Heretic... A Test of Faith. Some time ago I saw this film and it honestly left me intrigued; from then on, I had the immense desire to offer it to you and the opportunity to do so has arrived. This film breaks all the known barriers, about the questioning of religion and the putting on line of a faith that is put to the test at all times; although at certain times disturbing doubts arise that can change all your beliefs.

Here we are in the presence of a horror free of monsters, ghosts and everyday scares; on the contrary, we all fall under the psychological terror, thriller and deep suspense, to try to survive a plot that will keep us in suspense at all times. Without a doubt; Heretic presents us with a story that can be disturbing in a very subtle style; where we see a religious encounter, which invites us to think deeply about our beliefs; that is to say, it is a plot that proposes constant reflections on what it means to have faith in a world full, if you will, of distrust.

The beginning of this story seems simple and everyone might think that it is something too boring; however, I assure you that you are totally wrong, get into this world and you will see how disturbing it is. For now; we immediately noticed two young religious women who practice Mormonism and their mission is to go house to house taking the word of their religion; many of us have noticed this daily in our homes; at least in the area where I live it is like this; of course I am not a disturbed being hehehehe. Well; back to the journey that the Paxton and Barnes sisters, played by Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher respectively, must make.

These girls; one full of unquestioning faith and the other with certain doubts, arrive at the house of a lonely inhabitant; they immediately feel a sense of fear, but they are only going to proclaim the word. They quickly meet Mr. Reed, played in a masterly manner by Hugh Grant. A courteous person, with an apparent kindness and who is presented as the host of a scenario that lends itself to total suspense; from there begin the questioning and mind games on the part of Reed. What excites me the most and draws my attention to the plot; is that despite being under a deep dialogue, this does not bore, because it is the center of support of the whole story.

The guy is scary, but at the same time a sweetheart; two personalities that unsettle and hold the girls captive. As I said before; here all kinds of beliefs and religious attacks are put on the table, which make the girls a bunch of doubts. What they have always had as truth; in a psychological way, little by little they question it. Visually the actions are not physical, but mental and verbal; the three characters get into a kind of duel, where apparently Mr. Reed always comes out the winner; the guy knows everything and every word he says is supported by evidence; the girls think they are lost, but they also have an answer to the darts thrown by Redes.

Another extremely important aspect, which from my point of view I see as another character, is Mr. Reed's house. A place that although for the moment does not mean confinement, it does represent a pure claustrophobia; and without fear of being wrong, it is like a ramification of the twisted mind of its owner. In essence; the place is a labyrinth full of unexpected passages, which invite you to question the faith and beliefs that have always been held by its victims. It is impressive how the directors make the dialogues generate absolute tension and discomfort in the protagonists, as well as in ourselves; definitely, the plot makes us part of it. Here we see two sides; the heretic who doubts and has different ideas about a religion or the orthodox who always defends the rules of that religion; Which one are you?

The truth is that the film represents a constant game between what can be real or acquired. Particularly; I like Hugh Grant's performance, who makes a deep turn to everything he has done cinematically; without leaving aside Chloe and Sophie, who exert opposite personalities that keep us with a good taste in our mouths. On the other hand; not everything is twisted dialogue, but the plot takes a turn to give way to madness that invites desperation to survive.

Generally speaking; this movie is outside of what traditional horror means; and I tell you that before watching it, I really hesitated to do so; however, I didn't know what I was missing out on. Here we learn that not everything we see and what we are told is real; and that other people constantly question faith, in order to distort our beliefs. Undoubtedly, we as viewers enter this world and often feel the fear that the protagonists experience.

Now; that's not all, because there are also moments where you think that the words said by Mr. Reed are true. Anyway; if you like films of this type, I am absolutely sure you will love it; acting, plot, directors, scenery, script; everything is really fantastic, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods have done an exceptional job in presenting us with a strong, tense film that invites us to reflect internally, to determine if it is possible to question everything we believe in; greetings to all and see you soon.

Translated with Deepl

Hereje... Una Prueba de Fe. Desde hace algún tiempo vi esta película y sinceramente me dejó intrigado; a partir de allí, tenía ganas inmensas de ofrecerla a ustedes y ha llegado la oportunidad de hacerlo. Este filme rompe todas las barreras conocidas, sobre el cuestionamiento de la religión y la puesta en encena de una fe que se pone a prueba en todo momento; aunque en ciertas ocasiones surgen dudas inquietantes que pueden hacer cambiar todas tus creencias.

Aquí estamos en presencia de un terror libre de monstruos, fantasmas y sustos cotidianos; al contrario, todos caeerenos bajo el terror psicológico, el thriller y el suspenso profundo, para tratar de sobrevivir a una trama que nos mantendrá en vilo en todo momento. Sin duda alguna; Hereje nos presenta una historia que puede ser perturbadora en un estilo muy sutil; donde vemos un encuentro religioso, que nos invita a pensar profundamente sobre nuestras creencias; es decir, es una trama que propone reflexiones constantes sobre lo que significa tener fe en un mundo lleno, si se quiere, de desconfianza.

El inicio de esta historia parece simple y todos pudieran pensar que se trata de algo demasiado aburrido; sin embargo, te aseguro que estás totalmente equivocado, adéntrate en este mundo y verás lo inquietante que es. Por lo pronto; de inmediato notamos a dos jovenes religiosas que practican el mormonismo y su misión es la ir casa por casa llevando la palabra de su religión; esto lo hemos notado muchos de nosotros a diario en nuestras casas; por lo menos en el sector donde resido es así; claro que no soy un ser perturbado jejeje. Bueno; volvemos al recorrido que deben hacer las hermanas Paxton y Barnes, interpretadas por Chloe East y Sophie Thatcher respectivamente.

Estas chicas; una llena de fe incuestionable y otra con ciertas dudas, llegan a la casa de un habitante solitario; de inmediato sienten una sensación de temor, pero ellas solo van a pregonar la palabra. Rápidamente ocurre el encuentro con el señor Reed interpretado de una manera magistral por Hugh Grant. Una persona cortés, con una aparente amabilidad y que se presenta como el anfitrión de un escenario que se presta para el total suspenso; desde allí inician los cuestionamientos y los juegos mentales por parte de Reed. Lo que más me emociona y me llama la atención de la trama; es que a pasar de estar bajo un profundo diálogo, este no aburre, pues es el centro de apoyo de toda la historia.

El tipo es aterrador, pero a la vez un amor; dos personalidades que inquietan y mantienen cautiva a las chicas. Como dije antes; aquí se ponen en el tapete todo tipo de creencias y ataques religiosos, que hacen de las chicas un manojo de dudas. Lo que ellas siempre han tenido como verdad; de una manera psicológica, poco a poco la van cuestionando. Visualmente las acciones no son físicas, sino mentales y verbales; los tres personajes se adentran en una especie de duelo, donde aparentemente el sr. Reed siempre sale ganador; el tipo sabe de todo y cada palabra que dice la sustenta con pruebas; las chicas piensan que están perdidas, pero también tienen respuesta ante los dardos lanzados por Redes.

Otro aspecto sumamente importante y que desde mi punto de vista lo veo como otro personaje, es la casa del señor Reed. Un lugar que aunque por el momento no significa encierro, si representa una claustrofobia pura; y sin temor a equivocarme es como una ramificación de la mente retorcida del dueño de la misma. En esencia; el lugar es un laberinto lleno de pasajes inesperados, que invitan a cuestionar la fe y las creencias que siempre se han tenido sus víctimas. Es impresionante como los directores, hacen que los diálogos generen absoluta tensión e incomodidad tanto en las protagonistas, como en nosotros mismos; definitivamente, la trama hace que formemos parte de ella. Aquí vemos dos vertientes; al hereje que duda y tiene ideas diferentes sobre una religión o el ortodoxo que siempre defiende las normas de esa religión; ¿Cuál eres tú?

Lo cierto es que la película representa un juego constante entre lo que puede ser real o adquirido. Particularmente; me agrada la actuación de Hugh Grant, quien hace un giro profundo a todo lo que ha hecho cinematográficamente; sin dejar de lado a Chloe y Sophie, que ejercen personalidades opuestas que nos mantienen con buen sabor de boca. Por otro lado; no todo es un diálogo retorcido, sino que la trama da un giro para dar paso a la locura que invita a la desesperación por sobrevivir.

En términos generales; esta película está fuera de lo que significa el terror tradicional; y les digo que antes de verla, realmente dudé en hacerlo; sin embargo, no sabía de lo que me estaba perdiendo. Aquí aprendemos que no todo lo que vemos y lo que nos dicen es real; y que otras personas cuestionan de forma constante la fe, con el fin de distorsionar nuestras creencias. Sin duda alguna; nosotros como obsevsadores nos adentramos en ese mundo y muchas veces sentimos el temor que viven las protagonistas.

Ahora; eso no es todo, porque también existen momentos donde piensas que las palabras dichas por el señor Reed son verdad. En fin; si te gustan las películas de este tipo, estoy totalmente seguro que te va a encantar; actuación, trama, directores, escenario, guión; todo es realmente fantástico, Scott Beck y Bryan Woods han realizado un trabajo excepcional al presentarnos un filme fuerte, tenso, que nos invita a reflexionar internamente, para determinar si es posible cuestionar todo aquello en que creemos; saludos a todos y nos vemos pronto.

Translated with Deepl

Synopsis: Nemo is an art thief trapped in a New York City penthouse after a botched robbery. In his search for a way out, he must navigate various obstacles that turn this place into a veritable trap with unimaginable consequences.

If you deeply appreciate any form of artistic expression, you've probably wondered how each artist works within their respective creative process. Whether creating music, photographs, books, movies, or even paintings (and everything in between), there are distinct ways to do so. A single answer may not solve the essence of the matter, but this movie can certainly give you something more robust to think about, because the crux of the matter here is precisely this (at least in my view): to create a kind of analogy within this creative process, which gradually attempts to be "deepened" by an inertia of events that take the audience from nowhere to nowhere.

It all begins when Nemo, a thief specializing in high-end art theft, is abandoned by his team (who are assisting him remotely) after a robbery is foiled by a technical glitch in the security system of a New York penthouse. What would seemingly be just another simple (and perhaps routine) heist in his professional history actually turns out to be his worst nightmare when he realizes he needs to find a way out of the place without anyone else's help (besides himself). However, communication failures within the script itself already reveal the lack of care in its trivial conception.

Once trapped inside, and alone, he must face adversities "imposed" on him by the highly intelligent security system that keeps the place safe from invaders (such as the imminent lack of internet and water, increasingly precarious access to basic sanitation, food restrictions, and also the constant temperature changes... which oscillate between heat waves and cold, but nothing can do worse than psychological degradation). Everything becomes more intense as each new day brings a new surprise, and the escape seems intangible. From that point on, the thief's feelings of anguish and mental fragility become essential elements in this narrative.

The script has a very compelling and interesting idea, but unfortunately the movie's pacing is too slow, and even though the project's purpose is truly to present a gradual progression within the narrative, the dynamics within and outside the central idea go in circles for most of the time, consistently failing to present anything more impactful to the audience (who end up trapped along with Nemo, within a plot that needed much more polish to become more relevant). Overall, nothing particularly grand happens, and everything is reduced to Nemo's mental ramblings as he tries to find a way out of his prison.

Willem Dafoe goes from one side to the other bringing Nemo to life within a psychologically very well-orchestrated construction (not only because of the script, which in this case is very assertive, but also because of the notorious quality of Dafoe's acting, who continues to be a first-class actor on the list of the best), but still, everything he does is not enough to keep the movie standing for a little over 90 minutes and this ends up highlighting the persistent wrong decisions of an idea that, despite being good, was unnecessarily extremely extended (and the lack of more "chaotic" transitory elements greatly affects the dynamism of the plot, which practically does not exist).

This is a single-character movie, because even though Nemo "interacts" with other characters, they all become disposable props within a frivolous and minimally quantified exchange of words, and even then, through an interaction that occurs exclusively in his imagination. As he tries to figure out how to escape the place that imprisons him, ironically, he finds a way to "free" himself within himself. In other words, it's as if this improvised "prison" is actually a kind of "lifeline" for him. In a way, it's a "poetic" movie, but much less daring than its core proposition could have been.

Making use of good scenography and scene editing that favors wide shots (dimensioning and, with precision, exploring practically all the environments of the main setting), Vasilis Katsoupis did a double job that deserves to be positively recognized (although his work as a director was much better than his work as a screenwriter, even if partially... because he shared this task with Ben Hopkins), even though between the lines, the movie is a somewhat complex experience to digest (especially for the less demanding audience) and that also relates the “mental prison” exposed by the very paintings that can be seen inside the apartment.

If I could summarize Inside in just a few words, I'd say this kind of movie isn't for everyone. Anyone who decides to watch this project needs to be willing to dive into calm waters that can easily leave the viewer adrift, but once there's a connection to the plot at its core, everything becomes more interesting to watch. On the other hand, I can't forget to mention that it's necessary to ignore all the script's conventions (like ignoring an entire external alarm system or remote access to the cameras... something that would make this movie's plot completely unfeasible) to have a much more enjoyable and sustainable experience.

Sinopsis: Nemo es un ladrón de arte atrapado en un ático de Nueva York tras un robo fallido. En su búsqueda de una salida, debe sortear diversos obstáculos que convierten este lugar en una auténtica trampa con consecuencias inimaginables.

Si aprecias profundamente cualquier forma de expresión artística, probablemente te hayas preguntado cómo trabaja cada artista en su respectivo proceso creativo. Ya sea creando música, fotografías, libros, películas o incluso pinturas (y todo lo demás), existen distintas maneras de hacerlo. Una única respuesta puede no resolver la esencia del asunto, pero esta película sin duda puede darte algo más sólido en qué pensar, porque el quid de la cuestión es precisamente esto (al menos en mi opinión): crear una especie de analogía dentro de este proceso creativo, que gradualmente intenta "profundizarse" por una inercia de acontecimientos que lleva al público de la nada a la nada.

Todo comienza cuando Nemo, un ladrón especializado en el robo de obras de arte de lujo, es abandonado por su equipo (que lo asiste remotamente) tras frustrar un robo debido a un fallo técnico en el sistema de seguridad de un ático de Nueva York. Lo que aparentemente sería un simple (y quizás rutinario) atraco más en su trayectoria profesional se convierte en su peor pesadilla al darse cuenta de que necesita encontrar la manera de escapar del lugar sin la ayuda de nadie más (excepto la suya). Sin embargo, los fallos de comunicación dentro del propio guion ya revelan la falta de cuidado en su trivial concepción.

Una vez atrapado dentro, y solo, debe enfrentarse a las adversidades que le impone el sistema de seguridad inteligente que mantiene el lugar a salvo de invasores (como la inminente falta de internet y agua, el acceso cada vez más precario a servicios sanitarios básicos, las restricciones alimentarias y los constantes cambios de temperatura... que oscilan entre olas de calor y frío, pero nada puede ser peor que la degradación psicológica). Todo se vuelve más intenso a medida que cada nuevo día trae una nueva sorpresa, y la huida parece intangible. A partir de ese momento, la angustia y la fragilidad mental del ladrón se convierten en elementos esenciales de esta narrativa.

El guion tiene una idea muy convincente e interesante, pero lamentablemente el ritmo de la película es demasiado lento, y aunque el propósito del proyecto es presentar una progresión gradual dentro de la narrativa, la dinámica dentro y fuera de la idea central da vueltas la mayor parte del tiempo, sin lograr un mayor impacto para el público (que termina atrapado junto con Nemo en una trama que necesitaba mucho más pulido para cobrar relevancia). En general, no ocurre nada particularmente grandioso, y todo se reduce a las divagaciones mentales de Nemo mientras intenta encontrar la manera de escapar de su prisión.

Willem Dafoe va de un lado a otro dando vida a Nemo dentro de una construcción psicológicamente muy bien orquestada (no solo por el guion, que en este caso es muy asertivo, sino por la notoria calidad actoral de Dafoe, quien sigue siendo un actor de primera en la lista de los mejores), pero aún así, todo lo que hace no es suficiente para mantener la película en pie durante poco más de 90 minutos y esto termina evidenciando las persistentes decisiones erróneas de una idea que, a pesar de ser buena, se extendió innecesariamente en extremo (y la falta de elementos transitorios más "caóticos" afecta mucho el dinamismo de la trama, que prácticamente no existe).

Esta es una película de un solo personaje, porque aunque Nemo "interactúa" con otros personajes, todos se convierten en elementos desechables dentro de un intercambio de palabras frívolo y mínimamente cuantificado, e incluso entonces, mediante una interacción que ocurre exclusivamente en su imaginación. Mientras intenta descubrir cómo escapar del lugar que lo aprisiona, irónicamente, encuentra la manera de "liberarse" dentro de sí mismo. En otras palabras, es como si esta "prisión" improvisada fuera en realidad una especie de "salvavidas" para él. En cierto modo, es una película "poética", pero mucho menos atrevida de lo que podría haber sido su propuesta principal.

Haciendo uso de una buena escenografía y un montaje de escena que privilegia los planos generales (dimensionando y, con precisión, explorando prácticamente todos los ambientes del escenario principal), Vasilis Katsoupis realizó un doble trabajo que merece ser reconocido positivamente (si bien su labor como director fue mucho mejor que la de guionista, aunque fuera parcialmente… porque compartió esta tarea con Ben Hopkins), aun cuando entre líneas, la película sea una experiencia algo compleja de digerir (sobre todo para el público menos exigente) y que además relata la “prisión mental” que exponen las propias pinturas que se pueden ver en el interior del apartamento.

Si pudiera resumir Inside en pocas palabras, diría que este tipo de película no es para todos. Quien decida ver este proyecto debe estar dispuesto a sumergirse en aguas tranquilas que fácilmente pueden dejar al espectador a la deriva, pero una vez que se conecta con la trama central, todo se vuelve más interesante. Por otro lado, no puedo olvidar mencionar que es necesario ignorar todas las convenciones del guion (como ignorar un sistema de alarma externo completo o el acceso remoto a las cámaras... algo que haría la trama de esta película completamente inviable) para tener una experiencia mucho más agradable y sostenible.

Sinopse: Nemo é um ladrão de artes que fica preso numa cobertura na cidade de Nova York após um assalto frustrado. Na busca por uma saída, ele precisa lidar com diferentes obstáculos que tornam esse lugar numa verdadeira armadilha de consequências inimagináveis.

Se você aprecia alguma forma de expressão artística com mais afinco, certamente já deve ter se perguntado como cada artista trabalha dentro do seu respectivo processo criativo. Seja na criação de músicas, fotografias, livros, filmes ou até mesmo pinturas (e demais opções), há maneiras distintas de fazer isso. Uma única resposta pode não resolver tudo na essência da questão, mas este filme certamente pode te dar algo mais robusta para pensar, porque o cerne da questão aqui é justamente este (ao menos no meu ponto de vista): criar uma espécie de analogia dentro deste processo criativo, que aos poucos tenta ser “aprofundada” por uma inércia de eventos que levam o público do nada, para lugar nenhum.

Tudo começa quando Nemo, que é um ladrão especializado em roubo de artes sofisticadas, acaba sendo abandonado por sua equipe (que o está ajudando remotamente) depois que um assalto acaba sendo frustrado por uma falha muito técnica no sistema de segurança de uma cobertura localizada em Nova York. O que aparentemente seria apenas mais um assalto simples (e talvez rotineiro) no histórico profissional dele, na verdade, acaba se tornando o seu pior pesadelo quando ele percebe que precisa encontrar uma saída daquele lugar sem ter a ajuda mais ninguém (além de si mesmo). No entanto, falhas de comunicação dentro do próprio roteiro já evidenciam a falta de esmero na sua concepção trivial.

Uma vez preso dentro do lugar, e sozinho, ele precisa então enfrentar adversidades que lhe são “impostas” pelo sistema de segurança altamente inteligente que mantém o lugar protegido contra invasores (como a falta iminente de internet e água, o acesso cada vez mais precário ao saneamento básico, restrição de comida e também as constantes mudanças de temperaturas... que oscilam entre ondas de calor e frio, mas nada consegue pior do que a degradação psicológica). Tudo vai ficando mais intenso à medida em que cada novo dia traz uma nova surpresa, e a saída parece não ser tangível. A partir daí, o sentimento de angústia e a fragilidade mental do ladrão se tornam elementos essenciais nesta narrativa.

O roteiro tem uma ideia muito atrativa e interessante, mas infelizmente o ritmo do filme é lento demais e ainda que o propósito do projeto seja realmente o de apresentar uma progressão gradual dentro da narrativa, a dinâmica dentro e fora da ideia central anda em círculos durante a maior parte do tempo, falhando consistentemente em apresentar algo mais impactante para o público (que acaba ficando preso junto com Nemo, dentro de uma trama que precisava de um refinamento muito mais polido para se tornar mais relevante). De um modo geral, nada de muito grandioso acontece, e tudo fica resumido apenas nos devaneios mentais de Nemo, enquanto ele tenta encontrar uma saída daquela prisão.

Willem Dafoe anda de um lado para o outro trazendo Nemo à vida dentro de uma construção psicologicamente muito bem orquestrada (não apenas pelo roteiro, que neste caso é muito assertivo, mas também pela notória qualidade de atuação do próprio Dafoe, que continua sendo um ator de primeira classe na lista dos melhores), mas ainda sim, tudo o que ele faz não é o suficiente para segurar o filme de pé por pouco mais de 90 minutos e isso acaba evidenciando as persistentes decisões equivocadas de uma ideia que, apesar de boa, foi desnecessariamente extremamente alongada (e a falta de elementos transitórios mais “caóticos” afeta demais o dinamismo da trama, que praticamente não existe).

Eis aqui um filme de um único personagem, porque ainda que Nemo “interaja” com outros personagens, todos eles se convertem em acessórios descartáveis dentro de uma troca de palavras frívola e minimamente quantificada, e mesmo assim, sob uma interação que acontece apenas no imaginário dele exclusivamente. Enquanto ele tenta entender como sair daquele lugar que o aprisiona, ironicamente ele vai encontrando uma maneira de se “libertar” dentro dele mesmo. Em outras palavras, é como se aquela “prisão” improvisada fosse na verdade uma espécie de “tábua de salvação” dele. De certa maneira, é um filme “poético”, mas muito menos ousado do que poderia ter sido na sua proposta mais central.

Fazendo uso de uma boa cenografia e de uma edição de cenas que favorece os planos abertos (dimensionando e, com precisão, explorando praticamente todos os ambientes do cenário principal), Vasilis Katsoupis fez um trabalho dobrado que merece ser positivamente reconhecido (embora do seu trabalho como diretor tenha sido muito melhor do que o seu trabalho como roteirista, ainda que parcialmente... porque ele dividiu essa tarefa com Ben Hopkins), ainda que nas entrelinhas, o filme seja uma experiência de digestão um tanto complexa (em especial, para o público menos exigente) e que relata também a “prisão mental” exposta pelos próprios quadros que podem ser vistos dentro do apartamento.

Se eu pudesse resumir Dentro em poucas palavras, eu diria que esse tipo de filme não é para qualquer tipo de público. Quem decidir assistir a este projeto precisa estar disposto a mergulhar em águas calmas e que facilmente podem deixar o telespectador à deriva dos acontecimentos, mas uma vez que há uma conexão com à trama na sua essência, tudo se torna mais interessante de ser assistido. Por outro lado, não posso esquecer de mencionar que é preciso ignorar todas as convenções do roteiro (como ignorar todo um sistema de alarme externo ou o acesso remoto as câmeras... algo que tornaria a trama deste filme em algo totalmente inviável) para ter uma experiência muito mais aprazível e sustentável.

Greetings @Movies&Tvshows community…

This year, not all of the films presented at Cannes excited me. I think this year's festival was a bit weak, as it tends to be in some years. However, the San Sebastián Film Festival featured quite a few films I'm looking forward to seeing, but let's get back to Cannes. From that festival, I was really looking forward to seeing Sirat, a film by filmmaker Oliver Laxe, who, you might say, is a Cannes darling because, since his debut at the festival, he has always won an award.

He didn't leave empty-handed with Sirat. It received the Jury Prize, and boy does it deserve it. His film is incredible, and Laxe is a born artist. By the way, I highly recommend you seek out and see Mimosas and What Burns, two other excellent films by the director. I still have to see his first feature film at Cannes, called All You Are Captains, so I also have that task with his first feature film, and now I remember that I haven't posted any posts about Mimosas or What Burns.

There are hallmarks of Laxe's cinema in this film, but this time it's also a good idea to fasten your seatbelt and bring water, because this journey through the Moroccan desert is agonizing and suffocating. The scorching sun passes through the screen; I assure you, you'll feel hot just admiring the images Laxe constructs, with that orange earth that will make us sweat. The dust and dryness of the desert will dry our throats. It happened to me; I felt thirsty while watching the film, but I couldn't stop to drink water.

That's the strength of this filmmaker, who is an artist. He takes us on a journey with the film's characters, but it's not just a physical journey, moving from one place to another in the desert; it's also a sensorial journey, because that's what Laxe's cinema is all about. A combination of images and sounds that absorb us. Images that convey anguish, emotion, and, of course, what gives it a powerful impact, a lot of pain.

Este año, no todas las películas presentadas en Cannes me entusiasmaron. Creo que el festival de este año estuvo un poco flojo, hay años que suele pasar. Sin embargo, el festival de San Sebastián presentó bastantes películas que espero ver, pero volvamos a Cannes. De ese festival, tenía muchas ganas de ver Sirat, una película del cineasta Oliver Laxe, quien, podríamos decir, es un niño consentido de Cannes, porque desde su debut en el festival, siempre ha ganado un premio.

No se fue con las manos vacías con Sirat. Recibió el Premio del Jurado, y vaya si se lo merece. Su película es increíble, y Laxe es un artista nato. Por cierto, les recomiendo encarecidamente que busquen y vean Mimosas y Lo que Arde, otras dos excelentes películas del director. Todavía tengo pendiente ver su primer largometraje en Cannes, llamado Todos Vossotros Sois Capitanes, así que tambien tengo esa tarea con su primer largometraje , y ahora recuerdo que no he publicado ninguna entrada sobre Mimosas o Lo que Arde .

Hay sellos distintivos del cine de Laxe en esta película, pero esta vez también conviene abrocharse el cinturón y llevar agua, porque este viaje por el desierto marroquí es agonizante y sofocante. El sol abrasador pasa la pantalla; les aseguro que sentirán calor solo de admirar las imágenes que Laxe construye, con esa tierra anaranjada que nos hará sudar. El polvo y la sequedad del desierto nos secarán la garganta. Me pasó; sentí sed mientras veía la película, pero no pude parar a beber agua.

Esa es la fuerza de este cineasta, que es artista. Nos embarca en un viaje con los personajes de la película, pero no es solo un viaje físico, moviéndose de un lugar a otro en el desierto; también es un viaje sensorial, porque de eso se trata el cine de Laxe. Una combinación de imágenes y sonidos que nos absorben. Imágenes que transmiten angustia, emoción y, por supuesto, lo que le da un impacto poderoso, mucho dolor.

Tragedy, pain, death. Just as the filmmaker mentioned in two podcasts I listened to a few months ago, where he expressed the message he wanted to convey with the film: death and our fragility, two themes that increasingly draw my attention. Of course, what the filmmaker wants to express is one thing, but as in all art, and he knows this very well, viewers can draw different interpretations, which may differ from his professional motivations for this film.

As in his previous films, he primarily uses non-professional actors here. Only the lead actor, played by Spanish actor Sergi López, has extensive experience in the Spanish film industry. The rest are new actors. Well, I think the boy has some experience, the others don't. There we see Bigui's character without a hand and Tonin without a leg. Stef and Jade are the female characters, and they all act very naturally. I've always said that new and unknown faces bring realism to the stories.

And speaking of the story, the plot, without spoilers, is about Luis, accompanied by his son, a boy named Esteban. The two arrive in the Moroccan desert, where a rave is being held. Luis is searching for his daughter, whom he hasn't seen in five months. She's missing, and he thinks she's at one of those raves. In the midst of all this, an international conflict breaks out, and things get very ugly, so they follow a group of ravers, including the two one-armed men I already told you about, who head to southern Morocco for another rave. That's all I can tell you, because what comes next is very difficult.

You can watch the trailer carefully. They made a good trailer, as it doesn't give anything away. Nothing bothers me more than a trailer that tells the whole story or shows key moments. It's very important here not to reveal too much of the story being told, so we can enjoy, and of course, suffer this journey to the rhythm of techno music. Just when you think you've seen the rawest part, the following horrors will surprise you when you least expect it.

Oh, I almost forgot. The film was selected by the Spanish Film Academy this year for Oscar nominations. Now it has to go through the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood to see if it's among the final nominees. There's plenty of time for that.

Look for it right now, and after watching it, come back and leave me your thoughts in the comments.

Tragedia, dolor, muerte. Tal como lo comentó el cineasta en dos podcasts que escuché hace unos meses, donde expresó el mensaje que quería transmitir con la película: la muerte y nuestra fragilidad, dos temas que cada vez me llaman más la atención. Claro que lo que el cineasta quiere expresar es una cosa, pero como en todo arte, y él lo sabe muy bien, los espectadores podemos extraer diferentes interpretaciones, que pueden diferir de sus motivaciones profesionales para esta película.

Al igual que en sus películas anteriores, aquí utiliza principalmente actores no profesionales. Solo el protagonista, interpretado por el actor español Sergi López, tiene una amplia experiencia en la industria cinematográfica de ese país. El resto son actores noveles. Bueno, creo que el chico tiene algo de experiencia, los demás no. Allí vemos al personaje de Bigui sin una mano y a Tonin sin una pierna. Stef y Jade son los personajes femeninos, y todos actúan con mucha naturalidad. Siempre he dicho que los rostros nuevos y desconocidos aportan realismo a las historias.

Y hablando de la historia, la trama, sin spoilers, trata sobre Luis, acompañado de su hijo, un chico llamado Esteban. Ambos llegan al desierto marroquí, donde se celebra una fiesta rave. Luis busca a su hija, a quien no ha visto en cinco meses. Está desaparecida y cree estar en una de esas raves. En medio de todo esto, estalla un conflicto internacional y las cosas se ponen muy feas, así que siguen a un grupo de ravers, incluyendo a los dos mancos de los que ya les hablé, que se dirigen al sur de Marruecos para otra fiesta rave. Eso es todo lo que puedo contarles, porque lo que viene después es muy duro.

Pueden ver el tráiler con calma. Hicieron un buen tráiler, ya que no desvela nada. Nada me molesta más que un tráiler que cuenta toda la historia o muestra los momentos clave. Es muy importante aquí no revelar mucho de la historia que nos cuenta, para que podamos disfrutar, y por supuesto sufrir este viaje al ritmo de la música techno. Justo cuando crees haber visto lo más crudo, las siguientes coñasos te sorprenderán cuando menos te lo esperes.

Ah, casi lo olvido. La película fue seleccionada por la Academia de Cine Español este año para ser nominada a los Oscar. Ahora tiene que pasar por la Academia de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas de Hollywood para ver si está entre las nominadas finales. Falta tiempo para eso.

Búscala ahora mismo, y después de verla, regresa y déjame tu opinión en los comentarios.

Tenía al rededor de 8 años, cuando me senté en el mueble y encendí el televisor para ver Disney, estaba el estreno la película "tierra de Osos". Sabrán que desde que tengo memoria y uso de razón, recuerdo que me gustaban las películas de Disney y eso es algo significativo porque soy del año 2000 dónde Pixar creaba películas maravillosas. Una de ellas es, como mencioné anteriormente, tierra de Osos ¿Por qué la elijo?

Tierra de osos significa muchísimo para mí, tiene el mismo valor desde pequeña hasta ahora que soy adulta. Es una película que trasciende el significado de hermanos, juega con esa magia que te atrapa en cada escena. Cuando mi hermano mayor estaba conmigo, yo me reflejaba mucho en el oso pequeño Koda y en el oso grande Kenai, veía a mi hermano. La manera en como la película maneja ese significado de hermanos es lo que le da el plus a esta película. También es una historia dura y mistica dónde narra la historia cercanos de la raza humana.

I was around 8 years old when I sat down on the couch and turned on the TV to watch Disney. The movie “Land of the Bears” was premiering. You should know that for as long as I can remember, I have loved Disney movies, and that is significant because I was born in 2000, when Pixar was creating wonderful films. One of them is, as I mentioned earlier, Brother Bear. Why did I choose it?

Brother Bear means a lot to me; it has had the same value since I was little until now that I am an adult. It's a movie that transcends the meaning of siblings, playing with that magic that captivates you in every scene. When my older brother was with me, I saw a lot of myself in the little bear Koda and the big bear Kenai. I saw my brother. The way the movie handles that meaning of siblings is what gives this movie its added value. It's also a tough and mystical story that tells the story of the human race.

Cuando un niño impulsivo llamado Kenai se transforma mágicamente en oso, se ve forzado a aprender valiosas lecciones de vida. Su caótico pero valiente viaje lo introduce en un bosque lleno de vida silvestre, incluyendo a la adorable osezno Koda, a los hilarantes alces Rutt y Tuke, mamuts lanudos, traviesos carneros y más. Todos en su búsqueda para volver a ser humano.

Esa magia de Disney, los espíritus y la aurora boreal es lo que recuerdo cuando niña. Me hacía ilusión y me enamore tanto de esta película como su Soundtrack.

Ha Sido una de las películas que me encanta, que me teletransporta a esa bonita infancia que viví y que espero que las nuevas generaciones que actualmente están puedan disfrutar de este tipo de películas.

Es una historia dura y mística, aquella dónde prevalece la amistad verdadera y al mismo tiempo, se observan las perdidas.

When an impulsive boy named Kenai is magically transformed into a bear, he is forced to learn valuable life lessons. His chaotic but courageous journey takes him into a forest teeming with wildlife, including the adorable bear cub Koda, the hilarious moose Rutt and Tuke, woolly mammoths, mischievous rams, and more. All in his quest to become human again.

That Disney magic, the spirits, and the northern lights are what I remember from my childhood. I was excited and fell in love with both the movie and its soundtrack.

It has been one of my favorite films, transporting me back to the beautiful childhood I had, and I hope that the younger generations today can enjoy this type of film.

La película, a través de la metamorfosis de Kenai, enseña a ver el mundo desde los ojos de los demás, a superar el miedo a la conexión emocional y a comprender que el amor es el tótem más poderoso, que guía a la verdadera madurez y la responsabilidad.

Venganza, amor fraternal, sabiduría, naturaleza. Tierra de Osos es una película hermosa, tiene tantas enseñanzas, nos hace apreciar los lazos que tenemos y nos ayuda asimilar la pérdida, el desarrollo de Kenai es algo sublime y me gustaría destacar que la canción "que en marcha estoy", es una de mis favoritas por escuchar y otra canción llamada "transformation" que suena cuando Sitka transforma en Oso a Kenai tiene una parte que se traduce como una parte "Aprenderás a ver la vida desde otros ojos", y eso fue justo lo que hizo Kenai, ver las perspectiva de quienes consideraban bestias asesinas y sin sentimientos.

Through Kenai's metamorphosis, the film teaches us to see the world through the eyes of others, to overcome our fear of emotional connection, and to understand that love is the most powerful totem, guiding us toward true maturity and responsibility.

Revenge, brotherly love, wisdom, nature. Open Season is a beautiful film, it has so many lessons to teach, it makes us appreciate the bonds we have and helps us come to terms with loss. Kenai's development is sublime and I would like to highlight the song “I'm on My Way,” is one of my favorites to listen to. Another song called “Transformation,” which plays when Sitka transforms Kenai into a bear, has a part that translates as “You will learn to see life through other eyes,” and that was exactly what Kenai did: he saw the perspective of those he considered murderous, unfeeling beasts.

In this last year I have realized that I love Body Horror and I never thought I would see a film with this theme that also covered the subject of love, soulmates and that at the same time is so disturbing, but that is definitely what you will find in this film titled TOGETHER. From now on I tell you that I loved this film so much that I will even put it on my list of favorite films, a story that grabs you from the first moment with uncomfortable situations but later you realize that it gets worse and you don't know whether to think it is very romantic or very bizarre, I LOVE IT so much.

Tim and Millie are a couple who have been together for years, however they have not taken the next step, this is mostly because Tim is a little disturbed, during the beginning of the film they tell us that they have even gone a long time without having relations and they make it clear to us that Tim has a trauma that is affecting him more and more, although this story of his trauma does not contribute much more than letting us know that the relationship has a reason why it is a little broken and unstable. On the other hand, Millie gets a job as a teacher in another place and they must move to this remote town, in that place everything takes a completely different turn since one day they decide to walk through the forest and fall into a mysterious cave that seemed to be previously a church. Tim and Millie begin to live some VERY difficult days.

This is one of those movies that you have to see without too much explanation because it surprises you quite a bit, but I still can't help but tell a little of what I think when the movie takes on a darker air, everything that happens after leaving that cave is really disturbing, it's like an addiction that takes over them little by little, starting with Tim, who literally feels the need to always be on top of Millie like a sick psychopath haha, he enters trance states where he even hurts his own girlfriend and they also begin to experience strange things like getting stuck together when they touch each other, the strongest scene was when Tim looks for his girlfriend at school and well... They have a moment of passion, but they literally got stuck together, Ouch!

Tim knows something's wrong since they arrived here and tells Millie what's happening. She doesn't believe him, but the exact same thing ends up happening to her. They feel such a strong connection that they need to be together forever.

This film also mentions Plato's myth of soulmates, which they took too literally and turned into extremely disturbing scenes, but which at the same time have a lot of meaning if we don't see it literally. While watching this film, I remembered that I once felt that unhealthy love, where you feel that you are worthless without that person, where you would rather die than be away from him/her, feelings of codependency that are misinterpreted as love and passion. That's why I feel that this film is more than a "horror" film.

And it's curious how a film where we don't see many characters and very few locations becomes entertaining just because of the plot and how well it's handled. The few settings we do see are superbly set, with lighting that symbolizes many moods and effects that look quite good. I must also highlight the beautiful acting; both leads immersed me in the story, and, interestingly, I found out they're married in real life, which explains the chemistry evident in the film.

I can’t lie, my favorite scene was the one in the bathroom at school, at first Tim looks like he's going to go crazy, his appearance seemed like that of an addict who has been in abstinence for days, he arrives at school super desperate and we have a very passionate scene, I loved that touch of passion, although it didn't last long because as I mentioned above they stayed stuck to their private parts hahaha, but the chemistry in this scene is 10/10!

The final scene is a bit laughable; they turned into some sort of trans person, haha. I don't know, but I laughed a lot and still loved it. This movie made me laugh, feel strong emotions, and remember what it feels like to be in an unhealthy relationship. Above all, it gave me bizarre and grotesque scenes without being too gory. It was just perfect.