Reviews

Just saw it. This movie is a Christmas fantasy. Everyone is beautiful and pretty much only good thing happen to them. Even the most unlikely things happen. It's the impossible dream of the perfect Christmas. In the real world these kind of things don't really happen. Having said that, the optimism of the film is contagious and, despite the flaws, at the end you're kinda happy.

The best of the movie was it's message of love, it's really heart warming. However, the way it was done could have been better. There's too much cheese. It's gets kinda corny at times, especially at the end. Mostly, i think it should have been more serious and drama-like. Like someone said in the boards, i think it should have been more realistic. It goes way to much over the top and it almost ruins the movie.

There's some really good "serious" scenes though. My favorite story lines were the friend of the just married couple (the scene when she sees the wedding video-- so sad, so perfect--, the cards scene, again, so sad, so heart breaking); the stand ins (the contrast between the way they are and the job they do-- too funny). The scene with the kid running through the airport to get to his love was the best one. That's what love is all about.

I ended up liking some things, disliking others. It could -- should have been better. Mixed feelings. I guess i mostly liked it, but not as much as i would have wanted... although i wouldn't mind having some of that American girls fantasy.The idea was good but it the end, it's sadly a failed movie.

A witchcraft Middle Ages movie, set in a village in Portucalence Land, in the end of the X century. Based upon a tale by Alexandre Herculano – A Dama Pé de Cabra (The Lady with the Goat Feet) – who, in his turn, was inspired by an old legend told in the Beira Alta region, in Portugal. One of the few Portuguese entries to the fantastic genre, it's the only Portuguese medieval/fantastic movie that I know of. A witch, Maria Alva, takes over a village, but has an opponent in the wise Hélio, who, with some help, will try to defeat her. The movie has a good sense of that whole Middle Age mood, probably due in part to the good photography by José Luís Carvalhosa. The director set some really nifty, moody scenes. Some of them you look at and go: Oh. That's cool. The sets are quite natural, but I guest that would be the easy part, with Portugal having so many real medieval castles still standing and a fair amount of practice in staging medieval fairs. The two main girls are pretty cute and i liked that scene at the end with one of them dressed like a knight with an arrow, at the top of the mount. Also, here and there, some good dialog emerges. It's, I think, mostly a curiosity, for medieval/horror completest and for those who didn't thought they made such movies in Portugal (like me). António de Macedo in only one of the very few Portuguese directors (alongside Edgar Pera) that delves into the fantasy/horror genres. And, unfortunately, he hasn't made a movie in more than ten years. It's basically an interesting movie, nice to watch, curdled up in the sofa at night, while it's freezing cold outside. At least that's how I did it. And I enjoyed it a lot.

I rate it: 6.5 in 10.

P.S: It's funny how Army of Darkness(1993) is in the IMDb Recommendations ...

No Dia dos Meus Anos(1992), a Portuguese movie directed by João Botelho, is part of the "Os Quatro Elementos" (The Four Elements)series. This is the second episode, O Ar(The Air). The other ones are "Das Tripas Coração – O Fogo", from Joaquim Pinto; "O Último Mergulho – A Água", from João César Monteiro and "O Fim do Mundo – A Terra", from João Mário Grilo.

Movie with several connected stories. The main one is of a family: a little boy(Miguel)who's anxious for his 7th birthday(hence the title - On My Birthday), his mother, his sister Joana, his grandfather...and his father. In their house lives a guest, a book seller. We also see the discord between a couple living in the same building and an argument between a mother and daughter about a wedding dress(or is there something more?).

The theme of the Air is expressed throughout the movie: the family lives near the airport; the recurring sky and airplanes; the pigeons; the wind passing through the trees; and also the dialog, with constant references of the sky, the air. In one of the first scenes, Joana(played by Madalena Rodrigues, whom i liked a lot) describes the elements that make up the air, in one of my favorite scenes in the movie.

It has some real interesting ideas and some well crafted scenes. Once in a while the typical philosophical digress so characteristic of Portuguese movies emerges, but it doesn't harm the movie. The acting is variable depending on the the actor, but generally OK. The music works well, although it doesn't strike me as the most suitable for the movie.The cinematography is good and the movie also has some good sense of humor, and in some scenes one can even laugh. Long things short, i liked it. Specially because it's so close to me, not only geographically, but also in many of the situations, characters, feelings and surroundings. The best example of this is the high school courtyard scene, my favourite in the movie and the closest i've seen in cinema to a Portuguese high school experience.

Basically, a movie about the difficulties and the discord within the family and how they can(or cannot)have a redemption. But a lot better than explaining what the movie is all about, is really seeing it, if you have the chance. Overall, a good little movie(only 1h long), and, maybe more important, a good Portuguese movie. I rate it: 7/10.

Sometimes the most important thing eludes us and we don't recognize it. Not everyone has the opportunity to recognize, especially when one lives it, what is really important, what is in fact real; the truth of who we are and who others are. And to recognize that before the others and ourselves. Not everyone has that opportunity. Almost all of us fall in the lies and fictions of who we are, who the others are and the place of all of us in our world, but only few of us - lucky few - manage, in the end, but maybe still in time, to see the truth, the reality. And these ones, may consider themselves very happy.

All it takes is to understand that, and we can be who we want to: our own selves.

If you like '80s teen comedies, this one is not to be missed. I liked this movie and i just wanted to share these thoughts i had after seeing it. Patrick Dempsey is good in it, and Amanda Peterson is absolutely great, loved her. Wish i had met a girl like her when i was in high school. But then again, maybe i did...

7/10 overall, a good movie.

First, the good things about the movie: - good locations - excellent music - nice cinematography - good actors (specially Bob Hoskins) You'd think i liked it, right? Wrong. Simply put, this was the most sadistic movie i have ever had the displeasure to see. And i'm writing this just because i read all the other user comments and didn't saw this being mentioned. When the movie starts it looks good, but since we start understanding what he is doing to the girl... My problem with the movie, i guess, is not that it is slow (i don't mind that), is that it's all about the suffering of this innocent girl, who doesn't seem to be able to meet anyone nice or decent. Bad things is all that happens to her, while we are given no hint that it's gonna get better. I guess i cared to much about the character. And, by the way, the movie should really be titled Hilditch's Journey, since it ends up being much more about him then Felicia's. It almost feels like some of the things that happen to her are just a way to try and make it more thrilling and to just get the plot to move forward. I mean: it's almost unbelievable the sucession of bad stuff that happens to her. It looked to me almost as exploitation. I was so mad at what the director and screenwriter made that girl go thru, that when Hoskins's character almost chockes to death i hoped he would die. And the end, well, it came too late. So, if you're into sadism this movie is for you. If you're not, stay away from it. I never gave such a review to a movie, but this movie, really really irritated me. For those who liked it, i'm sorry , but this is how i feel. 3/10

I really liked this one. It could be described as a french version of "I Know what You did last Summer", but in fact it's much more of a mystery/thriller than a horror movie. A girl who's just been released form jail (Lucie) befriends with Marilyne, who takes her out to a bar to have fun. There Lucie meets Marilyne's friends, Bruno, Nico and Robert. They then go to this house who has no one living there, and have fun at the pool, until this homeless guy comes along and says he is guarding the house for it's owners. He talks with them for a while and then leaves. The next time they see him, he's dead. He's been killed! How donnit? Basically that's the core of the movie: to find out how donnit. It totally ripps-off IKWYDLS for the first hour or so, but we soon find out that there's more to it than that. It takes a different direction than "I

Know..." and that's when it gets really interesting. The lead actrice, Maud Forget, who plays Lucie is really, really beautiful and just plain amazing. The others are good in it too. The story is the same as always, but somehow i found it refreshing. It has a dark tone to it, and an overall good quality for a tv movie. The ending, not spoilling it, is really great and one you will almost certainly not expect. Just as a curiosity, seeing the end credits, i found that it seems to be a french/portuguese co-production, with many of the cast and crew members being portuguese. Now i see where i knew the taxi driver from! How would have said it? i give it a 8/10.