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greendrift
Reviews
Por un puñado de besos (2014)
A delightfully told love story. Well worth watching.
A delightfully told story of a young couple, tracing the stages of their relationship as they struggle with a hidden threat.
The script is based on the novel "Un poco de abril, algo de mayo, todo septiembre" by Jordi Sierra i Fabra. It follows the relationship between Sol (superbly played by Ana de Armas) and Dani (played by Martiño Rivas) through circumstances which are anything but straightforward.
The story unfolded at a steady pace and drew me in as it went along. Perhaps a little predicable, nevertheless it was easy to feel that you were sharing in the joy, the sorrow and the uncertainties of the young couple. The camera-work throughout the film was superb, exploring to the full the facial expressions and emotions of the couple, their friends and their surroundings.
Anna de Armas was the standout actress in the film. Born in Cuba, she has such a beautiful and expressive face which portrays a range of emotions. Since moving to Los Angeles, she has become more widely appreciated and her acting ability and beauty will soon grace the screen in a star role in the upcoming release of Blade Runner 2049. Definitely an actress to watch.
Overall, this was a delightful film, well told and beautifully acted. It is one of just a few films that I really want to watch again - to relive and share in the emotions of the couple.
My score is 7.5 out of 10. Dialog in Spanish, watched with English subtitles. Definitely a film worth watching.
Desperation Highway (1998)
One of the worst films I have ever watched
Where to start? The storyline was scarcely believable, made worse by poor editing so that scenes were stitched together with little purpose or continuity. So it appeared disjointed overall.
The actors were straight out of the totem pole school of acting. I have seen more responsiveness and credibility in a bunch of tin soldiers. Lingering camera shots of blank faces didn't exactly help, either. The camera-work was inconsistent, with motion blur on occasion.
Perhaps the worst part of the movie was the sound quality. The sound level varied alarmingly in places and it sounded as though some parts had been recorded in an empty barrel. The final result was presented in glorious mono.
Overall a truly awful film. In a charitable moment, I gave it 2 out of 10, but on reflection, I think that was a bit generous.
If you know someone that you really dislike, I can recommend this film as something that will really p*** them off.