Movie reviews of Filipe Freitas

The mordant dialogues, apt score, and non-linear narrative render both tense and embarrassing situations, which are frequently fueled by substance intoxication and lust. There are no stall moments, but the manipulation is undeniable. Review

The war scenes are often risible, and despite using archive footage of president Emmanuel Macron to its advantage, a good editing would only make it better. France is a bold move but hardly a successful one. Review

While the result is not earth-shattering, there's something emotionally and compassionately connective underneath. Review

The visuals match the bracing nature of the story, and like Youri, we gravitate with hope, adhering to his universe yet haunted by the desolated corridors, boarded walls, and surprisingly hidden interiors of this ghostly massive structure. Not one single scene goes on for a beat longer than it should; performances and production values are excellent. Review

The economical script builds reasonable tension, and the film moves assuredly from incident to incident with a simplicity in the storytelling that makes it seem old-fashioned, but winsomely so. Review

The Fallout is a bracing work, which treats the teens in question piercingly and hurtfully. The sensitivity demonstrated to the specifics of each character’s experience is remarkable. Review

The only quibble here is the repetition of the footage, but the film flows well, avoiding panegyric artificialities. Review

The rhythm of the storytelling is stable, increasing our interest in an emotional story that many will relate to. Review

Mired in forced sentimentality, the film never really builds up a great deal of steam but infuses some bursts of anger and humor here and there, leaving a meaningful message to the community and a glimpse of hope for the ones looking for an opportunity to change. Anyway, it’s all too patchy to be classified as a prime work. Review

The haunting camerawork, apt score, and flawless acting by the four young debutant leads are vital elements in the bewitchery. The Innocents is a chilling slow burn worth seeking out. Review

It’s solid entertainment, signaling that westerns are better when made simple. Review

With the power of the images overstepping the dialogues, The Tsugua Diaries gives a wonderful example of artistic freedom, off-the-cuff creativity, microcosmic detail, and mood-induced emotion. Review

The understated indeterminacy of the story makes us minimally interested, while the surprises, far from jaw-dropping, make it a passable, calibrated crime thriller. Review

Themes like loneliness, reintegration, openness, and compassion are common, but this one brings more, starting off vividly casual before becoming unnervingly earnest, then plaintive and disconcerting, and ultimately mischievous. Review

Greene’s documentary might have done a nice job in helping these traumatized men, but the film itself flows heavily, and our attention almost succumbs to its aimless structure and narrative fragmentation. Review

As a shattering experience that doesn't stint on uncomfortable scenes, A Hero is another impeccable entry in Farhadi’s rich catalogue of timeless contemporary classics. Review

More than mind-blowing, Memoria is an original piece of cinema that, keenly shot and oddly paced, rewards patient viewers with an openness to the intangible. If cinema is about being transported to another realm and dimension, Weerasethakul is unrivaled as a helmsman. Review

Sadly, the film is never as good as it should be, lacking energy to thrive and being stretched out by these terrible musical moments put together by the brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessler. This is the second miss in a row by Wright, following last year’s The Woman in the Window. Review

Working with the animator Inga Sætre, the Norwegian director and co-writer Yngvild Sve Flikke worked delivers an observant, punchy and highly amusing comedy drama whose result is neither dull nor hackneyed. Review

Life choices and mortality; acceptance and repentance; family roots and branches; the earthly and the spiritual… “Dying isn’t simple, is it?”, asks the spirit of Masao’s wife. I Was a Simple Man is honest enough to deserve a peek. Review

The plot is so torpid that it sinks deep in thick muddy waters in no time; a burden that, hampering a fluid storytelling, makes Digger a mediocre movie with a stubbornly resistant message. Review

Azor is an intriguing and fascinating account with a few crossroads and an unimaginable finale. It’s one of the year’s most cohesive films, and it holds up to repeated viewings. Review

The non-professional actors did a modest yet acceptable job, and there are some mesmerizing images captured and framed in a square 4:3 format that are something to thank for. Review

The film, carried out with a generically feel-good posture despite J.R.’s romantic and professional disillusions, needed more depth. Review