Movie reviews of Filipe Freitas

Slow Machine is a character drama, but it’s also about the dynamics and strange encounters in the city of New York. If mumblecore is not your thing, just back off. If that's not the case, don’t sleep on this movie. Review

There’s an experimental vein here that is more than welcome, but it’s not by chance that the word labyrinth is in the title. At least, it was all engendered with a better future in mind, which was Obayashi’s noble last wish and intention. Review

Although the film may prevent greater involvement from the viewers - especially in its last third - it’s impossible not to admire how the film was mounted. Review

Whether in agony or incomprehension, I resisted until the end, just to conclude that this indigestible film - assembled with an array of sordid, pretentious and imbecilic ideas meant solely to disturb. Review

Although flawed in spots, the film provides a satisfying blend of unpredictable temper, nostalgia, pain, clemency and eccentricity. Review

If you have a thirst for a pleasurable and quirky love story, this one offers you three refreshing gulps. Review

The tension builds in a slow boil and the film is powerful at times, but this impression becomes dangerously diluted with some less fortunate decisions preceding the ending. With that being said, Ashcroft, unafraid to take some risks, announces himself as one to watch. His work makes the most of the plot’s obscurities and limitations, and Gillies’ dedicated performance gives it a good extra push. Review

There’s not much here to cling on to, and maybe Sean, who did some lovely work behind the camera in the past - The Pledge and Into the Wild are good examples - should really think about directorial retirement. Review

This is the first of a two-part adaptation, and I’m already eager for the other half to arrive. If you love to dive in fantastic space odysseys and imaginary worlds, go for it because it’s all done with that harmonious balance proper of the great filmmakers. Review

The casting is decisive when it comes to this particular genre, and both the young lead actress and Folsgaard as the patient and caring Thomas/Agnete (we never catch a glimpse of indecision or regret in his eyes, and he sort of trusts time to heal things up) deliver wonderfully nuanced and totally believable performances. Review

More derisive than clever, the film manages to reach the minimum accepted levels of entertainment even without revealing a dash of emotion. The strongest aspect here happens to be the cinematography of Sohei Tanikawa, who had previously worked with the director in six of his works. Review

The characters’ ambiguous behavior plays a central role, and even if the film never materializes in a taut espionage thriller, it provides slick entertainment through baffling betrayals, conspiracy and some satisfying twists along the way. Actually, this period film works better if you think of it, not as a spy thriller, but as a story of love and sacrifice for a greater cause. Review

The film, drowsy in tone and slow in pace, reaches a ridiculous finale after showing a discouraging lack of nerve in the execution. In fact, the movie haunts us like a ballad whose tune you remember because its languor takes your energy away. Review

It took me some time to conclude, especially due to the film’s deliberate pacing, that this is a nuanced, visceral epic tale more than just a relationship drama of striking specificity. One can only confirm that after watching one of the coldest film finales in recent times. Review

Even with the two leads playing a perfect fiddle to one another, one finds some unnecessary repetition. Moreover, the fact that one is able to get the point soon before the film’s ending hampers Divine Love from stepping up. It's a tolerable effort, though, from a filmmaker with potentiality. Review

Eastwood should know his limits by now, and I can only encourage you to stay away from this lamentable misfire cooked with stale ingredients and weak performances in general. Review

With Scanlan delivering a phenomenal performance as the grieving widow, the film makes us think about the submissive role of women in Islamic society in opposition to the freedoms enjoyed by men. Review

Although not unblemished, the film is occasionally quite exciting, not only making me laugh but also delivering a positive message of hope. I dare to say that Estrada found a victorious sense of pride in these youngsters. Their relationships and emotional struggles feel relevant in these socially awkward days. Review

Even failing to scare, this Candyman manages to give the story a contemporary twist that says much about the racial prejudices endured by the African-American community. It deserves credit for that, but horror-wise, the film is more manipulative than unnerving. Review

With a lot of razzle-dazzle and very little soul, Respect, which ends with footage of Aretha performing “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” at the Kennedy Center in 2015, feels incomplete and never lives up to the diva’s life. Review

Heder made the right move by hiring culturally deaf actors but, in the end, CODA succumbs to the artificial sheen that comes in the guise of a feel-good impression. Lamentably, only the humorous moments prevail. Review

With every beat of the story feeling like an intense relapse of forced tension, the film becomes stupefyingly excessive in its last third, making the big Asian stars Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh seem like puppets. Unfortunately, and despite the charisma of its first Asian lead, this Marvel adventure is less cool than it thinks it is. Review

Mounted with well-developed characters and preserving tension at all times, Bad Tales is a terribly cruel, darkly compelling, sometimes-obscene film that perfectly articulates the toxicity and psychological consequences that result from the severe alienation between parents and children. Technically, the film achieves satisfactory results in the cinematography, editing and art direction departments. Review

Constantly on the move, this Roy Andersson-inspired mosaic (without the eccentricities) found a subtle, almost delicate way to convey happiness, sadness, trauma, conflict, forgiveness, loneliness, social problems, aging, disappointment, frustration, beliefs and hope. It’s a different Christmas turned never-boring cinematic promenade that resulted more satisfactory than what was initially thought. Review