raulfaust Reviews

The Drowning (2016)

Every time I breathe, I take you in

[7/10 · 18 July 2021]

I'm aware that a lot of people disliked this movie, but I didn't. The acting is incredible, specially from Josh Charles and Avan Jogia. The plot has its problems, but in most of the time the storyline is coherent. There are some details of the film that end up being confusing, I agree, but the tension that is built all the way through is great and makes up for it. Sometimes the story reminded me of 1991's "Cape Fear", even thought "The Drowning" isn't that scary or violent. All in all, I consider "The Drowning" to be a nice and entertaining movie, which is worth a watch.

Saw 3D (2010)

Crawling in my skin

[6/10 · 19 December 2017]

Well, what I'm about to say has probably been said by a thousand of people out there, but I'm giving my two cents to it anyway. Last saturday I had a date and we decided, in the end of the night, to watch "Saw 3d", since we knew there was a new "Saw" out there in the theaters, so nothing better than remembering how it all (supposedly) ended. Gruesomenesses apart, the film has a quickly pacing, so we're given entertaining scenes all the time. There is no time to rest-- unless to rest in peace, if you agree with me that TOO MANY people die in this horror story! Also, I can't remember being able to give my date a kiss after the movie started; you know, there is so much torture, pain and blood that you feel like the world is just a hostile place to live in. However, what bothered me the most about 2010's "Saw 3D" was the level of technology and perfeccionism from Jigsaw. I mean, every creepy machine just worked out perfectly. As people walk, everything just lights up. The machines start. The records play. I simply can't believe that nothing ever fails. Jigsaw must have been an extraordinary (or extreterrestrial) mechanical engineer to ramp up all that stuff. I know that such things have been already noticed in the past 65746705213 movies from this franchise, but, in here, things are TOO visible to be ignored. At least by me. And by my date, who will never invite me for anything after this insane idea of us (or of mine.... I must confess).

The Good Dinosaur (2015)

On top of the world

[8/10 · 31 January 2016]

I can't remember the last time I went to the cinema to see an animation, but something about "The Good Dinosaur" really caught my attention; maybe it's due to the fact that, as a child, I've been a fan of them dinosaurs. Well, I thought I was going to see a lion king version with a different animal-- and for a moment, mainly after the father's death, I thought I really was--, but the story doesn't turn that way. It's much more of a story filled with beautiful messages, showing to our kids that we can share our lives with different people. With different races. Also, the story is able to bring some funny moments with the flaws that main character has; however, the great aspect of it is that filmmakers tried to show that things only change if we do something about it. The poor dino only learned to do things himself because he wanted to; he put a lot of effort into it. And that's a good thing to be shown to kids. Life isn't a marvelous place in which things go just like we want, and it's good that it's being said to those who will, someday, have to do things themselves. That being said, I must say I didn't regret watching it in the movies, and I recommend it to every kind of public, especially if kids are involved.

Arbitrage (2012)

Ain't thinking about you

[9/10 · 31 January 2016]

Well, I have always been an honest guy, due to the education my family has given to me. Therefore, it's easy to guess how shocked I was while watching this movie. "Arbitrage" is a film about a businessman whose life gets in danger after his scam start getting scammed, and after he takes the life of his lover in a car accident. In this context, Gere's character tries everything in his power in order to get away with or murder, or to at least continue a life out of jail. However, things are very hard to be done; most of his issues involve his family, and not even a conniving wife seems able to save it all. It is interesting to notice that everyone in this picture is corruptible; even Jimmy, who appeared to be a prudent man, ends up doing what's best for himself. Well, I'm not a pessimist guy who thinks the world is full of people who only care about money; however, I'm very aware that some segments of every society are just as dishonest as they could be, and "Arbitrage" was able to remember me of that. My main surprise about the characters happened with Ellen Miller, who knew it all from the get go and never did anything about it. So, considering all these aspects I've mentioned, and considering the story is completely entertaining, my vote is nine. Great movie!

People Like Us (2012)

Policy of Truth... or not

[7/10 · 20 January 2016]

Well, I've taken more than a year to decide watching this movie, since the main synopsis never really interested me. However, I must say that I found "People Like Us" a nice film to be seen; it has an unconventional way of storytelling that makes you wonder where it's heading to. In fact, the most unconventional aspect of it are the characters; Sam, for instance, isn't one of those cool guys that everyone simply adores. He is, actually, someone very unlikeable, whose lifeline, in the end, turns him into a regular guy. The rest of the characters are a little eccentric, which doesn't allow "People Like Us" become another Hollywood "i've-seen-it-all". Other than that, there isn't much to say; the story isn't going to change your life, but it will probably provide you a good time, even if some consider it to be overlong.

The Babadook (2014)

Can't you see that you're smothering me...

[8/10 · 30 December 2015]

I went to see this movie being much aware that it was relatively scary. Well, since I know I'm very afraid of horror films, I use to ask my friends to tell me how scary it is before showing it to me, which was the case. "The Babadook" is a STRONG film that deals with mother and child troubles-- which are common, by the way. However, in this case, their trouble is much bigger than the ordinary fights parents and children usually have; Amelia, the mother, gets completely out of mind because she notices her son is quite eccentric-- as if she wasn't either. There are a lot of scary scenes, with a plot utilizing some elements of the classic "The Shining"-- no matter whether director confesses it or not. The scenario, also, is very dark, delivering all the Gothic atmosphere this film deserves. However, the biggest element of "The Babadook" is the marvelous acting from Essie Davis, whose talent can be seen all the way through. Great movie!

Waking Ned Devine (1998)

Enjoy the silence

[9/10 · 27 December 2015]

"Waking Ned" is a film that I have been looking for for years, and last night I finally did. Even thought it's supposed to be passed in Ireland, the story is filled with a lot of British humour, since it has much irony and sarcasm. For that reason, I laughed in several scenes, due to the unscrupulous characters and situations that have been written and portrayed all the way through. David Kelly, in my opinion, is the one who deserves the biggest congratulations; I mean, all the cast is extremely professional, but Kelly has the best performance-- and maybe the best character I have ever seen. In real life, it's evident that those people wouldn't be able to hide the secret forever; occasionally, someone would be just too talkative to keep it to oneself. The biggest moment for me is when the witch is almost succeeding in telling on the village, but a car crash pushes her phone cab into the sea; I guess I've never wanted to see someone dying in a movie. Please don't get me wrong; I'm a honest person in real life and I am NEVER conniving on cheating, but these people are sooo captivating that makes it impossible to not support them. "Waking Ned" proves to be, all in all, a GREAT comedy that truly entertains any kind of audience, and maybe that's why it has just became one of my favorite movies!

The Cure (1995)

Boys don't cry

[8/10 · 26 December 2015]

I first saw "The Cure" when I was really young; I remember my mother used to watch this film with me, mainly because I was a kid with a few friends. Erik is a boy that decides becoming friends with Dexter, a younger kid infected with AIDS and full of life restrictions. Their friendship is beautiful to be seen; despite the implausible possibility of this happening, it's great to see their trip to "New Orleans" in order to found the cure. They do everything in their power to find a cure for Dexter, but, unfortunately, they never discover where the heck it is at-- actually, 20 years have passed and, as of now, people are STILL looking for the cure. The acting varies from average to great, and the actor that portrays Dexter is very able to bring sympathy for the spectator; I mean, it's not that people with bad diseases have to be 100% pristine to be respected, but it surely brings life to the story as a whole. Maybe it's a cheap trick they make for us, but it works! All in all, "The Cure" is a wonderful movie that brings some nice reflections to us, and I'm glad I found it online. Very recommended!

Peeping Tom (1960)

Little Mister Obsessive

[6/10 · 25 December 2015]

Well, I have found out about "Peeping Tom" in 2011's "Scream 4", and I'm not ashamed in confessing that. As the movie began, I got to think there would be one of those suspenseful whodunit thrillers-- I'm so naive--, but fortunately, it wasn't the case. From the get go we know who is the killer... we just don't know why or how he does that. There aren't lots of remarkable moments; actually, the only scene that really caught my attention was the one in which the old woman almost ASKED to be murdered, saying a lot of irritating things to Lewis. That scene felt good because the actress was professional, otherwise there wouldn't be such nice atmosphere anyways. In my opinion, "Peeping Tom" has a good premise that could have walked in a much better way; the script is just too raw to develop something interesting. Anyways, I'm giving it six starts due to the originality of it, but I can't even say that it's a movie that I enjoyed watching.

Ghost Town (I) (2008)

Ghost Heart

[6/10 · 23 December 2015]

Well, I took around a year to finally watch this film, since the synopsis never really engaged me; more precisely, last week I gave it a chance and saw it in a rainy afternoon. "Ghost Town" is a movie that takes long time to develop something; the first hour of length is simply full of uninteresting conversations that lead almost nowhere. Pincus, the main character, is a grumpy dentist whose life is almost a complete loss, until he, unintentionally, or maybe even against his will, acquires the ability of seeing dead people-- no, we're not talking about Shyamalan's classic. From that point on, Pincus gets in some unpleasant situations, mainly created by Frank, the deceased husband of a beautiful girl named Gwen. After falling in love with her, his life never feels the same; not that he stops being an unsympathetic person, but he finds something interesting to do about his life. There isn't much else that I can say about it, due that "Ghost Town" wasn't any remarkable to me. In my opinion, the story is just too weak to develop much feelings in the spectator, but it's at least fresh and has a beautiful ending. See it yourself (or don't).

Secret in Their Eyes (2015)

Destiny is calling...

[9/10 · 23 December 2015]

Well, I went to the cinema without knowing any details about "Secret in Their Eyes", let alone that it was a remake. My initial thoughts towards this picture was that I was seeing a confusing film, given that a lot of times I couldn't realize if the scene was happening or being remembered from the past; therefore, I really think filmmakers have gone wrong whilst editing such aspects of the movie. However, the story as a whole, is simply GENIAL. Jess is a police officer whose daughter has been strangely murdered, so all the plot is related to the consequences such crime has brought to Jess and to her friends in the police. There are GREAT performances throughout the mystery, mainly from Julia Roberts and Joe Cole. But, in fact, what really surprised me was the great twist that my date and me could never see coming; we left the cinema open-mouthed due to the revelation of Jess' real behavior, which was brilliantly written. All in all, ignoring all the controversy involving "is it as good the original or not?", I must say that "Secret in Their Eyes" is just a GREAT movie that deserves to be much more recognized than it currently is.

A Dangerous Method (2011)

Policy of Truth

[7/10 · 12 December 2015]

Well, I'm an assiduous psychoanalysis' patient since early 2013, so it's evident that I'm much interested in the subject. I know, besides, the discussions that psychoanalysis and psychology have been facing throughout the years, but I'm not taking any side. I just happen to enjoy analysis and that's all. This movie involved me from the get go, mainly due to the consistent acting from Keira Knightley, whose performance has really stolen the show. I just didn't enjoy it more because Freud's life wasn't as explored as I thought it would be-- and as I HOPED it'd. However, it feels indeed interesting to understand the issues that such science has faced until it got to the point it's in now: as the questioner of the mind. Moreover, the brilliance of "A Dangerous Method" gets visible when it exposes that psychoanalysis isn't going to save the world like a Messias, but that it's going to try to understand life, just as it is: good, tough, difficult and filled with neverending questions. After all, what is life if not an unreachable desire?

Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)

So Sick

[5/10 · 6 December 2015]

"Crazy, Stupid, Love." is a very known film for a reason that I don't have any idea of. The characters are somehow interesting, but the cast is just as hack as it could be, considering there's just no new actor at all. Therefore, as you can imagine, the movie as a whole is just another merchandising for those actors whose performances are almost always the same. Ryan Gosling, on the other hand, is someone I had rarely heard of, and even thought he seems to be a copy of David Arquette. Moreover, there isn't much to be said about this picture, since it didn't stay in my memory due to the uninteresting plot that has been showed. Maybe "Crazy, Stupid, Love." is just another movie from the Hollywood that we'll hardly remember of.

Crimes of Passion (2005 TV Movie)

Get Ur Freak On

[7/10 · 28 November 2015]

Well, I went to a DVD exchange store looking for the 1984's classic, and the attendant came to me with this. After asking which year it's been released in, she responded me it was the 84's. Long story short: I was fooled. The internet comments towards this made me feel like I was about to have one of the worst film sessions of my life but, fortunately, in fact, I ended up enjoying this version. "Crimes of Passion" delighted me due to its fast paced story; there are a lot of things going on all the time, so you never have time to get things straight. The plot is filled with people with bad spirit; characters you think you're liking are, most of the time, just another deception. So, that being said, it's evident that we're given a lot of twists that bring some surprise to the story-- albeit appealing to the old greedy moral lesson we've all seen before. Also, I agree that some twists are over the top, making me doubt whether I was seeing a good movie or not. Either way, defects aside, "Crimes of Passion" is a very entertaining picture for those who like suspenseful thrillers, and maybe the female attendant wasn't that mean with me.

Serial Mom (1994)

Bye Bye Bye

[6/10 · 22 November 2015]

Sometimes we get ourselves stating we want to kill someone in specific, even thought we don't even mean it. Ms. Sutphin doesn't seem to understand it very well. For some reason-- which is, fortunately, never explained--, she takes everything too personally, murdering people all around for futile things they have done or said. Actually, Turner's character can NEVER be vexed, or the capital sin appears in the way. In the first scenes, "Serial Mom" strongly reminded me of 1990's "Edward Scissorhands", maybe due to the very American neighborhood both movies have designed. The most funny aspect of this movie is how everybody reacts when they find out Beverly is the lunatic; instead of getting scared, her relatives just try to help her out. In real life, obviously, people wouldn't react that way, and that's makes this a hardly black humor of a picture. The coolest scene to me, moreover, is the rock show; the band playing on "stage" is sooo junkie that they don't even notice what's going on in the crowd. On the other hand, the acting isn't that good, which is why I don't give it a better rating. All in all, please don't get me wrong and try to believe it when we all say it's a COOL movie!

Scoop (2006)

A simple plan... or not

[7/10 · 12 November 2015]

Woody Allen starts this film with a lot of magic, delivering one of the most boredom characters he's played to date. I mean, it's not like I have seen many of his movies, but out of those which I've seen, Sid Waterman is surely the one. Considering that this film's beginning seemed a little uninteresting, I had my doubts whether it would get any good or not. Fortunately, it DID. Scarlett Johansson plays a brave woman who wants to investigate the case of a murderer, so she finds out a way to precisely do that: dating the main suspect. However, after she falls in love with him, it gets hard to make her notice the danger lies beneath her nose. Please notice that I'm not judging her; Jackman's character is a extreme elegant man who would NEVER be able to rise my bad expectations on him. He's just too calm to be a lunatic (please don't notice that I would also be thrown in the river, just like her). The great message of "Scoop" is that old cliché of "don't judge a book by its cover", which reminds me of "Aladdin" series, reason why I don't give a better rating than 7, even thought I admit that I had a really good time watching it. Thumbs up for Allen!

Analyze This (1999)

I'm Lost Without You

[7/10 · 2 November 2015]

"Analyze This" is a film that used to be very famous in my country, and it has never really caught my attention before I found out what therapy was about. Last night I gave it a chance, and I must say I enjoyed it. De Niro performs a mafia leader whose life isn't complete, due to the emotional problems he's been facing. After going to some sessions, this guy, Paul Vitty, realizes that he feels guilty for the death of his father, and that's what makes he gets better and leave the criminal organization. The discovering scene is very powerful, and I really congratulate De Niro for that performance. Lisa Kudrow, on the other hand, even thought she's a lot of fun in "Friends", in here, her character is just useless and out of context; I just don't get her character or her acting in this. Also, this movie is never meant to be taken seriously, so don't expect it to be a smart comedy-- actually it's a little corny-- and you'll be able to have a GOOD time.

Knight Moves (1992)

I write sins not tragedies

[7/10 · 30 October 2015]

Peter Sanderson is a chess grandmaster whose freedom gets threatened after a murderer of females shows up in the city they all live in. Filmmakers bring all the doubts throughout the story to let spectator curious about who the lunatic may be, which is very classic in the called "whodunit" thrillers. It feels IMPOSSIBLE not to notice how much like 2004's "Saw" this movie does look; in my opinion, it's pretty clear that James Wan has had at least an inspiration in "Knight Moves". Of course "Saw" is a lot more elaborated and well produced than this, but I won't deny this film has brought a nice idea to the genre. Unfortunetaly, there is, in fact, a little of bad acting in this 90's hidden project; nobody seems to be acting naturally in the character they've been given. Maybe a better director or casting director would have made something better about it. "Knight Moves" has, eventually, a good ending that makes you feel a little happy-- mainly because Sanderson doesn't turn out to be the monster that policemen were saying--, so I can state it's a regular thriller, deserved to be seen. Just don't get mad with the occasional bad acting and the poor photography directing and you'll probably have a good time.

The Badge (2002)

Touched by an angel

[6/10 · 25 October 2015]

Well, I have decided watching this film,d despite all the bad critics that IMDb's users have written towards "The Badge". From the get go, I felt surprised that transsexualism was referred in this story, considering the year it has been produced in. Of course, there are some characters that are openly against such decision, but that can be expected even in the current societies. The mystery starts off a little slowly, but after all the characters are introduced, the plot becomes more and more interesting. About the acting, all I can say is that it didn't catch my attention for being good, nor bad; it's just regular as in any low-budget movie. Also, I may agree that there are some confusing moments in the plot, but this film is entertaining enough for what I could expect about it. Maybe an unpretentious watch can turn it into a positive attraction, if you know what I mean.

Annabelle (I) (2014)

Bel Air

[9/10 · 9 October 2015]

I'm aware that horror movies have gotten worse since the last ten years or more, and it's from such perspective that I'm writing about "Annabelle". First off, I would like to state that it's one of the best horror pictures I've seen since 2010. This film is filled with a terrifying storyline, which is able to scare every kind of public. Acting is VERY plausible and professional, allowing the characters to express reality to the spectator. Also, it's good to see that this project didn't copy the elements utilized in 2007's "Dead Silence", which was something I was quite afraid of. In fact, what really thrilled me the most was the serious and heavy directing from John R. Leonetti, which is what made everything else work out. All in all, I don't mean to look exaggerated or anything, but from now on, I'm inclined to personally consider "Annabelle" as the contemporaneous version of "The Exorcist", albeit it doesn't precisely talk about exorcism at all. Please don't hate me for that!

Indian Summer (1993)

Crazy Little Thing Called Life

[6/10 · 5 September 2015]

You know, I've always enjoyed these old movies that bring some nostalgia to the spectator. Even thought I haven't ever heard about this film before seeing it, this watch brought me a lot of missing. While watching "Indian Summer", I missed jumping in the river; camping; talking normally to people, without a smart phone ringing all the time; talking to people indeed, instead of paying attention to quickly internet videos in their phones. I missed the world without a bunch of unnecessary news screaming at you from everywhere. I missed the time in which sex could be done without worries involving diseases. This film, technically, isn't anything marvelous-- in fact, it's overlong--, nor does it have the handsomest actors as every recent film has, but it's very interesting to be seen in a immediatist decade like the 2010's. Take some time off and, please, give it a chance!

The Funhouse (1981)

In & Out

[7/10 · 19 August 2015]

"The Funhouse" is a film which everyone has spoken something about, even thought it's not even a classic of the genre. As the movie began, I felt like I was about to see the most bizarre and horrifying thing of my life, when, in fact, it was just the most bizarre. It is like this because, despite Tobi Hooper being a horror master, this project doesn't seem to be made to be (exclusively) creepy; the funny aspects of the story are what, in fact, bring some charm to it. Honestly, I thank god that it wasn't creepy; if director wanted it to be, he would SURELY be able to. All in all, if you've enjoyed 2007's "Dead Silence" and you want to see a corny and hilarious version of that, "The Funhouse" is probably a good choice for you.

Wrong Turn (I) (2003)

Escape artists never die

[7/10 · 11 August 2015]

Out of the 2000's trash classics, "Wrong Turn" was one of the few I haven't seen, so I gave it a chance last weekend. This film, albeit having a cover à la "Hannibal", starts a tendency of utilizing gory tribal groups attacking the medium citizen from America, varying from scary moments to hilarious situations and behaviors. Also, it's easy to notice how 2006's "House of Wax", "The Hills Have Eyes" and others were inspired by this, proving that it was at least relatively original back when released. The acting, at some points, is a little campy, but that doesn't spoil the film's overall joy. Of course it doesn't move away from the old slaughter against youth American people, but sometimes it feels like it's just inevitable being this way; I mean, what can thrill more an audience than making they think they could be in the place of the stars? Wasn't that what made 1999's "The Blair Witch Project" so successful? However, all in all, even thought my friends and I had a good time while watching it, I'm positive I'm never going to see its follow-ups, for obvious reasons.

Paper Towns (2015)

Please just don't play with me, my paper heart will bleed

[8/10 · 31 July 2015]

I went to see it in the movie theaters without knowing anything about it. I mean, I know that "The Fault in Our Stars" was a big hit and so, but I didn't even know that this film had the same writer. That being said, I begin this review stating how impressed I am with such great work. The story starts with a relatively clichéd story, utilizing some elements that have been already used in most American teenager films, like the prom dilemma, the girl that seems to be impossible to be conquered, and so on. However, after some while, the story is able to become incredibly interesting, even thought you can't exactly tell why. In fact, what impressed me the most is that the film begins very silly and teen, but ends up in a VERY mature way. The final conversation between Quentin and Margo is filled with convictions that regular teenager will NEVER have, especially when Margo admits she doesn't even know herself, therefore, perhaps, neither does Quentin. From the get go it was showed that Quentin only knew her good qualities, but throughout the movie, I wasn't able to even notice it, even thought I love psychoanalysis and these philosophical dilemmas. So, that's what made me enjoy this film so much, and I hope people are gonna like it as much as I did.

Chloe (2009)

Introduction To Destruction

[8/10 · 19 July 2015]

Well, I've been told good about "Chloe" for a long time, and last week I decided watching it. From the get go, I could feel there was something about Chloe that would be eventually discovered. Chloe is a girl that gets paid in order to find out if the husband is cheating on the wife. However, things don't go according to plan, and all of a sudden, Chloe is hooking up with the whole family; for some reason, she is capable of seducing everyone out there, albeit she never confesses it. In her opinion, she is just being used by everybody. In this context, Seyfried's character is very covert, causing a BIG mess to each member of the family, and maybe that's why this movie feels so intense. Julianne Moore's character, for instance, gets SO mad and perplexed with Chloe's power to manipulate her that she can't even express it; instead of yelling at her, Dr. Catherine Stewart just pays more money and asks Chloe's, gently, to leave her alone. Maybe that happens because Catherine is just too scared to carry that on. Anyways, the film is great when trying to show how far people can go to reinvent their lives, and the professional cast is quite able to transmit all the feelings they are supposed to be dealing with.