Monday, November 11, 2013

Every film that explores real life situations about AIDS patient are considered films about struggle and should searching, with a mesmerizing message. The film Dallas Buyer Club plays the opposite message telling the tale of a real life cowboy Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) consider himself homophobic and at the same time a promiscuous risky guy, who enjoy alcohol and drugs.
When the film start you see a semiotic message of a guy riding a bull, while you can see Matthew McConaughey character having sex right across the of the gates at the rodeo, looking at the action in the shadows. The paradox is two very dangerous activities with life treating conclusion.
That's what the film is all about, chasing danger while making life worth. Matthew McConaughey transform himself as skinny at could be with a Academy Award winning role, while Jared Leto perform as a transgender person who is also sick for the epidemic of Aids.
Dallas Buyer Club takes place in a very conflicted time for the US 1985, when Rock Hudson makes his announcement of AIDS decease and the beginning, a confusing time for people, deaths, sickness and no hope. Also a time for opportunism from pharmaceutical companies who look for make prophets with the decease.
The cast is strong, but the film is slow, the pace takes you to the miraculous life of Ron Woodroof on how he beat the odds of 30 days of life, and how he tricked the FDA and change the rule for AIDS patients.

The biggest challenge in portrait real events are a very difficult matter, specially if the story is pretty recent. Make films about true life events with a 3 to 10 year is controversial and risky. Wounds have not heal and facts are not completely accurate.
Perhaps in the case of the film Captain Phillips I can make an exception because the responsible in the director's chair is one of the most respected creators, Paul Greengrass with films such as The Borne Supremacy, and United 93. The last one nominated for two Academy Awards, one for Greengrass.
United 93 was a well reviewed film about of the events of the flight United Airlines flight 93 hijacked during the 9/11 events, with terrible consequences.
In the film Captain Phillips Paul Greengrass again, work in a real life events of the 2009 incident were Somali pirates hijacked a cargo ship Maersk Alabama in the coast of Africa. The story focus of the relationship of Captain Richard Phillips(Tom Hanks) and Muse the leader of the Somali pirates.
This is one of those films that keep you on the edge, Greengrass does pretty well. The cast is spot on staring Tom Hanks and the actors who work as the pirates, specially Barkhad Abdi who is scary and treating.
The problem in the film is accuracy, in the recent months the film is been surrounded by controversy because of suits against the cargo company who manage Maersk Alabama and the true events that happens during the hijack situation and Captain Phillips story
All the technical aspects of the film are very well done, sound design, editing, cinematography and directing. The movie is entertaining and a great achievement in film-making

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Spectacular now follow the tradition of indy films about love relationships with conflicted characters and misfortune situations.
Similar films like this one The Perks of Been a Wallflower, Submarine, 500 Days of the Summer. Spectacular Now tells the story of Sutter (Miles Teller) a popular kid from school, self possessed, charming and party lover who suddenly is been dumped by her popular girlfriend Cassidy(Brie Larson).
Suddenly after a long night of partying Sutter meets Aimee (Shailene Woodley) a not-so-typical "nice girl" who loves comic books and doesn't have a boyfriend.
The film explores several problem for youngsters in America. The search to fit in, by been popular, becomes a social drinker, potentially alcoholic, promiscuity, romantic rebounds, social goals and dreams about the future.
The cast is pretty good and delivers strong performance throughout the whole film.
The film is smart, sad and makes you think about life.

Alfonzo Cuarón always been consider an innovative director, with different approach to traditional stories, but also a very sharp technical influence in film production.
Gravity, seems to be a milestone for him. A few years in the making, multiple conflicts with the studio to make this film work. Finally the film comes to life with a impressive campaign focusing on the Academy Awards. Gravity tells the story of a medial engineer Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and a veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) are working a routine space walk when a disaster happen leaving them alone in space.
The film premise is pretty good and makes you think about so many great films about space, like Solaris, 2001: Space Odyssey, Sunshine, the esthetics of a film about space and the dramatic images of loneliness. Suddenly the film is about a cathartic experience for Dr Ryan Stone, because she is grieving the lost of her child recently. It seems that most of the plot concentrate on survival and how is important to keep fighting no matter the circumstances.
Unfortunately the film becomes more like a Hollywood film at the end with unreliable situations that end up more like a fantasy to me. I didn't like the conclusion, and reminds me so much to films like Avatar.
Don't get me wrong the film is a technical achievement.


Ron Howard director of films like Apollo 13, Backdraft and Da Vinci Codes explore the world of Formula 1 in the film "RUSH" this is the story of the 70's race car drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda and they rivalry to earn the title. The movie focus on the story of both drivers creating parallel plots and triumph and defeat. Their relationship with their family and romantic relationships. But the real importance of the movie is the racing scenes. Ron Howard achieved an amazing look of the 70's races, amazing point of views that takes the spectator in the real eye of the storm during each race. The film is a master class of editing and sound design and visual effects. Unfortunately the film is weak in performance, Chris Hemsworth doesn't deliver, as well Olivia Wilde. Perhaps Daniel Brühl is the one who gives a decent performance portraying Niki Lauda. Rush is entertaining and fun and leaves you breathless witnessing the 1976 Formula 1 competition