Cinema and Popcorn

Last Four favorite movies with starred the great Christian Bale , so I picked his The Prestige co-star - Scarlett Johansson - to "star" the second post of this rubric. Just have a look: Marriage Story (2019) / Match Point (2005) / Her (2013) / Lost in Translation (2003) [ in no particular order of preference ]

  One of the most underused actresses of her generation, yet one of the most talented... Kirsten Dunst delivers the performance of a career in Lars von Trier's Melancholia . From her breakthrough performance as Claudia in Interview with the Vampire , to her melancholy acting poem in The Virgin Suicides , to her breathtaking charm in Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy or her bubbly sadness in Marie Antoinette - Dunst has hitted diverse acting notes in her filmography so far, but no other work of hers matches her Justine in Melancholia ! As the young melancholic bride who feels something is not right, Dunst promises there will be some magic coming as the movie develops and, in fact, she shines when she turns into a woman who loses herself as the end of the world approaches. Dunst is the human embodiement of depression, serenity and destruction all at the same time. It's such a complex performance, full of layers, full of details... Dunst found Justine's soul and she exposed it t

 A new rubric in this blog: " Four favorite movies with... (insert an actor/actress' name) ". Next post: pick a co-star of one of the movies you picked here and I can't repeat the movie the next post. Today the star is Christian Bale . The Dark Knight (2008) / The Prestige (2006) / The Fighter (2010) / American Psycho (2000) [ in no particular order of preference ]

PALM SPRINGS It's fresh, it's highly original and it made me laugh out loud! And let me say not every movie can make me laugh! Based on a simple time loop concept, Palm Springs grows thanks to its screenplay, but it elevated by Cristin Milioti and, specially, Andy Samberg's performances. Their chemistry feels authentic and they carry the movie in such an effortless way! I can't give you a lot more of details, because I might give some spoilers, but Palm Springs is worth a watch! The performances, the jokes, the pace and... the vibe! It's one of the freshest movies of the year and it's a comedy for the ages you will want to re-watch once in a while (yes, it's this kind of movie). RATING: 4 / 5 Oscar potential categories: Best Original Screenplay EMMA. Even if Emma. was a narrative / character study failure (which it isn't), it would be impossible not watch until the end: the pastel palette cinematography, the costumes and set pieces make Emma. one

  [ The Addams Family Values is 27 years old now ]

Genre: Drama Directed by: Aaron Sorkin Written by: Aaron Sorkin Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance, Jeremy Strong, Frank Langella, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Michael Keaton In theaters: September 25, 2020 (USA, limited); October 16, 2020 (Portugal) When I first watched Aaron Sorkin's The Trial of the Chicago 7 , there was a huge hype surrounding the movie and I loved the movie. But I felt there was too much internet enthusiasm by the time, so I decided I would write my review after a second view after a couple of weeks. After almost 3 weeks between my first and last watch, I can write The Trial of the Chicago 7 is the best movie of the year, so far! It's a superb movie in terms of execution and an important movie in terms of its subject relevance. It's a movie that excels at making the audiences think. What's the truth? Is what we consider "the truth" what bigger entities made us believe to be "the truth&qu

  In "honor" of Donald J. Trump, who's the new EX-president of USA

 Ron Howard's Hillbilly Elegy 's reviews are out! And I think the internet is on fire. They are not catastrophic, but they aren't good either! It seems people praise Adams and, mostly Close, for their performances, but the movie itself lacks depht. The movie was considered a major Netflix's awards contender before its release and an awards vehicle for both Glenn Close and Amy Adams, but I doubt it will score more than a Best Supporting Actress (Close) and a Best Makeup & Hair nominations at the Academy Awards. Even Close, who was considered the frontrunner given how meaty her role is and how overdue for a win she is, might be at risk of not winning (or not being nominated at all). A note to Gabriel Basso, who seems to be received really fine reviews for his performance as the older J.D. Vance. No matter how polarizing the reviews are, the critics seem to agree he's good as the movie's leading man. And while I must wait until Hillbilly Elegy 's available

Another one from the Portuguese shortlist. Just like Pedro Costa's visual masterpiece Vitalina Varela , Ana Rocha de Sousa's Listen also made an impression in this year's film festival circuit - Venice Film Festival, to be more specific.  Have a look at Ana Rocha de Sousa's Listen : " In the London suburbs, Bela and Jota face serious difficulties when "social services" raise concerns about the safety of their three children. The 7-year-old daughter's deafness triggers a process in the system that seems to go on forever. " FLASH REVIEW: Ana Rocha de Sousa makes her directorial debut with Listen . As you watch it, you can see it does feel like a directorial debut, but what might lack in refined directing or personal style, it overcomes with honesty and a raw emotional punch in key scenes. In fact, the director doesn't lack an assured hand - she can be really heavy-handed in a couple of scenes. But you know what? It works! The movie is about a

The Portuguese Academy of Cinema (Academia Portuguesa de Cinema) has announced the finalists shortlist of Portuguese movies to be submitted for the Best International Film Oscar category: Pedro Costa's Vitalina Varela ; Ana Rocha de Sousa's Listen ; João Nuno Pinto's Mosquito ; and Gonçalo Waddington's Patrick . One of them will be the official submission. Four very different movies and I still have one left to watch - Patrick - but I consider 2020 to be one of the strongest years (if not the strongest) in terms of Portuguese final shortlist. Let's have a look at Pedro Costa's Vitalina Varela : A Cape Verdean woman navigates her way through Lisbon, following the scanty physical traces her deceased husband left behind and discovering his secret, illicit life . (source IMDb) FLASH REVIEW: Pedro Costa seems to be back to his previous film Horse Money 's universe - our lead's (Vitalina Varela) fate crosses Ventura's as she discovers about the life of h