Change Your Image
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Reviews
25 kilates (2008)
Gritty, lyric roller coaster - an unexpected treat
I saw this film in Catalan with no subtitles in an art house in Barcelona. I had no expectations; I went in blind by pure chance.
Usually a critic of Spanish films and its celebration of the mediocre, I fell in love with this film.
The main characters are Abel and Kay, though you don't find that out easily. In my notes, I just refer to him as "creepy guy" till I do find out his name. And indeed, the film begins with a creepy guy and a bad girl. Why should I follow them on their journey? Because they are as riveting as their journey.
It takes you on a roller coaster ride that you don't want to get off. Emotional, suspenseful, and disorienting, its unique sense of rhythm keeps you uncomfortable and heavy with anticipation - but of what you have no idea.
This film needs to be picked up for broader distribution. Even in Spain, it wasn't well-known. Come on, Lions Gate or Miramax.
Rudo y Cursi (2008)
Superbly acted but a disappointing film as a whole - SOME SPOILERS
I agree with others that I felt this only demeaned Mexicans from the pueblo as dumb people who deserve what they get. Any possible sympathy characters earned would be lost in a subsequent scene where they acted without thought, without passion. Yes, I believed that these characters were real - the actors were fantastic. But were the characters riveting? Not a bit. They were incomprehensible.
As for the idea that soccer cannot be filmed - just watch the scene in Pink Panther. It's gorgeous and captivating.
And I do hope that the director doesn't believe the message he seems to deliver - the well-meaning fail miserably while the drug lords always win.
The film "Goal" did a much better job at showing us the world of soccer and from a thoughtful, bright lead character.
Heck - even "Footballers' Wives" showed more life and soccer drama than this did.
Favela Rising (2005)
Excellent film, whatever you wish to call it
For those who expect documentaries to be objective creatures, let me give you a little lesson in American film-making.
Documentaries rely heavily on casting. You pick and choose characters you think will enhance the drama and entertainment value of your film.
After you have shot a ton of footage, you splice it together to make a film with ups and downs, turning points, climaxes, etc. If you have trouble with existing footage, you either shoot some more that makes sense, find some stock footage, or be clever with your narration.
The allegation that the filmmakers used footage of locales not part of the movie (favelas next to beautiful beaches) does not detract from the value of the film as a dramatic piece and the particular image is one that resonates enough to justify its not-quite-truthful inclusion. At any rate, you use the footage you can. So they didn't happen to have police violence footage for that particular neighborhood. Does this mean not include it and just talk about it or maybe put in some cartoon animation so the audience isn't "duped"? Um, no.
As for the hopeful ending, why not? Yes, Americans made it. Yes, Americans are optimistic bastards. But why end on a down note? Just because it's set in a foreign country and foreign films by and large end on a down note? Let foreigners portray the dismal outlook of life.
Let us Americans think there may be a happy ending looming in the future. There just may be one.