Reviews

This is a beautiful documentary that captures film-making at it's very best. It shows us the independent maverick John Sayles doing a film in Mexico with an amazing cast of both American and Mexican actors. This documentary goes beyond the behind the scenes and explores the real themes of Sayles's movie, primarily foreign adoption and the social economic realities of Latin American. The music on this documentary is quite amazing as well. They use a mix of Latin music such as Lhasa de Sela and few others and a some tracks from Cuba's hip hop band the Orishas. This documentary is featured as an extra in the "Casa de los Babys" DVD.

I caught "On the Run" at the Screening Room in New York and was immediately seduced by its true independent spirit. Starring Michael Imperioli and John Ventimiglia from The Sopranos cast, "On the Run" sets us up in a 24-hour wild ride in the city that never sleeps, as we follow the meanderings of an introspective sales agent who is suddenly dragged by his long-gone school companion, just out of jail. In fact he has escaped from it and is "on the run" looking for some action and a glimpse of life amidst the great metropolis. Powered by great performances, this movie gives us back the old feeling of 70's pics, with both characters rediscovering themselves as they blaze across town bumping into wild events and locals. An elegy to a certain side of New York that seems to be disappearing, "On the Run" displays great sensitivity and humour. I predict it to be a cult classic that urges to be discovered: future viewers should definitely surrender to this nocturnal trip.

I saw this film in a Portuguese movie theater when I was visiting Lisbon years ago. I found it to be incredibly beautiful and mysterious. The French actor Claude Brasseur is really great in it and the whole feeling of the film reminds me of The Third Man. This director captured the city in an extraordinary way and plays with the camera to cross over the reality/imaginary line. Quite amazing. I returned to Lisbon years later and actually found the videotape for sale, so I bought it and have seen many times since. The music is by Zbigniew Preisner who wrote the music for Kieslowsky's The Double Life of Veronica.