Movie reviews of Filipe Freitas

Bit by bit, the portrait of a complex character full of contradictions and distressed by Catholic guilt takes shape. It’s not a happy story, not even sympathetic, but rather a deeply fascinating one. Review

Punk rebellion reins here, and you better be prepared for some quite nasty scenes. Definitely not for all audiences but with a guaranteed audience niche for itself. Review

Both the lively rhythm and classic filmmaking are adequate, in a campy but effervescent tribute film that makes for a spikily funny watch. Review

Combining a legitimate dramatic structure with enchanting visual results, Apollo 10 1/2 is an immersive fantasy stripped of stiffness, where one finds comfort, loveliness, and sweet moments of grace. Review

The film is basically divided into two aspects: the flourishing friendship between Cruz and Sugarman, and the exciting moments of basketball. Forgoing cheap shots, Hustle is fairly entertaining and possibly something more for the fans of the sport. Review

Murina is an impressive story of emancipation carried by convincing performances and well-drawn characters that bring authenticity to it. Review

Stylishly prurient and slightly anarchic, this little genre film is easy to watch, but lacks new blood and real scares, stuttering in its outrageous dreaminess. Review

Sometimes the film could have used a certain glow of poetry to enhance the protagonist’s perspective and candidness. Fortunately, the process of self-discovery depicted here is saved from sentimentality. Review

If the conventional plot is not particularly memorable, then the gorgeous cinematography that sharpens the scenic countryside of Montana becomes the real attraction of the film. Review

However, the qualities we find here - the score/sound design by Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury (a combination of eerie, ethereal and penetrating sounds) is absolutely phenomenal - easily overcome the quibbles. Whether this cryptic nightmare is your cup of tea or not, it’s very hard to ignore it. Review

Not fascinated by it, I found as many pathetic situations as funny lines - the lighthearted, funny dialogues between Sean (Cyler) and Kunle (Watkins) are the film’s best offering - in this tenuous dramatization of a serious episode. Review

The soundtrack, just like the eloquent prolixity, has no impact at all in the context presented. Overall, this is all too dramatic and obtuse to fully satisfy. Review

This Competition is a pitch-perfect joke that, at times, breaks up the vibes with unevenly inspired sketches. However, it never runs totally out of steam. Review

Kosinski, who understood how to equalize the romance, the drama and the action in the film, is not interested in dazzling us with mind bending ideas or twisty plots. Instead, he sticks with a stylistically coherence that becomes all the more powerful as the film advances. Review

Abbott’s performance is counterpointed nicely by Carmichael. This is your chance to see them going nuts. Madness and reason play cat and mouse in a gratifying mess with the ability to extract ‘inappropriate’ humor from tragic situations. Review

At specific spots, the film loses some balance without ever really affecting the terrorizing heart of the story This is thanks to Heikkilä’ gradually more unhinged performance, as well as to the director’s emphasis on sarcasm and atmosphere. Review

Hypnotic and haunting from start to finish, the film is ultimately so genuine it's hard to resist. The tragic story it holds deeply shakes, provoking a deep feeling of injustice and helplessness. Review

The script is strong and its only sin is the unnecessary tail, which should have been cut out in order to let the retaliation speak louder. Miracle is an uncompromising howl of righteous fury anchored by stark performances and a competent direction. Review

It's a demanding sit, a film both conscientious and indulgent, hopeful and exasperating. There are no high points to be found since the film excludes any sentimentality to better bring out the complexity of feelings. Review

All this is formidably detailed under the astringent direction of Bourgeois-Tacquet, who also sets an effective pace for her fun-to-watch story. Review

At its best, the film offers the clear-eyed objectivity of a healing program, while still establishing a moral outrage. It’s a tough topic tackled with open-hearted sincerity by director and co-writer Iciar Bollaín. Yet, the film shows some limitations in the insight offered about ETA. Review

The chemistry between the two leads, Adeel Akhtar and Claire Rushbrook, is remarkable. Review

Pine's ability to carry a sad weight on his shoulders isn't entirely lost here, but the film is nothing special. Even the resolution is simply not exciting enough. Review

This is a charming and thoroughly sweet movie that creates a desire in us to know more about this culture. It’s particularly worth seeing for the untouched nature of Bhutan as well as the honest depiction of the village life and the karmic connection established between hosts and guest. In terms of plot, on the other hand, it’s more than predictable what we see here, yet there's no lying or condescending from the director. Review