Review of Mysteries of Lisbon (2010) by Mathieu F — 09 Jan 2011
An almost perfect movie, filmed with a mastery that is rarely seen, by a director who handles all the cinematographic syntax with a precision that is both amazing and wonderfully entertaining. Many shots are pure marvels of 18th- and 19th-century paintings come to life somehow like Barry Lyndon but with more life, without Kubrick's cold glance on the vanity of mankind.
I only regret the story's lack of depth. This early 19th-century romance, inspired from the "romans-feuilleton" of the time is full of plot twists and turns with unexpected, passionate characters but lacks meaning and resonance.
In many ways, this is the same film as "The Faun's Labyrinth" but where "Mysteries of Lisbon" only treat its subject as an entertainment (and a wonderful one), "The Faun's Labyrinth" speaks directly to our inner being with its tale of imagination and death and how the one can be used to give meaning to the other.
This review of Mysteries of Lisbon (2010) was written by Mathieu F on 09 Jan 2011.
Mysteries of Lisbon has generally received positive reviews.
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