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Reviews
Jonas Brothers: Happiness Continues (2020)
Muito bom...
6/10
Nice, but it could have been more
It is a documentary about the reunion of the Jonas Brothers, interpolated by live performances of some concerts of the first legs of the Happiness Begins Tour. The documentary parts doesn't add much more than what the band had already said in the interviews following the reunion and doesn't show enough of how the spetacle was put together, while the concert itself is shown incomplete. Nevertheless, it is pleasing to watch. Nice, but it could have been more
It is a documentary about the reunion of the Jonas Brothers, interpolated by live performances of some concerts of the first legs of the Happiness Begins Tour. The documentary parts doesn't add much more than what the band had already said in the interviews following the reunion and doesn't show enough of how the spetacle was put together, while the concert itself is shown incomplete. Nevertheless, it is pleasing to watch.
Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz (2011)
Muito bom
I love Tom and Jerry, their cartoons were the epitome of my childhood. The direct-to-video movies have been rather hit and miss for me. I liked Nutcracker Tale and Shiver Me Whiskers, but disliked Fast and the Furry. I loved this though, with Tom and Jerry and a truly timeless story to work from it couldn't fail in my eyes. The animation is great with fluid backgrounds, lively colours and appealing character designs that reminded me strongly of MGM Hanna Barbera. The songs and music are wonderful, tuneful and makes you want to sing along, the writing is funny and touching often and the story is still the timeless classic you know and love albeit with a clever Tom and Jerry twist. Tom and Jerry are a delight, Dorothy is cute while never cloying, Scarecrow, Lion and TinMan are great fun and the Wicked Witch is menacing and cunning. The voice acting is strong, especially from Grey DeLisle who is wonderful as Dorothy. In conclusion, while a little rushed and a little too short, Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz is a very entertaining movie. 9/10 Bethany Cox.
Circus of Books (2019)
Circus of Books opens its store doors to moving LGBT culture, history and rights.
8230 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, Los Angeles. A bookstore aptly named "Book Circus" established its existence until '82 when the owner was experiencing financial difficulties. A entrepreneurial couple, Barry a former special effects engineer for Kubrick's masterpiece '2001: A Space Odyssey' and general inventor, and Karen a former journalist, seized the opportunity to expand their distribution rights for Flynt's 'Hustlers' by owning a shop. A magazine aimed towards capitalising on the adult entertainment industry. So, what did they stock in this store that they aptly renamed to "Circus of Books" that warranted a documentary? Well, hardcore gay pornography comprising of paperbacks (and barebacks *cough*), "used" DVDs and sexually explicit toys (hopefully not "used"...). But there are plenty of adult bookstores littered around the world, what makes this one so important? Well, imagine commencing your business venture in the 80s when the AIDS crisis occurred, Reagan's administration cracked down on materials of obscenity and religiously conservative communities ordered your store to close. All of this, in the heart of Los Angeles. The core of LGBT culture.
Rachel Mason's documentary, the daughter of store owners Barry and Karen, chronicles the history of "Circus of Books" whilst embedding tidbits of LGBT history throughout and how they affected the business. Essentially highlighting the cultural significance one book store has had on a city's subculture that manifested into a national widespread of love. The AIDS crisis regrettably inflicting its terminal afflictions upon employees, with both Barry and Karen melancholically reminiscing of their absence. The Reagan administration prosecuting the couple after an FBI sting operation that trapped them into transporting obscene material, challenging the First Amendment in the process. Culminating in a critique on the Internet era and how online gay pornography and cruising applications have since made reading materials obsolete, plummeting the shop's sales substantially.
Whilst these historical depictions were all too brief and shallow, despite their apparent inclusion to the store's significant legacy, the real bulk of the emotional connectivity that Rachel provides is through an earnest portrait of her parents. Her pertinacious devout Jewish mother coming to terms with her son's eventual coming out, notwithstanding the fact she owns a store primarily targeted towards the gay community. And her endearing father that has an incalculable amount of optimism and goodness within his heart. Both, deep down, were unfazed by the homosexuality that they gloriously brought to life. To them, it was just a business. And there is an honest endearment shrouding that notion that make them such wonderful human beings, with Rachel's focus being on their familial connections. To a point where their story often felt moving, more so due to my own sexuality.
As a documentary though, it's fairly predictable in terms of its structure. Interview with family members and past employees, including legendary drag queen Alaska, attempt to focus the attention on the shop itself. For the most part this is successful, until the third act which transitions into LGBT activism. No inherent issues, however Rachel broadens her scope to tackle everything LGBT history and culture has to offer, instead of narrowing the narrative down to a specific entity or event. Consequently, the documentary resembles a brief thin history lesson from the perspective of a controversial bookstore, as opposed to grasping the true significance this shop had on L. A. gay culture. Also her insincerity, obviously unintentional, peeped through when discussing adult actors whom had died from contracting AIDS. Her slouched body language and nonchalant interest irked me.
Still, if one can see pass the formulaic structure this documentary is built upon, then an emotionally involving offering will be showcased. Its strongest assets aimed towards its familial bonds, rather than tackling the modern history of LGBT. Plus, it's not everyday you see an old woman attempt to find a "non-penetrative white gay porno" in a stack of DVDs...
Pan deng zhe (2019)
Muito bom...
Pan Deng Zhe or The Climbers is a Chinese action-adventure film inspired by historical events. The movie explores how a group of Chinese mountaineers attempts to ascend Mount Everest from the perilous north side. The film exposes the intense relationships between the mountaineers and the challenges related to the expedition.
The movie has been shot on location in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The settings are therefore quite authentic and the landscapes are absolutely breathtaking. Lead actor Wu Jing conducted a cold tolerance training before the shooting and his dedication shows off in a convincing performance. The intense scenes on the mountain have been filmed with great care in the form of emotional acting skills and impressive special effects.
The movie also has a few downsides. The numerous highly emotional relationships between the members of the expedition feel somewhat exaggerated and only distract from the already fascinating main plot and the stunning mountaineering scenes. As many other Chinese productions, this film also has an extremely strong patriotic side as it's constantly claimed that Mount Everest is a Chinese mountain that must be climbed by Chinese mountaineers which has to be proven and shown to the entire world.
If you are willing to ignore the overtly emotional side stories and the strong propaganda, you will discover a good mountaineering film that should please fans of films such as Vertical Limit. The settings and special effects alone are worth watching this movie as its high budget shows off quite impressively. To leave an even better mark, this movie should have had less dramatic side stories, less propaganda and more skilled actresses and actors.