Movie reviews of Filipe Freitas

Not so anarchic as its obnoxious main character, Martin Lund’s second feature film has exposed promising situations but not always concluded them in the most satisfying way. Review

Everybody In Our Family never discards its frantic rhythm, being filled with poignant humor and extremely entertaining situations; some of them are stupid and exaggerated, but entertaining anyway. Impeccable direction and acting, in one of the craziest movies of the year. Review

Among imperfections and inaccuracies, this indie film ended up being enjoyable, thanks to the performances and to a very funny ending, which represented a cool down in the suffocating heat of Florida. Review

At the same time that the film tries to avoid sentimental manipulation, it leaves a sensation of familiarity, with its faith issues, and shattered American dreams. The ending keeps up the intensity: sadness, depth, but also beauty. Review

Presenting a strong conception and execution, After Lucia exposes the horrors of bullying, the inconvenience of technology, and the blindness of revenge, all in the same package. Review

Even with some sad revelations, the ending left much space for hope, prefiguring a better life for both ladies. Sean Baker’s fourth feature film, satisfies without exceed expectations. Review

Dollhouse has the visual side as main strength, creating enough tension to depict a lost generation, but its limited story, inexact narrative, vague characters, and lack of a concrete orientation, thwarted its plans to be more successful. Review

The pure independent style adopted fit well, giving the rawness that the story was asking for, but despite the truthfulness evinced, it lacked intensity and firm pace in several situations. In the end it didn’t create the impact I was expecting, despite the lesson of courage and hope that conveys. Review

Burshtein’s smart vision doesn’t hide some problems in terms of pace and unchanged mood throughout the film, although it seems clear that restrained tension was an option and not a limitation. The brilliant performance by Hadas Yaron was awarded in Venice and Israel. Review

Being perfectly watchable, I felt it needed more agitation in the story and the suppression of some unnecessary scenes, to become more appealing. Review

Its deliberate pace, nature sounds, and tropical ambience, will not fit in everyone’s taste, but for those more adventurous, it may be a challenging cinematic experience. Review

Travis Fine’s most interesting film so far, a real champion of audiences in Festivals such as Chicago, L.A., Seattle, and Tribeca. Review

In a dark tone, Morales was able to make the story flow at a good pace, creating suspenseful moments until reach the unexpected conclusions. A solid thriller. Review

Oh Boy is a mature accomplishment from a debutant cineaste who used beautiful long shots and detailed close-ups to show in a charming and conscious way that both people and city are in constant transformation. Review

Calm At Sea was made in an old-fashioned way, but still conveys some emotional breath, despite its simplistic plot. Review

Its noble intentions and a couple of rousing moments, could not make Jackie Robinson's fantastic achievements seem so special on the screen. Review

Upstream Color is a completely different thriller, made with boldness and creativity, and whose hypnotic ambience sticks in our mind like a delirious dream. Carruth shows imagination, promising to be the next brainteaser creator of independent American cinema. Review

Neighboring Sounds is a distinct experience, even with an inarticulate storyline. Review

The way it was cooked didn’t catch me, failing to convey real paranoia or intrigue me with its inconsequent clues. Review

The stiffness of the narrative along with Deepa Mehta’s extreme delicacy on direction smothered the tense situations, making Midnight’s Children less riveting than it should be and very far from the epic that it dreamed to become. Instantly forgettable. Review

Oblivion is strictly visual, presenting a love triangle that is hardly interesting, and lacking real thrilling moments. Definitely, it won't be part of my sci-fi references list. Review

The unquestionable quality of the cast nothing could have done when worn formulas were used and the tense moments proved to be frustratingly inefficient. Review

Boxing Day is powerful, timeless, and realistic. The excellent performances, poignant humor, and desperate moments, helped to magnify a moral tale that should be taken as an example in our society full of greediness. Review

Sometimes vague, sometimes intense, To The Wonder is flawed but beautiful. Review