Movie reviews of Filipe Freitas

Some characters are funnier than others - my favorite being Joaquim (Harvey Guillén) whose sharp tongue is killing - and there’s harmless fun here and there, but overall, this is not a great film, walking a rutted road that feels too familiar to impress. Review

The problem with this neo-noir is the shortage of suspense, which makes it look cerebral. This is curiously overcome by a jocular posture and the succession of betrayals. Review

Sloppy in the period details, unproductive in terms of tension and lacking character depth, the film never really explores the sense of danger, and even less the sense of adventure that could have arisen from a story of this nature. Review

This uninspired, disjointed gay romance gets torpidly stuck in the frivolous details and characters that surround it. Review

Algar’s performance is strong, and while some scenes pay tribute to the retro horror genre, the gore factor is not the main source they feed from, challenging the viewers to see beyond that aspect. Review

Pictorially heavy, Holler is acceptable as a realistic look at a family in distress. It’s neither dull nor glorious, and won’t necessarily make you have a blast of emotion, but finds something positive to say among the sterile environments and the performances are consistently strong throughout. Review

Far from unconventional, Riders of Justice is definitely a no-game changer but arrives free of all stylistic constraints. In addition to the message that everyone needs help, its most relevant aspect is perhaps the space given to each character to show their own self under certain circumstances. It was a frothy cinematic experience for me. Review

Krasinski, who replaced cinematographers with no deterioration in the visual quality, manages to shatter your nerves as he revives the mood of the first chapter, expressing confidence in the concept and edginess in the well-executed action sequences. Review

The final moments are not quite convincing, denoting fragilities in the execution, but the director’s formidably hopeful message sticks in our minds. Review

There’s heart in this fierce and serious tale, but it’s also true that most of its episodes lack the drama that would turn it into the epic envisioned by Guerra... Review

The script already wobbles along the way, and completely crumbles in the last chapters, becoming embarrassingly ludicrous in its pseudo madness and bromidic conclusion. Review

In the Heights feels hysterically lively but provides less funny moments than expected, playing more crowd-pleasing than magical. On top of this, I found the musical scenes a bit tiresome and showy. Review

Paper Spiders rubs the mainstream melodrama, escaping its own grimness through hope while operating solely on a restrained emotional level. Shampanier’s ambitious project was partially saved by the two leads, who do all the heavy lifting. Review

Although with the computer-generated images falling into occasional excesses, Gillespie succeeded in turning this film into a wonderful entertainment-escape, the most fun installment in the franchise. Review

It’s a potent snapshot of a marriage in one of its most emotionally conflicting stages. Review

Even the final twist feels calculated and overcooked, making The Real Thing a frivolous, wishy-washy cinematic experience. Review

Shot with a poetic glow that easily conjures up the timeless feel of European classics (from Truffaut to Godard), this brave little film makes a clear statement without forcing sentiments to arise. Review

It only pays off intermittently with some humorous insubordinations and the vision of furious, silly men hurt in their egos, but other scenes are unnecessarily spoiled by a clumsy playfulness or, like during its final stage, with a disordered arrangement that is anything but convincing. Review

This is the type of vampire flick that works more at the psychological level and doesn’t need to show any fang to involve us in its bizarre, chilly atmosphere. Review

Although categorically artsy and observant in its details, the film is ridiculously long for what it intends to say, flirting with boredom. Review

Put me a bit off, but there was this mental labyrinth against the clock and a super claustrophobic environment making me relatively tuned. Both the scenarios and the special effects are accomplished in a modest sci-fi flick. Review

The long duration of the film and a somewhat soulless approach gives this lesson in life an extra bitterness. Review

The Paper Tigers won’t make the day of Bruce Lee’s fans but, if nothing else, has its heart in the right place. Review

Keeping the tension at a fever pitch, Roehler, who worked from a script by Klaus Richter (their second collaboration), mounted it with some decadently fascinating moments. Review