DavCastaneda Reviews

How I Met Your Father (2022–2023)

It is not supposed to be HIMYM

[6/10 · 19 January 2022]

I remember when I watched the HIMYM pilot, and I didn't like it so much, and it eventually becomes one of my favorites shows of all time This shows takes a lot from HIMYM (you can see that even in the intro), but it is supposed to find its own voice and, I think it will, and it starts pretty good

If you want to see HIMYM again, you can always go watch it, but remember what Barney used to say:

New is always better.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)

Maximum expression of art

[10/10 · 19 June 2020]

The cinema is a meeting of all the arts in a rectangle. When there are so many things in the same place, so many tones, colors, expressions and ways to take you out somewhere to tell you a story, it is hard to keep everything in balance and don't be carried away by what is most striking, so at the end you can miss the full picture and what is like to listen a story as a whole. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg finds that balance better than any other movie ever made, and reaches a tipping point in the representation of any technical aspect.

I think we all go to the movies not just to enjoy the technical aspects, not even to listen a story; well, yes, but we go to the movies to feel, to get excited, to be moved. Jacques Demy knows how to play with that.

This movie will leave you with a lump in your throat, with a tune in your head, and with a pretty clear and confusing idea of what is love to you.

Even if you don't like the opera (movies are better), you've got to see this movie.

Esmeralda's Twilight (2018)

As the main character, we just wait

[7/10 · 7 June 2020]

The movie presents an incredible introduction that shows you the acting ability of its main character and the intelligent direction style.

The first big problem is that we are never really able to empathize with the pig character, cause the protagonist's life becomes positive from a scene to the next one, depriving us of seeing how the character evolves or how the pig is affecting her life. We see that it does, but not how, so, it never becomes a lovable or a trascendental character.

In not doing so, we never really care about what happens. Yeah, at some point it is irrelevant, 'cause the important thing is to see how that relationship affects the main character, more than the audience, but at not doing that, we never understand the feelings of the lady either.

I think the biggest mistake is in the third act, 'cause at a certain point the plot gets lost and never moves; we don't see a real conclusion, or the resolution of any conflict.

Anyway, Cría Puercos is a movie that stars on the right foot; and the good direction, the well-constructed dialogues and the acting ability of the main character keeps you interested of what is going to happen (even if it never really happen).

Life (I) (2017)

A good enough sci-fi horror movie

[7/10 · 6 June 2020]

Life has more achievements than mistakes, but it fails the most at the repetition of a well-known plot. If you haven't seen a lot of sci-fi horror movies, it will surprise you and keep you with it, from beginning to end. If you have seen enough (Alien is enough), it will be just entertained.

I think a repeated story can't be judged as a bad one, but Life falls into the same mistakes than other movies in that genre: A little predictable, quite repetitive.

Anyway, putting that aside, it has its achievements: A direction that is interesting since the movie starts; a pretty good cinematography; an excelent use of sound that keeps you in the terrifying atmosphere, even closing your eyes; good actings, better than the characters themselves; great visual effects and a good use of montage, particularly in the conclusion.

Now, it certainly has its biggest mistake in the repeated story, but also in its flat characters, that you can't believe sometimes 'cause they don't really act like scientists, and on how predictable the argument can become. It presents a strong plot point, so the rest of the movie you can expect more than you receive: Some jumpscares and the constant repetition of the same event.

While it is a story we've heard before, they know how to tell it you in an interesting way, so if you haven't listen it before, this is going to be a really good first time.

The Black Cauldron (1985)

Another well done animation with a flat story

[6/10 · 6 June 2020]

The animation is not outstanding, but it is good enough.

The story has its problems. There are people saying this movie is underrated cause it is too dark, and I dont understand why. I think there are dark movies, even Disney movies like Pinocchio or Bambi, but the Black Cauldron is not one of those. It is not the most colorful, neither a the most childish, but is not the darkest one

Anyway, that's not why this is a bad movie: There are irrelevant characters, there is not an evolution arc in the main character, also he didn't even resolve the conflict, there is a flat villain, a predictable conclusion, even back in 80s.

I think that they didn't really care about the story, so, the not outstanding but good enough animation is the only good thing in this.

You can watch it and forget it.

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

A movie about real ghosts

[10/10 · 6 June 2020]

This is definitely one of the best movies of all time. There is no much to say.

This is one of those movies that is better to watch without any information about it. It is good how it plays with you, using so many resources, mixing so different genres, telling you a story with words, and another one with images.

It is a little short, but also, this is really effective. It never lets go of your mind, and keeps you sit and quiet.

Anyone who loves cinema can't miss this.

The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)

Emotional, beautiful, nostalgic and captivating

[9/10 · 6 June 2020]

One of the best Ghibli movies.

Beautifully narrated, this movie is a ride through the bamboos, to tell a pretty good story, using an incredble animation style, and leaving you an important message.

I think we need more movies like this: with a captivating story, with an intelligent technique.

However, this is not a perfect movie. It hesitates a little bit in the third act, it is longer that it should be, and the argument is never really solid.

Anyway, not a perfect movie, but most of all beautiful, with all its faults.

Paprika (2006)

Let's dream it

[8/10 · 5 June 2020]

An intelligent plot, a pretty good sci-fi movie, but an excellent visual proposal.

Paprika is one of those movies you are going to see more than once, and still find new stuff every time you see it. It's a movie hidden in the little things.

I think it can be a bit confusing the first time you see it, but anyway it is worth it.

As a dream, it starts somewhere in the middle of what we understand as logic, and the insanity: and at the end it is totally insane. I think that third act could have been a bit more digestible, because you really get lost between the amazing visuals and the crazy "what's going on" conclusion.

Perhaps we should dream this movie to understand it, 'cause - as our dreams - it doesn't make any sense (and it doesn't have to).

A Star Is Born (1954)

A mix of art and entertainment

[8/10 · 4 June 2020]

The movie excels, most of all, in its technical aspects: pretty good direction; excelent cinematography; and the actings, not the best ones, but memorable.

As a musical, it knows how to show the correctly staging and the great musical numbers at the same time, nice job there (the musical number at the midpoint is the best thing of the movie).

Anyway, you could spent less time on this, but it keeps you entertained and tells you a remarkable story which has led to multiple remakes.

Not the best musical of all time, not the most unforgettable story, and not the best Judy Garland's performance, but it is close in each aspect.

Fritz the Cat (1972)

An animated editorial cartoon

[6/10 · 4 June 2020]

Fritz the Cat is more a political and social critic than a valuable story.

The thing is, you don't have to tell a nonsense story to show the people what is wrong with the society. I appreciate a lot it is trying to go further than just to tell a story, but the thing is it doesn't really care about the story at all.

Everything in this movie has been done depending on the social satire.

I'm not saying it has to be entertaining to be good (it is entertaining), just put the same effort you've put in the critic, in the plot.

I think we could have seen this movie in a political newspaper.

Midsommar (2019)

A good-looking nonsense

[7/10 · 3 June 2020]

I think it has several technical values, and especially those interested in cinematography or filmmaking are going to enjoy them a lot.

I am just disappointed with how the story was progressively less relevant that their technical aspects. The first hour was actually pretty good; after that, the characters lose their motivations, the things get weird just because, we got interesting but also irrelevant scenes, and we left everything we were building behind.

I believe that a great movie is more about an unforgettable story, than an outstanding cinematography.

Triangle (2009)

A puzzle with missing pieces

[7/10 · 2 June 2020]

Regardless of the plot holes, it is an interesting and entertaining movie that never lets go the hand of the audience.

It could be slowed down in some point, and a little predictable, but after all you stay in your chair, completely absorbed.

A generic modern thriller, but still pretty good.

Song of the Sea (2014)

Sweet bedtime story

[8/10 · 2 June 2020]

The thing with the indie animated movies is that we usually get a unique visually striking way to introduce ourselves into a pecular world, and a pecular story, that we don't hear every day.

I think that is beautiful, but I always find something in the plot that doesn't immerse me into the story, not at all. There is always something missing, that they don't tell us, and sometimes we don't realize, cause we find ourselves lost in the greatest visual art.

I hope to listen a story as good and well-cared as their visuals.

Anyway, if you are not very meticulous, this is a charming, adorable movie.

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Try not to smile

[10/10 · 2 June 2020]

This movie is a parade of art, soaked in cinema.

Singin' in the rain doesn't stop from beginning to end. It has a real combination of arts, coexisting with each other in perfect harmony. It is sad they don't do movies like this anymore.

It deserves more than a ten, even being imperfect (it is perfect, even being imperfect).

One the greatest musicals of all time. Every film lover must see it.

Over the Garden Wall (2014)

A particular journey to the unknown

[8/10 · 1 June 2020]

Over the Garden Wall goes below the surface to tell a singular deep story.

I think it is almost perfect in its not-superficial plot, but it has to care just a bit more of the superficial one, because it's that what the average viewer is going to see.

There are some episodes that feels like filling, because do not contribute anything to the superficial plot, and we are talking about a ten-episode miniseries. If you are attentive, you realize they are trying to communicate a bigger idea, deep down; but I think they could have done that and care about what they were building up there.

Anyway, really good animation with a lot of easter eggs for the fans, good narrative, lovable characters, all that in sync with great music and telling you an immersive story.

I would have liked to see more.

Soylent Green (1973)

A good ending does not justify a bad movie

[7/10 · 31 May 2020]

This is not a really bad movie, it has interesting sequences and a terrific idea of our future. Not great actings, but good enough, and a nice cinematography and direction.

The problem is that it is really obvious trying to tell the audience: "this is going to be you in some years". There are entire sequences trying to tell us the same thing. I really think they could be a little more discreet in the transmission of the message, because it has been constantly placed on the table the entire movie, and we've got it in the first ten minutes.

Anyway, it has a really good ending, that justify the fact it is a sci-fi thriller, but can't rescue the hour we left behind, and also I think we can attribute what makes it good to the source material, not to the screewriters.

Not an outstantding movie, with a good resolution.

Focus (II) (2015)

A romantic comedy disguised as a con movie

[8/10 · 31 May 2020]

It's not a bad movie. It is certainly full of good twists and con sequences that play with you and lead you to a good resolution. It doesn't try to be more that it pretends: that doesn't make it a perfect movie, but sincere and entertaining.

The first hour is better than the second one, and I think it has to do with the mixture of genres and the search for the tone. There are sequences where the genres fight each other, trying to be at the same time a con movie and a rom-com.

At the end of the day, not the most memorable plot, but an interesting proposition in the search for the tone, with good actings, well-done twists and con sequences. A movie that delivers what it promises, and nothing more.

It's worth a careful and focused look.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015)

Keep him in water

[7/10 · 31 May 2020]

The first hour of the movie is just a long episode, and it works and keeps you entertained.

The last half-hour is just sad, because you can see how the character breaks to try to empathize with the new audience. It is like seeing our grandparents trying to talk in a younger language, to fit their grandchildren. It transforms into a superhero movie, with a bizarre 20 minutes action sequence, and when we are finally going to get back to normal, there is a weird rap interrupting the good ending and the good taste it could still leave us.

If this was not a pretext to fit, they could use Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy, and make a nice 2D SpongeBob superhero great movie, but it was a pretext.

I think SpongeBob doesn't need to be a superhero to be still in the hearts of the young people, and that is why the first movie is still way, way much better.

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

Inconsequencial to the universe, relevant to the people

[9/10 · 30 May 2020]

A well-executed movie and a totally relevant plot, even in our days. Rebel Without a Cause is a sad movie that show us that a not understood character may be relevant not to their parents, the people they love, or even themselves, but just to an audience in a theatre. When we get that, we care about the characters.

I Don't get people saying this is really bad, I think they should take another look at it.

If this movie is so trivial - as the teenagers problems - as most people say, well, we probably will forget it in ten years from now (and like my teenage problems, I don't think so).

Ponyo (2008)

A magical sweet adventure

[9/10 · 30 May 2020]

My problem with some Ghibli movies is the fact that usually we were astonished and immersed in the perfect animation, as the story never ends cooking. The message ends up being the most important thing, even more than the plot.

Ponyo finds its own balace between the techniques and the storytelling care. The movie lets you be concerned about the characters, as the animation (perfect, as always) goes to the background.

Risky, but correctly well played.

Demolition Man (1993)

A good picture from the future

[7/10 · 29 May 2020]

Demolition Man has a really interesting proposition on Sci-Fi terrain. It presents a striking future to the audience; even the modern audience. Specially modern audience.

However, the entire movie is built on a really weak argument: no clear motivations from anyone, no well-drawn characters. Everything in this movie has been done to motivate the action, so, neither the story or the characters is so interesting as the action or the scenario proposed.

The future in this movie is the best one character. This story wouldn't work in another way. Or another time.