The story is based in a fatal attraction that develops between a prison guard, J.C. (François Damiens), and a lonely young mother, Alice (Anne Paulicevich), after they met during a tango class. Emotional conflict arises when he finds out that Alice’s jealous husband, Fernand (Sergi Lopez), together with her depressive lover, Dominic (Jan Hammenecker), are both inmates in the same prison he works. At first sight, this already confusing threesome relationship didn’t have enough space for another person, but J.C., violating the prison rules, will try anything to gain the trust of husband, son, and lover, just to be close to Alice. Everything was wrapped in Argentinean tango and an irritating, self-indulgent pose that takes beyond proper limits the already strained plot. The tense moments seemed untrue and from an early stage, I lost the interest in what was coming next. Do you imagine incarcerated tough guys giving tango lessons to their fellows in prison? I don’t! “Tango Libre” wanted to be so ‘libre’ that seemed widely ridiculous, superfluous, and never funny, becoming a film to be skipped.

Out of the Furnace (2013)

Directed by: Scott Cooper
Country: USA

Movie Review: “Out of The Furnace”, despite its familiarity, is far from being a bad film. It could have been better, in case the plot, written by filmmaker Scott Cooper (“Crazy Heart”) conjointly with Brad Ingelsby, has presented some more substantial and surprising elements. The story takes place in economically depressed Rust Belt region, where Russell Blaze gets ready to revenge the death of his brother, Rodney, a traumatized former soldier who makes a living participating in illegal fights, ending up brutally killed at the hands of ruthless Harlan DeGroat. In the first half, the characters were introduced and we can see the happenings that led to Rodney’s murder, while in the second one, we follow Russell’s search for his missing brother and consequent fall into darkness caused by a merciless revenge. With a high-quality cast featuring Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, and Casey Affleck in the main roles, “Out of the Furnace” is a grim and violent tale, set with dark hues to enhance the ill-fated destinies depicted. This particularly repellent mood, along with the physical aspect of its characters and hunting sequences, brought to my mind the recent “A Single Shot”, whose darkness didn’t show the same consistence when compared to this one. Cooper tries to represent a slice of inevitably doomed life, at the same time that gives the idea of a violent America with its maladjusted criminal justice system. He might not have been brilliant or fresh, but the film haunts us for a while due to its direct, fearless, and relentless approach.

The Closed Circuit (2013)

Directed by: Ryszard Bugajski
Country: Poland

Movie Review: Known for the 1989 magnificent thriller “Interrogation”, Ryszard Bugajski returns to direction after a four-year gap with “The Closed Circuit”, another drama/thriller based on real events that devastated even more Poland’s moral and political dubious reputation. The story dates back to 2003 in Gdansk, where three smart entrepreneurs launch a huge high-tech electronics factory backed up with quality Danish equipment. Their success soon became coveted by corrupt, influent agents who worked for government law enforcement bodies. They will set up a dirty scheme to seize the factory and arrest the innocent owners, traumatizing them and their families forever. Characterized by its straightforwardness and talkative approach, Bugajski was able to infuriating me in a good sense, since the story seemed very real in its way to depict the abuses of power, greediness, and contempt for others’ lives, with strong ability and determination. The actors were perfect in their roles, especially Janusz Gajos as Kostrzewa, a frustrated and greedy district prosecutor with a shameful past, and his vassal Kamil Slodowsky, a thorough investigator who never hesitates to falsify evidences whenever threatened. Solidly structured, “The Closed Circuit” creates the required impact in its clear observation of the new Poland. Curiously, this accusing satirical feast didn’t receive any financial support from Polish government.

Hit The Road: India (2013)

Directed by: Gor and Mushegh Baghdasaryan
Country: India / Armenia

Movie Review: In this travel documentary, directed by Armenian brothers Baghdasaryan, Richard Gazarian and Keith King arrive in India to make a 12-day trip rickshaw rally from Mumbai to Chennai. They will compete against other five teams, crossing 2000 km without any maps or GPS. Along the trip they will have to face adverse weather conditions and beat their increasing exhaustion, as days go by. The not infrequent mechanical problems that take a lot of time to be fixed, dangerous roads, intense traffic, lack of visibility, and the constant stress and tension that participants are subjected to, could very well have made this documentary more appealing that it was. As a viewer, I didn’t feel any real sense of danger, and all the excitement or frustration coming from the participants never reached me in a satisfying way. That’s why I didn’t feel involved and for me the experience of following this adventure had its enjoyable moments but was far from being completely rewarding. Some nice images of a unique country as India were presented at the sound of a great alternative rock score (despite the sound leveling issues detected), maybe the same music the men listened in their wireless music system mounted in the rickshaw. They also had time to visit a school and stop by a McDonalds where, unfortunately, no juicy cheeseburgers were being sold. Salutary sportsmanship was observable in a grueling trip that required more intense incidents to achieve higher relevance.

Hours (2013)

Directed by: Eric Heisserer
Country: USA

Film Review: Eric Heisserer’s directorial debut, “Hours”, will be topic of conversation for a while, not for any special good reasons since the film isn’t good at all, but because it was the latest film to be released with actor Paul Walker, who died last November at the age of 40, in a fatal car crash. In this thriller, he plays the unlucky Nolan Hayes who lost his wife when she was giving birth to his daughter in a hospital of New Orleans, precisely when hurricane Katrina arrives. The child lived but it was imperative to keep her for at least 48 hours in a ventilator. The difficulty comes when Nolan was left practically alone in the hospital after an emergency evacuation, with high risk of running out of electrical power, the necessity of staying awake (to manage the generator that keeps his infant child alive), and dealing with unexpected and unfriendly visits. I believe that the association made to hurricane Katrina, a subject exhaustively addressed, took away some strength, turning the unlikely plot even more uninspired. Occasional flashbacks recreating happy moments of Nolan and his wife, didn’t add anything relevant, while the imaginary conversations with her spirit were never characterized by any kind of smartness to be engaging. The slight thrill only comes from the fact of being a baby whose life is at stake, as for the rest, “Hours” comes completely out of time, and never surprised me, whether in terms of plot, direction, or production values. I guess not even an adrenaline shot would save me from drowsiness.

American Hustle (2013)

Directed by: David O. Russell
Country: USA

Movie Review: Thoroughly entertaining, “American Hustle” is the new crime comedy by helmer David O.Russell, inspired by the Abscam scandal that took place in the late 70’s. Russell picks up four excellent actors with whom he had worked before and the result was a visibly comfortable and efficient interaction. Christian Bale was superb, showing how amazingly he adapts to his characters, this time appearing as Irving Rosenfeld, a swindler with a disgusting belly and artificial hair. His heart gets broken when his sexy partner in crime, Sidney Prosser (Amy Adams), makes a swap to the side of FBI agent, Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). This tempestuous cop makes a sort of an agreement with them, envisioning the arrest of Jersey’s political big fish associated to fraudulent actions. Irving seemed to have lost his beloved Sidney, but promptly uses his nosy wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) for the conveniences. Of all these fantastic performances, Cooper was the weakest, probably due to personify a not so exuberant or funny character compared to the others. The artful plot expresses occasionally some self-pride that could be sign of excessive confidence, but the sparse moments where the film doesn’t work so fine are quickly overtaken by throwing some irresistible gags. Besides, the story’s turns made me change sides along the way, which is positive. With all things considered, “American Hustle” doesn’t have the charm of “Silver Linings” or the impact of “The Fighter”, but its risky, messed up story, turned out favorably funny.

Xingu (2012)

Directed by: Cao Hamburger
Country: Brazil

Movie Review: Brazilian drama “Xingu” was freely based on true stories, telling the path of courageous Villas-Boas brothers, Claudio (João Miguel), Orlando (Felipe Camargo), and Leonardo (Caio Blat) who changed from mere explorers to Indians’ protectors in a remote and unexplored western-center region of Brazil. Set in the 40’s, in a time where president Getúlio Vargas launched a campaign to boost progress and occupation of these regions, the brothers set off on a journey along Xingu River, creating a natural bond with Indians from different tribes. Aware of the white men’s machinations, they decide to fight side by side with the Indians for their rights and territory, threatened by the construction of a military base, illegal distribution of land, and finally the construction of a highway in an area inhabited by Kreen, the most isolated tribe. Claudio and Orlando were the responsible for the creation of a protective area called National Xingu Park, place where the Indians remain confined since 1961. Helmer Cao Hamburger transpired some style and even passion by telling a good story, but the film is not totally devoid of flaws. In some moments, especially in the first half, it showed to suffer from some apathy in its development and evinced a deficient political contextualization. Even so, and regardless some imprudence in determined aspects, the well-performed and nicely photographed “Xingu” is watchable, providing valuable historical information about Brazil and their almost unknown heroes from other times.

The Upper Footage (2013)

Directed by: Justin Cole
Country: USA

Movie Review: “The Upper Footage” is surrounded by controversy for the simple reason that viewers may have difficulty to find if the supposed recovered footage presented is true or false. This happens due to the description of the film, stating that it's based on the editing of a 393-minute video featuring a crazy night party on alcohol and drugs in NY’s Upper East Side that led to the tragic overdose death of 18 year-old Jakie Spearo. We were told that the video was posted on YouTube by an extortionist, who negotiated with both media and family of Blake Pennington, one of the four guys involved in the case. Allegedly, Quentin Tarantino ended up buying the video with the intention of making a future cinematic adaptation. The lack of information about the film, including full cast and crew, was strategically thought, but in some aspects it didn’t reveal to be totally coherent as it could (mostly related with the found-footage). However, the film succeeds at least in one thing: to show the sad reality of spoiled rich young people who are incapable of a worthy conversation and don’t have any responsibility in life beyond partying all night long. The last part of the film creates some bizarre impact, when the interveners ponder if they should get rid of the body. Handheld camera intensifies the rawness of the scenes and the film ended up grabbing me somehow with all the shocking, abusive, and disgusting behaviors from its characters. Yes, it’s fake, but wild enough to deserve some attention, just like happened in 1999 with “The Blair Witch Project”.

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Directed by: Joel and Ethan Coen
Country: USA

Movie Review: Near-perfect and Cannes’ winner, “Inside Llewyn Davis” brings the story of a homeless folk musician who struggles to survive in Greenwich Village, New York, in the early 60’s. Everything is complicated in Llewyn’s life, and is not just the fact of being broke. People don’t seem to take his work seriously, he lost his friend’s cat, and Jane, one of his married best friends, is pregnant of his child. Every Llewyn’s attempt to get his life straight was felt deeply, along with every search for a decent opportunity and the eagerness of being recognized by his music. The mild soundtrack sometimes creates the illusion of an untroubled atmosphere, however every minute carries a touching sadness and shows a prolonged tiredness that is evident in the main character’s look. Coen brothers had the ability of never falling in sentimentalism or futile scenes to tell their story, so naturally powerful and without artificial elements added. It was amazing how the humor came off so spontaneously, even associated to situations loaded with grief. Oscar Isaac gave his best performance so far, superiorly backed up by the brief, yet significant, appearances of John Goodman and Carey Mulligan. Folk songs are not for my particular taste, but I bow to Coens’ artistry, well grounded by Bruno Delbonnel's luminous cinematography (“Amélie”, “A Very Long Engagement”). As Llewyn stated after playing his folk song: ‘It’s never new, and never gets older’. The same definition applies to this remarkable film.

It Was the Son (2012)

Directed by: Daniele Cipri
Country: Italy

Movie Review: Confrontational and witty, “It Was the Son” makes a deliciously poignant look into a Sicilian family marked by the misfortune of an accidental death and its own greediness. Presented as a story inside a story, the film manages quite well in combining drama and humor, which is carry out in a subtle and peculiar manner. Toni Servillo is brilliant in the role of Nicola Ciraulo, a father who lost his young daughter, Serenella, shot accidentally by the Mafia. After the first impact, Nicola decides to ask for a State’s compensation for his loss, being granted with 220 million lire after a long wait due to bureaucratic issues. For this same reason, the money was put on hold for another eternity and Ciraulo family got almost anything to eat, sank in more and more debts. Surviving with the help of suspicious loans, Nicola becomes desperate. But right after the money has been transfered to his bank account, he came up with an ironic solution: to buy a blue Mercedes, protected with determination by all the family members. The disgrace came when Nicola’s son, the apathetic Tancredi, convinced by his exemplar cousin Masino, decides to drive the car to the local cinema. Some details in direction deserve good attention, and the same is applied to the acute cinematography given in glossy tones (Golden Osella at Venice). The identity of the man who tells the story didn’t cause any surprise but the story’s denouement created a staggering impact. An effective tale of greed based on the novel by Roberto Alaimo.

Il Futuro (2013)

Directed by: Alicia Scherson
Country: Italy / Chile / others

Movie Review: Chilean filmmaker Alicia Scherson travels to Rome, embarking in an ambitious project based on the last novel by Roberto Bolaño entitled “Una Novelita Lumpen”, dedicated to his two children and published for the first time in Spain, in 2002. The result was a powerful film that became easy to follow due to the curiosity aroused by their accurately built characters. The film is narrated by Bianca (Manuela Martelli), an orphan teenager who lost her parent’s in a car accident, has to keep an eye on her younger brother, Tomas (Luigi Ciardo), a reckless school skipper that hangs out with two bodybuilders of doubtful reputation. Not by chance, these characters installed themselves in the siblings' apartment since they had a plan to rob a blind, former actor and bodybuilder called Maciste (Rutger Hauer). For that, and with the future in mind, they persuade Bianca to act as bait, offering intimate pleasures to get access to his lugubrious mansion. A menacing sensation is constantly present, enhanced by the gloomy atmosphere and dim lights that surround the sinister character of Maciste. The confident direction can be sensed when the obscure scenarios become filled with a sort of enchantment ruled by strange forces and mixed with an absorbing psychological perversity associated to every act related to Bianca. Beautifully shot, “Il Futuro” is a confrontational coming-of-age tale about changing, where good and bad, present and future, sincerity and falseness, pureness and vice, are laid bare with purpose.

Expecting (2013)

Directed by: Jessie McCormack
Country: USA

Movie Review: “Expecting” is an easy watching dramedy that still provides a couple of good laughs despite the messy plot, but former actress Jessie McCormack’s debut on writing, direction, and production, leaves mixed feelings. The story, at first glance not so inviting, just stands shakily on its feet due to the solid performances from the cast and an acceptable direction. It depicts the story of a couple, Peter and Lizzie, who are struggling for years to have a baby without practical results. Even attending marital counseling, with the extravagant and laid-back Dr. Grayson (the funnier character in the film), the couple remains very sensible to the matter. One day, Lizzie’s heart becomes filled with hope when her best friend, Andie, someone so needy of attention, reveals she got pregnant after a one-night stand. For her friends’ sake she decides to have the baby, planning to entrust her own child to the dissatisfied couple, right after giving birth (what a big heart!). Will this decision solve everyone’s problems? To increase the mess, Andie starts a relationship with Pete’s brother, who got out of rehab and is trying to adapt again to the real world, while Peter hasn’t much success as a real estate salesperson, especially with a particular annoying client. Insipidly written, “Expecting” becomes devious with the use of these subplots and doesn’t always feel real, only providing the minimum amount of entertainment.

White Reindeer (2013)

Directed by: Zach Clark
Country: USA

Movie Review: Zach Clark’s “White Reindeer” is a cheerless drama labeled as comedy that depicts the terrible Christmas of real-estate agent Suzanne Barrington (Anna Margaret Hollyman). After her husband has been brutally assassinated during a house breaking, Suzanne will find out some of his hidden dirty secrets, including Internet pornography and frequent sexual encounters with his lover Autumn (Laura Lemar-Goldsborough), a striper whom she gets curious to meet. In a visible depressive state, Suzanne becomes friends with Autumn, often attending night parties and getting into the world of drugs and alcohol. To worse even more the situation, her parents decide to split up after long years of marriage, while financial crisis is inevitable once she starts compulsively shopping online. The strangest situation comes when she invites herself for a swinger party in her neighbor’s, which was depicted with some interesting scenes, increasing even more her psychological degradation. To culminate in beauty, she realizes she's pregnant and the nightmare seems not to have an end. Thus, if you think that there’s nothing better than a good comedy to enhance Christmas’ spirit, don’t be mislead by this unfunny dramatic comedy, that goes exactly in the opposite way. Despite its degrading darkness, the film presents some hope in the end, but nothing more than that, since all the rest are just feel-bad situations and sad occurrences that don’t take Suzanne, or us, anywhere.

La Playa DC (2012)

Directed by: Juan Andrés Arango
Country: Colombia / others

Movie Review: Drugs and racism are addressed without any special feature in this drama focused on Tomas, an Afro-Colombian teenager who tries to survive in the streets of Bogotá after leaving home due to incompatibility with his mother’s white boyfriend. When he learns about the disappearance of his traumatized and drug addict younger brother, Jairo, he starts beating the streets, joined by his other brother Chaco whose dream is to leave for north. An opportunity to work as barber will be given to Tomas, but the good winds don't blow to his side, since he lost the confidence of his employer, all to save his brother from the drug dealers’ hands. Observant yet somehow bashful, “La Playa DC” seems to accept too easily the fate of these brave kids, painting a too bland and softened picture of a reality that requires some more stimulating vibes to be distinguishable. Debutant writer/director and former cinematographer, Juan Andrés Arango, despite the good intentions, lingers too much in stories about hair and haircuts instead of putting a bit more anger and frustration in the scenes. This way the film loses the additional strength that the drama needed to be placed above similar works. With moments of real tension being just a mirage, “La Playa DC” turned out to be another volatile, low-key exercise on street survival and broken family. Nonprofessional actor Juan Carlos Guevara did a competent job.

The Last Days on Mars (2013)

Directed by: Ruairi Robinson
Country: UK / Ireland

Movie Review: Created with the expected limitations of a low-budget film, “Last Days on Mars” relies more on the suspense of its story than anything else. Ruairi Robinson’s debut on direction was too modest and conventional to impress. The film, based on a short story and mainly shot at Jordan’s desert, follows a crew of astronauts who become exposed to a dangerous bacterial threat in the last days of their six-month mission to Mars, leading to tragic consequences. Victimizing one by one, these mysterious bacteria show strong resilience when tested with other substances. In the first half-hour I had to make an extra-effort to remain focused on what was happening, since the plot looked pretty familiar with its mediocre execution, tense score, and visuals that weren’t so creative. A big obstruction factor to a more acceptable result was that the ones infected became a sort of raging spatial zombies. When I compare “Last Days on Mars” with “Europa Report”, another low-budget sci-fi film released this year and reviewed in this blog, I came to the conclusion that the latter’s approach gains in terms of mystery and technical execution. I guess dead men turned into zombies in space just asphyxiated all the curiosity that could come out from a somber story of this type. The uncertain finale still tried to tease us somehow, but even that aspect wasn’t particularly new. It felt short with the lack of positive ideas.

Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? (2013)

Directed by: Michel Gondry
Country: France

Movie Review: After the realism of “The We and The I” and the surrealism of “Mood Indigo”, the multifaceted Michel Gondry embarks in a unique conversation with Noam Chomsky, a renown American linguist philosopher, politic commentator and activist. Shot with an old mechanical Bolex camera and adorned with animation, “Is the Tall Man Happy?” reveals an interesting approach and presents a very didactic conversation about themes such as evolution, development, science, traditional vs. modern, religion, astrology and life's coincidences, generative grammar, holocaust and death, among others. Therefore, and for quite some time, the film seems like a philosophical lecture that encompasses Aristotle, Galileo, Newton, and David Hume, just to mention a few. The interesting here is that Chomsky also enters in the personal field, telling us about past memories, from childhood to high school and college, and elucidating us about his professional path and the education given to his three children who grew up surrounded with political tension and took different directions in life. The simplistic animation was carried out on top of images with an antique look, like a simple room, streets, places, or occasionally the interview itself. Hard to be absorbed immediately, this instructive animated-documentary, narrated in English with a strong French accent by its filmmaker, requires to be seen more than once to be fully apprehended. If you’re interested in philosophy and science, this is a film for you; otherwise you may find it too dense and puzzling.