Fresh Fork

Director:  Kleber Mendonça Filho Writer:  Kleber Mendonça Filho Starring:  Wagner Moura, Alice Carvalho, Gabriel Leone, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Isabél Zuaa, Udo Kier  and  Tânia Maria I was fortunate for having Kleber Mendonça Filho presenting the film himself in my session, because he recalled some aspects of the movie he wanted the audience to be aware of: this movie represents an act of resistance and an ode to the importance of the press and cultural spaces (like a theatre) as powerful weapons against authoritarian regimes. So,  The Secret Agent  is actually some kind of parable about acts of resistance in the form of a political thriller - it's a slow burning film that is smartly balanced with truly funny comedic scenes and some moments of pure human joy that show the movie's true heart beneath its disguise - it's more of a satire to a corrupt system than a manhunt film. It's some kind of cinematic marvel in its own right. The story presents itsel...

  ATERIALISTS It's not what it was marketed:  Materialists  sure have some funny moments, but it's a poignant meditation about how transactional dating someone has become. Yes, it has some laughs and it's core is truly romantic, but Celine Song's latest is a study about modern-day relationships, expectations and love vs functionality. The first act shows promise, the second act is a step down, but the third one is exquisite as it exposes some topics with honesty and sentimental value. Dakota Johnson proves she's a true leading lady as she commands the screen with her very singular charm, while Chris Evans gets (finally) an opportunity to shine with a beautiful monologue. Not everything worked, but I felt truly connected. It's a movie I am sure will age beautifully in my mind. Beautiful cinematography (Shabier Kirchner sure is a promising name). Another big win for Song with a totally different film from Past Lives. Rating: 8,5/10 BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY...

  enre:  Drama; Sci-fi; Adventure; Horror Director:  Garreth Edwards Writer:  David Koepp Starring:  Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, Manuel García-Rulfo, Rupert Friend, Luna Blaise, David Iacono  and  Audrina Miranda Jurassic World: Rebirth  doesn't invent the wheel nor add a new idea to the billion dollar franchise, but it does feel a "back to basics" and that's... quite positive, actually. It's a true popcorn movie: a simple narrative, some thrilling scenes, a charismatic cast and great visual effects - and that's exactly the description of the ideal Summer blockbuster movie. Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it some landmark movie in the franchise? Time will tell. Is it good? Yes! The new  Jurassic World  installment starts by presenting a new idea that will affect future movies (if writers don't find a way to ignore it): dinosaurs can't survive the Earth's atmosphere outside the equatorial zones and they are dying ever...

  enre:  Drama; Horror; Thriller Director:  Zach Cregger Writer:  Zach Cregger Starring:  Julia Garner ,  Josh Brolin ,  Alden Ehrenreich ,  Austin Abrams ,  Cary Christopher ,  Benedict Wong  and  Amy Madigan A movie that reaches cinematic heights during its two first acts to then "loose" itself maybe too much for its conclusion with a tonal shift that didn't work for me, but  Weapons  works mostly because of an amazing ensemble cast and a sense of mystery and intrigue that are instiled early on just as the movie begins. A superior film than Cregger's previous effort  Barbarian , but it just needed a maestro finale for me after what was a great cinematic symphony for me. The movie saves no time presenting the central conflict: the disappearance of 17 children, all from the same teacher's class, and there's a whole community not only looking for them but also looking for someone to blame for it. Still, it is a no...

  enre:  Horror/Mystery Director:  Oz Perkins Writer:  Oz Perkins Starring:  Maika Monroe, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt  and  Nicolas Cage Longlegs  was a pleasant time at the movies. A solid crime-investigation film that surprises with a somewhat sloppy supernatural element that goes full force during the 3rd act, it might be defined as some kind of  Silence of the Lambs  meets  Hereditary , but  Longlegs  distinguishes itself thanks to Oz Perkins' direction: always tense, with a dark atmosphere of constant danger, even if the writing can't quite match the boldness of the execution. It's a very good cinematic ride, but it disappoints in its conclusion when its orchestration promised a grand finale. The movie's first scene is a great one, maybe one of the most creepy first scenes in recent years, and what unfolds after that makes you wonder about its connection with the narrative. The first act is brilliantly written, with...

W ICKED While some odd cinematography choices and some caricature approach to supporting characters might prevent  Wicked  to achieve true cinematic greatness, there's no way to deny it has the heart in the right place and everything works thanks to that crucial detail. Sustained by a great Cynthia Erivo as the ostracized Elphaba and a splendid Ariana Grande (whose comedic timing and bright charisma earn her the title of "best in show") and fabulous musical numbers done flawlessly, Wicked is way more than just an eye-popping musical. "Defying Gravity" or the party dance scene will tear your heart apart, while "Popular" and Glinda's "toss toss" moments will put a smile on your face - in fact,  Wicked  is a complete cinematic experience that deftly balances the respect for the source stage material with the cinematic liberties - thanks to the assured directing vision of John M. Chu, who clearly loves the story he's telling on-screen. Na...

  enre:  Horror; Drama; Comedy Director:  Coralie Fargeat Writer:  Coralie Fargeat Starring:  Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley  and  Dennis Quaid As a non-fan of horror flicks, I consider 2024 to be one of the most interesting years for the genre. For me,  The Substance  represents the genre peaking both in its style and in its utility: a movie that's both spellbiding but also makes you look away from its visual narrative; and a movie that comments society's obsession with beauty and perfection but also mocks it and offers a view of the ugly side of the coin. For its style and substance,  The Substance  might well be one of the most daring, smart and interesting movies I've seen in years! The movie starts with the star of Elizabeth Sparkle in Hollywood Walk of Fame, from its very beginning and going through time, losing interest from those who pass by, starting to crack and being covered in ketchup. It all plays like a brief summary of...

  WISTERS It's not original... I mean, we have seen this film before... but  Twisters  puts a lot of effort in character development and in the search of the movie's heart, which it ultimately finds in Daisy Edgar-Jones. Glen Powell steals the scene with his movie star charisma for sure, but the movie belongs to the female lead: she can do both the acting and exude the leading lady quality in a way that reminds me of a young Julia Roberts here. I liked the approach Lee Isaac Chung had with the material, pulling sensibility from a script full of clichè blockbuster lines and scenes. The visual effects are outstanding. An entertaining entry for the disaster movie catalogue that never amazes me, but it's good enough to never be bad no matter what. Not a force of nature but a windy cinematic moment. RATING: 5,5/10 TRAP It really traps the audience in almost 2 hours of a manhunt that feels sterile thanks to an unsensitive approach that doesn't allow you to feel sympathy for i...

  Genre:  Romance; Comedy. Director:  Greg Berlanti Writer:  Rose Gilroy Starring:  Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Ray Romano, Anna Garcia, Jim Rash  and  Woody Harrelson The rom-com genre isn't properly alive these days, specially during Summer season considering the amount of sci-fi/adventure, squels, animated and super-hero movies that usually get released at this time of the year, but Fly Me to the Moon cracks the blockbuster-busy schedule at movie theatres. But  Fly Me to the Moon  is movie with a big production budget that was meant to streaming service, but... is it any good? The answer is: yes, it is very good and I am glad Apple decided to give it a theatrical run! It's pure entertainment, elevated by an interesting premise and graced by a charismatic performance by Scarlett Johansson. The movie starts with the ups and downs (mostly the downs) of the Apollo 11 pre-mission in the aftermath of a series of unsuccessful previous ate...

  FANCY DANCE Director Erica Tremblay crafts a very sensitive drama about family, sense of community, cultural identity and social through the lens of the individual lives of her two leads. It's an indie drama with heart and soul that achieves greatness thanks to Isabel Deroy-Olson and (specially) Lily Gladstone's performances. Cinematically good considering the character development and the sensibility the director displayed by approaching some very delicate moments and key scenes, which shows an eye for both narrative storytelling and creating empathy with the audience. It's also as socially relevant as it is heartbreaking, which is why  Fancy Dance  is such a special cinematic little gem. RATING: 8,5 / 10 LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL It was simply not my cup of tea! David Dastmalchian shines in the title role of a TV host with some dark secrets (which is both fascinating and deserving for him to finally step as a leading man in a major movie) and the movie's concept ...

  enre: Comedy; Action; Romance. Director: Richard Linklater Writers: Richard Linklater & Glen Powell Starring: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio & Retta Audiences who go watch it expecting a grand cinematic experience might feel it as a bit of a letdown, but if they're open to embrace  Hit Man 's small scaled filmmaking with a spicy (and quite funny) touch, then they will have one of the most rewarding time at the movies of the last couple of years.  Hit Man  is a delicious film, not perfect, but quite audience-friendly. It's pretty mainstream, but it's pretty good also! Richard Linklater is better known for audience-friendly movies like  Dazed and Confused  (1993) or  School of Rock  (2003), but also for some quite prestigious titles like the  Before  trilogy,  Tape  (2001) or  Boyhood  (2014). With  Hit Man , Linklater seems to find the perfect combo between his two "categories" of works of his ...