As a big movie buff, I have a Letterboxd account and I enjoy seeing celebrities share the last four movies they've watched or their four all-time favorites. I recently saw an interview on Instagram where Anya Taylor-Joy listed four films on her list: The Handmaiden, Arrival, In the Mood For Love, and Almost Famous. Since I love the other three and that last one was the only one I hadn't seen (even though it was on my list), I decided to catch up and see why Anya had included it among her favorites.

Como buen aficionado al cine, tengo mi cuenta en Letterboxd y disfruto viendo a los famosos compartir cuáles son las últimas cuatro películas que han visto o cuáles son sus cuatro películas favoritas de todos los tiempos. Hace poco vi, en Instagram, una entrevista en la que Anya Taylor-Joy mencionaba en su podio cuatro películas: The Handmaiden, Arrival, In the Mood For Love y Almost Famous. Como amo las otras tres y esa última era la única que no había visto (aunque la tenía en lista) decidí saldar mi deuda y ver por qué Anya la había incluido entre sus favoritas.

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Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous is a tribute to 1970s rock, but also to a lifestyle, an era, and a country that no longer exists. The film opens with William Miller, a teenager living with his mother and sister, discovering he's a child prodigy and younger than his mother had told him. After his sister Anita leaves home to become a flight attendant and bequeaths him her vinyl collection (forbidden by their mother), William discovers his love for rock and roll through the melodies of Cream, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles. Thanks to this, at the age of fifteen he began writing music reviews for a local magazine and was later contacted by the legendary Rolling Stone magazine to write a story about the tour of an up-and-coming band, Stillwater, whom he had met briefly after a Black Sabbath concert. Despite his age—something the magazine was unaware of—and his mother's initial misgivings, as she didn't want him to go, William embarked on an adventure that took him on a journey through several US cities, hotels, and backstage areas, where he met a series of fascinating characters who gradually led him astray from his initial goal. This is a coming-of-age, a road movie, a rock 'n' roll film, and a love story, all at once.

Escrita y dirigida por Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous es un homenaje al rock de los setenta, pero también a un estilo de vida, a una época y a un país que ya no existe. La cinta inicia con William Miller, un adolescente que vive con su madre y su hermana cuando descubre que es un niño prodigio y que es más joven que lo que le había dicho su madre. Luego de que su hermana Anita se marcha de casa para convertirse en azafata y le hereda su colección de vinilos (prohibidos por su madre) William descubre su amor por el Rock n' Roll entre las melodías de Cream, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin' y los Beatles. Gracias a eso, a la edad de quince años comienza a redactar críticas musicales para una revista local y posteriormente es llamado por la mítica revista Rolling Stones para que realice un reportaje sobre la gira de una banda emergente, Stillwater, a quienes había conocido brevemente tras un concierto de Black Sabbath. A pesar de su edad - algo que la revista desconoce - y de las dudas de su madre, quien al principio no quiere dejarlo ir, Willliam se embarca en una aventura que lo llevará en un viaje a varias ciudades de los EEUU, hoteles, backstages, y en donde conocerá una serie de personajes que lo fascinarán y le harán alejarse cada vez más de su objetivo inicial. Se trata entonces de una historia de iniciación, una road movie, una película sobre rock n' roll y una historia de amor, todo a la vez.

Any teenager from any era who loves music has dreamed of meeting their favorite band and embarking on an adventure with them, going on tour, taking planes and hanging out, especially if along the way they meet a girl as magnetic and beautiful as Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), a Stillwater fan who maintains a romantic relationship with the band's guitarist even though he's married.

Cualquier adolescente de cualquier época que ame la música ha soñado con conocer su banda favorita y embarcarse en una aventura con ellos, irse de gira, tomar aviones y compartir en el backstage, sobre todo si en el camino se conoce a una chica tan magnética y hermosa como Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), fanática de Stillwater que mantiene una relación romántica con el guitarrista de la banda a pesar de que él se encuentra casado.

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William is the protagonist of the film, and much of the story centers on Stillwater, but Penny Lane steals the show with her warmth, her golden curls, her energy, and that blend of strength and fragility that manages to capture young William's heart. At times a damsel in distress, at times a femme fatale, at times a fanatic, but also largely a star in her own right, Penny Lane (and what a name!) is the soul of Almost Famous; it's no coincidence that she appears on the official poster, and Kate Hudson won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, also receiving an Oscar nomination in that category. And in this story, alongside Hudson, we see a host of actors and actresses who, before or after the film, went on to become major names in film and television: Billy Crudup, two-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand, Jason Lee, Anna Paquin, Noah Taylor, Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, Zooey Deschanel, and Jimmy Fallon all appear in the film; Rainn Wilson (The Office) and Eric Allen Stonestreet (Modern Family) also make brief appearances. When was the last time you saw so many famous actors in a single film that wasn't a blockbuster? The cast of this film is fantastic.

Penny Lane (Kate Hudson)

William es el protagonista de la película y buena parte de la historia se centra en Stillwater, pero Penny Lane se roba el protagonismo con su calidez, sus rizos dorados, su energía y esa mezcla de fuerza y fragilidad que logra adueñarse del corazón del joven William. A ratos damisela en peligro, a ratos femme fatale, a ratos fanática, pero en buena medida también una estrella en sí misma, Penny Lane (¡y qué nombre!) es el alma de Almost Famous; no en vano es ella quien aparece en el poster oficial y Kate Hudson se ganó el Golden Globe a Mejor Actriz de Reparto, siendo nominada también a los Oscars en esa categoría. Y en esta historia, junto a Hudson, podemos ver una gran cantidad de actores y actrices que antes o después de la película lograron situarse como nombres importantes en cine y tv: Billy Crudup, la dos veces ganadora del Oscar Frances McDormand, Jason Lee, Anna Paquin, Noah Taylor, el ganador del Oscar Philip Seymour-Hoffman, Zooey Deschanel y Jimmy Fallon, aparecen en la cinta; también lo hacen brevemente Rainn Wilson (The Office) y Eric Allen Stonestreet (Modern Family), ¿cuándo fue la última vez que vieron a tantos actores famosos en una misma película y que no se tratase de una superproducción? El elenco de esta película es buenísimo.

As one would expect from a film celebrating 70s rock, the soundtrack is superb, and that's why it won a Grammy. It features songs by Elton John, Led Zeppelin, The Who, David Bowie, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, and Cat Stevens, plus five original songs by Stillwater, composed by Nancy Wilson (a member of the band Heart and the director's wife at the time) and musician Peter Frampton, who also appears in some scenes of the film.

Como no podía ser diferente en una película que celebra el rock de los setenta, el soundtrack es de lujo y por eso se llevó el Grammy. Canciones de Elton John, Led Zeppelin', The Who, David Bowie, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel y Cat Stevens, además de cinco canciones originales de Stillwater compuestas por Nancy Wilson (miembro de la banda Heart y quien era esposa del director en ese momento) y el músico Peter Frampton, quien también aparece en algunas escenas de la película.

Penny Lane

Now, let me tell you two interesting things I noticed while watching the movie. The film opens with a song by Alvin & the Chipmunks, a film starring Jason Lee, who appears in Almost Famous as the lead singer of Stillwater; and in one scene, Zooey Deschanel's character says the line "I'm a yes person," which reminded me of the film Yes Man, which she also starred in alongside Jim Carrey. Curious, isn't it? Anyway, that mix of performances, characters, music, and other elements like Penny Lane's wardrobe have turned Almost Famous into a cult classic that celebrates a double dose of nostalgia: on the one hand, for the seventies, and on the other, for the nineties and the end of the 20th century. Newer generations will surely find some aspects of a story that presents unthinkable situations today objectionable. In a way, I think the human innocence that was felt in the sixties and seventies was lost during the eighties, and some of that naiveté that managed to survive was definitively buried with the end of the millennium. That's why the film feels so nostalgic, even after twenty-five years since its release. Crowe wrote this story based on some personal experiences and won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. For many, this is his best film, along with another film he released four years earlier, Jerry Maguire. I haven't seen the latter, but it's on my list. Have you seen Almost Famous? Would you put her among your top four favorites, like Anya? Let me know in the comments.

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Ahora les cuento dos curiosidades que noté mientras veía la película. La cinta inicia con una canción de Alvin & the Chipmunks, película en la que actúa Jason Lee, quien aparece en Almost Famous como vocalista de Stillwater; y en una escena, el personaje de Zooey Deschanel dice la frase "I'm a yes person", lo que me recordó la cinta Yes Man que ella misma protagoniza junto a Jim Carrey. Curioso, ¿no? En fin que esa mezcla de actuaciones, personajes, música y otros elementos como el vestuario de Penny Lane, han convertido a Almost Famous en un clásico de culto que celebra la doble nostalgia; por un lado la de los años setenta y por otro lado la de los noventa y el final del siglo XX. Las nuevas generaciones seguramente encontrarán condenables algunas cosas de una historia que plantea situaciones impensables hoy. De alguna forma creo que la inocencia humana que se sentía en los sesenta y setenta, se perdió durante los ochenta y algo de esa ingenuidad que logró sobrevivir se vio definitivamente sepultada con el término del milenio. De allí que la película se sienta tan nostálgica, más allá de los veinticinco años que han pasado desde su estreno. Crowe escribió esta historia basándose en algunas experiencias personales y consiguió el Oscar a Mejor Guion Original. Para muchos, esta es su mejor película junto a otra cinta que estrenó cuatro años antes, Jerry Maguire. Esta última no la he visto, pero la tengo en lista; y ustedes, ¿han visto Almost Famous? ¿la pondrían entre sus cuatro favoritas como Anya Taylor-Joy? Los leo en los comentarios.

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A couple of days ago, I got to see A House of Dynamite, a film I was really looking forward to because I had seen many positive reviews and because it is by Kathryn Bigelow, a filmmaker who brings strength to her stories. She has built a solid career and I expected her to offer us a film full of tension, as could be seen in the trailer.

The theme to keep us in constant suspense was perfect: the imminent threat of a nuclear attack on US soil that would trigger a global catastrophe. An unprecedented nuclear war in which the great powers, with that arsenal in their hands, annihilate each other until they destroy the world as we know it.

The fear of the end of the world, of being attacked by the enemy (although here we do not know who the attacker is) is a fear that the world has faced since these super-lethal weapons were created, and fear is always a strategy (or weapon) used to convince the agent to follow the path chosen by those in power. I have already given an example in publications some time ago, where I commented on what Michael Moore explains in his documentary Bowling for Columbine, that in society (especially in American society) fear has been used to manipulate, control, and destroy.

It may be that some people, after seeing the film, feel afraid that something like what is proposed will come true, and even more so if they believe that in real life people would act as they do in the film, where everyone seems to be the definitive representation of a crystal generation. I won't deny that the filmmaker manages the tension and crescendo of the conflict very well, adding drama to the characters, but it is in its structure that, for me, it makes viewing it tiresome and boring.

Hace un par de días pude ver A House of Dynamite, una película que esperaba con muchas ganas porque había visto muchas opiniones positivas y porque es de Kathryn Bigelow, una cineasta que aporta fuerza a sus historias. Ha construido una carrera sólida y esperaba que nos ofreciera una película llena de tensión, como se podía ver en el tráiler.

El tema para mantenernos en constante suspense era perfecto: la amenaza inminente de un ataque nuclear en suelo estadounidense que desencadenaría una catástrofe global. Una guerra nuclear sin precedentes en la que las grandes potencias, con ese arsenal en sus manos, se aniquilan entre sí hasta destruir el mundo tal y como lo conocemos.

El miedo al fin del mundo, a ser atacados por el enemigo (aunque aquí no sabemos quién es el atacante) es un miedo al que se enfrenta el mundo desde que se crearon estas armas superletales, y el miedo es siempre una estrategia (o arma) utilizada para convencer al agente de que siga el camino elegido por los que están en el poder. Ya he dado un ejemplo en publicaciones de hace bastante tiempo, donde comentaba lo que Michael Moore explica en su documental Bowling for Columbine, que en la sociedad (especialmente en la sociedad estadounidense) el miedo se ha utilizado para manipular, controlar y destruir.

Puede ser que algunas personas, después de ver la película, sientan miedo de que algo como lo que se propone se haga realidad, y más aún si creen que en la vida real la gente actuaría como lo hace en la película, donde todos parecen ser la representación definitiva de una generación cristal. No voy a negar que la cineasta consigue manejar muy bien la tensión y el crescendo del conflicto, añadiendo dramatismo a los personajes, pero es en su estructura donde, para mí, hace que su visionado resulte cansino y aburrido.

I have to spoil the surprise and tell you that the conflict in the film is seen from several perspectives. I think the first part of the film is wonderful. It hooked me, and I paid close attention to how everything unfolded, also because I love Rebecca Ferguson as an actress. I could spend hours watching her make pained faces without ever getting tired of it. But when they tell me everything again from other people's perspectives, for the second time, it's not the same. I don't feel the emotion I felt at the beginning, and when the director tells me again for the third time, it becomes repetitive and lacks tension.

It's not a bad movie, it's just too long for what it has to say, and to top it all off, I'm presented with a scenario where everyone seems to be acting like sentimental idiots. I don't mind being presented with characters who are very empathetic towards others. I understand that there are many people like that, but there are also people, especially those who pull the strings of power, who know how to handle their share of psychopathy, unlike in this movie, where even the general, who seems to be the most macho, bold, and decisive, has his share of suffering with his sad little eyes.

But for me, it's the performance of the American president in the movie, played by Idris Elba. An excellent actor who has been entrusted with the task of being the dumbest president in any movie or series. I assure you that this one is dumber than Charles Logan from the series 24, who held the championship belt for dumb presidents in fiction. The president in this movie doesn't know what to do, he hesitates, he trembles, he's a complete idiot who just needs to start crying.

With the new generations being so fragile, it seems that this is what world leaders will be like in the future, because even the Russian leaders who appear in the movie act like idiots. It's a movie in which everyone seems worried, sad, and teary-eyed, as if they were auditioning for a Mexican soap opera.

Anyway, I recommend you watch it so you can form your own opinion and tell me what you think in the comments.

Tengo que estropearte la sorpresa y decirte que el conflicto de la película se ve desde varias perspectivas. La primera parte de la película me parece maravillosa. Me enganchó y presté mucha atención a cómo se desarrollaba todo, también porque me encanta Rebecca Ferguson como actriz. Podría pasarme horas viéndola poner caras de dolor sin cansarme nunca. Pero cuando me lo vuelven a contar todo desde la perspectiva de otras personas, por segunda vez, ya no es lo mismo. No siento la emoción que sentí al principio, y cuando el director vuelve a contármelo por tercera vez, se vuelve repetitivo y carece de tensión.

No es una mala película, solo que es demasiado larga para lo que tiene que decir y, para colmo, me presentan un escenario en el que todos parecen actuar como idiotas sentimentales. No me importa que me presenten personajes que sean muy empáticos con los demás. Entiendo que hay mucha gente así, pero también hay personas, especialmente las que mueven los hilos del poder, que saben manejar su parte de psicopatía, a diferencia de esta película, donde incluso el general, que parece ser el más macho, audaz y decidido, tiene su parte de sufrimiento con sus tristes ojitos.

Pero para mí, es la interpretación del presidente estadounidense en la película, interpretado por Idris Elba. Un excelente actor al que le han encomendado la tarea de ser presidente mas tonto de alguna película o serie. Les aseguro que este es más tonto que Charles Logan de la serie 24, que tenía el cinturón de campeón de presidentes idiotas de la ficcion. El presidente de esta película no sabe qué hacer, duda, tiembla,, es un completo idiota que solo le falta ponerse a llorar.

Con las nuevas generaciones tan frágiles, parece que así serán los líderes mundiales en el futuro, porque incluso los líderes rusos que aparecen en la película actúan como pendejos. Es una película en la que todo el mundo parece preocupado, triste y con los ojos llorosos, como si estuvieran haciendo una audición para una telenovela mexicana.

Igual se las recomiendo para que se formensu propia opinión y me digas que te parececio en los comentarios.

Hello users! I wanted to find something enlightening. I was getting tired of living under constant stress; my psyche couldn't take any more violence, sex without romance, shootings, and drugs. Then I came across the name of a very famous novel written by Gabriel García Márquez, a Colombian writer, called One Hundred Years of Solitude. I had heard this name since high school, and I also saw this book in my home library.

Many know how humans learn: some read, others prefer animated scenes, and still others enjoy listening to their literature teacher read aloud. Watching each chapter of this novel drew me into every scene, allowing me to internalize how a town with a fictional name can be created, filled with beautiful moments, like witnessing a child's birth in the most natural, yet painful way. The love of a couple convinced that nothing and no one will separate them, overcoming fears, beliefs, and negativity, and leaving many resentments far behind for their new family.

A man whose imagination ran wild to the point of losing his sanity. A woman who held the reins of the household, longing for a large family that slipped through her fingers as time passed. This woman tried to instill good values; her children drifted away, but that didn't stop her from speaking her mind without being defeated.

Imagine being the founder of a town, defending it, fighting for equality, wanting everyone to be the same, the houses all the same color. Everything, in his view, seemed perfect. I was amazed at how the town gradually filled with situations that now seem so normal: a man with many children by different women—I won't tell you everything.

The children grow up and everything changes, but the love of parents remains intact. Seeing the mothers' pain for their children, their dedication to ensuring they get married legally.

The novel One Hundred Years of Solitude was published in 1967. At the time, it was a somewhat savage, yet hopeful, world, later descending into destruction, rife with organized crime, social disorder, and ultimately, politics that would lead to war.

I would like to recount the eight chapters, in which you see the author's love in every detail, the desire to clearly show the human effort to get ahead, but also how easily one can fall into situations that cost them their life.

Netflix outdid itself in 2024 by bringing this story to the screen, giving a much-needed respite to those of us who, for one reason or another, hadn't been able to read this great novel. Macondo is the name of the fictional town, a town that could be anywhere in the world. After reading some of the novel, I understood that it was based on the author's own experiences, customs, and anecdotes.

I highly recommend it. I hope no one has ever had to live in towns like this, where decadence brings out the worst in people.

Hola usuarios! Quería ver algo que me instruyera, ya estaba algo cansada de vivir en un constante estrés mi psiquis no aguantaba más violencia, sexo sin romanticismo, tiroteo y drogas, pues, me encontré con el nombre de una novela muy famosa escrita por Gabriel García Márquez un escritor Colombiano llamada Cien años de soledad. Había escuchado este nombre desde que estaba en bachillerato, también vi este libro en la biblioteca de mi hogar.

Muchos saben la manera que tenemos los humanos de aprender, algunos leen, otros quieren movimiento de escenas, otros escuchar la lectura en la voz de su profesor de literatura. Poder ver cada capítulo de esta novela me hizo meterme en cada escena, internalizar como se puede llegar a crear un pueblo cuyo nombre es ficticio, lleno de momentos hermosos, como ver nacer a un niño de la manera más natural, pero dolorosa. El amor de una pareja convencidos que nada ni nadie los separará, pasar por encima de temores, creencias, negatividad y dejar muchos resentimientos lejos de su nueva familia.

Un hombre que dejaba volar su imaginación al punto de perder la cordura. Una mujer que llevaba las riendas del hogar, con muchas ganas de tener una familia numerosa que se fue esfumando de sus manos al pasar del tiempo. Esta mujer trataba de inculcar buenos ejemplos, sus hijos se les escabullía, pero no era impedimento para decir las cosas sin dejarse derrotar.

Se imaginan ser fundador de un pueblo, defenderlo, luchar por la igualdad, querer que todos fuesen iguales, el color de las casas iguales. Todo a su modo de ver las cosas se veía perfecto. Me asombraba como se iba llenando el pueblo de situaciones que ahora se ven tan normal, un hombre con muchos hijos con diferentes mujeres, no les voy a contar todo.

Los hijos crecen y todo cambia, pero el amor de padres sigue intacto. Ver el dolor de las madres por sus hijos, la dedicación para que salgan casados de manera oficial.

La novela Cien años de soledad fue publicada en el año 1967, en un ambiente de la época era algo salvaje, pero esperanzador, luego llegando a su destrucción, lleno de mafia, desorden social hasta llegar a la política que llevaría a la guerra.

Quisiera contar los ocho capítulos, en los cuales ves el amor del autor en cada espacio, las ganas de dejar claro el esfuerzo del ser humano para salir adelante, pero también como se puede caer fácilmente en situaciones que te hacen perder la vida.

Netflix se lució en el año 2024 al traer esta trama a la pantalla, dando ese respiro a los que por una u otra causa no pudimos leer esta gran novela. Macondo es el nombre del pueblo ficticio, un pueblo que puede estar en cualquier lugar del mundo. Luego de leer algo sobre esta novela pude entender que fueron vivencias del autor de la novela, sus costumbres y anécdotas vividas.

La recomiendo. Ojalá que nadie haya pasado por pueblos así, donde la decadencia hace salir lo más bajo del ser humano.

The first image includes its source. DeepL translator used. My signature was created with Canva.

Should I be ashamed that I just watched Interstellar for the first time in 2025?

You might be kind enough to say I shouldn’t be, but honestly, I actually am. I’ve known about this movie for years, and everyone talks about how it’s one of Christopher Nolan’s greatest masterpieces, yet I still didn’t give myself the opportunity to watch it. To make it worse, I know Christopher Nolan doesn’t miss. Every movie of his is always layered, smart, emotional, and mind-bending. I’ve seen Tenet, although I know that one definitely needs a rewatch because my brain was doing front flips trying to understand it. I’m currently watching Oppenheimer too, and even though it’s starting a bit slow for me, I know the main “Nolan magic moment and twists” is lurking somewhere and will eventually hit me like a wave.

This isn’t even a review, really. It would have been a really stale one. This is just me trying to express how I felt after watching this movie because wow! Interstellar is beautiful. There’s something about it that sits differently in the mind. The plot twist towards the end truly finished me. The entire idea of the world happening in different dimensions was so fascinating, and the way Nolan portrayed it visually was even more beautiful. It made me so curious about the whole world of astrophysics and space science. I don’t think I was prepared for the moment when it was revealed that the “ghost” in Murph’s room was her father all along. When that clicked, I literally didn’t feel my brain anymore. I just froze like, “Wow. This man really planned this from the very beginning.”

And the way time was portrayed? Please. My whole mind was doing backflips. The scene on Miller’s planet, where every hour equals seven years on Earth? I had to pause and breathe. The idea that time itself could stretch and fold depending on gravity, was so wild yet so beautiful. It reminded me of how tiny we are in the grand scheme of the universe. Now that I think about it, I definitely need to rewatch the movie so I can properly digest everything—wormholes, bending time, gravity as a communication tool, black holes, five-dimensional space, and basically everything that had my head spinning. These concepts are so fascinating, and I honestly want to learn more about them.

The ending touched me the most. Watching Murph as an old woman while Cooper was still the same age he was when he left. That part hit hard. Imagine returning home to your child, only to meet them on their deathbed as an elderly person while you still look young. That scene was sad, emotional, and beautiful all at once. Their bond was so strong, and the fact that he still kept his promise to come back? That was everything.

I completely enjoyed Interstellar, and as I said earlier, I’ll definitely rewatch it. Christopher Nolan is such a genius. The kind of movies he makes? Pure brilliance.

Whenever a sequel to a movie is made, two things can happen: either it's very good compared to the first one, or it's very bad. In the case of Black Phone 2, it's not necessarily either of those, because, from my point of view, it went from being a very good movie that left a great impression to one that doesn't seem to have much to do with the first one, beyond the characters. I mean that the first part did not seem to have supernatural elements, while the second is quite the opposite, as the main antagonist definitely has supernatural origins, as do other characters we see during the film, who have abilities that go beyond what we are used to seeing in this world.

Black Phone 2 is a film set in 2025, produced by Blumhouse Records and directed by Scott Derrickson. Among the main characters, we see Ethan Hawke, who plays the antagonist, and a cast of actors who are quite similar or who reprise their roles from the first film. The genre is obviously supernatural horror. The story takes place a few years after the events of the first film. We see the boy who managed to kill the kidnapper as a teenager, trying to lead a normal life. However, we can see that he has social difficulties at school, as well as family difficulties with both his father and his sister. Obviously, everything he went through in the first film caused trauma that he is coping with as best he can on a daily basis, but which undoubtedly had a very negative impact on his life.

However, in Black Phone 2, we see that the plot focuses more on her sister, who, little by little, we see has some supernatural powers, which are based on visions, and which cause her many nightmares at night. She sees signs that gradually lead her to understand that her mother is, or was, a fundamental part of everything related to the antagonist, and that she inherited these powers (so to speak) from her mother, which cause her to have visions and also enable her to see things that happened in the past, as well as supernatural elements.

So, little by little, it is revealed that the main antagonist went from being a malevolent human being to a supernatural entity who will seek revenge for what happened to him when he was alive. It's true that it's not as simple as I'm saying, but there was always something behind it that went back even further, to previous years, which gave rise to everything we see in the plot of Black Phone 1 and, of course, in part two. As for the resolution of the story, I invite you to watch the movie so that you can understand in greater detail what I have mentioned so far.

Now, this is a film that I was fortunate enough to see in the theater, and while it's true that, in my opinion, it's not better than the first one, it can be charming and quite entertaining. It's interesting to see that leap from the natural to the supernatural, which somehow transforms this film into something different. I would say it's a kind of mutation, trying to take advantage of elements from the first film, but at the same time taking it into a territory that I suppose the director wanted to be different this time around.

The performances are quite acceptable. I would say that it is not necessarily the film's strong point, but it was quite adequate in terms of what the plot required at each moment. From my point of view, the ending of this story was quite dignified. However, I had the feeling that there could be a third part, which for me is totally unnecessary, as I believe that the arguments available to develop the story were exploited to the full. In fact, this second part gives me the impression that it is very different from what we saw in the first one, but I suppose they wanted to take advantage of the positive impact of the first part to then shoot this second one, which, as I mentioned, is quite interesting and acceptable. If you like the horror genre, I invite you to watch it. You will probably be able to draw some good conclusions about it and have a good time. It was a pleasure to share my impressions of this film. See you next time.

Synopsis: In 1977 (and under menacing surveillance by the military dictatorship in Brazil), a technology expert decides to return to his hometown, Recife, in an attempt to escape his mysterious and violent past. In search of peace, all he ends up finding in his supposed refuge is a new web of conspiracy of catastrophic proportions.

Historically speaking, one of Brazil's biggest (and main) problems is how easily some events are forgotten over the years within its own socio-political-cultural construction (which is vast and quite complex). Literally, any and all more robust "dirt" ends up being strategically "swept" under a long rug where much information is lost (and consequently forgotten) over time. In this movie, the proposal of a controversial (and sometimes unusual) historical rescue is its greatest asset, but the way everything was constructed and tied together is excessively long and tiring, despite the script's constant attempts to make the content more dynamic. I confess that I would have liked this movie more, mainly because of the hype, but that's not the case.

It all begins when a technology expert starts a journey from his past (which is mysteriously violent and never definitively explained within the plot, leaving the audience with more questions than answers at the end). Arriving in the city of Recife (northeastern Brazil), he has two "missions": to reunite with his young son, whom he hasn't visited in a while, and to recover a document from his beloved mother (as a "keepsake" to keep her memory alive). However, before he can succeed in his plan (which involved a trip abroad with his son), dark events haunt them, creating a "dome" of fear that becomes increasingly tense as all the subplots introduce other aspects (creating a classic, yet incomplete atmosphere).

Deeply immersed in escalating paranoia, the plot is divided into three parts, which offer not only a resounding historical rescue full of memories, but mainly truths hidden by a dark period in Brazil: the military dictatorship. There's a strategic division where each chapter has a specific function to guide the audience through what's being built on screen, and by recreating a simply magnificent setting during the 1970s, the audience is thrown into a theoretically very immersive plot, but one that ends up being too conceptual (to the point of being more confusing than enlightening, most of the time) throughout its development. The premise is good, and for a good part of its execution, the movie works well... But it needed better editing.

The movie begins in nowhere (in a very irreverent and critically biting way), and literally ends up in the same place: nowhere (resulting in a kind of atypical conclusion, which could even be called an "anticlimax," after a long narrative build-up... because the movie is almost three hours long). In the midst of this somewhat hedonistic (and at times pseudo-dreamlike) journey, the audience is “bombarded” with a multitude of elements that include social satires focusing on issues such as prejudice and persecution of refugees, xenophobia, class segregation, political games, and a very "peculiar" Brazilian identity. Even with three acts, each almost an hour long, the movie struggles to handle so many elements on screen.

All the good elements (albeit excessive) needed to create an intriguing suspense plot are in this movie, but what really bothered me wasn't precisely the excess of all the elements, but rather the way everything was developed within a script that, despite being very functional (especially within its highly verbose and regionally linguistic parts), is very inert in the urgency that the plot itself tries to establish throughout its narrative journey. The plot really takes a long time to get going and take you to a specific place, and when everything finally seems to gain momentum, the movie is diluted in lighter "waves," practically negating all the suspense that had been built up until then, giving way to imminent frustration.

There's a very evident naturalistic verisimilitude regarding the Brazilian Northeast (especially Recife, obviously... because that's where most of the movie takes place), and this helps the audience "buy into" the idea of the geographical and spatial reconstruction that was made of that era. This should really evoke a very clear feeling of nostalgia in a good part of the audience, but the movie overdoes this sentimentality, just as it also overdoes it in bringing in some folkloric elements of the state, which end up sounding "dystopian" and seem unrelated to the plot, fueling the idea that this should have been in the final cut of the film, as a strange element that shouldn't exist.

Leading the cast, Wagner Moura delivers a fairly solid performance (but one that I personally don't think is Oscar-worthy, just as the movie itself isn't eloquent enough to achieve that recognition... and I'm only mentioning this in this text because it's Brazil's big bet for the awards next year), but he brings to life an unlikeable, simplistic character who is even somewhat out of touch with his own reality. On the other hand, we have a supporting cast that is much more charismatic, synergistic, and even if they aren't as well-developed (as the protagonist himself isn't, incidentally), they bring a strong personality to the movie within their scale of "identity" (something that fuels the Brazilianness that is spread throughout the movie, bringing comic relief in contrast to the tension).

Written and directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho (one of the strongest names in Brazilian cinema, well-known for exploring longer and excessively narrative plots), The Secret Agent is nothing like you imagine, and relies on an atypical (though confusing, especially in its temporal transitions) construction to try and shock the audience by inserting its social dystopias tempered with touches of anachronistic reality, mixing fiction with the harsh reality of that era (which, even today, fuels the ghosts of a society wounded by brutal political events). All this is wrapped up in an incredible soundtrack, increasing the immersiveness of its construction. The technical work is excellent, but has a bittersweet taste in its perfect incompleteness.

Sinopsis: En 1977 (bajo la amenazante vigilancia de la dictadura militar en Brasil), un experto en tecnología decide regresar a su ciudad natal, Recife, para escapar de su misterioso y violento pasado. En busca de paz, lo único que encuentra en su supuesto refugio es una nueva red de conspiraciones de proporciones catastróficas.

Históricamente hablando, uno de los mayores (y principales) problemas de Brasil es la facilidad con que ciertos eventos se olvidan con el paso de los años dentro de su propia estructura sociopolítica y cultural (que es vasta y bastante compleja). Literalmente, cualquier información comprometedora termina siendo estratégicamente ocultada, perdiéndose (y, por consiguiente, olvidada) con el tiempo. En esta película, la propuesta de un rescate histórico controvertido (y a veces inusual) es su mayor virtud, pero la forma en que todo está construido y entrelazado resulta excesivamente larga y agotadora, a pesar de los constantes intentos del guion por dinamizar el contenido. Confieso que me hubiera gustado más esta película, principalmente por la expectación que generó, pero no fue así.

Todo comienza cuando un experto en tecnología emprende un viaje desde su pasado (un pasado misteriosamente violento que nunca se explica del todo en la trama, dejando al público con más preguntas que respuestas). Al llegar a la ciudad de Recife (noreste de Brasil), tiene dos “misiones”: reencontrarse con su hijo pequeño, a quien no ha visto en mucho tiempo, y recuperar un documento de su querida madre (como “recuerdo” para mantener viva su memoria). Sin embargo, antes de que pueda lograr su objetivo (que implica un viaje al extranjero con su hijo), oscuros sucesos los acechan, creando una atmósfera de terror que se torna cada vez más tensa a medida que las subtramas introducen nuevos elementos (creando una atmósfera clásica, aunque incompleta).

Sumergida en una creciente paranoia, la trama se divide en tres partes que ofrecen no solo un conmovedor rescate histórico repleto de recuerdos, sino principalmente verdades ocultas por un oscuro período de Brasil: la dictadura militar. Existe una división estratégica donde cada capítulo tiene una función específica para guiar al público a través de lo que se construye en pantalla, y al recrear un escenario sencillamente magnífico de la década de 1970, el espectador se ve inmerso en una trama teóricamente muy envolvente, pero que termina siendo demasiado conceptual (hasta el punto de resultar más confusa que esclarecedora, la mayor parte del tiempo) a lo largo de su desarrollo. La premisa es buena, y durante buena parte de su ejecución, la película funciona bien... Pero necesitaba una mejor edición.

La película comienza en la nada (de una forma irreverente y mordaz), y literalmente termina en el mismo lugar: en la nada (lo que resulta en una conclusión atípica, que incluso podría considerarse un “anticlímax”, tras una larga construcción narrativa... dado que la película dura casi tres horas). En medio de este viaje algo hedonista (y por momentos pseudoonírico), el público se ve “bombardeado” por multitud de elementos que incluyen sátiras sociales centradas en temas como los prejuicios y la persecución de refugiados, la xenofobia, la segregación de clases, las intrigas políticas y una identidad brasileña muy “peculiar”. Incluso con tres actos, cada uno de casi una hora de duración, la película tiene dificultades para manejar tantos elementos en pantalla.

Esta película cuenta con todos los elementos necesarios (aunque excesivos) para crear una trama de suspense intrigante, pero lo que realmente me molestó no fue precisamente el exceso de elementos, sino la forma en que todo se desarrolló dentro de un guion que, a pesar de ser muy funcional (sobre todo en sus partes más verborreicas y con un lenguaje regional muy marcado), resulta inerte en cuanto a la urgencia que la trama intenta establecer a lo largo de su desarrollo narrativo. La trama tarda mucho en arrancar y llevarte a un punto concreto, y cuando por fin parece cobrar impulso, la película se diluye en momentos de menor intensidad, anulando prácticamente todo el suspense creado hasta entonces y provocando una frustración inminente.

Existe una verosimilitud naturalista muy evidente en lo que respecta al Nordeste brasileño (especialmente Recife, obviamente, ya que allí transcurre la mayor parte de la película), lo que ayuda al público a “conectar” con la idea de la reconstrucción geográfica y espacial de aquella época. Esto debería evocar una clara sensación de nostalgia en buena parte del público, pero la película exagera este sentimentalismo, al igual que también lo hace al introducir algunos elementos folclóricos del estado, que terminan sonando "distópicos" y parecen no tener relación con la trama, alimentando la idea de que esto debería haber estado en el montaje final de la película, como un elemento extraño que no debería existir.

Al frente del reparto, Wagner Moura ofrece una actuación bastante sólida (aunque, en mi opinión, no merecedora de un Óscar, al igual que la película en sí no tiene la elocuencia suficiente para obtener ese reconocimiento... y solo lo menciono aquí porque es la gran apuesta de Brasil para los premios del próximo año). Logra dar vida a un personaje antipático y simplista, incluso algo desconectado de su propia realidad. Por otro lado, el reparto secundario es mucho más carismático y tiene una gran sinergia. Si bien sus personajes no están tan desarrollados (al igual que el protagonista, dicho sea de paso), aportan una fuerte personalidad a la película dentro de su propio espectro de “identidad” (algo que alimenta la esencia brasileña que impregna toda la cinta, ofreciendo un toque de humor que contrasta con la tensión).

Escrita y dirigida por Kleber Mendonça Filho (uno de los nombres más importantes del cine brasileño, conocido por explorar tramas más largas y narrativas complejas), Agente Secreto es una película que no se parece en nada a lo que uno imagina, y apuesta por una construcción atípica (aunque confusa, sobre todo en sus transiciones temporales) para intentar impactar al público insertando distopías sociales matizadas con toques de realidad anacrónica, mezclando ficción con la cruda realidad de aquella época (que, aún hoy, alimenta los fantasmas de una sociedad herida por brutales acontecimientos políticos). Todo ello envuelto en una increíble banda sonora, que aumenta la inmersión en la experiencia. El trabajo técnico es excelente, pero tiene un sabor agridulce en su perfecta incompletitud.

Sinopse: Em 1977 (e sob uma vigilância ameaçadora feita pela ditadura militar no Brasil), um especialista em tecnologia decide retornar à sua cidade natal, Recife, na tentativa de fugir do seu passado misterioso e violento. Em busca de paz, tudo o que ele acaba encontrando no seu suposto refúgio é uma nova teia de conspiração de proporções catastróficas.

Historicamente falando, um dos maiores (e principais) problemas do Brasil é o quão fácil alguns eventos são esquecidos ao longo dos anos dentro da sua própria construção sócio-político-cultural (que é vasta e bem complexa). Literalmente, toda e qualquer “sujeira” mais robusta, acaba sendo estrategicamente “varrida” para debaixo de um longo tapete onde muitas informações vão sendo perdidas (e consequentemente esquecidas) ao longo do tempo. Neste filme, a proposta de um controverso (e por vezes inusitado) resgate histórico é o seu maior trunfo, mas o modo como tudo foi construído e amarrado é demasiadamente longo, cansativo, apesar das constantes tentativas do roteiro em dinamizar o conteúdo. Eu confesso que eu gostaria de ter gostado mais desse filme, principalmente por causa do hype, mas esse não é o caso.

Tudo começa quando um especialista em tecnologia começa uma fuga do seu passado (que é misteriosamente violento e nunca explicado em definitivo dentro da trama, deixando o público com mais perguntas do que respostas ao final de tudo). Chegando até a cidade do Recife (nordeste brasileiro), ele tem duas “missões”: reencontra o seu filho pequeno, a que ele já não visitava há algum tempo, e recuperar algum documento da sua saudosa mãe (como uma “recordação” na intenção de manter à sua memória viva). No entanto, antes que ele consiga o sucesso no seu plano (que tinha uma viagem para fora do país, ao lado do seu filho), acontecimentos obscuros os persegue, criando uma “redoma” de medo que vai ganhando contornos mais tensos, à medida em que todas as subtramas vão trazendo algumas outras vertentes (criando uma atmosfera clássica, e ao mesmo tempo incompleta).

Mergulhando fortemente em uma paranoia crescente, a trama é dividida em três partes, que trazem não apenas um estrondoso resgate histórico repleto de memórias, mas principalmente de verdades ocultas por uma fase tenebrosa no Brasil: a ditadura militar. Há aqui uma divisão estratégia onde cada capítulo tem uma função específica para nortear o público dentro do que está sendo construído na tela, e recriando uma ambientação simplesmente magnífica durante a década de 70, o público é jogado dentro de uma trama teoricamente muito imersiva, mas que acaba sendo conceitual demais (a ponto de ser mais confusa do que esclarecedora, na maior parte do tempo) em todo o seu desenvolvimento. A proposta é boa, e durante uma boa parte da sua execução, o filme funciona bem... Mas precisava ser melhor editado.

O filme começa em lugar nenhum (de uma maneira bem irreverente e criticamente ácida), e literalmente chega ao seu final estacionando no mesmo destino: lugar nenhum (trazendo uma espécie de conclusão atípica, que poderia até ser chamada de “anticlímax”, depois de uma longa construção narrativa... porque o filme tem quase três horas de duração). No meio dessa jornada um tanto quanto hedonista (e pseudo-onírica em alguns momentos), o público é “metralhado” por uma infinidade de elementos que incluem sátiras sociais tendo como principais pontos assuntos como preconceito e perseguição a refugiados, xenofobia, segregação de classes sociais, jogos políticos e uma brasilidade muito “peculiar”. Mesmo tendo três atos, com quase 1 hora de duração (cada), o filme não consegue lidar com tantos elementos na tela.

Todos os bons elementos (ainda que excessivos) para se criar uma intrigante trama de suspense estão neste filme, mas o que realmente me incomodou aqui não foi, precisamente, o excesso de todos os elementos, mas sim, o modo como tudo foi sendo desenvolvido dentro de um roteiro que apesar de ser muito funcional (principalmente dentro de toda sua parte altamente verborrágica e regionalmente linguística), é muito inerte dentro da urgência que a própria trama tenta sedimentar ao longo da sua caminhada narrativa. A trama realmente demora muito para engrenar e te levar para algum lugar específico, e quando tudo finalmente parece ganhar força, o filme vai sendo diluído em “ondas” mais leves, anulando praticamente todo suspense que estava sendo construído até então, dando vazão a uma frustração iminente.

Há uma verossimilhança naturalista bastante evidente sobre o nordeste brasileiro (em especial, o Recife, obviamente... porque é nessa cidade que a maior parte do filme acontece), e isso ajuda o público a “comprar” a ideia da reconstrução geográfica e especial que foi feita sobre aquela época. Isso realmente deve evocar um sentimento de nostalgia bastante nítido em uma boa parte do público, mas o filme exagera demais nesse sentimentalismo, assim como exagera também ao trazer alguns elementos folclóricos do estado, que acabam soando como algo “distópico” e que parecem estar alheios à trama, alimentando a ideia de que isso deveria estar no corte final do filme, como um elemento estranho que não deveria existir.

Liderando o elenco, Wagner Moura entrega uma performance bastante sólida (mas que eu particularmente não acho digna de Oscar, assim como o próprio filme não é tão eloquente para conseguir esse reconhecimento... e apenas estou mencionando isso neste texto porque essa é a grande aposta do Brasil para a premiação no próximo ano), mas dá vida a um personagem antipático, simplista e até um tanto quanto destoado da sua própria realidade. Por outro lado, temos um elenco de coadjuvantes que é muito mais carismático, sinérgico e mesmo não sendo tão bem desenvolvidos (como o próprio protagonista não é, aliás), trazem uma forte personalidade para o filme dentro da sua escala de “identidade” (algo que alimenta a brasilidade que está espalhada no filme, trazendo um alívio cômico em contraponto a tensão).

Escrito e dirigido por Kleber Mendonça Filho (um dos nomes mais fortes no cinema do Brasil, bastante conhecido por explorar tramas mais longas e excessivamente narrativas), O Agente Secreto não é nada do que você imagina, e aposta numa construção atípica (porém confusa, principalmente nas suas transições temporais) para tentar chocar a audiência inserindo as suas distopias sociais temperadas com alguns toques de realidade anacrônica, misturando a ficção com a dura realidade daquela época (que até os dias atuais, alimenta os fantasmas de uma sociedade machucada por eventos políticos brutais). Tudo isso sendo embalado por uma trilha sonora incrível, aumentando a imersividade da sua construção. O trabalho técnico é excelente, mas tem um gosto agridoce na sua perfeita inconclusão.