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REVIEW: "The Secret Agent" / "O Agente Secreto"

Genre: Drama; Comedy; Thriller; Crime Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho Writer: Kleber Mendonça Filho Starring: Wagner Moura, Alice Carvalho, Gabriel Leone, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Isabél Zuaa, Udo Kier and Tânia Maria I was fortunate for having Kleber Mendonça Filho presenting the film himself in my session, because he recalled some aspects of the movie he wanted the audience to be aware of: this movie represents an act of resistance and an ode to the importance of the press and cultural spaces (like a theatre) as powerful weapons against authoritarian regimes. So, The Secret Agent is actually some kind of parable about acts of resistance in the form of a political thriller - it's a slow burning film that is smartly balanced with truly funny comedic scenes and some moments of pure human joy that show the movie's true heart beneath its disguise - it's more of a satire to a corrupt system than a manhunt film. It's some kind of cinematic marvel in its own right. The story ...
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Academy Awards 2026 nominees predictions: acting categories (1st ROUND, updated)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Danial Day-Lewis is acting (and Oscar royalty) and he looks marvelous in ANEMONE trailer, while Timothée Chalamet seems to have landed the a charismatic movie star role in MARTY SUPREME. Jeremy Allen White is fresh from THE BEAR TV series glory and his performance as Bruce Springsteen has already earned him raves (and the AMPAS can't resist a musician's biopic). Brendan Fraser seems to deliver his heart (once again) in RENTAL FAMILY and since it looks like Searchlight's awards champion I feel (a bit overly) confident about his turn and his Oscar prospects. Last spot goes to Wagner Moura who carries THE SECRET AGENT/O AGENTE SECRETO like the movie star he proves to be - it's a great performance in a great film that will (almost for sure) represent Brazil for Best International Film and with a huge potential to pop in Best Original Screenplay, Director and maybe Picture if Neon decides to champion this one. The always great Jesse Plemons ...
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REVIEW: "Weapons"

Genre: Drama; Horror; Thriller Director: Zach Cregger Writer: Zach Cregger Starring: Julia Garner , Josh Brolin , Alden Ehrenreich , Austin Abrams , Cary Christopher , Benedict Wong and Amy Madigan A movie that reaches cinematic heights during its two first acts to then "loose" itself maybe too much for its conclusion with a tonal shift that didn't work for me, but Weapons works mostly because of an amazing ensemble cast and a sense of mystery and intrigue that are instiled early on just as the movie begins. A superior film than Cregger's previous effort Barbarian , but it just needed a maestro finale for me after what was a great cinematic symphony for me. The movie saves no time presenting the central conflict: the disappearance of 17 children, all from the same teacher's class, and there's a whole community not only looking for them but also looking for someone to blame for it. Still, it is a nonlinear narrative, which might be tricky when not execu...
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REVIEW: "Jurassic World: Rebirth"

Genre: Drama; Sci-fi; Adventure; Horror Director: Garreth Edwards Writer: David Koepp Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, Manuel García-Rulfo, Rupert Friend, Luna Blaise, David Iacono and Audrina Miranda Jurassic World: Rebirth doesn't invent the wheel nor add a new idea to the billion dollar franchise, but it does feel a "back to basics" and that's... quite positive, actually. It's a true popcorn movie: a simple narrative, some thrilling scenes, a charismatic cast and great visual effects - and that's exactly the description of the ideal Summer blockbuster movie. Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it some landmark movie in the franchise? Time will tell. Is it good? Yes! The new Jurassic World installment starts by presenting a new idea that will affect future movies (if writers don't find a way to ignore it): dinosaurs can't survive the Earth's atmosphere outside the equatorial zones and they are dying everywhere else. That ...
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Tiny Reviews: "Materialists", "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy", "The Ugly Stepsister" and "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning"

MATERIALISTS It's not what it was marketed: Materialists sure have some funny moments, but it's a poignant meditation about how transactional dating someone has become. Yes, it has some laughs and it's core is truly romantic, but Celine Song's latest is a study about modern-day relationships, expectations and love vs functionality. The first act shows promise, the second act is a step down, but the third one is exquisite as it exposes some topics with honesty and sentimental value. Dakota Johnson proves she's a true leading lady as she commands the screen with her very singular charm, while Chris Evans gets (finally) an opportunity to shine with a beautiful monologue. Not everything worked, but I felt truly connected. It's a movie I am sure will age beautifully in my mind. Beautiful cinematography (Shabier Kirchner sure is a promising name). Another big win for Song with a totally different film from Past Lives. Rating: 8,5/10 BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY It...
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Tiny Reviews: "All We Imagine as Light", "Nosferatu" and "Babygirl"

ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT An extremely sensitive look at the lives of two different women living in Mumbai in a changing society: the daring spirit of Anu faces the challenges of a world made of rules that supress women, while Prabha tries to free herself from the social chains she grew up with. It's beautiful and Payal Kapadia makes exquisite visual choices that somehow remind me what I felt when I first watched The Virgin Suicides . It's a tale of womanhood carried by Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha's powerful internal performances and it's also a tremendous directing debut! Movies like this one are very rare and I had the sense I saw something truly special. A contemplative cinematic beauty and a look at a changing world. Nothing much to add: subtle, sensitive and visually beautiful.  RATING: 9,5/10 NOSFERATU A riveting gothic tale of obsession and greed, Eggers delivers another cinematic epic film! Anchored by a magnetic (and raw) performance from Lily-Rose Depp - simpl...
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Oscars 2025 winners predictions - FINAL

In a year where I feel there's no clear frontrunner and that every frontrunner feels like a fragile one, it seems the Best Picture winner will be a "vanilla win". Everything seems to point (unclearly) to Anora 's win at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood (a Palme d'Or plus a strong combo of PGA/DGA/WGA wins suggest it is the strongest contender of the bunch), which is threatened by Conclave 's late ascension with the BAFTA win for Best Film and the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture.  Interesting fact is how Best International Film will play since the "Karla Gate" (the Karla Sofia Gáscon 's revealed past tweets with controversial views on sensitive subjects) hurt Emilia Pérez 's Oscar chances. Will it win Best International Film? Will it prevent Zoe Saldaña from winning Best Supporting Actress despite her clean sweep of precursors? Or will it generate an anti-cancellation movement and generate a...
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