Review of Neruda (2016) by Knox M — 06 Jul 2017
You have your conventional biopics, movies like The Theory of Everything and The Imitation Game, which have a self-inflated poignance that makes dumb, popcorn-shoving moviegoers feel like intellectuals.
On the other hand, you have your other kind of biopics, like Patton and Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters, that not only tell the story of the man but also analyze his motives, psyche, and humanistic qualities.
Neruda is the most recent in this prestigious canon of unconventional biographies; a well versed exercise in classic filmmaking with a modern spin. It succeeds at being auteuristic, old-fashioned, and naturalistically moving.
The lead characters (expertly brought back to life by Bernal and Gnecco), connect to each other in ghostly, figurative telekinesis, as if the spirit of the human soul binds them metaphysically. Pablo Larrain, the film's director, treats the plot with superior surveillance, making sure each detail is at its maximum clarity.
The script, which unavoidably brings to mind Costa-Gavras's earliest work, breaks many of the genre's cliches without losing sight of its poetically haunting story. And, lastly, I must call kudos to the film's composer, who has written a soundtrack in the tradition of Bernard Herrmann and Jerry Goldsmith.
See this film. Experience it.
This review of Neruda (2016) was written by Knox M on 06 Jul 2017.
Neruda has generally received positive reviews.
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