Day 343: Deadpool (February, 15)

Oh, the wonders of not being politically correct (and doing great just because of that).

This was so much fun. Even in a packed movie theater, which I hate, with people asking if we’re seated on their chair, and discussing how to find their place with the cel's light on our eyes, I was able to immediately get into Deadpool at the first scene. Thank you, Ryan Reynolds, for being persistent in bringing this controversial and amazing character to the big screen.

This movie’s pace is so good. The usual formula is inverted here, and we’re first see the super anti-hero already in action before knowing how he got there. Actually, we even forget how we got there ourselves with such a crazy character with crazy antics in an incredibly well constructed script and clever (funy, dirty, ironic) dialogues. There’s no way not to love it.

And finally Morena Baccarin had a role worthy of her. She is so interesting, I was happy to see her as Vanessa. She and Reynolds are simply perfect together.

Do you know that bit about correctness just above? The incredible thing is that through such a sarcastic banter, it is possible to do things extremely right. That’s what happens here, while we have so much fun that my face was even hurting at the end (sure Deadpool would have something to say about it).

At last, I was amazed by all those pop culture’s references. Just amazing and a part of what brings this Marvel superhero so near us. The last one, after the ending credits (Marvel movies are the only ones that make people stay on their seats nowadays), is great. And I was happy to identify right away. I can’t wait for the next (confirmed) one and the other sequels with Deadpool. Great expectations on the making, I'm afraid to say.

An afterthought: of course there's has been a big controversy about this movie. Yesterday I was reading some silly stuff about how more then the half of people that is praising how good the movie is never have heard about this character before. Seriously? When should that be a problem? It was the same regarding Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a lot of posts in social media ironically saying that how cute it was that now (only now, ok?) everybody was becoming a huge fan of Star Wars. My mind is a pretty weird place, but it never ceases to scare me how crazy and incoherent some of this comments can be.

Deadpool. Directed by Tim Miller. Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin,
T.J. Miller. Writers: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick from the character created
by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. USA/Canada, 2016, 108  min., Dolby/
Dolby Atmos/Dolby Surround 7.1, Color (Cinema).

PS: Check out Ryan Reynold's embodying Deadpool in a funny and endearing   way: http://www.dorkly.com/post/74596/ryan-reynolds-deadpool-tweets

Day 342: The Danish Girl (February, 14)

To say that I was waiting a lot from The Danish Girl is the least. The movie's trailer, all the fuss around Eddie Redmayne performance and all created an atmosphere of expectation around Tom Hopper's movie.

Despite being based on real persons, the story is above all fictional. The alleged focus is on Redmayne's character sexual identity. It is an actual subject, an extremely relevant one, and Hopper treads through it by the delicate cinematography that resembles the painting of the main couple of renowed artists from the 20's. We flow through the beautifull painting on the movie's screen. And, despite understanding the need of a gentle hand while talking about such an important matter, all the poetic images here aren't able to tell the whole story by itself. It was almost as Hopper was scared of telling this tale.

I love Redmayne, but his excessive mannerisms as Lily distance her from the audience. In that sense, for me, Alicia Vikander is the real amazement here (as she is proving to be for a couple of years now). Her Gerda is strong and delicate, faithful, determined, talented, troubled. If I was emotional here, with tears on my eyes, it was mainly because of her. Redmayne's performance didn't tell all that I was expecting at first. He is correct, of course, and a genius in some moments (those in which I could relate to Lily's journey). However, he is simply not enought to tell Lily's story.

The pace is correct, not hurrying to get to the point. The characters have a coherent background, despite of some aspects regarding Lily and Gerda that do not become clear. The relation of the last one with Hans is a mystery at the end. Too much fear in here, I supose. 

I've just read many comments about how this movie is inaccurate historically. As I've said before, even if based in true events, every story is a work of fiction. In this one, the fictional aspects are highlighted. For me, the goal here was not to celebrate Lily Elbes' life, but to create awareness about the transgender reality - the struggling of spend a whole life in a alien body. And I think the audience can relate to that.

We were in a crowded theater on a Sunday afternoon, a vision of hell for me. A guy behind us said, when Redmayne showed us Lily for the first time in the movie: what an ugly trannie. Seriously? I looked at him with an incredulous expression. He was able to restrain his ugly opinions for the rest of the movie. But I was expecting that and more, actually. Beyond that, the movie is very sensuous, explicit even, honest in this way. And so the audience was getting quieter at every development of Lily's story, in a uncomfortable silence - but the whole auditorium reacted strongly against the violence toward the main character.

It was a curious experience, a bit disappointing movie. However, The Danish Girl is a relevant story, a attempt to discuss a subject that shouldn't be this such a taboo anymore.

I forgot to tell you: my mother was with me again! Two winners in a roll <3

The Danish Girl. Directed by Tom Hopper. Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia
Vikander, Amber Heard. Writers: Lucinda Coxon form the novel by David
Ebershoff. UK/USA/Belgium/Denmark/Germany, 2015, 119 min.,
Dolby Digital, Color (Cinema).

Day 341: Brooklyn (February, 13)

This was a day planned in hell by a perverted sick mind, I'm sure.

First, in a rare case in my life, my mother accepted my invitation to go to the movies. The film was The Revenant, a story that I'm certain she will enjoy. But I will only know that for sure on another day, because the theater was in its full capacity, a gigantic line in front of the box office. So, my mom, my niece and I decided to try another movie theater. The Danish Girl was showing at 3:10 pm, according to the Cinemark's site. After a 15 minutes car ride, 20 minutes on  The lime, the insensible girl in the box office tells me that the filme had begun 20 before. Sorry by our mistake, but it is your problem as a faithfull user of our services. Goodbye.

It was raining buckets outside, so we decided to have a late lunch. I was trying to convince my mother to go to a later showing, she was adamant about just wanting to go back home. My last argument finaly got through her: I have a dare to fullfil, please help me on this. I know, low trick. But It worked out, despite my niece echoing the insensible girl's chorus: that's your problem, pal (My niece's actual words were: ok, you dare yourself and we are forced to be a part of it, aren't we?).

Tickets on hand, we took our seats in the auditorium only to find out that there was a leak over my head. Only over me. See? I told you, pervert bastard on hell. My mother didn't want to change seats (she is 84, iit is understandable), so the seat under the leaking ceiling it was.

Maybe the sick bastard took a break, because after that everything was pretty ok. Brooklyn is a nice surprise actually. A period movie with a focus on the main character's internal journey instead of the external events.

It is always nice to have your expectations for a stereotypical story broken. Everything that I would expect to happen doesn't, and it was a good surprise. Saoirse Ronan takes us through Eilis' troubles, caused not by a egoistic mother, an envious sister, an evil landlord, a rude employer, an untrustworthy priest, a lousy boyfriend. No, nothing like that, as her surrounding prove to be a better scenario than I was expecting at first. The questions that trouble her are originated in herself - the most difficult kind, I think.

Well, I shouldn't have expected less from Nick Hornby, one of my favorite writers. 

Brooklyn depicts all Eilis' internal doubts and hopes while talking about the changes around her. There's a quote from After Dark, by Haruki Murakami, that reads "In this world, there are things you can only do alone, and things you can only do with somebody else. It's important to combine the two in just the right amount". Brooklyn focuses on the first beautifully, as only a few movies do, while emphasizes the importance of the second. A sight to see, a gem of a movie, a good surprise.

Brooklyn. Directed by John Crowley. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen,
Domhall Gleeson (this time I recognized him). Writers: Nick Hornby from
the novel by Colm Tóibin. Ireland/UK/Canada, 2015, 111 min., Dolby
Digital, Color (Cinema).

Day 340: Son of Saul (February, 12)

Son of Saul (Saul Fia)is a living proof of what art is capable of. Extreme beauty, outstanding cinematography, an visceral direction, an unbelievably strong performance to tell us about the what should have been something unimaginable, but was in fact one of the most hideous events on human story - and there are many and many and many, once and now. For what reason we have still to be aware of.

Such cruelty. László Nemes tells us about it through the eyes of Saul, masterfully played by Géza Röhrig (this is the debut in feature movies for both director and actor). Nemes takes us through all the horrors of war and the holocaust through Saul's daily life in Auschwitz. Saul is our eyes in through the horror. We get glimpses of what he witness everyday. And despite the fundamental way of empathizing the need of awareness of a violence against humanity that is still on in the world, this movie is most of all a debate about what keep us human among a violence that has the main goal of striping us of our humanity.

The images here are a world of hideous violence, but what put us right inside the terror is the sound. Something we're not able to see, others we perceive by a glimpse... but the sounds tell everything here. 

There was nothing standing at the end. There is nothing. I was a wreck, as we must be in front of such stories.  My admiration for Lásló Nemes was mixed with sadness, pain, horror. What he attempts to do here cannot be described by words - not by chance his movie has only a few dialogues. The whole sense of the surroundings resides in Saul and his pursuit of a thread of humanity among an state-sponsored violence that tries constantly to put out all humanity from Earth. One day, I'm sure it will succeed. Until then, being human is still a matter of resistance, as Saul tell us in every single second of this movie.

Son of Saul. Directed by Lásló Nemes. Cast: Géza Röhrig, Levente Molnár,

Urs Rechn. Writers: Lásló Nemes, Clara Royer. Hungary, 2015, 107 min., 

Dolby Digital, Color (Cinema).

Day 339: Adam (February, 11)

Ok, I plead guilty. What is going on this week? Maybe it is how tired I am, but another cute movie was my choice for this day.

I'd never heard about Adam before. With Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne, I saw it on one of the Netflix's lists, and thought it would be a nice good movie about Asperger, a subject that calls my attention for some reason. As happened in Me and Earl, a delicate matter is discussed in honest and gentle colors. 

It trancends its main theme actually, and at the end what we have is a sensible story about relationships, the emotional cruthces we sometimes use to avoid life, family's dynimics, fear of not bear the many difficulties in life. 

It was a nice sequel to the previous super cute stories this week, plus a beautiful and simple surprise.

And Hugh Dancy as Adam? Amazing, as usual :)

Adam. Directed and written by Max Mayer. Cast: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne,
Peter Gallagher (weird as Byrne's father). USA, 2009, 99 min., Doby Digital,
Color (Netflix).

PS: You can meet other amazing and clever and honest Asperger's characters in The Rosie Project, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

Day 338: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (February, 10)

We could name this "The cute week" only by the movies I've been watching.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a real gem, as I thought it would be just by its name. Everything here is projected to make us gush about the characters, the soundtrack and the story. The characters are cute and cool and so true, so that every element that would look too intentional is in fact honest and heartfelt. I love the "me" guy, Greg, in a great performance by Thomas Mann. He is so sincere and is able to actually speak his mind, a true example of how life can be easier this way (even in the most difficult times). The dying girl and the amazing Earl are not far behind, in equally good performances by Olivia Cooke and RJ Cyler. This is, in fact, those kind of movies that revolves around people, what is beautiful by itself.

There's one thing here that caught me at first sight, but I'll not comment about it. You'll understand when you see it. It's so adorable, even incredible, an amazing way of loving movies and talking about life. There's no other way than love it, I think.

An afterthought: The ending is more traditional that I would expect from such a movie, but it is ok. I guess there were not many options here. 

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon. Cast:
Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke. Writers: Jesse Andrews from his own
novel. USA, 2015, 105 min., Dolby Digital, Color (DVD).

And now, my friends, we're heading to the last month

The Hateful Eight, 2015

Day 307: Love the Hard Way, 2001
Day 308: Spotlight + Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 2015
Day 309: 18 Comidas, 2010
Day 310: The Hateful Eight, 2015
Day 311: The Peanuts Movie, 2015
Day 312: Carol, 2015
Day 313: Bridge of Spies, 2015
Day 314: Ex Machina, 2015
Day 315: Steve Jobs, 2015
Day 316: Like Crazy 2011
Day 317: Move On, 2012
Day 318: Joy, 2015
Day 319: The Big Short, 2015 + The 5th Wave, 2016
Day 320: Unbreakable, 2000
Day 321: Numb, 2007
Day 322: O Menino e o Mundo, 2013
Day 323: The Gift, 2015
Day 324: Breakfast at Tiffany's, 1961
Day 325: Love Story, 1970
Day 326: Closed Circuit, 2013
Day 327: Looking for Eric, 2009
Day 328: The X Files: I Want to Believe, 2008
Day 329: Byuti insaideu, 2015
Day 330: Waking Ned, 1998
Day 331: Call Me Crazy, 2013
Day 332: Requiem for a Dream, 2000
Day 333: Puncture, 2011
Day 334: Scott Pilgrim vc. the World, 2010
Day 335: Annie Hall, 1977
Day 336: Little Shop of Horrors, 1986
Day 337: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, 2008

Ex Machina, 2015