Reviews

Another non-English spoken movie that stands very well against any Hollywood movie - that's how I rate this movie.

Screenplay

This is a story about 4 absolutely different people whose lives get connected somehow. OK, I know the idea is not new but the way it is told and the how the flashback at the beginning starts making sense is very original. This story is both funny, realistic, sad and adventurous, it depicts several realities of Brazil but always with a refreshing and comic view...

The actors

Great. All of them. From the kid to the beautiful Brazilian babe, I think they all played a great part and really get the viewer into the movie.

The photography

I guess it's the weakest part of the movie, it's not bad, but it's not artistic (as I like). It has much of the feeling of "Cidade de Deus", you watch the whole movie without noticing any technique or lack of it..

Soundtrack Five stars :) For those who like Brazilian music, that is...

I've seen better Portuguese films, hence the low vote. However this movie has a particular value, it is a great social critic a depicts very well the ways in which politics and business deal with each other.

This movie has one asset which makes it even more interesting: the realism. This movie is based on a very recent true story that happened in Portugal, thats why any Portuguese person watching it will soon identify and familiarize with the movie.

Technically speaking, this movie doesn't impress, the soundtrack is basic, the picture too, the actors aren't amateurs but not very professional either! In spite of all these not so positive arguments the movie is entertaining and elucidating.

After voting I noticed only people who rated this movie with 10 out 10 commented it so I thought I should do my service to the community by balancing a bit the comment department :)

I gave it 6 out of 10, which means I thought it was a bit over the average. I don't care if it's a low budget or a million dollar blockbuster, my parameters resume to my satisfaction while watching the movie.

This whole movie takes place in just one cell with about 8 guys in it. So the least you'll expect is 8 terrific actors and a perfect plot. I can't complain too much about the actors, some were great, others forced their "type" a bit too much and others were unnoticeable... still nothing shocking here. The plot, however, was nice but tried to give more than it should. The whole theme around the conversations within the cell resume to politics, racism, violence, etc... which is all very nice and interesting, but after almost 2 hours of condescending advice about how to reject sin and be good to your brother was just too much. I think they forced the idea a bit too much.

The plot disappointed me in more two items, the way it explained "God's" story, and the last part of the movie took a few strange and useless turns.

By the way, the soundtrack could have been much more interesting as well as the photography.

This is another fine movie from South Korea. Great sound and image quality are the minimum requirements for this industry and in this movie they are perfectly fulfilled.

Besides the footage quality, you immediately feel involved in the movie's action and suspense by the way the several camera angles are shot and each image is carefully chosen. Adding the great and creeping soundtrack you have a great combination for a horrifying atmosphere.

To go with a nice technical setup you will encounter an original plot surrounding a single mother, her daughter and a pair of pink shoes. I rather not tell anything else about the plot for as it grows it becomes very interesting and appealing and it would be a shame to ruin any surprises. All I can say is that they all perform very well! (including the shoes)

However there is just one subject I'm not pleased with, a few suspense and horror parts are too typical. I mean, the woman in a white gown looking down with her big black hair over her face is getting a little bit too annoying.

I'm not a big fan of Portuguese movies but this was a step in the right direction for Portuguese cinema. It was shot with great detail and mastery, showing an image with a quality comparable to any Hollywood movie. However the photography was above the average of any typical Hollywood movie for it showed such special care which resulted in an involving touching experience. The soundtrack was very good too and very adequate. It was simple and effective helping to create an environment of deep sadness and anxiety. The plot is very simple and you can figure it out in the first 5 minutes, however this movie isn't about the story, it's about feelings and it is in that sense that I think it deserves, at least, 7 out of 10. The feelings of sadness, anxiety, hope and love are the main theme of this movie, and they are passed on to the viewer in such a sublime way that at the end of the movie you feel you ... (you'll just have to see it) What I tell you is that it's impossible to feel indifferent with this movie.

Only reason I didn't give it a better rate is very personal, I just don't like depressing movies...and this movies does push the same button a little too much.

EMR is a nice movie. It starts with a nice introduction of the main character and in the first few minutes gets you right into the movie. The main Char is very well performed and the storyline flows very nicely providing the feelings of confusion and loss that the movie intends to intensify.

For the way it transmits feelings of overwhelming mix between dreams and reality it is a great movie but the theme of conspiracy and the way this movie handles its twists is really not very innovative leaving one expecting for a bit more.

This way I rated EMR above average but not too much, too see on a Sunday afternoon ;)

Another pleasant surprise from the Japanese cinema. What I like the most about Japanese movies is its unpredictable line of events, and in this movie, once again, you can never guess what will happen next. I was always expecting a scene like Baywatch - which would make me turn off the TV - but it never happened :) The movie itself was shot in a simple but efficient way, no amazing and special tricks here, although the picture had nice detail and quality. The soundtrack could be better though, you can hardly notice it. The actors perform OK and pass on a great feeling of "team building" and the intensity between each "buddy", however they did seem a bit too young for the jobs.

The plot evolves in a very steady way showing a different perspective of the typical military training. This movie moved me with its funny moments (typical Japanese), a few intense sad moments and, for people afraid to drown and of being breathless, the movie will have a few moments of anguish and uneasiness too! All in all, I'd say you can watch it with anyone any time.

This movie was a strange experience, I started watching what I thought was a horror movie and ended up watching a tough "hard to swallow drama".

This movie should get, at least, 7 stars for originality! I never saw anything like it. The idea was genuine, the characters were creative and the set was very appropriate and perfectly matched every scene. It has a great photography, high quality images with nice shooting angles helping and transmitting the feelings and emotions connected with each character. From the technical point of view the only inferior element was the soundtrack, which didn't quite caught my ear.

However, the plot and its progression is a total different subject! I had a hard time understanding where the flashbacks ended and started and this movie has lots of them! Then, the main character's individuality was very peculiar, I mean, too peculiar, it just turned my head around and made it very hard to understand what was going on, what was he feeling and, thus, where the movie was going... Depressive thoughts and activities are splattered all over the movie, the main character has a hard time distinguishing reality, imagination, memories and dreams, and so do we...

From a subjective point of view, the movies theme was too depressing and it's just not my style. From an objective point of view, the plot could have been delivered in a more proper way.

In spite of all flaws, the movie did entertain me and I couldn't leave my sofa until I knew how this confusing and strange movie would end.

I considered this a poor and basic movie, why? Well, the story is very poor, the cast is very poor and the shooting is also poor. For starters the plot begins with the final scene which is something I really find irritating, however, many good movies do that...Anyway, the whole movie centers around a crime which is investigated in a very pointless way and very little happens besides that, except for a few needless sex scenes... The cast didn't help either, sometimes it felt like an amateur movie, the main character was OK and the police detective was funny but the rest was very bad. I didn't like the way the movie was shot either, nothing new here and I felt the camera could have transmitted a much better idea and feeling with a bit more effort.

I stress the word basic and not simple because simple things can be very beautiful and interesting, however, this movie has no depth, explores the drug world in a futile way and as a detective story it did not convince me.

I didn't give it a lower vote because with all its flaws it still entertained me for a while (it was a Sunday night).

As much as I like Japanese movies this one didn't just cut it... A movie that is supposed to be about rebels and the survival of a royal blood line turned out to be a very slow paced movie with a doubtful plot.

The photography is OK, though I've seen much better sword fight scenes in other Japanese movies, the fast cameras and the way they followed the characters didn't convince me at all. The soundtrack is so weak you don't even notice its presence.But worst of all was the way the plot evolved.I have to admit that, at some times, I had a hard time understanding who was who and what was going on...Anyway the platonic love between the main character and another one was completely unnecessary and seemed to come from a Hollywood influence.

All in all, if your looking for an action Japanese movie this isn't it. Its very slow, with very few sword fight scenes and very sentimental... in a bad way...

This is one of those movies I enjoy watching after a hard days work and when you don't have neither the time nor the mind to spend on a movie.

It uses a photografy I found quite good and sometimes even plays with cartoon postcards which then passes to reality with very nice graphics. The soundtrack is hilarious and perfect! The whole movie is accompanied by a small band which has a few sketches singing about the movie's plot though the band itself interacts with the story, it's not a new idea but it's really well adapted.

The story itself isn't innovative but still entertaining and provides a refreshing/dark humour. It lasts about 1h and 30m of which 1h is filled with hacking, shooting and of course thousands of litters of blood. It has a good pace and never gets boring.

I'd recommend it for a light and humorous audience.

It is a very interesting movie ultimately for the way it was shot and produced. It has a short, simple and quite obvious plot, still all its elements combined with the intelligent way the puppets are used make it very touching and UNIQUE. The way the film deals with the strings of each puppet, how it gives life to each character you can tell they worried about certain details that makes this movie special. On the other hand, at certain times, it can have a slow pace which will almost bore you and some characters are not consistent and others are unnecessary.

All in all it's a good escape from the crash boom slam we're used by Hollywood industry, still I'd say the story needs a bit of a spice.