Vice

First and foremost I liked the style of Vice. I liked its original, unexpected and provocative narrative. On the other hand I can never fully embrace a movie that is a campaign against someone's legacy, Dick Cheney and George W. Bush. Even If I have no sympathy or belief for the real life characteres and events shown.

That said, wow! This is a really good cast ensemble and an even better make-up team. Just look at Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Sam Rockwell and Steve Carrell. No wonder the movie received several performance's awards nominations, as well as important others, like best picture of the year. I don't believe this movie can win a best picture award because it's too divisive, and Hollywood has its share of republicans and conservatives. But I also believe some liked it so much because it dares to say and show what only Michael Moore did, on a very unrealiable and political style. Of course it is very difficult to watch this kind of screenplay without crossing lines, even knowing that this is a satire trying to cross boundaries on cinema world. I guess you need to watch it to have your own opinion about it, and I am pretty sure, it is not going to be consensual.

PS- Did you get Frank and Claire Underwood - from House of Cards - vibes too? I mean, he even breakes the fourth wall!!

Three Identical Strangers

Despite being snobbed by the Academy, Three Identical Strangers was awarded and recognized around the world cinema as one of the best documentaries made in 2018.

It tells a story, stranger than fiction, about triplets who were separated at birth and reunited by coincidence in University, at age 19. As the doco goes by, the viewer discovers that this story is much more that pure chance, as it challenges the limits of science, ethics and humanity.

It made me laugh and it made me cry, but above all things it made mequestion myself: genetics or environment? Who are we after all? And do we have the right to play Big Brother to find out?

Watch and tell me.

If Beale Street Could Talk

Oscar-winning writer/director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) makes a strong return with a tragic love story passed in 1976 about a pregnant young woman who struggles to get her fiancé out of jail after he was wrongfully accused of a crime. Based off the book from James Baldwin of the same name, If Beale Street Could Talk, felt more like watching a play. Along with the gorgeous cinematography and fabulous wardrobe, this romance is carried by its two leads Kiki Layne and Stephen James as well as Regina King, who gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Layne’s mother. I enjoyed the movie, as it is a true melodrama, very lyrical in tone and a suberb sound score that operates a very important role on the final aesthetics, something that Barry Jenkis already did in Moonlight, and that it is one of his trademarks. 

The problem about having a movie as Moonlight in your portfolio, it is that acts almost as a curse, because when you master at a certain level, it is very difficult to pull it off what comes next. I enjoyed this movie, I think it is a very beautiful work and I truly believe that Jenkins, with only 39, is one of the best filmmakers of this era. But there is one exercise that I do, when some movies seem unsetlled to me. I watch the trailer again, and I ask myself if the movie is as good as I expected. The answer is no. Although I believe it is on purpose, I found that this adaptation maybe would work better as a theatrical production. And even enjoying the tone, sometimes it felt like it was out of place. The movie starts with a very strong conflict but the next 100 minutes are in a very slow pace. At the same time, this is another movie that is a 'Black lives matter' manifesto, and I felt kind of lost in the plot. I am not sure if the focus was on racism, if it was on young love or even on motherhood. It can even embrace all of this, but it felt to me like the script lacked some direction and the end sound unfinished. Again, it is not easy to review a movie after Moonlight, but overall I found it a really interesting, emotional and worth-watching piece. 

Can You Ever Forgive Me

Some movies speak closer to our hearts than others, and sometimes we can't even explain why. Can You Ever Forgive Me tells the true story of Lee Israel, a broke writer, who cames up with a recipe to make some money. Back in the 90's, she ghost-writes and sells about 400 letters from famous people as authentic. Using her writing skills and professional knowledge as a biographer, she manages to create unprecedent and juicy collector material. Problem is, not only this is a crime - and eventually she and her flamboyant friend Jack, will get caught - but she can't open up and write about herself as she does about others, what turns to make her a very lonely, depressive and bitter character. Even so, she is someone we can feel deep sympathy for and vibrate during the entire movie.

Mellisa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant are both fabulous, as this uncanny gay couple, who drinks together, eats together, laughs (maybe one more than the other) together, schemes together, and even live together, but are unable, to fix their romantic life, or even just life per se.

Not only the movie was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, as received Oscars nominations for the performances of McCarthy and Grant. Now, after watching it, I can understand why it was expected also, to be the 9th or the 10th contender for the Best Movie nomination. It didn't make it there, but it made it right through my heart, making me whimp, sigh, smile and even cry, with this rich story and rich human beings. Right and wrong are sometimes conflictive forces in our minds, but more important than figuring that out, is to seek the joy of being alive.

This is one of the best movies made in 2018. 

Boy Erased

"Fake it until you make it" is one of  the main quotes of this movie. The other is "but we are a normal family" said by the incredible (sometimes I forget myself how talented) Nicole Kidman. This was supposed to be a "normal" family until the only son of a baptist preacher opens up to his parents, revealing he is not as "normal" as they wished for. Just like The Miseducation of Cameron Post, The Boy Erased is a movie about a gay teenager sent to a religious conversion centre, as part of a solution to achieve averegeness. It is also a movie about family ties, about growing up and discovering who you are or who do you want to be. More than anything it is a movie about love above guilt, and forgiveness over fear. It is intimidating, heart-breaking, but very much necessary. 

The movie is based on the memoirs written by Garrard Conley, a lawyer and activist, who fights for LGBT righs, specially for those who are living the same he did some years ago. Even though the action was 20 years ago, the most shocking about this movie, is learning that nowadays, conversion centers are still legal and still "a thing" for minors in 37 states of the US, and many countries all over the world. And it is why this movie and The Miseducation of Cameron Post are so important. 

Last but not least this is another one remembering us that "normal" doesn't exist, mainly when you'd rather be extraordinay. 

Mnbiki Kazoku (Shoplifters)

It's been a while since I last saw a Japanese movie... While studying I fell in love with Japanese cinema and after seeing Shoplifters yesterday, I could remember myself why. The movie is so rich in life lessons and subtile but dense emotions that we take home, that I needed a day to let it grow inside me, and understand a little bit better all the important messages that I got. Still, I feel like I could watch it a hundred times, and always learn something new. 

This movie, that won the Palme d'Or in Cannes, the supreme award, tells the story of an uncommon family, from the perspective of each one of the six members, from an ancient and wise grandmother to an innocent and hurt small child. But most important of all, Shoplifters show us that love doesn't come by blood, love comes from our choices in life, whether they are society pleasers or not, and from the people we choose to grow, live and die with. 

Shoplifters is nominated for an Oscar for best foreign movie, and I have no doubts it is one of the best movies of the year, if not one of the most beautiful I have seen lately. 

BlackKklansman

Green Book

Lizzie

A Quiet Place

Wildlife

Wildlife is the first feature by the actor Paul Dano, written also by him and his parter, the actress Zoe Kazan. The movie portrays a family falling apart in the 50's, seen mostly by the eyes of the teenage boy and only son, Ed Oxenbould. When the father, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, decides to take a job away fighting the wildfires, the mother, played by Carey Mulligan starts having an erratic and awkward behaviour, confusing the boy that is the main whiteness of this family feud. 

Most of time, the movie is uncomfortable and intimidating to the viewer, who feels trapped in the odd intimacy of whats happening in the screen. Carey Mulligan is for sure the one to blame, once she has one spetacular performance, in my opinion the best yet of her career, what makes me think she can be nominated for an Oscar for the second time. Despite this movie being underrated, (it premiered more than one year ago, which doesn't help), I think it is one to not be forgotten, as a really good first work from Dano, and great performances from the entire cast. Last but not least, it has a beautiful and touching cinematography and sound score, that takes us directly to the 50's and to the wildlife of this small but powerful family. 

The Favourite

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Whitney

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Hereditary

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First Reformed

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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

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Colette

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Roma

Let me first tell you something about Roma. Alfonso Cúaron wrote, produced, directed, edited and photographed the movie. One man show! Inspired in his childhood, this is the best movie I saw this year and most likely, the one that is going for the first time, to win an Oscar for best movie feature having a foreign language. 10 movies with foreign languages were nominated to best feature in the history of Oscars, I am pretty sure Roma will be the 11st.

I don't want to say much about Roma because I feel like I'm going to spoil it for you. I didn't know a thing about the storyline when I started watching it. But I can and must say this movie is a piece of art, with perfect plans, B&W touching cinematography, great acting, incredible sound editing and original screenplay. The realism and the long takes reminded me of Fellini and Antonioni, and after 10 minutes of screening I thought to myself: ok we have something special here! It feels like entering in a dream state, and the entire time I wished I had a notebook with me to take notes. This is a film that made me feel like studying it, dive depeer, understand each symbol (and there are so many), write an essay about it... And this happens very little times to me nowadays.

It is a movie many people won't like for having a slow pace and being artsy, but damn... What a cinematic experience. It is for movies like this that I love cinema so much. Movies that make you feel emotions you didn't even knew you had. Visual poetry in each take. Dream state from a screen. Well done Cuarón. You touched the stars with this one. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Flower

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Crazy Rich Asians

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