As soon as we saw the advertisement for the Festival, Mariana and I decided that this year we wouldn't miss it as we did last year. So we grabbed hold of the festival programme and we chose a few films to watch. I don't know much about films and didn't knew much about what was going to be on screen, but based on some hints from friends and in some curiosity we came up with the following list:
- Mysteries of Lisbon - A four and a half hours film by Raúl Ruiz, based on a novel by the XIX century Portuguese author Camilo Castelo Branco
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - A film about which I don't know much, only that it's about espionage during or around the days of the Cold War
- Pearl Jam Twenty - Documentary about the band Pearl Jam, marking their 20th anniversary
- El bulli - A documentary about the now closed Michelin 3-start restaurant, El Bulli.
- Dimensions: A Line, A Loop, A Tangle of Threads - A film about the theory of bending time, which was filmed here in Cambridge
- Midnight in Paris - A romantic comedy by Woody Allen
Yesterday was the first day of this small marathon and it started with Mysteries of Lisbon. I was a bit unsure about this film as it is so long, but after the first half I was really pleased to have decided to see it. It was really worth it. The story is very well written and very well filmed. You barely feel the time passing and I got really curious about every new piece of this well thought social puzzle. I got really immersed in the film and I found it a very interesting portrait of that season.
I think I've never read anything by Camilo Castelo Branco, but now I think I should, and I will.
Today I'll be watching Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, I hope it is as good as I've been told it is.
