https://letra.studio/notes/reviews/feed.xml Musings about media. Mostly movies. 2026-03-28T02:32:00+00:00 https://letra.studio/assets/icons/favicon-512.png João Beleza Freire hello@letra.studio https://letra.studio Jekyll https://letra.studio/2026/03/28-dune/ 2026-03-28T02:21:46+00:00 <p><i>Watched 27&nbsp;March 2026, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I always wondered how this movie managed to fit the whole book into little more than two hours. Turns out it never could. Scenes go by so quickly and disjointedly that it feels more like watching a weird music video that’s left up to interpretation. If you take away all the dialogue and leave only the sound effects and Toto score, it probably works very nicely as a Heavy Metal-style psychedelic rock opera trip.</p> <p>I didn’t think it was possible, but the ASMR whispers of characters’ thoughts managed to bring my least favorite aspect of Herbert’s writing to the big screen.</p> <p>It’s fascinating how faithful to the original book it can get. Lynch was seemingly uninterested in, or unable to, bring his own flavor to the story, only really imprinting his personality on the aesthetics. And it seems to me like Lynch’s aesthetics turn really goofy when he is using them to illustrate a story that’s so clearly not his own.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/dune/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2025/09/30-alien-earth-season-1/ 2025-09-30T13:08:40+01:00 <p><i>Watched 16&nbsp;August – 24&nbsp;September 2025, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>With shows of this caliber taking several years of production time between seasons, who thought it was a good idea to provide absolutely zero plot resolution with the finale?</p> <p>Some great episodes, but I’m already annoyed that I’ll probably have to rewatch this season in 2027.</p> https://letra.studio/2025/08/31-sorcerer/ 2025-08-31T15:12:18+01:00 <p><i>Watched 28&nbsp;August 2025, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>couldn’t wait for the movie to end so i could open my internet browser and type in “sorcerer 1977 how did they do that”</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/sorcerer/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2025/08/31-friendship/ 2025-08-31T15:08:02+01:00 <p><i>Watched 29&nbsp;August 2025, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>i always wanted a full episode-length ITYSL sketch, but never thought <i>feature-length</i> could actually work. it did work, but felt a bit too constrained by the realities of Big Movie. giving myself galaxy brain by imagining this as a 20 minute ITYSL skit that never lets you catch your breath</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/friendship-2024/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2025/08/31-the-empty-man/ 2025-08-31T14:48:57+01:00 <p><i>Watched 31&nbsp;August 2025, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>not very relatable when the protagonist blows on a bottle to summon the empty man. highly relatable when the protagonist checks what the empty man is about on wikipedia</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-empty-man/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2025/08/30-weapons/ 2025-08-30T16:54:41+01:00 <p><i>Watched 30&nbsp;August 2025, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>i don’t like playing armchair casting director but i feel pretty strongly that Tim Robinson would have been a good choice here</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/weapons-2025/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2025/08/12-companion/ 2025-08-12T19:52:14+01:00 <p><i>Watched 12&nbsp;August 2025, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>has nothing new to add in terms of sci-fi, lazily adding an iphone app on top of all the basic robot tropes. barely qualifies for the horror or comedy tags. could have been a fun Love, Death and Robots short</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/companion-2025/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2025/08/08-pacific-rim/ 2025-08-08T23:42:23+01:00 <p><i>Rewatched 8&nbsp;August 2025, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>ELBOW ROCKET</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/pacific-rim/1/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2025/04/12-alien-romulus/ 2025-04-12T16:33:57+01:00 <p><i>Watched 12&nbsp;April 2025, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <details class="spoilers"> <summary><em>This review contains spoilers.</em></summary> <p>Sure, it has some issues, but what can I say, I’m a sucker for spaceships with CRT monitors and a good acid vagina humomorph baby coming of age story</p> </details> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/alien-romulus/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2025/01/22-mrs-harris-goes-to-paris/ 2025-01-22T14:33:43+00:00 <p><i>Watched 21&nbsp;January 2025, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I would have been way more excited about this movie from the get go if only the marketing mentioned <i>why</i> Mrs. Harris goes to Paris (obviously because of her ADHD)</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/mrs-harris-goes-to-paris/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2024/06/29-metroid-dread/ 2024-06-29T18:12:58+01:00 <p><i>Played 6–29&nbsp;June 2024 on Nintendo Switch, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Direct and engaging, with a nice digestible length. But I can’t help but feel like the Metroid formula needs to shed some legacy baggage.</p> https://letra.studio/2024/02/01-leave-the-world-behind/ 2024-02-01T20:50:01+00:00 <p><i>Watched 1&nbsp;February 2024, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>[ominous music playing]</p> <p>🍿</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/leave-the-world-behind-2023/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2023/11/21-decision-to-leave/ 2023-11-21T23:57:09+00:00 <p><i>Watched 21&nbsp;November 2023, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>A beautiful puzzle box. Pieces fitting together so satisfyingly, I could practically hear the clicking sounds.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/decision-to-leave/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2023/05/06-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-3/ 2023-05-06T22:00:56+01:00 <p><i>Watched 6&nbsp;May 2023, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I really wish this series could just be its own thing outside the “marvel” “universe”</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-3/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2023/04/23-65/ 2023-04-23T00:03:09+01:00 <p><i>Watched 22&nbsp;April 2023, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Creative team really should have given more control to whoever pitched “t-rex with big burly arms”</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/65/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2022/12/31-andor-season-1/ 2022-12-31T19:24:46+00:00 <p><i>Watched 11–28&nbsp;December 2022, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Star Wars: we live in a society<br />Me: omg so true!!</p> https://letra.studio/2022/12/04-ponyo/ 2022-12-04T03:19:17+00:00 <p><i>Rewatched 3&nbsp;December 2022, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Ponyo fills my heart. It overflows.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/ponyo/3/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2022/11/02-dont-worry-darling/ 2022-11-02T02:18:08+00:00 <p><i>Watched 1&nbsp;November 2022, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Top 50 Flashiest Visual Tricks to Delay Your Mystery Movie Plot Twist as Much as Possible</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/dont-worry-darling/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2022/09/14-thor-love-and-thunder/ 2022-09-14T02:47:15+01:00 <p><i>Watched 13&nbsp;September 2022, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Cringe.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/thor-love-and-thunder/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2022/05/29-top-gun-maverick/ 2022-05-29T00:41:04+01:00 <p><i>Watched 28&nbsp;May 2022, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>The original may be aesthetically superior, with those citric pink sunsets, extended plane porn montages, and glamorously lit sweaty bodies, but this one delivers on thrills and excitement on a much more real and visceral level — and they kept <i>Danger Zone</i>!</p> <p><i>Top Gun</i> is a postcard. <i>Maverick</i> is being there.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/top-gun-maverick/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2022/03/10-after-yang/ 2022-03-10T01:19:34+00:00 <p><i>Watched 9&nbsp;March 2022, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I really want to follow Yang on Instagram and cry at his intensely beautiful and melancholy Live Photos.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/after-yang/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2022/02/20-uncut-gems/ 2022-02-20T01:35:39+00:00 <p><i>Rewatched 19&nbsp;February 2022, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Gets better every time.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/uncut-gems/2/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2022/02/14-nightmare-alley/ 2022-02-14T01:47:10+00:00 <p><i>Watched 13&nbsp;February 2022, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>The tone is pitch-perfect — the aesthetic, the performances, down to how karmically predictable some of the twists are. Love all the little props, such delicate artefacts, all feeling like they could tell a whole story. I couldn’t stop thinking of Ricky Jay, and now I find myself wishing for a Del Toro film about him. Or maybe just the objects he left behind.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/nightmare-alley-2021/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2022/01/27-yellowjackets-season-1/ 2022-01-27T23:53:57+00:00 <p><i>Watched 22–26&nbsp;January 2022, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Brings me back to when TV shows didn’t take themselves super seriously and writers had to include mini cliffhangers before commercial breaks so you wouldn’t change the channel. I love the bits where you can see the seams, like when characters are driving and you can tell that the road projection framerate stutters because it doesn’t match the camera. If only people weren’t scared of pillarboxing this show could have been shot in 4:3 and look even cooler.</p> https://letra.studio/2022/01/14-station-eleven/ 2022-01-14T22:36:41+00:00 <p><i>Watched 21&nbsp;December 2021 – 14&nbsp;January 2022, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>A miracle unfolding in slow motion. Pure, clear, and brimming with understanding. Every episode destroying me and building me back up, each time a different person. I wasn’t ready.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/station-eleven/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2022/01/03-star-wars-visions/ 2022-01-03T09:56:45+00:00 <p><i>Watched 17&nbsp;December 2021 – 3&nbsp;January 2022</i></p> <p>Cool animation, but the presence of lightsabers in every single episode reveals a frustrating lack of imagination.</p> https://letra.studio/2021/11/15-finch/ 2021-11-15T01:08:48+00:00 <p><i>Watched 14&nbsp;November 2021, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>For nearly two hours, the entire world disappeared and I wanted nothing more than to see a dog trust a robot.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/finch/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2021/10/25-the-voyeurs/ 2021-10-25T01:06:26+01:00 <p><i>Watched 24&nbsp;October 2021, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I couldn’t possibly predict twists this dumb, and that just made them all the more effective. Hats off to this movie!</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-voyeurs-2021/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2021/09/19-nobody/ 2021-09-19T22:12:49+01:00 <p><i>Watched 19&nbsp;September 2021, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>John Wick has been losing its way but this movie knows what it’s all about. A blur of a 90-minute punch in the face — just enough to put you in the hospital, not enough to kill you of overstimulation.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/nobody-2021/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2021/08/20-stowaway/ 2021-08-20T04:08:25+01:00 <p><i>Watched 19&nbsp;August 2021</i></p> <p>I learned that Toni Collette is australian in real life. Next: do solar storms actually look like that? This movie is great at making me want to check Wikipedia.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/stowaway-2021/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2021/08/12-evangelion-3010-thrice-upon-a-time/ 2021-08-12T23:53:07+01:00 <p><i>Watched 12&nbsp;August 2021</i></p> <p>Release, at last.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/evangelion-3010-thrice-upon-a-time/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2021/08/07-animal-crossing-new-horizons/ 2021-08-07T00:37:30+01:00 <p><i>Played 20&nbsp;March 2020 – 27&nbsp;April 2021 on Nintendo Switch, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Just… so many good feelings from this game. I’ll cherish it forever.</p> https://letra.studio/2021/04/24-for-all-mankind-season-2/ 2021-04-24T10:58:02+01:00 <p><i>Watched 22–24&nbsp;April 2021, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Once again this show attempts to strike a good balance between People Drama and Society Drama, but this season’s timeskip tilted the scales and made it clear that the long game is always going to be about the societal outcomes first. Character moments are less emotionally effective as a result, but boy is the spectacle of the alternate timeline geopolitics worth the tradeoff. Season 1 got me invested. But now I’m <em>excited</em>.</p> https://letra.studio/2021/04/23-for-all-mankind-season-1/ 2021-04-23T02:43:06+01:00 <p><i>Watched 19–22&nbsp;April 2021, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I’m super into this space trauma and societal progress nerdfest.</p> <p>It may sometimes feel predictable and clichéd but I just want to engross myself in this alternate history, and the level of realism is more than good enough to support that by my standards.</p> https://letra.studio/2021/04/21-the-year-earth-changed/ 2021-04-21T20:12:44+01:00 <p><i>Watched 21&nbsp;April 2021</i></p> <p>Like leafing through a big coffee table book. Not particularly insightful, but very nice pictures.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-year-earth-changed/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2021/04/09-godzilla-king-of-the-monsters/ 2021-04-09T07:14:25+01:00 <p><i>Rewatched 8&nbsp;April 2021, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>The uncanny valley between the ponderous Godzilla 2014 and the bombastically campy Godzilla vs. Kong. I’m sorry but if you want to make a serious movie you have to stick to the serious monsters, you can’t put on the three-headed electric dragon and big moth. Pokémon aren’t scary.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/godzilla-king-of-the-monsters-2019/1/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2021/04/01-godzilla-vs-kong/ 2021-04-01T03:19:33+01:00 <p><i>Watched 31&nbsp;March 2021, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Silly as heck. No hesitation. This movie delivers.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/godzilla-vs-kong/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2021/02/03-the-expanse-season-5/ 2021-02-03T12:15:11+00:00 <p><i>Watched 16&nbsp;December 2020 – 3&nbsp;February 2021, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>This series has built so much, and gone so far. The transition from “Game of Thrones in space” to one of the most poignant human dramas in science fiction has been a true joy to witness.</p> https://letra.studio/2021/01/14-the-x-files/ 2021-01-14T23:40:38+00:00 <p><i>Rewatched 14&nbsp;January 2021, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>More exciting than I remembered, but still disappointing and, at best, inessential. It tries too hard, and also not hard enough. Like most TV-to-film adaptations, the <i>texture</i> feels wrong. Character-wise, the plot isn’t much more than condensed retreading of old ground. And worst of all, it shows too much! It’s certainly a big-screen adventure, but the desire for one-upmanship has the side effect of making the world, the conspiracies, and even the aliens seem small and shallow.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-x-files/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2020/10/19-drill-dozer/ 2020-10-19T06:05:20+01:00 <p><i>Played 4&nbsp;September – 19&nbsp;October 2020 on Game Boy Advance, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>There’s some interesting ideas and clever mechanics here, but I could never get past the clunky, sluggish controls. Movement expressiveness is limited to such a degree that neither platforming nor combat feel good.</p> https://letra.studio/2020/09/27-good-sudoku/ 2020-09-27T18:10:47+01:00 <p><i>Played 23&nbsp;July – 27&nbsp;September 2020 on iPhone, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>In just a few short weeks, this game took me from sudoku dilettante to completing Sunday “Pro 💀” puzzles in 20 minutes without hints (if I’m feeling patient enough). Good Sudoku has taught me more about sudoku than I ever thought I’d want to learn.</p> <p>Jan Willem Nijman <a href="https://twitter.com/jwaaaap/status/1286379827298213891">said it best</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>This game is incredibly cyberpunk, like you just slam a new ai deck into your neocortex to kick ass at sudoku.</p> </blockquote> https://letra.studio/2020/09/06-the-finest-hours/ 2020-09-06T13:55:19+01:00 <p><i>Watched 3&nbsp;September 2020, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Gotta get over the bar</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-finest-hours-2016/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2020/08/27-tenet/ 2020-08-27T03:14:17+01:00 <p><i>Watched 26&nbsp;August 2020, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>A very cool sensorial experience, but emotionally shallow. It tries, but there’s too much time bullshit for character motivations and plot structure to survive. A movie made for endless YouTube explainers.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/tenet/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2020/06/09-rick-and-morty-season-4/ 2020-06-09T01:56:23+01:00 <p><i>Watched 11&nbsp;November 2019 – 2&nbsp;June 2020, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>My diagnosis: <cite>Rick and Morty</cite> has gone too meta. I want to laugh because the show is funny, not because the writers are clever.</p> https://letra.studio/2020/05/11-underwater/ 2020-05-11T04:33:31+01:00 <p><i>Watched 11&nbsp;May 2020, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Solid genre entertainment. Not much more than what I expected, but it’s well done, straightforward, looked cool. 90 minutes club!</p> <p>Kirsten Stewart has the best shaky hands I’ve ever seen on film. This movie is worth watching for her performance alone. The rest of the cast was… okay.</p> <p>In the end I was left with some questions: Was this at some point meant to be a Cloverfield sequel? Why does it look like it was edited for commercial breaks? Were the voice-overs really necessary? Was the girlboss-beat-drop end credits song picked by a focus group?</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/underwater-2020/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2020/03/19-lumines-remastered/ 2020-03-19T10:57:08+00:00 <p><i>Played 23&nbsp;December 2019 – 15&nbsp;January 2020 on Nintendo Switch, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>It’s cool, but I’d rather just play Tetris.</p> https://letra.studio/2020/03/11-the-outsider-season-1/ 2020-03-11T19:10:15+00:00 <p><i>Watched 13&nbsp;January – 9&nbsp;March 2020, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>First half was great: intriguing mystery and plot developments, great characters. Then the mystery is completely resolved, and the second half is mostly seeing the characters catch up with what the audience already knows and doing lots of talking in cars. It ended with a whimper, and I was disappointed.</p> https://letra.studio/2020/03/11-picross-s/ 2020-03-11T18:15:18+00:00 <p><i>Played 12&nbsp;January – 11&nbsp;March 2020 on Nintendo Switch, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I love me some Picross, but they really phoned it in with the UI and controls in this one. No touchscreen support and no option to use the right stick means you can never really play one-handed, and that’s just incredibly frustrating for such a simple game.</p> https://letra.studio/2020/03/10-celeste-farewell/ 2020-03-10T15:59:00+00:00 <figure class="post-figure photos"> <img class="fill" src="/uploads/celeste-totals.jpg" alt="The Progress screen in Celeste, showing full game completion, at a cost of over 23 thousand deaths and 66 hours of gameplay." > </figure> <p><i>Played 9&nbsp;September – 23&nbsp;December 2019 on Nintendo Switch, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Not many games have rewarded me with such a deep sense of accomplishment. <cite>Celeste</cite> gives me life.</p> https://letra.studio/2020/03/08-wonder-woman/ 2020-03-08T18:58:13+00:00 <p><i>Watched 8&nbsp;March 2020, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I’m glad women can use violence for good too, but this movie is… kinda basic? It’s as if they couldn’t get approval for “girl power” without putting in some bad tropes and clichés to balance it out. Yes, representation matters, but it depresses me that this is what we’re settling for as progress. Excusing it as an escapist piece of pulpy action would be fine, but I don’t think it’s very good at that, either.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/wonder-woman-2017/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2020/02/29-jumanji-the-next-level/ 2020-02-29T06:46:07+00:00 <p><i>Watched 28&nbsp;February 2020, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Put Awkwafina in every movie</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/jumanji-the-next-level/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2020/02/10-ford-v-ferrari/ 2020-02-10T06:46:34+00:00 <p><i>Watched 10&nbsp;February 2020, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Silly me, I thought this was going to be a film about famous automotive designer Carroll Shelby designing and building a car from scratch. Nope, at some point Matt Damon just pulls a tarp and there it is — the car got designed and assembled off-screen and just needs some tweaks under the hood. The design differences that give Ford an edge over Ferrari are never quite explored except for “ours is faster” and “Italians are arrogant.” I guess dramatizing the design process doesn’t quite fit into the standard cookie-cutter biopic formula.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/ford-v-ferrari/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2020/02/08-little-women/ 2020-02-08T11:10:22+00:00 <p><i>Watched 7&nbsp;February 2020, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>This story has a point to make and the film certainly gets to it. The nonlinear editing wasn’t hard to keep up with, but it feels like an attempt at injecting more nuance and challenge into a script that didn’t have much of either. There are several effective emotional moments, but as a whole it just didn’t reach me on a very profound level. It might simply not be for me, or I might have ruined it by watching <cite>Uncut Gems</cite> right before.</p> <p>Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh were brilliant. I know Emma Watson is like that in real life too, but on camera her acting always looks a bit over the top. And I can’t say I cared for Laura Dern’s performance as the saint-level impossibly emotionally stable mother. And boy was casting Bob Odenkirk a mistake — I couldn’t control my laughter when he showed up, and all attempts at seriousness just failed whenever he was on screen.</p> <p>Despite all the faults I saw in it, I still very much enjoyed my time with the film. It’s refreshing to see a drama where everyone is just <i>so nice</i> every now and then.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/little-women-2019/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2020/02/08-uncut-gems/ 2020-02-08T01:42:01+00:00 <p><i>Watched 7&nbsp;February 2020, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>The world feels a little different after watching <cite>Uncut Gems</cite>, and I don’t know that I can pay a bigger compliment to a work of art.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/uncut-gems/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2020/02/07-the-good-place-season-4/ 2020-02-07T16:08:24+00:00 <p><i>Watched 13&nbsp;October 2019 – 7&nbsp;February 2020, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>A perfect conclusion to the most wholesome show I’ve ever seen. Life sure is a wave.</p> https://letra.studio/2020/01/16-black-mirror-smithereens/ 2020-01-16T13:33:05+00:00 <p><i>Watched 16&nbsp;January 2020, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>The most boring Black Mirror episode yet. Did you know people look at their phones a lot?</p> https://letra.studio/2020/01/12-freaks/ 2020-01-12T02:39:01+00:00 <p><i>Watched 11&nbsp;January 2020, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>This movie is so ugly i WANTED to cry blood</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/freaks-2018/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2020/01/10-fleabag-season-2/ 2020-01-10T23:10:17+00:00 <p><i>Watched 8–9&nbsp;January 2020, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>How can this show be both the funniest and saddest thing I’ve seen in a long time? How can it be so potent, accomplishing so much with just a few short episodes? Now that I’ve tasted the emotional high of <cite>Fleabag</cite>, I’m afraid I might never again allow a show to waste my time with padded out writing. I absolutely loved the first season, but I had to put myself back together after this one.</p> https://letra.studio/2020/01/10-fleabag-season-1/ 2020-01-10T22:34:22+00:00 <p><i>Watched 20–23&nbsp;December 2019, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <blockquote> <p>“They shouldn’t have just locked him up.”<br /> “He pencil fucked a hamster.”<br /> “Yeah, but he’s obviously not happy. Happy people wouldn’t do things like that.”<br /> “Fair point.”<br /> “And anyway, that’s the very reason why they put rubbers on the end of pencils.”<br /> “What, to fuck hamsters?”<br /> “No, because <em>people make mistakes</em>.”</p> </blockquote> <p>Despite my incredibly high expectations, I was still blown away by this show in ways I don’t even quite understand. Exceptional in every way.</p> https://letra.studio/2019/12/27-nathan-for-you-finding-frances/ 2019-12-27T06:06:34+00:00 <p><i>Watched 26&nbsp;December 2019, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>People aren’t normal.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/nathan-for-you-finding-frances/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/12/26-star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker/ 2019-12-26T01:19:32+00:00 <p><i>Watched 25&nbsp;December 2019, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>So much plot, so little courage. It’s already fading away in my brain.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/12/20-what-remains-of-edith-finch/ 2019-12-20T23:47:48+00:00 <p><i>Played 20&nbsp;December 2019 on Nintendo Switch, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I wish I had been able to play this back in 2017, as it might have felt fresher. In a post-<cite>Breath of the Wild</cite> world I sometimes find it hard to appreciate linear experiences without wondering how much better they could be if they just let go of my hand. This game triggered that feeling a lot.</p> <p>Comparing it to <cite>Gone Home</cite>, a lot has evolved, but this game still feels stuck in the same uncanny valley: it’s not a true <em>interactive experience</em> as much as it is a museum exhibit. While that can be super interesting, video games seem capable of so much more. And now that <cite>Return of the Obra Dinn</cite> exists, we know that the valley can be crossed. I’m hoping that future “walking simulators” keep going in that direction.</p> https://letra.studio/2019/12/20-knives-out/ 2019-12-20T00:57:24+00:00 <p><i>Watched 19&nbsp;December 2019, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>As entertaining as they come. Will the numerous present day references date this film quickly? Well I sure hope so, because I can’t wait to watch it again as an even more charming old time classic.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/knives-out-2019/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/12/15-6-underground/ 2019-12-15T23:53:27+00:00 <p><i>Watched 15&nbsp;December 2019, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>It’s grotesque and unrelenting, careless with death and violence to a shocking degree. While the premise is idiotic, even immoral, the writing shows enough self awareness to let you know that <em>it doesn’t care</em>. The action is at once vivid and artificial, grandiose yet somehow shot to feel claustrophobic. The whole thing clashes with itself, with good taste, with common sense; a bunch of absurd juxtapositions and contradictions firing at your eyeballs at extremely rapid pace. Watching it was both exhilarating and distressing, and judging by my headache, just too much for my feeble brain. I love it and I hate it. It is, without a doubt, an incredibly accomplished work of art.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/6-underground/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/12/06-ready-or-not/ 2019-12-06T03:25:54+00:00 <p><i>Watched 5&nbsp;December 2019, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Very fun but not one for the ages. I feel like it could either have been campier or more grandiose, but it kept to a more normalized middle ground, never truly defying expectations. I keep imagining that had this movie been made in the 1980s (with all the differences that would entail) it would most likely be a cool as heck cult classic.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/ready-or-not-2019/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/12/05-ad-astra/ 2019-12-05T23:19:44+00:00 <p><i>Watched 5&nbsp;December 2019, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p><cite>2001: A Space Odyssey</cite> is one of my favorite films, yet I found this one very boring.</p> <p>Started out interesting — exciting even — but the story kept shrinking on itself, the ideas growing smaller and smaller. By the end, and much like the sad astronaut, I felt nothing. Please allow me to narrate to you how empty I feel, I’m such a sad sad lonely astronaut help me daddy</p> <p>Yeah this would have been a two star review if not for the moon rover chase sequence. That part was cool.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/ad-astra-2019/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/11/22-the-lighthouse/ 2019-11-22T01:06:07+00:00 <p><i>Watched 21&nbsp;November 2019, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>That scream really did it for me. This film could have been bad and that scream would have saved it. But no, the whole thing was excellent. Sets itself up as an incredibly precise and fastidious formal exercise, only to break with expectations in very unfamiliar, surreal ways. Rule-breaking cinema.</p> <p>And meeting real-life Willem Dafoe not within one minute of the credits starting to roll was also a surreal experience. That’s two for the price of one. (Humblebrag, I know.)</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-lighthouse-2019/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/10/29-super-mario-world/ 2019-10-29T04:04:10+00:00 <p><i>Replayed 22–28&nbsp;October 2019 on Nintendo Switch, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>As fun and timeless as ever. Nostalgia factor is huge with the new wireless SNES controller. But I’ll never rate this game five stars because I was a Sonic kid during the 16-bit era. No matter how many times I play it, <cite>Super Mario World</cite> will always feel somehow foreign, as if I’m still only allowed to play it for a little while at a friend’s house.</p> <p>I played more as a tourist this time. I wanted to explore more than to be challenged, and I wanted to get to 100% completion (which I’d never done before). So I used the rewind feature in the Switch emulator liberally. It’s funny how “lazy” you get once you can instantly fix your mistakes. It deeply changes the experience for some games.</p> https://letra.studio/2019/10/27-succession-season-1/ 2019-10-27T23:16:40+00:00 <p><i>Watched 9&nbsp;September – 20&nbsp;October 2019, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Watching <cite>Succession</cite> I often found myself at one of two extremes: either laughing and cringing at the sheer debauchery of it all, or depressively contemplating how the real world is probably even worse.</p> <p>This duality seems to be the show’s core mechanic. The writers know that now, seemingly more than ever, reality <em>is</em> stranger than fiction. If you want to satirize it, you have to take it down a notch first — like putting on those special glasses so you can look at a solar eclipse. So <cite>Succession</cite> is a very impressive oxymoron: a satire that is also a toned-down version of reality. It’s gripping, though-provoking, hilarious entertainment. I just don’t understand why Connor is there.</p> https://letra.studio/2019/10/24-one-punch-man-season-2/ 2019-10-24T22:41:15+01:00 <p><i>Watched 9&nbsp;May – 24&nbsp;October 2019, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p><cite>One-Punch Man</cite> is lost. The charm, variety, and incredibly kinetic animation that set the show apart are nowhere to be found in season two.</p> <p>The writing has no redeeming qualities to offer. It’s all over the place. The outrageous premise of the series was fun for a while, but it doesn’t seem strong enough to sustain being prolonged like this. The writers compensate by spending way too much time on a huge number of underdeveloped characters and subplots that I couldn’t care less about. In the end, none of those plots and characters even get any resolution; if there is a cohesive thematic undercurrent to this season at all, I was too bored to notice it. Meanwhile the main characters get so little airtime that I struggle to piece together what happened to them over the course of a dozen episodes. They are on screen only just enough for you not to forget what show you’re watching. It’s maddening.</p> <p>This series has clearly been kicked into a lower gear, setting itself up to coast on the merits of season one for as long as possible. I won’t be sticking around.</p> https://letra.studio/2019/10/17-a-game-of-thrones/ 2019-10-17T17:54:47+01:00 <p><i>Read 23&nbsp;May – 17&nbsp;October 2019, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I’ve watched the first season of the show more than once, so there were no surprises to be found in this book, only details. That made it a slog to get through, even as it matched my expectations exactly.</p> <p>The book is <em>fine</em>, but most of its strength lies in finding out what happens — not so much in the flair of its style, or the inventiveness of its ideas, and certainly not in the very systematic, episodic structure that often threw me off pace.</p> <p>On the one hand, it did give me what I craved: more detail and cohesiveness than the show could bear to sustain. On the other hand, there is a certain ’80s fantasy corniness in some of those details that the show did well to correct in its art direction. Why does everyone wear impractically ornate animal-shaped helms? Sure, make armor fashion a thing, but those appendaged helms just seem like they’d be a hindrance in battle, existing more as flavor text than as a realistic part of the world. They remind me of the “no capes” gag in <cite>The Incredibles</cite>.</p> <p>Nonetheless, I am <em>into it</em>, and I plan to keep reading the books. As the story drifts from the show’s, I can only hope that the experience of reading it will feel less like a chore.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2880299152">Also posted on Goodreads</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/10/16-super-earth-defense-force/ 2019-10-16T22:02:01+01:00 <p><i>Played 16&nbsp;October 2019 on Nintendo Switch, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>This is the worst-sounding video game I’ve ever played; the sound effects are frankly ridiculous. The visual design is also quite poor and hard to parse, with enemies, bullets, and background all blending together. And the later levels are extremely punishing. No checkpoints? Okay… But is that testicle/bird final boss even supposed to be beatable by a human? I’ve never used rewind so much in any other classic title. Nintendo, bring us <em>good</em> SNES shoot ‘em ups, please.</p> https://letra.studio/2019/10/15-midsommar/ 2019-10-15T17:48:20+01:00 <p><i>Watched 14&nbsp;October 2019, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>William Jackson Harper’s character is my closest audience surrogate in this film: instead of wanting to escape from this horrific, beautiful place, he wants to learn more about it. That’s what worked so well for me in <cite>Hereditary</cite>, and it worked brilliantly once again in <cite>Midsommar</cite>. I really love this vibe of deep detail and interestingness that Ari Aster is bringing to horror.</p> <p>This was the theatrical version but I’ll definitely be watching the director’s cut as soon as I can.</p> <p>PS: I have that same mortar and pestle! (From the dance scene.) It’s from Ikea, which is hilarious</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/midsommar/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/10/13-mini-motorways/ 2019-10-13T20:12:49+01:00 <p><i>Played 11–12&nbsp;October 2019 on Apple Arcade, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Cool premise, but lacks depth. I hate playing armchair designer, but I think this game needed a few obvious extra features:</p> <ul> <li>More achievements for each city. Why make lists called “Achievements” if they’re all limited to one item? I was expecting more stuff to unlock as I played.</li> <li>A gallery of what your cities looked like at their peak, and a way to share that. When you lose, the camera zooms in, so you can’t even take a screenshot of your glorious metropolis.</li> <li>A free build mode. Let me just play around without risk of failure, and let me place buildings myself. The more I played, the more I wanted to just put in a cheat code and build without restrictions, SimCity style.</li> </ul> https://letra.studio/2019/10/12-el-camino-a-breaking-bad-movie/ 2019-10-12T02:56:19+01:00 <p><i>Watched 11&nbsp;October 2019, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I didn’t know how much I wanted this, just as much as I wasn’t expecting to cry in the end. Yet here we are.</p> <p>It doesn’t escape the TV-to-film curse of feeling incomplete and slightly outside its comfort zone and somehow <em>wrong</em>. But taken as the missing <cite>Breaking Bad</cite> episode that time forgot, it’s absolutely flawless.</p> <p>Yet I don’t think it would have worked had the show just included this back then as its final final episode. We needed the wait, and it was worth it.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/el-camino-a-breaking-bad-movie/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/10/10-card-of-darkness/ 2019-10-10T17:52:00+01:00 <p><i>Played 28&nbsp;September – 9&nbsp;October 2019 on Apple Arcade, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>This game is awesome and what phone games should have evolved into all along. Loved it.</p> <p>Now I’m only missing the hidden achievement and I’m sure it’s got something to do with that fart card probably</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://twitter.com/letrastudio/status/1182338094646878210">Also posted on Twitter</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/08/27-john-wick-chapter-3-parabellum/ 2019-08-27T06:38:57+01:00 <p><i>Watched 26&nbsp;August 2019, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>It might be a case of too much of a good thing, but I was not as entranced by this one as I was with the others. It might have benefited from a bit more breathing room around the mayhem, more of an emotional connection to its origins, maybe even (dare I say it?) a little less violence. It <em>is</em> spectacular, but numbingly so.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/john-wick-chapter-3-parabellum/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/08/27-return-of-the-obra-dinn/ 2019-08-27T02:42:00+01:00 <figure class="post-figure photos"> <img class="fill" src="/uploads/obra-dinn.png" alt="A man&#39;s skeleton lies on the deck of a large 19th century ship; it&#39;s seen from the first person view of someone holding a pocket watch bearing a skull design." > </figure> <p><i>Played 16–18&nbsp;August 2019 on Mac, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>A masterpiece of game design. An impossible combination of brilliant ideas and flawless execution that is so unlike any other game I’ve ever played, it’s hard to understand how it could even be conceived.</p> https://letra.studio/2019/08/25-godzilla-king-of-the-monsters/ 2019-08-25T17:18:34+01:00 <p><i>Watched 15&nbsp;August 2019, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Wake me up if Hideaki Anno ever makes another one</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/godzilla-king-of-the-monsters-2019/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/08/03-speed-racer/ 2019-08-03T07:54:20+01:00 <figure class="post-figure gif"> <picture> <img class="fill" src="/uploads/speed-racer.gif" alt="Speed Racer&#39;s car spins around the racetrack as all of its colors vividly blend together like liquid."> </picture> </figure> <p><i>Rewatched 2&nbsp;August 2019, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Our world doesn’t deserve the unbridled vibrancy and earnestness of <cite>Speed Racer</cite>. The climactic Grand Prix is so dazzling I had to watch it twice. This film gets better every time I watch it, and I suspect I’ll be doing it quite a few more times.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/speed-racer/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/07/29-lupin-the-third-the-castle-of-cagliostro/ 2019-07-29T16:04:51+01:00 <p><i>Watched 28&nbsp;July 2019, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Best car chase of all time?</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/lupin-the-third-the-castle-of-cagliostro/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/07/24-alita-battle-angel/ 2019-07-24T23:39:19+01:00 <p><i>Watched 24&nbsp;July 2019, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <ul> <li>There are many cool robots and body parts flying around.</li> <li>Cristoph Waltz was terribly miscast and is the least believable character in the movie.</li> <li>I wish the city itself had gotten more attention from the art department, but I guess the robots are what matters the most.</li> <li>The robots are indeed very cool and they fight a lot, but not too much, which is perfect.</li> </ul> <p>A solid follow-up to the other two good anime-with-real-people movies, <cite>Speed Racer</cite> and <cite>Pacific Rim</cite>. More, please.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/alita-battle-angel/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/07/15-the-haunted-island-a-frog-detective-game/ 2019-07-15T12:02:00+01:00 <p><i>Played 15&nbsp;July 2019 on Mac, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>A charming little game that got me to smile a lot for the duration of a well-spent hour.</p> https://letra.studio/2019/07/03-hollow-knight/ 2019-07-03T14:21:00+01:00 <figure class="post-figure photos"> <img class="fill" src="/uploads/hollow-knight.jpg" alt="The Knight visits the Grubfather, who is surrounded by his happy family of Grubs." > </figure> <p><i>Played 21&nbsp;June – 1&nbsp;July 2019 on Nintendo Switch, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I just <em>knew</em> that as soon as I booted this game for the first time, I would fall down the rabbit hole and be completely transfixed. And so it happened. One of the most rewarding exploration games I have ever played.</p> https://letra.studio/2019/07/02-barry-season-1/ 2019-07-02T15:35:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 29&nbsp;June 2019, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I started off a bit disappointed, because this seemed like little more than a duller version of <cite>Patriot</cite>; the writing felt meandering, the humor more surface-level, never as witty or pithy. Turned out I was looking at it wrong: it’s more of a drama than I’d figured from the premise, with the comedy falling a bit further into the background than it does in <cite>Patriot</cite>. It’s its own thing, delicately balanced, and a few episodes in it really clicked.</p> https://letra.studio/2019/05/22-game-of-thrones-season-8/ 2019-05-22T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 21&nbsp;May 2019, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>It is still mindblowing that this show could get made, but it’s a shame that it couldn’t quite fill its own shoes towards the end. Guess I’ll read the books, then.</p> https://letra.studio/2019/05/11-the-wandering-earth/ 2019-05-11T05:38:51+01:00 <p><i>Watched 11&nbsp;May 2019, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>This movie doesn’t know when to calm down. Exhausting!</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-wandering-earth/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/04/26-the-final-girls/ 2019-04-26T04:10:05+01:00 <p><i>Watched 25&nbsp;April 2019, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I was pleasantly surprised by how genuinely funny and creatively consistent this movie is — and it’s clear that everyone was having fun while making it. Pretty great!</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-final-girls/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/04/26-the-hitmans-bodyguard/ 2019-04-26T02:16:50+01:00 <p><i>Watched 25&nbsp;April 2019, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>You can tell that they tried (most of the time), but it’s not as sharp as it clearly thinks it is. Also, they shouldn’t have let Ryan Reynolds pick all the songs.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-hitmans-bodyguard/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/04/23-escape-room/ 2019-04-23T04:00:38+01:00 <p><i>Watched 22&nbsp;April 2019, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Fun to watch and kinda cool in a sort of childish, cartoony way. I wish it had learned even further in that direction.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/escape-room-2019/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/04/22-hold-the-dark/ 2019-04-22T01:04:02+01:00 <p><i>Watched 20&nbsp;April 2019, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>So enamored with the poetry of its own subtext that it fails to make the actual text engaging. The slow, painful lingering is fitting, but at some point it’s too much and there’s not much else there to balance it out — even the action sequences seem drawn out. Starts out pensive, ends up boring. Still, there’s an interesting story there if you can catch it being mumbled at you.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/hold-the-dark/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/04/21-tower-heist/ 2019-04-21T20:50:19+01:00 <p><i>Watched 21&nbsp;April 2019, rated 1 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Soulless and devoid of artistry. It’s built around social commentary but never in an honest or insightful way — there’s a constant tinge of disdain for the issues it tries to build jokes around. As it goes through the motions of its terrible boilerplate script it is never truly funny or surprising; the most it can muster is being face-palm stupid when it goes for the focus group-approved absurdist humor.</p> <p>(I thought it was bad.)</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/tower-heist/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/04/05-love-death-and-robots/ 2019-04-05T17:32:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 27&nbsp;March 2019, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>There is only one episode that actually delivers on what I was hoping for, combining great animation with stylish art direction and exploring cool, mature themes: <cite>Zima Blue</cite>.</p> <p>There are four of five others that aren’t plain edgelord teenager bullshit, but they’re nothing to write home about.</p> https://letra.studio/2019/04/04-glass/ 2019-04-04T15:51:23+01:00 <p><i>Watched 4&nbsp;April 2019, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>This is the superhero equivalent of a zombie movie where the characters keep saying the word “zombie” all the time.</p> <p>The writing here is even worse than <cite>Split</cite>. The core plot device (what Sarah Paulson spends most of the movie doing) simply doesn’t work! It never felt the least bit believable. It’s a premise completely at odds with Shyamalan’s direction in the previous films, what he’s been <em>showing</em> us this whole time. It doesn’t work for the viewer, and it shouldn’t have worked for the characters — which makes it a double-whammy of dumb. This is, of course, all done in favor of a big twist (and, in my case, a big sigh).</p> <p>I really might have to revisit <cite>Unbreakable</cite>, which I thought was cool however many years ago I watched it. I’m hoping it holds up.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/glass-2019/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/04/03-split/ 2019-04-03T23:14:16+01:00 <p><i>Watched 3&nbsp;April 2019, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Have Shyamalan’s films always been this shallow? Nothing feels real outside the very narrow confines of what is happening. Dialogue is often poor, with way too much “as you know, Bob” going on. And all the buildup fell flat for me — I was neither shocked nor emotionally invested. I guess I’d better not rewatch <cite>Unbreakable</cite>, or risk disappointment.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/split-2016/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/04/03-us/ 2019-04-03T18:55:57+01:00 <p><i>Watched 29&nbsp;March 2019, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Very weird and cool and artsy, but also funny — and it all fits together perfectly. I liked how subversive the plot structure felt; I often had no idea where it was going to go next, and that made for a really great experience. I went in completely blind, and it paid off quite handsomely. I watched the trailer afterwards, and boy is it spoilery! Don’t watch trailers, kids.</p> <p>It’s impressive how strongly this film pairs with <cite>Get Out</cite>. They’re certainly different, but there’s a clear style forming. Jordan Peele is carving out a really cool niche for himself.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/us-2019/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/03/25-the-inventor-out-for-blood-in-silicon-valley/ 2019-03-25T00:47:43+00:00 <p><i>Watched 24&nbsp;March 2019, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>“You want it to be true so badly, and even for me, I was working with these devices every single day, and she could still kind of convince me. When I think back on those conversations, I just think, how did she do that?”</p> <p>I had only a surface-level understanding of the Theranos story, so to me the subject matter was absolutely gripping. The idea behind the company was so good, so elegant, that you <em>do</em> just want it to be true.</p> <p>As a documentary, it’s articulate and well-framed, but also somewhat bland and needlessly repetitive. Alex Gibney’s films, when they really click for me (this one and <cite>Going Clear</cite> most of all), seem to do so largely <em>despite</em> his direction, not because of it.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-inventor-out-for-blood-in-silicon-valley/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/03/24-enron-the-smartest-guys-in-the-room/ 2019-03-24T21:28:59+00:00 <p><i>Watched 16&nbsp;March 2019, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I knew nothing about Enron before watching this, and I came in expecting explosive revelations. But the most shocking aspect here is just how little I was shocked by the whole scandal. We truly are living in <a href="https://letra.studio/2019/03/scammers-theyre-just-like-us/">a golden age of grifting</a>. Things like this are now, if not normal, expected.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/enron-the-smartest-guys-in-the-room/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/03/24-showgirls/ 2019-03-24T18:31:45+00:00 <p><i>Watched 15&nbsp;March 2019, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Time is a flat circle.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/showgirls/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/03/23-bumblebee/ 2019-03-23T03:54:06+00:00 <p><i>Watched 22&nbsp;March 2019, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Bad in all the wrong ways, trading the gaudy excess and over-the-top action for faux sentimentality and the least genuine attempt at ’80s nostalgia I’ve ever seen.</p> <p>Particularly insulting is the score, constantly trying to trick you into thinking you’re watching a cute Disney moment, except it’s an ugly robot trying to sit on a sofa and almost crushing a dog.</p> <p>Turns out only Michael Bay can make Transformers movies because he <em>is</em> an auteur. Bring back the breakneck-pace kinetic editing and the pyramids exploding and the robots peeing on each other.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/bumblebee/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/03/22-donut-county/ 2019-03-22T02:02:00+00:00 <p><i>Played 21&nbsp;March 2019 on Nintendo Switch, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Is this a dig at Silicon Valley techbros? I love it. Reminded me of <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/cartoon/a16995">an old New Yorker cartoon</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>“Yes, the planet got destroyed. But for a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of value for shareholders.”</p> </blockquote> <p>Short and sweet, full of personality. The kind of game that makes me want to make games.</p> https://letra.studio/2019/03/02-nathan-for-you-season-2/ 2019-03-02T11:21:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 25&nbsp;February 2019, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I constantly fight myself on whether I truly love or actually hate <cite>Nathan for You</cite>. I think that’s probably the point, so I can’t help but respect it.</p> https://letra.studio/2019/03/01-elle/ 2019-03-01T09:42:17+00:00 <p><i>Watched 27&nbsp;February 2019, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Verhoeven hasn’t lost his touch for twisting the knife, but I don’t see the point in this one — either I don’t like it or I just plain don’t get it. And what happened to the cat?</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/elle/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/02/28-roma/ 2019-02-28T00:24:41+00:00 <p><i>Watched 24&nbsp;February 2019, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Feels like old memories.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/roma-2018/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/02/16-all-the-presidents-men/ 2019-02-16T06:48:17+00:00 <p><i>Watched 15&nbsp;February 2019, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I wasn’t quite expecting this to be <em>The Post 2: Watergate</em>, but man this was <em>different</em>. In a sharp contrast to Spielberg’s heavy-handedness, Pakula didn’t make an easy movie to follow. It’s incredibly dense with information, seemingly disinterested in simplifying to get to the point. Not knowing much about Watergate beforehand, I wasn’t able to follow every fizzling plot thread, but the emotional through-line was so well put together that it never lost me. I was struck by how realistic it feels — the events unfolding naturally and the camera just happening to be rolling nearby, capturing the dizziness and unease, warts and all. Loved the split diopter shots very much.</p> <p>Sidenote: Now I get the final scene in <cite>The Post</cite> — it’s close to a shot-for-shot replica of this film’s opening. That only makes it more of a wink-wink tacky addition, though.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/all-the-presidents-men/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/02/15-the-post/ 2019-02-15T01:37:15+00:00 <p><i>Watched 14&nbsp;February 2019, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Does an amazing job at projecting emotion and conveying historical heft, knowing full well how much the present day amplifies its message. It’s just a shame that Spielberg felt the need to go “belt and suspenders” and make sure to have some characters spell out the implications of what you’re seeing, just in case the extremely powerful acting and imagery don’t do the trick.</p> <p>Also: the Watergate bit at the end was just silly. It reminded me of the final warehouse shot in <cite>Raiders of the Lost Ark</cite>, except bad and tacked on.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-post-2017/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/02/13-burning/ 2019-02-13T01:07:09+00:00 <figure class="post-figure photos"> <img class="fill" src="/uploads/burning-sunset.jpg" alt="Three people watch a sunset in rural South Korea." > </figure> <p><i>Watched 12&nbsp;February 2019, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Wow. Whenever a filmmaker can find so much beauty and excitement in being deliberately mundane I sit up and pay attention.</p> <p>It’s slow. The smallest of details are just as carefully pondered as the grandiose gestures, all vividly blending together. The quiet moments compel the subjective experience of <em>seeing</em> rather than the objectivity of just <em>looking</em>, only to then make you question what you really saw. The mystery itself felt novel because it feeds off this slowness — instead of being built on plot twists or needless complexity, it’s challenging through imperfection by forcing you to <em>see for yourself</em>. Really great.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/burning-2018/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/02/07-eighth-grade/ 2019-02-07T09:00:32+00:00 <p><i>Watched 2&nbsp;February 2019, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>A powerful reminder of the absurdities of being 14, and how becoming an adult seems to rob us of the ability to understand them. How strong and valid the experiences, yet how quickly we want to forget them, and grow up, because that’s the only escape. I can’t think of any other film that captures that feeling so well, both the good and bad of it.</p> <p>The insight into how kids deal with recent technology and social media was fascinating to me as well — the script seems intent on documenting what that’s like, with genuine earnestness. Parts that initially read as comedic exaggeration are, in retrospect, no stranger than reality. Things have changed a lot since I was 14, but somehow stayed the same. I think the kids will be alright.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/eighth-grade/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/01/30-fyre/ 2019-01-30T12:12:27+00:00 <p><i>Watched 30&nbsp;January 2019, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I try to avoid schadenfreude as much as I can, but this was too good to pass up. Not a brilliant documentary, but seemingly does a good job of talking to the right people and painting a full picture of what happened.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/fyre-2019/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/01/30-paddington-2/ 2019-01-30T11:58:25+00:00 <p><i>Watched 27&nbsp;January 2019, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Really great, improves on the original in every way.</p> <p>Hugh Grant’s character was brilliant as the antagonist. Well written, both captivating and funny. Unlike Nicole Kidman’s character in <i>Paddington 1</i>, he adds to the story instead of just existing in it as an archetypal, irredeemable villain.</p> <p>I like how Paddington isn’t framed as a can-do-no-wrong saint just getting caught up in bad situations. Some scenes (like the barbershop one) show him messing up and struggling to come up with excuses instead of admitting his fault. It’s subtle, but is a nice touch that makes him more sympathetic.</p> <p>The writing and editing were once again economical and effective. Art direction was even sharper. The pop-up book fantasy scene that takes place early on stands out — it’s especially memorable and affecting, doing so much emotional work with so few ingredients.</p> <p>I can see now why this has received such high praise. It’s well deserved.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/paddington-2/1/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/01/30-a-simple-favor/ 2019-01-30T11:18:21+00:00 <p><i>Watched 25&nbsp;January 2019, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Kind of fun, but weird. And not weird in a good way — weird in a “not sure what it wants to be” way. It tries to be a thriller, but the plot is way too messy and clichéd to be interesting. It tries to be a comedy, but there is no real intent to the humor; just a residual layer of silliness, no courage about it. I guess this tone was intentional, but it simply did not work for me. The longer it went on, the less satisfying it became.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/a-simple-favor/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/01/30-fyre-fraud/ 2019-01-30T11:10:23+00:00 <p><i>Watched 30&nbsp;January 2019, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Felt rushed and incomplete. The interview with Billy McFarland did not really add much depth, and several of the more interesting people featured in the Netflix documentary were missing altogether. The poorly-edited-in internet memes and patronizing attitude detracted from the experience and eroded the point being made. Meh.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/fyre-fraud/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/01/25-paddington/ 2019-01-25T18:58:10+00:00 2019-01-25T20:47:50+00:00 <p><i>Watched 24&nbsp;January 2019, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I expected the charm and fuzzy feelings, but not the nuanced, topical take on immigration, delivered with the utmost efficacy. Bravo!</p> <p>It’s all very wholesome and hard to criticize, though I think it could have benefited from some more <cite>Spirited Away</cite>-style bittersweetness, and a more complex antagonist. But hey, it works.</p> <p>Sidenote: the wonderful art direction somehow reminded me of Spielberg’s <cite>Tintin</cite> and, in contrast, how much of a disappointment that was.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/paddington/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2019/01/04-black-mirror-bandersnatch/ 2019-01-04T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 3&nbsp;January 2019, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Building it around the concept of “choose your own adventure” itself did not make any of the choices and outcomes anymore engrossing or thought-provoking — the experience of rewinding to take different paths made everything feel muddled and disconnected. I think the stakes should have been higher, giving the viewer fewer opportunities to fix mistakes.</p> <p>There is a glimpse of interestingness near the beginning when the medium-unique twist is revealed, but it gets lost as the narrative branches off and grows in possibility space, with some storylines dropping the idea altogether.</p> <p>It’s a fun ride, and then it’s over. Though I might have to give it another go. Also: the poster is really neat.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/black-mirror-bandersnatch/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/12/15-the-haunting-of-hill-house/ 2018-12-15T00:00:00+00:00 2019-01-18T10:52:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 15&nbsp;December 2018, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>What if haunted house movie but<br /> - ten hours long, lots of repetition<br /> - cheesy, artless direction<br /> - all spoken lines are monologues</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-haunting-of-hill-house/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/12/03-godzilla-city-on-the-edge-of-battle/ 2018-12-03T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 2&nbsp;December 2018, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>These films are very awkwardly put together. They feel shallow and soulless in a way that is hard to describe. In terms of epic narrative scale, they seem to be the most ambitious Godzilla films to date. Yet that ambition comes at the cost of detail and emotional tangibility. All characters look the same, animation is robotic, individual moments have no emotional heft. No part of it even got me to go “that’s cool”.</p> <p>Sure, I would love to learn about the heroic future humans fighting to reclaim the Earth from Godzilla. But please, make me care about it.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/godzilla-city-on-the-edge-of-battle/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/11/30-the-predator/ 2018-11-30T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 29&nbsp;November 2018, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>No new take, just a patchwork of rehashed tropes. Every scene feels like something you’ve seen before, and the paper-thin “I have backstory!” characters don’t help either.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-predator/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/11/05-the-meg/ 2018-11-05T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 5&nbsp;November 2018, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I was expecting this shark movie to be more of a boat movie. But it turned out it was actually more of a submarine movie, and also a Jason Statham dating simulation movie. So yeah, it was fun.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-meg/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/11/05-incredibles-2/ 2018-11-05T00:00:00+00:00 <figure class="post-figure gif"> <picture> <source type="video/mp4" srcset="/uploads/elastigirl.mp4"> <img class="fill" src="/uploads/elastigirl.jpg" alt="While riding her motorcycle, Elastigirl smiles at a girl in a nearby car before speeding away."> </picture> </figure> <p><i>Rewatched 4&nbsp;November 2018, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I just wanted to rewatch the Elastigirl bike chase… Ended up doing that, rewinding, then watching the whole thing. I’m pretty sure this won’t be the last time that happens, so it’s going in the 5-star bin.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/incredibles-2/1/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/09/30-undertale/ 2018-09-30T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Played 30&nbsp;September 2018 on Mac, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Brilliant in mechanics and narrative. Absolutely fantastic soundtrack. Got a bit too high on its own supply at the end there, which left me somewhat emotionally detached. That disconnect might just have been due to expectations, though: I was anticipating a more adult-ish, less “anime” overarching feeling. But I guess anime <em>is</em> real.</p> https://letra.studio/2018/09/14-upgrade/ 2018-09-14T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 13&nbsp;September 2018, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Cool and exciting, but the low budget/high ambition combo leaves it stuck in a sort of uncanny valley — the kind of sci-fi that never quite manages to hide its seams. Still, very enjoyable and made me wish for more cyberpunk movies. I’ll probably go watch <cite>Ghost in the Shell</cite> for the fiftieth time now.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/upgrade/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/09/11-jurassic-world-fallen-kingdom/ 2018-09-11T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 10&nbsp;September 2018, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Dinosaurs are cool</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/jurassic-world-fallen-kingdom/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/08/18-deadpool-2/ 2018-08-18T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 15&nbsp;August 2018, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>As fun and cringe-worthy as the first one. Somehow more enjoyable because <cite>Infinity War</cite> was such a downer.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/deadpool-2/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/08/05-mission-impossible-fallout/ 2018-08-05T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 4&nbsp;August 2018, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>There is a shot in this film that, for a split second, managed to trick my brain into believing <em>Tom Cruise was about to die</em>. I didn’t smile and think “that’s cool.” Folks, I audibly <em>gasped</em> in a movie theater.</p> <p>(I’m talking about the helicopter scene)</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/mission-impossible-fallout/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/08/04-mission-impossible/ 2018-08-04T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Rewatched 3&nbsp;August 2018, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>It’s clear why kid me thought this was the coolest thing ever. I was pleasantly surprised to find that all the iconic moments I remembered still hold up. What I wasn’t expecting was for the rest to be so… messy? The more expository scenes feel very half-assed, to the point of being a bit silly.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/mission-impossible/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/07/22-the-witness/ 2018-07-22T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Played 22&nbsp;July 2018 on Mac, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I played it in fits and starts, but I was charmed every time, and always envious of the brilliant ideas on display. The design is just so economic and straightforward, yet presents so many possibilities for variation. Deserves to be in some design museum’s permanent collection.</p> https://letra.studio/2018/07/17-akira/ 2018-07-17T00:00:00+01:00 <figure class="post-figure gif"> <picture> <source type="video/mp4" srcset="/uploads/akira.mp4"> <img class="fill" src="/uploads/akira.gif" alt="Kaneda uncovers his iconic red bike."> </picture> </figure> <p><i>Rewatched 16&nbsp;July 2018, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I will never not be amazed that this movie exists. There is a very rare quality to the animation work here — you never forget it’s hand drawn, yet it’s always <em>alive</em>.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/akira/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/07/01-hot-fuzz/ 2018-07-01T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Rewatched 30&nbsp;June 2018, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>The first big shootout’s action feels a bit imprecise in a post-<cite>John Wick</cite> world, but that’s about all I can criticize. This is still a masterpiece in my book.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/hot-fuzz/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/06/18-ready-player-one/ 2018-06-18T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 17&nbsp;June 2018, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>My eyes hurt from all the rolling.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/ready-player-one/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/05/11-spider-man-homecoming/ 2018-05-11T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 9&nbsp;May 2018, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>This is actually the best Marvel movie???</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/spider-man-homecoming/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/05/05-black-panther/ 2018-05-05T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 4&nbsp;May 2018, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Fun to watch, extremely cool, wholly original. And not a single “crossover event” to be seen. The Marvel movie I’d been waiting for since <cite>Iron Man</cite>.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/black-panther-2018/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/04/17-tomb-raider/ 2018-04-17T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 15&nbsp;April 2018, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Entertaining and well executed. Too bad there’s nothing original about it.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/tomb-raider/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/04/10-pacific-rim-uprising/ 2018-04-10T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 8&nbsp;April 2018, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>A far cry from the original’s simplicity and earnestness, but these giant robots still tickle my fancy. I had a blast watching it.</p> <p>The amount of distinct stuff happening in this movie is bonkers — it felt like an entire mecha anime series crammed into a couple of hours. I really wish it could have been made as a 10-hour TV show that actually took the time to linger and explore all those ideas.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/pacific-rim-uprising/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/03/13-jumanji-welcome-to-the-jungle/ 2018-03-13T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 12&nbsp;March 2018, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Almost okay. Yet another nostalgia grab that fails to be anything more.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/jumanji-welcome-to-the-jungle/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/03/04-the-room/ 2018-03-04T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 3&nbsp;March 2018</i></p> <p>I have no idea how to assign a rating to this, so I won’t.</p> <p>Schadenfreude aside, I mostly just wanted it to be over. Yet I’m somehow glad I watched it. I can understand why people latch onto it, but I’m not counting myself among them.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-room/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/02/27-coco/ 2018-02-27T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 26&nbsp;February 2018, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>It’s almost impossible not to love this film — it’s adorable and wholesome and beautiful. I find it great to see Pixar’s push for diversity keep paying off, and their technical prowess keep noticeably improving, ever on a league of their own. The sheer vibrancy, scale, and depth of the design and animation work that went into this film is astounding.</p> <p>I cried on cue every time I was supposed to. The tearjerking formula is as effective as ever, yet feeling more and more predictable and manipulative, no matter how well-intentioned.</p> <p>Brad Bird says “animation is not a genre”, but I’m afraid Pixar movies might be turning into one — with very specific and recognizable themes, tropes, and character arcs. I’d really like to see a wider range of story types coming from Pixar, maybe even exploring the direction the excellent <a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/borrowed-time-2015/"><cite>Borrowed Time</cite></a> short went in. Let’s see what Bird does with <cite>Incredibles 2</cite> this year, though I’m not holding my breath for a revolution.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/coco-2017/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/02/26-three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/ 2018-02-26T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 25&nbsp;February 2018, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Sharp wit, fantastic acting, and all the panache of a big Oscar film. But story-wise, doesn’t seem like a particularly worthwhile exploration of any of the themes it presents — small-town America, anger, hate, blame, redemption — they’re treated heavy-handedly, often sacrificing depth for the sake of being funny or provocative (oh god, the daughter scene). That shallowness might be intentional, but it left no room for me to empathize with any of the characters.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/02/26-lady-bird/ 2018-02-26T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 25&nbsp;February 2018, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Instantly charming, emotionally charged, and flawed in all the right ways. A restrained, impeccably edited 90-minute runtime. I came in optimistic, but I never expected a <em>perfect</em> coming of age film.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/lady-bird/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/02/22-thor-ragnarok/ 2018-02-22T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 17&nbsp;February 2018, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I appreciated the charm and levity that Taika Waititi brought to this film, but it wasn’t enough to shake the feeling I get from most Marvel movies: a deep emotional inconsequence and lack of introspection. And when Benedict Cumberbatch’s ridiculous character shows up for a completely unnecessary five minute scene, it’s blindingly obvious why that is — there can be no intimacy when every character has (or potentially will have) their own franchise begging for your attention.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/thor-ragnarok/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/02/06-the-cloverfield-paradox/ 2018-02-06T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 5&nbsp;February 2018, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Damn, what a trainwreck. This felt like a horribly mangled victim of production hell and committee-mandated rewrites. Seems quite obvious that it was dispatched to Netflix because of that, not as some kind of genius marketing ploy.</p> <p>I wish they’d just stuck with the <cite>Event Horizon</cite>-esque horror bits — those were at least fun and unexpected. Here’s hoping they forget this ever happened and get back to the anthology format that worked so well for the other movies.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-cloverfield-paradox/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/01/08-black-mirror-metalhead/ 2018-01-08T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 7&nbsp;January 2018, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I understand that it might not be to everyone’s tastes, but I loved the simplicity of this one. Tense, cinematic, more grounded than the average <cite>Black Mirror</cite> episode. Includes what’s probably the best-designed piece of tech in the entire series, and not a single shot of clumsy CGI. Could have done without the boring tree scene, but otherwise one of my favorites.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/black-mirror-metalhead/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2018/01/07-black-mirror-black-museum/ 2018-01-07T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 7&nbsp;January 2018, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p><cite>Black Mirror</cite> seems to be getting more samey, with ever-less varied stories that rely way too much on lampshading (i.e. the plot acknowledging its own silliness to avoid looking absurdly implausible).</p> <p>This episode had some great ideas, but it felt like the biggest manifestation of those problems. Plus, it breaks what I took to be an unwritten rule of Black Mirror: no cross-episode continuity. The idea that all of this weird shit might be taking place in the same universe only detracted from my experience.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/black-mirror-black-museum/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/12/28-the-love-witch/ 2017-12-28T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 27&nbsp;December 2017, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>It’s rare that a film constructed around imitation can feel so original. Instead of using pastiche as a crutch, or as a trope to be subverted in some sort of twist, The Love Witch uses it seriously as a foundation, allowing it to serve a much deeper thematic purpose. It’s what binds everything together instead of being a joke waiting to be made.</p> <p>Everything about this film shows unwavering dedication and attention to detail. It’s all brimming with confidence. Casting and costume design are absolutely perfect. Lighting and color work are so well done they feel impossible to pull off in 2017. But my favorite detail has to be the cheekily obvious continuity errors in closeup shots. Lovely.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-love-witch/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/12/21-star-wars-the-last-jedi/ 2017-12-21T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 20&nbsp;December 2017, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Wacky and chaotic but always engaging and thematically sharp. Although the plot meanders, there is always something to find wherever it goes. Funnier and more profound than the classic Star Wars tone, but I think it manages to stretch the definition in a good way.</p> <p><cite>Force Awakens</cite> felt like Same Old Star Wars; this one feels like New and Exciting Star Wars, and that’s exactly what I was hoping for.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/star-wars-the-last-jedi/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/11/13-cars-3/ 2017-11-13T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 12&nbsp;November 2017, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Works to redeem the series after the soulless <cite>Cars 2</cite>, but doesn’t go far enough to be something special by itself.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/cars-3/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/11/09-atomic-blonde/ 2017-11-09T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 8&nbsp;November 2017, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Not as iconic, consistent, or memorable as <cite>John Wick</cite> (the comparison is inevitable). Thankfully the amazing Charlize Theron makes up for it, with little help: some mind-bending fight choreography and that silly title.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/atomic-blonde/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/11/04-valerian-and-the-city-of-a-thousand-planets/ 2017-11-04T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 3&nbsp;November 2017, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Like a stuck-in-time sequel to <cite>The Fifth Element</cite>, keeping all of its bad traits (overt sexism, shallow themes, a messy third act) and none of the good ones (unyielding goofiness, a confident screenplay, Jean Giraud’s iconic designs, Gary Oldman).</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/valerian-and-the-city-of-a-thousand-planets/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/10/23-the-babysitter/ 2017-10-23T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 22&nbsp;October 2017, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Some fun moments peppered throughout (guess what, most are in the trailer), but overall a messy jumble of tired tropes and flat meta-jokes. Comes off more as a commoditised product than an authentic movie, showing more concern with being <em>like, soo ironic!?</em> than with actually developing a coherent storyline or characters.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-babysitter-2017/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/10/07-blade-runner-2049/ 2017-10-07T00:00:00+01:00 <figure class="post-figure photos"> <img class="fill" src="/uploads/blade-runner-2049.jpg" alt="Blade Runner &quot;K&quot; walks toward a desolate cityscape." > </figure> <p><i>Watched 5&nbsp;October 2017, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p><cite>Blade Runner</cite> is one of my all-time faves. Internet, I have opinions.</p> <p>First of all: thank you, Ridley Scott, for realising the reins needed to be handed over. And oh boy were they handed to exactly the right people. Denis Villeneuve one-ups <cite>Arrival</cite> with sheer ambition, and Roger Deakins turns in some of the most beautiful imagery I have ever seen in a film, period.</p> <p>I can see now why Villeneuve took such a risky job, at a time when sequels are so often aggressively received as “ruining the original” — the script is poignant and gracious, breathing even more life into the world of the first film, but standing on its own as a story worth telling. For all it does, it’s surprising how little it relies on the trappings of being a sequel.</p> <p>The atmosphere is chilling, sharpening a sense of existential dread and desperation; the original feels more curious and hopeful by comparison. The score handles this transition handsomely, if not as iconically as Vangelis’ 1982 masterpiece. I would love to hear Jóhann Jóhannsson’s take on it.</p> <p>As before, the world itself is a central character in the narrative, and it gets its fair share of character development: the art direction is delightfully obsessive in attention to detail, presenting brilliant solutions to retro-futuristic contradictions in design. The ’80s approach to futurism is built upon to read as soulful instead of dated, taking “the future is old” to new heights. I could have done without Jared Leto’s blue LED, though.</p> <p>Unfortunately, just like the theatrical cut of <cite>Blade Runner</cite>, there are a couple of flaws regarding exposition that I suspect come from studio meddling more than anything else. Here’s hoping we once again get a cleaned-up Director’s Cut.</p> <p>Like its predecessor, this is an intimate, haunting film, as well as a grandiose cinematic experience. After Ridley Scott’s own meandering <cite>Alien</cite> prequels, the concept of a new <cite>Blade Runner</cite> seemed like such a bad idea that this outcome feels nothing short of miraculous.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/blade-runner-2049/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/09/29-transformers-the-last-knight/ 2017-09-29T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 22&nbsp;September 2017, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I can’t not hate-watch these movies. They’re mesmerizing.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/transformers-the-last-knight/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/09/04-baby-driver/ 2017-09-04T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 2&nbsp;September 2017, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>This had exactly what I came to see: Edgar Wright’s meticulous visual storytelling, this time applied to a more full-fledged action film. <cite>Hot Fuzz</cite> had proved him capable of doing action, but here the amazing attention to detail is directed towards excitement instead of caricature, and it works just as well. The care that went into every single shot is palpable. (I wholeheartedly recommend watching <a href="https://youtu.be/3FOzD4Sfgag">this video</a> if you don’t know what I’m talking about.)</p> <p>That being said, this film didn’t feel like that much of a revelation — more like a step sideways. It left me really curious to see where Wright goes from here; I’d like to see him bring his skills further outside of his comfort zone.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/baby-driver/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/09/03-focus/ 2017-09-03T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 2&nbsp;September 2017, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>This is a completely uninspired film that turns into even more of a turd if you’ve ever heard of <a href="https://youtu.be/VKZlesut-Pk" title="Apollo Robbins">Apollo Robbins</a>. Am I supposed to care for characters just because they’re good-looking?</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/focus-2015/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/08/22-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-2/ 2017-08-22T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 21&nbsp;August 2017, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Astounding VFX on Kurt Russell’s character, but an otherwise bland sequel that does little to take the characters further.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-2/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/08/11-timecrimes/ 2017-08-11T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 10&nbsp;August 2017, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>This one is going in my “Faves Under 90 Minutes” bin. Even though the script isn’t perfect (well, it <em>is</em> about time travel), it nonetheless manages to feel very original, with some iconic moments that I won’t forget anytime soon.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/timecrimes/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/08/08-okja/ 2017-08-08T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 6&nbsp;August 2017, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Bong Joon-ho cementing himself as one of my favourite living directors.</p> <p>Even though this film shows its influences very clearly (Spielberg, Zemeckis, Miyazaki), Bong imbues it with his own brand of <em>weird</em> to deliver an exceptionally surprising and endearing film, with brilliantly fleshed-out characters. <cite>Okja</cite> hits all the notes it reaches for, and then some.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/okja/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/07/24-dunkirk/ 2017-07-24T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 23&nbsp;July 2017, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Beautiful character-focused cinematography, hair-raising tension, confusingly messy editing.</p> <p>What did this gain by opting for a nonlinear timeline? Certainly not more than it lost. Felt like Nolan trying to make the genre feel new, and failing.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/dunkirk-2017/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/07/23-the-circle/ 2017-07-23T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 23&nbsp;July 2017, rated 1 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>What does this movie even want</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-circle-2017/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/06/10-the-shallows/ 2017-06-10T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 9&nbsp;June 2017, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>This is exactly like <cite>The Revenant</cite>, except much more focused and actually able to get under my skin at times.</p> <p>Films with brutally simple plots (not simplistic, mind you) executed well seem to be a rare delight these days. Bonus points: under ninety minutes.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-shallows/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/06/05-life/ 2017-06-05T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 5&nbsp;June 2017, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Design by Committee: The Movie</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/life-2017/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/06/05-john-wick-chapter-2/ 2017-06-05T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 4&nbsp;June 2017, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>A bit too much of the original’s blunt simplicity is missing here, but it’s still damn good. The mirrors scene is one for the ages.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/john-wick-chapter-2/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/05/22-alien-covenant/ 2017-05-22T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 20&nbsp;May 2017, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>If you thought characters did stupid shit in <cite>Prometheus</cite>, wait ‘til you see this one. Ridley Scott is more concerned with establishing capricious moments than he is with putting out a coherent film, it seems.</p> <p>This is a hopelessly misguided doubling-down on everything <cite>Prometheus</cite> got wrong, but with that film’s amazing production design and worldbuilding completely removed. Future humans on an interstellar colonization mission are literally still using GoPros.</p> <p>The classic <cite>Alien</cite> <a href="http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/alien/">title sequence</a> is reused, but it’s no longer the opening shot, and it’s sped-up. Instead of yielding an atmosphere of <em>slow-burn creepiness</em>, we get <em>low-attention-span throwback</em>. And that sadly matches up pretty well with what <cite>Alien: Covenant</cite> feels like.</p> <p>The creatures are as cool as ever, though.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/alien-covenant/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/05/10-get-out/ 2017-05-10T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 9&nbsp;May 2017, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>This strikes a brilliant balance between creepy and fun — it manages to be both things at once, without either detracting from the other. It’s built entirely with this duality as a central mechanic, and does a great job of exploring its limits.</p> <p>I saw one of the big twists coming miles away (avoiding spoilers, let’s call it “the box of photos”), so I wondered if this could have worked even better as a <cite>Touch of Evil</cite>-esque “the audience knows what’s coming” kind of deal. But then I realized that having a nagging feeling that <em>that</em> is what’s going on is really well aligned with the film’s themes and so now I’m thinking I want to watch this again.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/get-out-2017/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/03/30-shin-godzilla/ 2017-03-30T00:00:00+01:00 <figure class="post-figure photos"> <img class="fill" src="/uploads/shin-godzilla.jpg" alt="A man in a suit puts down a phone receiver." > </figure> <p><i>Watched 29&nbsp;March 2017, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Down to the dramatic putting-down of phones and title card fetish, this is exactly what I was hoping for: a live-action manifestation of Hideaki Anno’s cinematic obsessions with giant monsters, heavy machinery, and the flaws of humanity.</p> <p>It’s just missing that extra bit of directorial precision he manages to pull off with animation, especially in terms of acting and camerawork.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/shin-godzilla/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/03/24-godzilla/ 2017-03-24T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Rewatched 23&nbsp;March 2017, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Don’t let anyone ever tell you that the monsters don’t show up enough in this movie.</p> <p>The Ligeti-scored skydiving scene and the atomic breath reveal are just as awesome as I remembered them. This stands up as one of the most gripping giant monster movies ever.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/godzilla-2014/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/03/20-kong-skull-island/ 2017-03-20T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 17&nbsp;March 2017, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>This is nothing to write home about, but it’s a solid monster movie. Which is all I was hoping for, really.</p> <p>The tone is the polar opposite of Gareth Edwards’ <cite>Godzilla</cite> — it feels fun instead of tense. That in itself is perfectly okay, but I wish it could have kept some of that Jurassic Park-like subtlety that worked so well for <cite>Godzilla</cite>.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/kong-skull-island/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/03/03-midnight-special/ 2017-03-03T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 3&nbsp;March 2017, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Like a lot of mystery stories, some of the excitement starts to fade as the curtain is pulled back. And then it almost becomes a matter of taste: you may or may not like where it goes. I wasn’t amazed by the destination, but I quite enjoyed the journey on this one.</p> <p>For an admittedly small film it dares to feel big, and for all its tension it manages to find some serenity. And it does those things without appearing contrived. It feels balanced, distinct, and personal.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/midnight-special/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/03/02-passengers/ 2017-03-02T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 1&nbsp;March 2017, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>This film is the cinematic equivalent of clickbait: begging you to look at it while having nothing to say.</p> <p>Few films have given me a harder time suspending disbelief. No part of it has any depth. Not the plot, not the dialogue, not the sci-fi, not the romance. And it has the nerve to acknowledge its hollow meaninglessness when that crappy Imagine Dragons song comes on in the end.</p> <p>I really enjoyed Morten Tyldum’s other films <cite>Imitation Game</cite> and <cite>Headhunters</cite>, but this is some lowest-common-denominator garbage. It does look pretty, tho.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/passengers-2016/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/02/25-redbelt/ 2017-02-25T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 24&nbsp;February 2017, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Supporting characters could have been a lot better, and some of the dialogue tries so hard to be “realistic” that it goes right back down the uncanny valley. But overall this is a solid 90-minute gem that can keep its intrigue from start to finish. Tightly plotted, executing well on its themes.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/redbelt/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/02/19-the-girl-with-all-the-gifts/ 2017-02-19T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 19&nbsp;February 2017, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Nothing this film attempts to do differently manages to set it free from the curse of zombie sameyness.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/02/14-nocturnal-animals/ 2017-02-14T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 12&nbsp;February 2017, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I’m a sucker for dark, velvety thrillers, and this one worked pretty well for me. The bleak tone had me completely hooked within five minutes. Though it sometimes feels a bit derivative (some moments were especially on-the-nose Lynchian), I cannot deny that it’s effective. It is a dexterously unsettling film.</p> <p>Tom Ford is, no doubt, a sharp aesthete. What I wasn’t expecting was a very palpable feeling of futility and hopelessness as the other side of the coin, and impostor syndrome as a plot device. It works well in adding some substance to the style.</p> <p>Pretty great for a film about spiteful, vengeful assholery. It’s not an easy theme to pull off.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/nocturnal-animals/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/02/07-la-la-land/ 2017-02-07T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 6&nbsp;February 2017, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Not being a fan of musicals, I often found myself wondering if <cite>La La Land</cite> would work better as a more straightforward drama without all the singing and dancing. But it managed to convince me that the music is what makes it work — it’s the otherwise unattainable mix of spectacle and candor that makes it so compelling.</p> <p>But I’m not convinced it’s as timeless as it clearly wants to be. I’m curious to find out if this one ages as well as I’m sure Ryan Gosling will.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/la-la-land/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/01/28-inferno/ 2017-01-28T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 27&nbsp;January 2017, rated 2 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I would complain at length about the cheap twist (and quite a few other things) if it weren’t for the fact that the entire premise is based on a bafflingly convoluted evil masterplan treasure hunt for which there is absolutely no attempt at an explanation. “Dan Brown wrote it” doesn’t count.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/inferno-2016/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/01/23-the-lobster/ 2017-01-23T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 23&nbsp;January 2017, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Very impressive how this ends up working as a Rorschach test of sorts. I was expecting a funny artsy film, but there’s some sharp edges here.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-lobster/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/01/23-hell-or-high-water/ 2017-01-23T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 22&nbsp;January 2017, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>This was unexpectedly charming, and I think I get what it’s trying to do, but in the end, it didn’t leave that much of an impression on me. I can’t quite put my finger on what was missing, though. Maybe I’m just not enough of a cowboy to let it hit me.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/hell-or-high-water/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/01/09-casino-royale/ 2017-01-09T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Rewatched 8&nbsp;January 2017, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>“Yes. <em>Considerably</em>.”</p> <p>This is the best one, isn’t it? No other Bond film comes close.</p> <p>While some other entries in the series succeed on a sort of meta level of <em>being good for a Bond film</em>, this one dispenses with any rose-tinted glasses requirement. It’s the real deal.</p> <p>The absurd poker gets a pass. One sympathises.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/casino-royale-2006/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2017/01/02-titanic/ 2017-01-02T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Rewatched 2&nbsp;January 2017, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Ah, <cite>Titanic</cite>. James Cameron proves that everything about a movie can be cheesy in one fell swoop. It’s an astounding cinematic achievement. Cheesy love story, cheesy dialogue, cheesy music… Even the editing is cheesy. Example: near the end, when the shot of the sinking necklace fades to the sleeping old lady, the necklace is briefly positioned over her head before it disappears. Do you get it? It’s like she’s dreaming about it or something! Truly poetic stuff.</p> <p>I congratulate James Cameron on making it all work — <cite>Titanic</cite> is a Good Movie. It brims with personality and is unquestionably memorable. Plus, I have to applaud his <em>ethos</em> in the search for complete cheesiness with the 3D conversion. Wish I’d seen that one.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/titanic-1997/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2016/12/29-prisoners/ 2016-12-29T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 28&nbsp;December 2016, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Just harrowing. This film hit me like a brick.</p> <p>Denis Villeneuve has definitely got a good thing going — he is proving himself to be a master of both tone and detail. Despite being two and a half hours long, the film never lets up. Not a moment feels wasted; every shot is packed with information and detail. The soundtrack is perfect. And my god, Roger Deakins.</p> <p>Jake Gyllenhaal is amazing in this, like I was promised. People should stop complaining about the quality of “new-school” American actors, because this guy exists.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/prisoners/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2016/12/28-rogue-one-a-star-wars-story/ 2016-12-28T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 26&nbsp;December 2016, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Cool movie.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2016/12/26-the-accountant/ 2016-12-26T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 25&nbsp;December 2016, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>So much potential was wasted here, it’s kinda hard to watch. I had to deduct half a star to <em>account</em> for the simply insulting writing-numbers-on-windows math genius montage. This film should have learned something from its main character: focus and terseness.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-accountant-2016/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2016/12/24-sausage-party/ 2016-12-24T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 22&nbsp;December 2016, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>I don’t really know how to rate comedies. Much less <em>this</em>.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/sausage-party/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2016/12/10-the-handmaiden/ 2016-12-10T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 9&nbsp;December 2016, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>What an awe-inspiring juggling act. Not just in terms of story, but (more impressively) in structure, characterization, and tone. And yet, not a single ball is dropped. This film is excitingly original and delightfully well executed.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/the-handmaiden/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2016/11/30-arrival/ 2016-11-30T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 12&nbsp;November 2016, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Beautiful, unconventional, relentlessly tense. <cite>Arrival</cite> nails the uneasy, humbling atomsphere of facing the unknown.</p> <p>Favorite detail: how the exact shape of the alien “pods” is kept ambiguous through clever camera angles, only to be progressively revealed throughout the film as different views are shown. Quite fitting.</p> <p>The <cite>Blade Runner</cite> sequel seems to be in very good hands.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/arrival-2016/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2016/11/01-i-saw-the-devil/ 2016-11-01T00:00:00+00:00 <p><i>Watched 31&nbsp;October 2016, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>An overall enjoyable film, thanks to good performances and some amazing visuals. The taxi scene sticks out as an amazing feat, and a cool nod to Children of Men’s oner.</p> <p>My problem is with the script. Being about revenge, it does a poor job of selling the main character’s taste for it. Not much attention is given to <em>how</em> the main character is transformed into a psychopath — the film seems only interested in exploring the gory end result of that transformation. There is no “descent into madness”; the main character seems to take an express elevator straight to the bottom floor.</p> <p>While other revenge flicks like <cite>Oldboy</cite> or <cite>The Man From Nowhere</cite> offer revenge as catharsis, this film seems content in presenting it as a fetish.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/i-saw-the-devil/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2016/09/19-faceoff/ 2016-09-19T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 18&nbsp;September 2016, rated 4 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Unbelievably great.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/face-off/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2016/09/11-spirited-away/ 2016-09-11T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 11&nbsp;September 2016, rated 5 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>Instead of just being weird for weird’s sake (I’m looking at <em>you</em>, <cite>Alice in Wonderland</cite>), the bizarre setting is used to amplify the emotional punch of the story. Everything is there for a reason, and it all feels seamless and coherent. The writing is never preachy or heavy-handed, while delivering fascinating character development. A masterclass in “show, don’t tell”. Above all, I love the optimism this film places in the power of kindness. Such a simple, powerful concept — so well executed.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/spirited-away/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p> https://letra.studio/2016/08/31-captain-america-civil-war/ 2016-08-31T00:00:00+01:00 <p><i>Watched 30&nbsp;August 2016, rated 3 out of 5 stars</i></p> <p>It seems like <em>action blockbuster</em> increasingly means <em>superheroes</em>. That would be fine if not everything had to be part of an “extended universe”. These films all feel exactly the same, and it’s by design. Meh.</p> <p>Still, this was enjoyable; had some fun parts despite the thin plot and characterization. Only <em>some</em> of the main characters seem to have any depth at all, and (what could be) interesting plot points are instantly squandered in favor of more fighting. Oh, well.</p> <p>This is made to please as many people as possible, and it shows. I just wish more varied kinds of action films still fit that description too.</p> <hr> <p class="post-source"><a href="https://letterboxd.com/joaobfreire/film/captain-america-civil-war/">Also posted on Letterboxd</a></p>