redd0487 Reviews

True Detective: Night Country: Part 4 (2024) Season 4, Episode 4

S4E4 stabishes an important mark: Season 2 is no longer the worst one

[4/10 · 7 February 2024]

In this episode they consolidates the horror and supernatural elements in the season. The amount of coincidences and increasing metaphysical events direclty influencing in the story shows an abordage that doest fit the serie. And even if it there is a rational explanation for that, like a collective delirium powered by a desease, it is badly consctructed because there isn't enough margin for ambiguity, which would reafirm that the scrip is just... bad.

An undeveloped scrip is also affirmed by the poor dialogs, that tries desesperetaly to imitate Season 1, but sounds too shallow and cringe, and unlikable incompetent chatacters. It kinda reminds the bad dialogs from Season 2, but at least we had there some memorable moments, and a great heavy almost-noir atmosphere (which I consider one of the central elements for the serie, and it is just abandoned in this season).

There is no salvation for the season anymore, and we can just be grateful that Season 1 exists. If you want a good detective show, Mare of Easttown delivers a much more satisfying story.

Negociador (2023)

Lacks of polishing, but very decent.

[6/10 · 9 August 2023]

The acting and production are very decent, and I'm happy to see it don't have some clichés that usually this kind of brazilian production have. The storyline is catching and the action scenes are great. But, in general, it lacks some polishing.

The dialogs sometimes feels forced, and the filming, composition and editing feels so flat and basic. For instance, they have great aerial shots from São Paulo; however, they don't integrate them in the story. It's like the shots are merely some transition effects between cenes. Also, there are some cases of lazy writing, with some storyline gaps that could be easily corrected (although they doesn't ruin the main story).

As a brazilian, I wouldn't strongly recommend it for foregins, since there are many better shows. But, overall, I'm optimistic to see a brazilian production evolving like that. Reminds me of the 2000's action movies.

Irrational Man (2015)

A good tale.

[7/10 · 30 October 2019]

It was my first Woody Allien experience and, although it is not a masterpiece, it is a good movie, since there is a lot of decent things there: good acting, story and characters, kinda slow pacing, etc.

It seemed to me like a short drama tale you could read in a book, like the movies from Guillermo Del Toro, but without the phantasy aspects. The movie itself isn't too long (about 1h40), and the drama flows very naturally, but it's not too introspective; isn't a emotionally heavy movie (like Black Swan).

Also, there are some nice ironies there, wich are enlightened by the animated soundtrack during the "dark" scenes. Some people would call it "comedy", but I wouldn't say it's a comedy movie. It's more like a soft storytell drama.

Like I said, it's not a magnificent movie, but it is very entertaining and well done.

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)

Two good extra episodes from the Breaking Bad serie.

[7/10 · 24 October 2019]

It is a direct sequel to the end of the Breaking bad serie, but exclusively from Pinkman's perspective. It isn't a brilliant movie, but it is the best as it could be, and maybe can be best watched as two extra episodes from the original serie.

Everything is decent: there are the same characters, pacing, photography, soundtrack, dialogues, etc. The flashback scenes were very well made and looks like exactly like the serie eras. Also, if you watch it with attention you can get a bunch of easter eggs.

It is a good closure to Jesse's story.

Roger Waters - Us + Them (2019)

A new way to listen to Dark Side Of The Moon

[9/10 · 4 October 2019]

It's not just a concert. It's a mix between a Roger Waters show and a drama movie, that tells some parallel stories about minorities, war, humanity and all of that stuff you can expect from Waters (so, yeah, it's very political, no surprises here). I was expecting just a concert movie, but the documentary aspect made it superb and very emotional, so it's not just a "boring" regular movie show.

Roger Waters knows how to perform a magnific gig, and this tour sounds just like a modern Pink Floyd, unlike his old tours wich the musics sounded like just a good Pink Floyd cover. Also, it has a very good mix, just like the The Wall Tour, wich is one of the best live mix I've listened.

This time, the projections shows a orb travelling trought our world, just like it would be in a Pink Floyd concert. If it may now sound exactly like Pink Floyd, it at least it LOOKS like what a modern Pink Floyd show would be (of course, with a lot of political questions).

Also, the show is the Dark Side Of The Moon album, but with some songs added in the adulthood part (B side). The order of the songs are perfect and make it a incredible show with a more complex narrative. A must watch for Pink Floyd fans.

(I don't get why people dislike Roger Waters or any people just by his beliefs. Yeah, he says a lot of garbage, including about my country, that he knows nothing about but still saying some superficial stuff. But I can separate Waters pollitical opinions by Waters artistic side, and yeah, this show is a masterpiece and can be enjoyable... unless you REALLY like Trump.)

Black Summer (2019–2021)

Simple and enjoyable.

[6/10 · 17 April 2019]

It isn't a magnificent serie, but isn't a bad one, considering that the zombie theme is kinda overused. It's decent, from the acting to the photography and the cameras (bonus for the first shots with drone camera), although there one or two bad transitions.

Don't expect too much happening, (specially the first five episodes): it's kinda minimalist, with almost no music, slow pacing, and no main character; but that's what makes the situations plausible in that kind of scenario. It's more like a drama and thriller than action genre (except the last episodes).

The zombies (very dangerous, even one of them) and the melancholic gray-ish atmosphere reminds me of the "28 Days Later" movie, but with a documentary touch. The scenes are split by chapters, like a book.

Cons: there are some blank spaces between the three last episodes; although it seems proposital, it's a little confusing. Also, if I'm not wrong, not every gun drops its bullet shells during shots.

It won't be in my top favourite series, but it's a very enjoyable one. It's good, so far. Give it a chance if you like the apocalypse theme, specially "28 Days Later" movies, and if you doesn't like the first two episodes doesn't expect too much changes.

A Hologram for the King (2016)

Not a masterpiece, but enjoyable and easy-watching.

[6/10 · 26 February 2019]

It is a movie that you will forget very soon. There is nothing new and it made me fell that I was waiting all the time for something to happen. Also, there is a strange atmosphere in the movie, like everyone is plotting against Tom Hanks.

BUT, once you understand that that is the goal of the movie (lack of plot twist, the strange atmosphere, etc.), it becomes kinda enjoyable (I wish I had understood that sooner to better enjoy the history). And I think the "strange atmosphere" is done due the big different of culture in Saudi Arabia, so that is a big pro. It have a nice photography and good acting, and they show a lot of culture of Saudi Arabia (I think that is one of the best in this movie. It's similar to a documentary, in that aspect).

There is no strong comedy or drama, although they should cut some of the drama there, but, If you don't expect too much and want to watch something unpretentiously you can watch this film.

House of Cards (2013–2018)

Did you tought Lost had the worst finale?

[5/10 · 15 November 2018]

It was one of my favourite series... but it had an awful finale. I just never saw something going so disappointing like that. After Season 4, it is a downhill. They should have ended there, or at least in Season 5, with Kevin Spacey.

The Awakener (2018)

Watchable.

[5/10 · 12 November 2018]

I was going to watch the movie open minded, since I like Brazilian movies as a Brazilian. Even considering that Brazil usually does not make good action movies.

The 5 stars I give is for some action scenes, some CGI (except the final scene) and the city, that is kind of mash-up of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Also, it have a nice urban atmosphere. I admit that the movie could take my attention all the time, but there are some things that distracted me and could not made the movie good.

The actors: they act like robots. And as a Brazilian, I can say that no one speaks like they... there is always a punch or a saying. Everything is just unnatural, and I think the worse part is the villains, that are so much caricature (why they laugh all the time? This isn't a cartoon).

The action scenes: there are some over-action scenes there. The main character is kinda overpower, but there is no justification for that. Also, the are some unnecessary parkour stunts (why jump with a backflip when you can just jump?). Some scenes are just good because of the post edition (camera cuts).

The mask: the way that the main character gets the mask is unnatural, or maybe stupid. How could he know about the red lights? It is terrible.

I could write about some other bad scenes and ideas, like the unnecessary length of the movie, but I will just say that it is watchable, specially if you are Brazilian. If not, maybe you won't like at all the movie.