luismcdbrito Reviews

High Sierra (1940)

Thrilering Romance

[7/10 · 15 April 2024]

The best mess that I ever saw. Without be able to depreciate a mess.

A Film-Noir, adventure, action, tragedy, drama and thriller.

The Film-Noir element is a huge fail. The light element that we feel is not adventure, it excapes on purpose into a wonderfull romance, so light that excapes into fantasy.

An adventure requires a little touch of fantasy but the romance eclipsed the adventure.

The action lasts 2 seconds on a car crash the rest is thriller.

The tragedy escaped into drama.

The capper don't fit in any element only in thriller.

Despite Bogart offered a very good performance and the project was very very ambitious is difficult to find the definition that it deserves.

A fail that have quality.

Dead Poets Society (1989)

Simplification

[9/10 · 13 April 2024]

It seems an entire generation of experts on dead poets society was born.

There is not too many things to add that was not already been said.

But some things were not very clear and excaped expertees.

In short words the movie talks about the creation of bonds between people and some adventures can only be lived at the right time.

We see parents incapable of creating bonds with their children and teachers doing it at the best level. Some loose the ability to teach wille others enhanced it. The main goal is for both full potential. Some fail.

Life is to be enjoyed in full at right times. Some things can only be lived at early stages in life if missed we wish we have done it later, teenagers are allowed to be a little selfish and live this adventures, grown up life comes with responsibilities. But life can also be lived in full with different priorities.

Come and See (1985)

THE nightmare!

[10/10 · 13 April 2024]

Nightmares are not made from monsters.

This movie transports into an intimate nightmare since the moment before it started till the end of it that never came.

It is passed in Bieloruss during the invasion on ww2. It starts with a differnt tone than the normal russian drama movies, without poetry and a dry drama instead. The poetry appears latter when boy meets girl but becouse of the circumstances this poetry looks weard, completely dysfunctional. The environment starts to get into you without notice.

At this point the characters start to enter a state of delirium that is not clear perceptive by the point of view of the persons inside the movie.

At some point the movie evolves into something else: Tragedy! Even this tragedy don't look right. What's going on is this happening? Is again the point of view of the characters.

Atrocities after one another happen on a beutifull cinematic sequence till the end.

On the end the boy realised it was not a bad dream but a real nightmare.

It is impossible not drop a tear at the last close shot, a men destroyed till the subconscious.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Thrillering irony

[5/10 · 9 April 2024]

The long waited return of The Ghostbusters.

This one is even difficult to start: Too many clichés transform a promissing comedy into a goofiness irony, with the transportation of the past to exaust the present.

There is an attempt to make it an adventure: we even have a treasure map, american kids going up the hills to do kids stuff, kids telling stories that resemble adventures, a grown up that through excess excitement looks like an adventurer... then everything excapes into an exageration that leads to excess of thrill, the adventure was lost.

There is no charisma on this characters, no iconic soundtrack. Instead we have special effects. No update on technological advancents wich make the Sci-fi weard.

Conclusion: barely entertaining to the ones who lived the original; saved in the last scene with the old fashioned humor back.

It was directed to the new generation that didn't saw the origin of this legend.

A fail. A slapstick.

The Broadway Melody (1929)

Worthy best picture winner

[7/10 · 9 April 2024]

Despite beeing the worst rated movie on the history of the oscars best picture wins, is a worthy winner.

This one looks pretty ordinary on most aspects, with the exception of the main theme song and some acting notes (like the older sister crying and laughing at same time).

It seems nothing special but this one have a great achievement: on a musical that is generally light with romance notes the drama element excapes into Film-Noir to make the viewer feel that rotten and decadent environment of the Broadway backstage, influenced by fame and money.

Even on the so called Film-Noir this feeling is rare and tricked by the beautiful camera shots to create shadows and obscurity. The feeling in normally missing.

Great winner to start a cinema festival that would become the biggest event of the world.

Underworld (1927)

Adventure not film noir

[7/10 · 9 April 2024]

This movie almost didn't saw the daylight. It was produced and stored not to be released.

Why? Probably becouse beeing a gangster or a criminal looked exiting and a good fantasy to have as a way of life.

The second option was becouse it was a direction fail driven by experiments.

The main elements are drama and romance, there is crime environment but the film noir is reduced to a few camera tricks, intead the adventure element surges beyond inconclusions is clearly an adventure.

To fix this the direction needs to restructure the entire romance or make the film all over again from scratch.

A good movie for cinema students to watch and reflect.

About Dry Grasses (2023)

Childrens study of life

[9/10 · 26 March 2024]

Reality is never tricking us, it always requires an interpretation.

Philosophy: is the study of life.

What's the difference beetween a children and a grown up? One collected more empirical knowledge than the other. One thinks it knows everything the other thinks the other is wrong.

Some children grow too fast others never grown, the difference is empirical.

With the end of oppression or tightened societies rules comes the free excange of thoughts and ideas, rules and conducts mix and common sence colides.

We are all childrens with different perceptions of reality that think they grow up since the moment we are born till the moment we die.

Our kids look like grown ups more and more soon and the previous generation more and more stuck on childhood thoughts or empirical knowledge.

No other movie express this self reflection better with the notion that something is different with mankind: we are growing up now, before only childrens habitat the world.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Proof that M.Curtiz is an alien

[10/10 · 21 March 2024]

Adventure, the most difficult element to put on cinema. So difficult that we have to back to Michael Curtiz and wait till Steven Spielberg to feel it again.

Adventure excapes easily to Romance and Romance commonly hides the Adventure, if adrenaline is thrigered it excapes into action, so what is Adventure? It is a bit of Romance, Action, Excitement and Fantasy.

When I saw this movie was a Swashbuckler with Action, Adventure and Romance immediately the thought was: big mess with everything less Adventure.

I was wrong there is no strong element, all of them mixed on the perfect and right proportion with the Aventure starting very discrete and grow till the final climax were it says: yes I'm adventure I was always here!

In the end the feeling is: what the hell did just happened? Is this movie real?

Who would say Robin Hood was an adventurer?

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

wonderfull piece of art

[9/10 · 21 March 2024]

A wonderfull piece of art, a drama, romance, war movie that easily could have excaped do satire or action. Holded together by a wonderfull direction performance. The main element is romance with the dramatism of disturbed times always present just like the war that is horrible, in the end is light easy almost exiting to watch without enter on a adventure.

A portrait of life about what the british would want to be: gentlemans.

Wonderfull actors performance without none of them stand up or above the others. Sound and scenary almost perfect and the history background very realistic.

One true Oscar winner that deserves to be remembered so we forget the bad movies that some years won trophies.

Casablanca (1942)

Perfection

[10/10 · 17 March 2024]

Probably the best movie ever made.

It can be described as a decadent slice of life that looks like an adventure.

On a war environment a drama with film noir and a strong adventure element makes this movie quite unique.

All elements are mixed on the right proportions with all personal involved working as a group delivering an outstanding performance.

Intersting the fact that this movie skipped the oscars nomination on the year that was made to enter the next year plot. To hammer that years competition. It looks it was missed and when they noticed it the world stoped to let him pass.

A top 10 in all cinema lovers.

Sunshine on Leith (2013)

Incomprehensible success

[9/10 · 7 February 2024]

This one almost deserve a category for himself, the way non normal common situations on personal life and families are expressed like normal, simple and light should make viewers feel ridiculous and in a good mood at same time.

Example: how many persons recently married cheat their pairs and a children appear 25 years latter? Normal. After a declaration refusal comes the bully joke and headbutts? Normal, etc... The main element is romance on several formats, the music enhances this romance and light environment so in the end we think we just watched a musical but instead is a romance.

The low viewers rates alongside critics low score makes this movie a ridiculous masterpiece. Nobody really understood it and its normal.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

The world is weard when it changes

[8/10 · 17 December 2023]

The world is weard when it changes, what we call weard is what we don't know and what we don't know is ridiculous.

Two hours and twenty minutes of ridiculous weirdness of the unknown was the cinematic purpose. We cant stop thinking how ridiculous all is from the begging till the end.

How human life is desigh by lack of adaptation to the middle environment till the extreme point were internet is the absolute truth and all that matters, the absolute source of our empirical knowledge and common sence.

A very worth to watch movie and if in the end the movie was ridiculous and weard, that was the objective of the direction.

Last Song from Kabul (2023)

Communication issue

[9/10 · 3 December 2023]

One of the main characteristics of human kind is his social nature and the ability to express communication in different forms.

In this documentary we see shortly that the people in charge in Afghanistan are engaging in a total blockage of communication, all ways for peace and shared power.

This blockage could be made to avoid outburst on order but it reveals an inability to understand communication through sounds.

Inferior humans controlling the majority.

The next step of human evolution depends on how we evolve our communication skills and GOD didn't guide us into this power sickness: "If you are hit on the left face offer the other".

This is not a submission or forgiveness.

The words are to guide.

Don't hate and your road to peace will be easier.

Harmonica (1974)

The next future

[10/10 · 22 October 2023]

A classic film from Iran on a time were the clash of all cultures in the world was felt in that area of the globe. In the middle of that cultural clash a film that is not about politics, culture or nothing controversial and different to digest. Its about all of us. The pressure and the values that the grown ups pass to the next generation and the next near future.

Wille growning up kids pass through a season were they are mean, in this film this is very clear shown masked by childhood innocence. Curiously in this fase grown ups behave similar, just like their fathers. So its normal. And the future is shaped like normal again and again. To same as before.

The film that we all need to know and understand it.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Captain America the first avenger

[8/10 · 25 March 2023]

Now we see some Captain America main core values getting mature.

Sam Wilson character starts to be worked out and we see some resemblance with Steve Rogers.

Some of Steve Rogers values are:

• Friendship;
• Honesty;
• Trust;
• Manners;
• Freedom.

Examples: Trust: Nick Fury is the best spy on the Marvel universe. On who he trusts? Only Steve Rogers.

On who Steve Rogers trust blindly? Only Sam Wilson.

Honesty: When Steve tries to create an honest bond with the neighbour and realise that she was lying he didn't like that at all.

Manners: When Steve is driving and Natasha have her feet on the tablier she is asked to put them down, thats rude.

This Steve have already Hero written on him with maturity, leadership and training.

We saw him asking satisfactions from Fury after the first mission. The mission was bad planed and with Captain America there, there is no need for so much bullets beeing fired and so much casualities.

We don't se him jumping reckless into the middle of the enemies without backup, trying to do everything alone. The fighting scenes have a totally diferent tone, now he is Captain America.

I just don't know were he learned muhaitai or why he punched that computer.

The fact that he was frozen and woke up 70 years later could have been explored more and the main core Captain America values more clearly evident. 70 years later some Steve core values in the actual society are deteriorating.

Bucky is a second plan issue, the best friend had his memories wiped out, brainwashed, transformed into an assassin and a super soldier. The rest is for another chapter.

Good and exciting action scenes make this movie a very good one on the hero scene.

Silver Skates (2020)

This is how 5 seconds destroy a very good movie

[5/10 · 25 March 2023]

This could be a fantasy movie with fairytale strong elements, some action, were good values are beeing transmitted, ethical aspects of life that lead to definition of values in societies beeing explored and debated, were the change and clash beetween diferent generations trying to adapt to a changing world is brilliant evidenced.

The movie starts to be normal, nothing special but at some point something happen without we even notice and change to something almost extraordinary.

Then 5 seconds manage to destroy all elements and environment already built to the point that is almost unbearable to continue to watch and end the movie.

And on top of that too many shots for this kind of movie, one shot is enough.

Perfect example of how to murder a movie.

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Politics in a heroes movie? Sounds promissing

[8/10 · 5 March 2023]

In a planet were people with special abilities or extremely advanced technology that gives advantages is it predictable that the number of heroes and villains increase. The clash between this people have consequences, the innocents.

To try to mediate this uncontrol half if the countries in that planet arrange an agreement that is not a discussion is a law for all.

Captain America is always loyal to his ideals and his values, on his watch no law is unduscussed and no sentence is applied without a fair trial. "If he his guilty he his gonna be responsable for it".

And to defend that values he is gonna fight the entire world if necessary.

Bottom line, one more time all the unnecessary mess and casualties could have been avoided or minimised if you listen to Cap.

The caracterization of Stark was very good, he doesnt have the structure to be a hero but he tries to make good choices, his choices; the weight of the consequences of his actions and a fragile mind makes him egocentric; he is the personification of a futurist without the ability to see and interpretate the present (and that armor should self repair by now). The young spider man was also very appelative but still needs to grow up and Nemo was Nemo a brilliant villain. But the Black Panther was not the Black Panther, in the beginning he was not a king but he already posess the black panther powers. That means wisdom and commit murder is not wisdom for a king of wakanda, his ancestors would discourage that attitude.

The black Panther is a protector afterall.

It's called Civil War but were is the war?

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Steve Rogers the beginning, not Cap first avenger

[9/10 · 4 March 2023]

In a world without Heroes, in a world without symbols, in a world with a World War context, American government create a project that gave birth to a super soldier.

Steve Roger's was a boy that receive a call to be part of something Bigger, he was young, immature and lack completely of fisical attributes; got into every fight without have a small chance of winning but there was something special and great about him.

"Captain America" was created not to fight a war but to sell and promote one, he was created to be a war hero even without fighting one, selling bonds, distribute smiles and pretending.

This movie is loyal to the original creation were Steve Roger's still need to grow to fill up his destiny of greatness and help build a future were we are better than in the past. On the other part of the world a future Captain America antagonist and great villain was also created but this Red Skull doesn't look nothing like Red Skull. Shame. Red Skull his Captain America but with twisted values. In this story is something very poor.

Captain America was just Steve Roger's all the movie till the end were he embrace his destiny and ended the war.

Heroes are not created they are build.

I hope the next movie we can see Captain America, the Hero that the world needs, the symbol of righteousness and fair justice, the person that you always want to have by your side.

Some lines were just ridiculous but I ignore them becouse I saw Steve Roger's.

Good job.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

Perfection in a imperfection form

[10/10 · 3 March 2023]

There is one that is the good one but is not that good. There is another that is tha bad one but it doesnt look that bad. And there is a third one that is the ugly but beauty apart is the most complete character of all. In a farwest environment he could be the good or the bad. That's what makes it ugly.

What is wright or wrong in the far west?

What are cowboys and how they relate to us?

Lee Van Cleef performance gave birth to future vilains and Clint Eastwood gave birth to future heroes in a twisted far west view of course.

An absolute cult film from every point of view you look.

Did you know that cowboys were like this at the same time of American civil war?

A movie that is a portrait and a influence till now days. The second amendment was passed a few years after this reality, when slavery was a serious subject but irrelevant or not exist in the far west. Law was made by honnor tell by the one who survives.

Cowboys "maybe" ended 100 years ago. Should we be allowed to carry semiautomatic guns under this mentality?

If you look at the present and project the past you realise that the past is the present.

This director was so extraordinary that shaped really till today.

The hole trilogy is a must watch for everybody till the end of times.

To Leslie (2022)

Diferent addiction

[8/10 · 22 February 2023]

What is an addiction?

An incontrolable need to do something over and over, sometimes to seek refuge from something.

This is a story of addiction shown from an angle rarely seen. Even the persons that have contact with addiction dont see this view.

When a person have an addiction should be abandoned, tossed on the street and punished? Or helped?

Most persons see addiction and they dont understand what is going on. Most cases scenarios they only want to get rid of the problem or take advantage from it.

Addictions apart, the main actress deserves a standing ovation.

The middle environment it looks exactly how I imagine a village in Texas.

That bar is just gorgeous and the country music is beautifull. It seems that Americans dont go to bars to fight but to have fun and the majority are polite.

A serious theme touched with the right approach.

Recomended.

Women Talking (2022)

Less obvious

[9/10 · 22 February 2023]

You may find an explanation for all this talks and apparent filosofical talk or the why the colours are pale.

So what is less obvious?

Did everybody notice there was one guy taking notes of the conversation?

Why is he there? He is there for one purpose and is not taking notes. It is more evident more on the end of the movie and if you figure this out it blows a huge wind current to the entire movie. I hope you find it.

Evolution of mentality is occurring for a long long time and we are gonna continue to evolve wherever we want or not. The difference is the speed of that evolution and if is enough to survive.

What influence that evolution? Middle environment. What influences the middle enviroment. All of us.

What can speed it up? Good leaderships and good people.

What's the role of women in that change? Apparently everything.

If you start to analyse all the talk is a moral lesson inserted in an environment that makes you think.

Everybody should watch and learn.

Mars One (2022)

A rare movie

[9/10 · 20 February 2023]

The Brazilian movies that become international rarely show a view of their middle class. We can almost see the middle class subdivision.

Brasil is a country with a very open mind and mentality were tabus almost don't exist. Exept when you are talking about football.

This movie is not just the power of dreams but the clash beetween diferent dreams were diferent but similar personalities interact. The past the present and the future that help to build that dreams showing how much the world changed in 3 generations.

In a overcrowed society the ammount of good people looks like a miracle.

Everything somehow fits perfectly on the narrative and in the end felt that, if this was a 5 hour movie I still want to watch a little bit more.

Brilliant.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022)

Looks like British

[7/10 · 20 February 2023]

Isn't she lovely? Isn't she polite? Isn't she sweet? Isn't she gorgeous? Isn't she perfect?

Does she look exactly like British?

She does, this is exactly what the world thinks of British even without ever saw one.

Does everybody notice that she is loved everywere she goes?

It's a very light movie very easy to watch were you see that London preserved the most characteristic traces till now days and the French ideals that influenced the world and USA, in a historical time were French influence was decreasing and inside France almost nothing looked perfect.

But the British look exactly like themselves.

Good to see that this ideals are still alive.

Good to watch.

The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021)

Patriotic film

[5/10 · 19 February 2023]

If you want to see Americans behave like stupid, more woried about drinking bourbon and smoke cigars that fightinga war, that's the movie you are looking for.

On the other hand, if you want to see Chinese dying like flies fighting stupid bourbon drinkers and cigar smokers, that's perfect for you.

This war have an historic context very important for the definition of the rest of the 20th century that was forgotten.

This war brought Americans so far north in Korea that 4 or 5 incidents occur on Chinese territory, that was forgotten.

History says that Russia put some influence on this borders for the war occur, that was forgotten.

So this a war movie that was the most expensive Chinese movie of all time, is 3 hours long of pure cheap environment and poor script.

Resume: A lot of money. Americans and Chinese like you never saw before. Bourbon and cigars. The cigars are Cuban?

If is patriotic at least put some substance on it.

Farewell My Concubine (1993)

Cultural injection

[10/10 · 19 February 2023]

Does anybody knows what is Chinese opera or Chinese theater?

This is a good place to start.

What is culture?

China was probably the country in the world that pass through the most significant and fastest change of values on a shortest period of time.

From the end of imperialism to communism, passing throug external colonialism, just in a lifetime.

This was more a political reformation to adapt to modern times than a cultural exange. Culture takes time to take place.

In this movie we see the political change through the lifes of Chinese actors, tabu subjects are explored in a polite but realistic way and new values or the future culture taking place.

Every fast changes in peoples lifes generates excesses like in every other culture in the world.

The beautifull thing is one old play pass through all this times with unchanged values.

Worth to watch.