Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Venice'12: mystical returns and an important Portuguese participation



Before I get into why Venice, starting today, is probably the most expected film festival this year, with all its top of the pyramid returns, allow me to hype a short film so delightful and so hopeful for Portuguese cinema. Top 10 finalist of Ridley Scott's Your Film Festival, North Atlantic by Bernardo Nascimento is an endearing fifteen minute story about loneliness, departure and slashing both with bittersweet optimism. A special jury, led by Scott himself and Michael Fassbender, will pick the winner that will be offered 400.000€ to produce a feature-film. If you want to know a bit more about "North Atlantic" and even watch it, check this link.



Still waving the colors of our flag, Manoel de Oliveira's O Gebo e a Sombra is one of the most expected works of the line-up but this time I am going to put my hands in the fire for Valiera Sarmiento's Linhas de Wellington, embroidered by a stellar cast - John Malkovich, Nuno Lopes, Michel Piccoli, Catherine Deneuve, Marisa Paredes, Mathieu Amalric and many more.

But now, the movie I eager for the most since 2007, a truly mystical return, also due to the Weinstein's promotion strategy, with all its mysterious grandiloquent beautiful trailers and its secret screenings in Chicago, San Francisco and elsewhere, Paul Thomas Anderson with The Master.



Terrence Malick breaks his languid routine with a new film the second year in a row, To The Wonder.


Brian de Palma, the illusionist of camerawork, brings Passion with Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace.


Also wanting to see what bring us Fill the Void, At Any Price, Spring Breakers, Love is All You Need, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Disconnect, and The Iceman.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Such a sexy console

Penélope Cruz and Monica Cruz make a bet. The loser must...