movie reviews
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Review: Infinite Football (2018)
I was fascinated by how well ‘Infinite Football’ captures the manner in which life shapes the ideas we hold and how, with the passing of time, we have the tendency to create our own narratives almost regardless of how and whether those ideas align or not. Read more
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Planeta Petrila (2017): Oh, Petrila, My Sweet Chinchilla
Nobody can accuse Dascalescu’s documentary of being without flair. I still recall, almost a decade ago, emerging from a forest road into Zlatna, a mining community some 200 km apart from Petrila: the picture – perfect image of desolation was shocking. So to the extent that ‘Planeta Petrila’ celebrates the birth of some form of… Read more
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Movies of the Weeks #19 #20 #21 (2017)
People imagining this would be fundamentally different or better than Prometheus just because it’s got ‘Alien’ in the title need to wake up to reality. Read more
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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010): The Return of the GIFs
Directed by Edgar Wright, *insert manly heart emoticons here*, it’s the only comic book adaptation I’ve ever been smitten with. Read more
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Ana, mon amour (2017): The Relationship Hive Mind
A complex and layered film, it is framed in the present, but plays with the chronology of events to suit its thematic anchors: how relationships shape their protagonists and create inherent tension, abiding by no morality punch-card. While pertinent and polished in its construction, I found it hard to stay connected emotionally, especially as the… Read more
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Berlinale Day 3: No Intenso Agora (2017)
This was the best movie I had the chance of watching at the Berlinale. It’s a strange mix of analytical-poetic-social justice, that ultimately leaves a lingering sense of how fleeting and unique some of the most important moments of our lives can be. Read more
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Berlinale Day 3: The Dinner (2017)
Oren Moverman’s latest movie is quite the challenge. It has difficult characters, discomforting dialogue, an intricate construction and spreads over two hours. Nobody can accuse The Dinner of being unambitious, but I would like to accuse it of being an ambitious mess. Thankfully, not an unbearable mess. Although Richard Gere (Stan) headlines, it’s Steve Coogan (Paul), playing Read more
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Berlinale Day 2: Barrage (2017)
It’s not an exciting movie, in a sense. Yet there are moments where it manages to connect and resonate, which has the power to outdo mere excitement. So yes, there is some reward at the end of this particular winding road. Read more
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Berlinale Day 2: Django (2017)
Django would have been a much better experience, had it stuck to its music. As another survival movie from the war, it falls flat, especially compared to some of the previously released hard-hitting productions, be they grim or soulful representations of the horror. Read more
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Berlinale Day 1: The Wound (2017)
All things considered, The Wound stands as a film that, at its best, conveys a unique poetic restraint. It might not shine all the way through, yet it provides insight into a corner of the world that’s usually left in the dark, tackling some big themes on the way Read more
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Camera obscura (2016): Anachronistic Avantgarde
I do recommend Camera obscura, especially if you have an interest in film-making, because it provides some special moments along the way. It’s just unfortunate that a certain unwillingness to prod deeper and a lack of visionary discipline undermine it over the long run. Read more
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