huineman's Reviews

Money Heist (2017–2021)

2/10

Plagiarism, fan service & product placement.

2 May 2024

They say the first two seasons are the good ones. These review is for the first two seasons.

"Inside Man" meets "The Dark Knight" meets "The Lavender Hill Mob" meets (of course) "Way Down". That much for plagiarism.

Skin, making out, thongs, more skin, young bodies sweating, twerking, even more skin. That much for fan service.

Estrella Galicia, Cola-Cao, Cabreiroá. That much for product placement. The beer placement is particularly obnoxious.

The script has way too many flaws, the need for romance permeates everything to the brink of boredom, some characters are plain dull and undeveloped.

Kudos to Kiti Manver, Pedro Alonso and Paco Tous. On the other side, please make sure your narrator can enunciate and your young actors can act and are not just hot bods for fan service.

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Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper (1984)

Season 1, Episode 1

7/10

It has aged well

5 October 2023

The pilot to Miami Vice looks cool after almost 40 years. Everything being shot on location, superbly edited, with those very nice cars and boats (car and boat chase is a classic), great music that has become iconic (including all the songs), the ultra-tacky clothing (man!)...

Sonny Crockett is the initial downside to the pilot as he begins as a total cliché: a bombastic, egotistical, misogynistic, self-centered, violent and corny cop; but being surrounded (in the 80s, let's not forget) by a black buddy, a latino boss and an alligator pet, there's hope in the horizon for him to change, and that was left open but well-hinted in this episode.

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Wayback (2020)

5/10

Breath of the Wild meets Oblivion

5 August 2022

And that's basically all there is to say about this short, I'm affraid. No dialogue whatsoever, Zelda-esque graphics, Oblvion-y setting. And near zero story. Nice drawing, though.

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The Kid (1921)

8/10

100 Years of Joy

6 February 2021

Came back to a theater today to see this great classic that has been re-premiered as it turns a century old (it was premiered Feb. 6, 1921) and it feels as great as if it were brand new.

Silent? Of course. Kids around me were asking their parents "why don't they speak?" B/W? Of course, and artsy films nowadays are shot that way to make them look, well, artsy. Just above one hour? Damn sure, and you know it. And it makes you sit tight that full hour and want more and more Chaplin, oh boy.

But even so, if you have the chance, go to a theater nearby and check magnificent Chaplin and Coogan (that wonderful namesake Kid) again. You will never regret it. What a joy.

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Mother! (2017)

8/10

Demiurge and its work

2 October 2017

Demiurge requires time and experience in order to enact its work. You don't get perfection first try; you need to restart quite a few times. Demiurge can press that magic button labeled "reset" and start the play again, something forbidden to us mortals (with the sole exception of video-gamers, blessed be their name.) Demiurge imagines the universe as if it were a countryside cottage; and creation as if it were a poetic work. There are times in which the cottage might get chippings and leaks, when the work is stuck, when one is found at a loss for words, when the word that was in the beginning (for in the beginning was the Word) fails and doesn't come to one. Demiurge needs Inspiration, for Inspiration is the mother (Mother!) of everything, at least from Demiurge's point of view.

And when Inspiration fails, all the universe crumbles, all creation falls down. Creation, its child, its child and that of Inspiration, their child bestowed upon the world in generous sacrifice, their greatest gift and success, their legacy and heritage, dies, withers off and rots because of us, for Demiurge has not created the perfect creation but a corrupted and derelict one.

The only thing left to do is press "reset" and start anew, learning from errors, crystallizing past experiences and commencing from them...

Hopefully, this time it'll all be fine.

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One Hour with You (1932)

8/10

Surprisingly modern

9 October 2015

This classic comedy by acclaimed director Ernst Lubitsch (author of such films as "To Be or Not to Be" or "Ninotchka") displays brilliant humour, catching songs and incredibly modern points of view without ever leaving the vintage atmosphere of the time it was filmed.

The issue of unfaithfulness is addressed in a way one would not suppose in a 1930's feature. Far from giving the viewer moral lessons, the movie leaves several doors open and even asks the public what would they do in a case like the one presented. The breaking of the fourth wall in doing so is another modern aspect that will take modern viewers by surprise (a very nice surprise, by the bye).

No morals, no precepts, a lot of irony and sensibility; all disguised in evening dresses, bow ties, Art Deco, classic cars and that fantastic vaudeville style. Don't judge it by its age or fashion: many present films are not as modern as this is.

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Whisky Galore! (1949)

8/10

A Sip of Good Scotch

23 January 2014

A good whisky needs time to fully express itself; drinking it without its having reached its maturity just won't do. Well, like a great whisky, this film has developed itself over time. Already 65 years old, and that is certainly a long period of ageing, "Whisky Galore" is still crisp, certain, subtle and appealing, what you would expect both a great spirit and a great film to be. Like the perfect sip, it gets ahold of you from the very beginning, captivating the drinker (or the viewer) with calculated pace and timing, keeping your interest from start to finish. The movie deals easily with complex issues, such as the relation between parents and offspring, military and civilian, State and folk, always leaning towards the weaker. Ever gentle, it will make you smile and leave you with a nice reminiscence lingering for a long time: once again, just as a glass of the best scotch would do. Cheers!

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Guadalquivir (2013)

7/10

Great Documentary

10 January 2014

This film unravels itself while following both the river flow and the adventures of a fox. The shots, the images, are flawless, even though some of the scenes involve tamed animals (most noticeable those of golden eagles). In spite of that, most takes must have meant outstanding struggle and patience; some that deserve being highlighted are, just to name a few among many others: a seemingly clumsy chameleon going from a tiny branch to another, deer wallowing in mud, or black vultures prevailing over griffon ones.

Duration is well adjusted lest the movie becomes tiring (one of the greatest problems of documentaries) but, the narrative gets corny oftentimes (another frequent problem of documentaries). Flamenco singer Estrella Morente isn't perhaps the best option for the voice-over albeit, one might forgive her after listening to the ending song (based on a poem by Antonio Machado), simply brilliant.

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Modern Times (1936)

9/10

A Humble Essay on Chaplin's "Modern Times"

8 January 2014

Warning: Spoilers

In this film Chaplin explores the alienation suffered by men in, as the title goes, "Modern Times" in which man is just another cogwheel within a colossal machine -as can be literally observed at the beginning.

The movie starts criticizing everyman's role in society: immediately after a shot of sheep passing by there is another one of workmen coming out of the subway for work. Man has become not only unnecessary but just a mere element of that herd unthinkingly going wherever the shepherd (i.e., the leaders) wants to.

Chaplin displays strong criticism towards capitalist society for it seeks production alone, leaving worker's well-being aside (even trying to minimize lunchtime by using worker-feeding machines) and splitting work into minute tasks up to the level of driving the protagonist crazy: forced to repeat once and again the sole act of fastening hex nuts he ends up spastic and compulsively trying to fasten anything that might resemble hex nuts (we could say "he's nuts over hex nuts". Easy joke, but I couldn't resist it.)

Critique goes on: constant surveillance (even in toilets), bureaucratic management of orphanages (already explored in Chaplin's "The Kid"); fear of freedom (expressed by the main character's willingness of staying in prison for he's much safer and even cozier); Police draconian measures (as seen when a starving kid is arrested after stealing a loaf of bread.)

Chaplin employed sound to further elaborate his statement. Thus, even though the film is mainly silent, sound is used throughout its footage with a clear intention: voices are only heard when they come out of mechanical devices, meaning the dehumanization of technology (the president of the factory's voice whenever he speaks on-screen, the recorded disc that accompanies the worker-feeding machine, or the radio in prison.)

Sheer differences between rich and poor, or political persecution of dissenting ideas are some other issues related to post-1929 USA's capitalism dealt with in this movie. Something which in turn cost Chaplin being blacklisted due to his alleged communism. Although he always denied these charges, pressure finally drove him out of the USA and to Switzerland.

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Isle of Flowers (1989)

10/10

Will keep you pensive for long

15 January 2008

Very seldom is one given the opportunity to watch a documentary like Ilha das Flores. It is less a TV product than an essay not written but filmed, and well filmed indeed. The ideas displayed throughout barely quarter an hour are so many and so profound that you might need more than one view to assimilate them all; but the script is so agile that you will never grow bored. Instead, even if you are not in the mood for documentaries at the beginning, will find yourself deeply interested in this humble production within minutes, if not seconds. But remember, you are not dealing with an entertainment product but with one of the best lessons of ethics you might come across ever. Anyway, that you will realize for sure at the end of the film, when its ideas, lingering in your head, will keep you pensive for long.

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Flatworld (1997)

9/10

A new reality

30 May 2007

The story of "Flatworld" is a funny and entertaining one, a bit slow at times; nevertheless what this film is worth being watched for is the reality it develops. Let's explain it.

Greaves' second animated short after his 1991 Oscar winning debut displays loads of imagination by means of a three-dimensional environment in which all objects and subjects are actually two-dimensional and made out of stationery. The world resulting is a "Flatworld", coherent and consistent, where people can slip through crannies, one can get rid of an angry dog by just crumpling it, beard is not shaven but erased, police officers shoot no bullets but staples instead and if you get injured, just wrapping some tape around the wound will do.

In another turn of the screw, Greaves allows his flat world to encounter the standard two-dimensional cartoon world, thus enhancing the differences between them two.

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The Prestige (2006)

4/10

Every great magic trick consists of three acts

28 May 2007

The first act is called "The Pledge"; The magician shows you something ordinary, but of course... it probably isn't. In this particular case, the audience is shown nothing less than Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale displaying their magical acting and accompanied by a magic deck with cards so valuable as Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Andy Serkis and David Bowie.

The second act is called "The Turn"; The magician makes his ordinary something do something extraordinary. The magician goes by the name of Christopher Nolan, and his something extraordinary is the filming of this movie, which captivates from the very beginning: the settings, the pace, the staging, everything is managed in a way the audience will but get hooked.

Now if you're looking for the secret... you won't find it, that's why there's a third act called, "The Prestige"; this is the part with the twists and turns, where lives hang in the balance, and you see something shocking you've never seen before. True. But if what you never saw before comes to be some "Deus ex machina" sleight of hand, part of the audience shall feel cheated; and all the previous work, though highly remarkable, will end up being part of a trick that lacks "the prestige".

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