By Roger Costa
JULIETA
Pedro Almodovar really struggles to get back in shape with his latest piece, a mix of suspense and melodrama, seen through the feminine universe and all its anxieties, exactly the elements he brilliantly depicted in his earlier works. The protagonist narrates the story focusing on how the death of her husband affected her life and her daughter’s. The narrative is divided in two periods, before and during her earlier years of marriage, and the consequences in their relationship and suffering caused afterwards. Unique and versatile, Almodovar continues to seduce with vivid insights of human conditions, and here in an unpredictable move, he uses two actresses to perform the leading lady, extracting intriguingly charismatic performances from both Adriana Ugarte as the young Julieta, and Emma Suarez as the older, a desperate mother seeking for her missing daughter. He re-adapts and exercises the aspects that predominates in his works about women, with convincing results, but it still lacks a more reasonable structure and development. Despite its elegance, somehow it feels absurd, and over saturated, as well as the unsolved topics of family, sexuality, and spirituality it tries to explore. Almodovar didn’t miss out with a bad film since his debut, conceiving 16 feature-length masterpieces, culminating with “Volver” (2006), his last great film. The soap opera aesthetic has been influencing his works since “Broken Embraces”, followed by other disasters as “The Skin I Live In” and “I’m So Excited!”. Perhaps that’s what’s on the way of a great filmmaker who has a preciously authentic gift for storytelling. In “Julieta” his efforts prove that the formula isn’t totally complete yet, but it’s in the process of finding its place.
LIVE BY NIGHT
Ben Affleck’s portrait of a glamorous gangster in 1920’s era of alcohol prohibition and the corruption linked to city authorities is an enormous mistake. Everything is very sophisticated and well produced, but it feels superficial and phony in many levels. At points it is visibly obvious the careless directing, leaving actors to sacrifice their talents with the unenthusiastic plot. Affleck stands like a rock, as if he was still into Batman’s cape, unemotional and uninspired (despite the gorgeous outfits) making faces that resemble a bad cold. Two players, though, make it worth a watch, Elle Fanning and Chris Cooper, as a preaching young woman and her sheriff father, in fantastic characterizations. In other hand, two of the sexiest women in Hollywood, Sienna Miller and Zoe Saldana both deliver laughable and irregular accents, as immigrants from Ireland and Cuba respectively. The film explores their sensuality as the bon vivant’s love objects. There’s also lots of explosions, chases, blood and violence, as Affleck, his pals and enemies won’t show mercy to control the crime in Boston and Florida, which could entertain and fill up the blankness. But it doesn’t.
TONI ERDMANN
One of the most discussed films of the award season, it gained a Golden Golden nod and it’s on the Oscar shortlist for Foreign Language Film, German filmmaker Maren Ade’s third feature is a dark comedy, a somber, dry observation on the complicated connection of a successful business woman and her daydream, compulsive joker father; while she’s pursuing her goals and investments, he’s delving into a crisis of illusions; at the same time, she’s drifting away from warmth, while he’s trying to paint the world with his own colors. Their alrealdy estranged bond is put at test when he unexpectedly arrives at a resort where she’s attending an important business conference. Confusions and revelations will ensue, despite they try to manage and control their own instincts. The pair of actors, Sandra Hüller and Peter Simonischek give utterly honest, fabulous performances in this brilliantly raw, but overrated observation on modern trends shaping family disconnections, as well as a coherent study on existentialism. Despite the long unnecessary takes, and some undisclosed metaphors, it is a sensitive and thoughtful comedic piece.
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