All Forms of Art

Fractured is a psychological thriller we follow through Ray Monroe's point of view. Ray travels across the country with his wife and daughter. One quick stop in the journey and tragedy happens. From that moment on, we follow his doubts and fears, dragging us into a spiral of madness, disorientation, and paranoia. Predictable The biggest problem I see in the plot is that it is entirely predictable. It’s an interesting story, but, at least by the middle of it, you already realized what happened. It is not an original or surprising story. You can see others of the same sort in many different movies. Just the context is slightly different. Emotionless I like emotion. I want to watch a movie that makes me feel something. This was not the case. Sam Worthington  is fairly convincing in his role, but something is missing in the film. I felt some lack of emotional connection. In a story like this, you expect to suffer with the character. You feel his anger...

The available time to read is, unfortunately, very less than I would like to. Yet, I try to read every day, even if I can only read a single page at a time. This time, I chose something in my first language, written by a renowned author.   Fancy writing, poor content I’m not the biggest fan of Portuguese literature. You may find it odd. It would be expected that we would quickly identify with our country, culture, and language. Unfortunately, what I see in Portuguese literature, most of the time, it’s a whole lot of beautiful words and fancy sentences, with no significant ability to make us dream.  Beautifully arranged sentences and highly educated words seem more important than the story itself. It lacks the fantastic ability to drive us to different worlds, of making us live what we are reading, or feel what the characters are feeling. Despite that, I try to keep updated with what’s new or considered a ‘must to read.’ I must say, however, and wi...

Many months passed since we last saw Audrey. Stevie is now one year old, and Audrey keeps trying to put her life back together.  ( If you didn’t watch the show yet, consider stop reading - spoilers ahead. ) Endless work The sentiment of inadequacy and inferiority continues overwhelming Audrey, but she fights back. We can now spot a different Audrey trying to be more assertive and taking control of her life. However, it's a difficult task, and she is always afraid of potential judgments from other people. In the first episode, you might get caught by surprise when she is worried about what people will going to think about the cutlery she uses in Stevie’s birthday party. Motherhood seems to be easier for everybody else. It is, from the beginning, the most realistic part of the show. A new mom often feels so overwhelmed that she looks at other mothers and has the perception it’s all easier for them. Abortion Season one ended with pregnancy news. Af...

Mindhunter is an interesting show about the primordials of the Behavioral Analysis Unit of FBI. I was curious, the minute I heard about it. It’s the beginnings of a study that I was quite interested in my college days. The story starts taking place in the seventies, extremely well recreated to the smallest detail. It also gives us good deep characters, in a combination that makes it impossible for you to watch only one episode. Focused on the beginning of the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, Mindhunter shows us the way a couple of passionate professionals worked hard to be taken seriously by the rest of the bureau, and other authority forces. It is fascinating the way they enter the psyche of serial killers, trying to find out how their minds work. While conducting their intriguing study, they must continue living their lives, which don’t remain unaffected, as you may imagine, by the things they see and hear.  From my point of view, this show is a fresh angle o...

This is not the sort of show which I usually talk about on this blog. However, as a psychologist, I’m usually quite curious in regards to criminals and their minds; and one of these days I started watching this documentary on Netflix . Taking into consideration the kind of thing this is, I can’t say I ‘liked’ it. I mean what you see in there is nothing to like, but I was rather terrified, which is probably the usual response. Nonetheless, it was definitely a good documentary. The eyes of a killer Everything displayed in this story was terrible. The descriptions, Bundy’s posture, everything seemed like some sort of horror show, putting into perspective what we may consider to be lucky or unlucky in this life. Before I even start watching it, I read somewhere that this was the kind of thing you shouldn’t watch alone. Sounds accurate right now. At the time, and considering my, mostly academic, experience, I didn’t think that this could actually be so upsetting. ...

As a mother of a young child that cries for me every 5 minutes, it’s difficult to imagine the moment she’ll leave home, as well as the feeling of an empty nest. As a daughter, I’ve heard, “you could come to see me more often…” a few times already. That is what this comedy is about, and I loved it. The Message No matter how you feel about the movie itself, it has a particular message. It is an essential part of it. It is, indeed, a cliche, but even being such a cliche, some people still need to hear it. This is, in fact, a movie for moms and children, and it contains messages for both to think about. For mothers, it tells you you need to let your kids grow. Be there when they need you, but without interfering. You need to give them space to evolve. For children, the message is even more straightforward: how difficult can it be to call your mom? The movie focuses on this, through three mothers living with the empty nest syndrome. These women miss their sons, and t...

There are more and more shows helping to demystify the LGBTQ+ world. This show was the first one doing it in the 90s, and now it returns with this fantastic miniseries. The background story introduces us to different generations of the LGBTQ community, each one facing their own problems, and giving the public a wide range of perspectives. I had zero knowledge, the story concerned, of the book and previous adaptations, other than know they exist. You definitely don’t need to know them to get into the story and love it. Anna Madrigal Anna Madrigal is a 90 years old lady that built a haven for all, in the middle of San Francisco city. Anna takes care of everybody, as if they were her children, “because they are,” she says in one of the episodes. That alone makes her an amazing character, impossible not to like, but that’s not all. Throughout the show, you’ll know the real and sad story of Anna Madrigal. It is a reminding for all new generations of how the LGBTQ ...

Good girls is a funny, light comedy with a great cast. It approaches a few interesting topics in the middle of much craziness and a not so realistic storyline. The plot is about three moms, that out of despair - each one them with financial problems - decide to rob a shop. Everything seemed to go perfectly well until they realize that they found more money in the safe than what would be expected. The problem? It belongs to a local gang. The story is, indeed, a little implausible. Nonetheless, quite interesting. You simply can’t stop watching it. The perfect mom The main characters are mothers that would do anything for there children. However, forget the idea of the perfect mom. They are human beings, after all. The excitation of committing a felony, the fear of getting caught, seems to be the rush of adrenaline they lacked in their lives. Nevertheless, one second is enough for everything to get out of control. They are trying to remain ‘good’, while they ...

Daddy’s Home 2 is a light Christmas comedy, and as such, it had a few negative reviews. I’m not a fan of this kind of movie, but I was in the mood for a light laughing night. So, why not? The movie is a sequel from Daddy’s Home , which I didn’t watch, so I can’t compare it with it. Hard critics The critics slammed it!  The movie’s plot has two significant points: two men trying to co-dad their children in a respectful and caring environment; and the arrival of grandfathers for Christmas that will mess with the already fragile family dynamics. Both of them highly criticized. I read a lot of reviews, and the vast majority were not kind. Comedy  It is a comedy movie, or it is supposed to be. It has some little non-significant situations that make us laugh, sure. But, other than that, there is nothing.  I watched the movie, and I read some critics, I sat down to write a review and… there is almost nothing to write about. It’s empty. ...

After getting disappointed at Season 2 , I believed this was one of those shows that had should not continue beyond its first season. Nonetheless, I give it a try once more, to find a storyline full of questionable choices. (contain spoilers) Ani, the new girl With the new school year, a new student comes to Liberty High: Ani. Ani comes from a different country, doesn’t know anyone, and suddenly, she is the new narrator of the story. It seemed interesting in the beginning. We would have the perspective of an outsider about what was happening. The problem is that Ani does not behave exactly as an outsider.  She is a strong young woman, independent, confident, who knows how to move around, mingling amongst her new colleagues. The problem is, the new girl, that no one really knows is, suddenly, ‘besties’ with everyone. How reasonable is that? Have the authors ever been “the new girl”? Something that could be interesting to see explored was her cultural bac...

The fans of the show were waiting this season for a long time. I, personally, had the feeling that it should have ended in the second one. Maybe I was right. I know, I know! You all loved it, but I have mixed feelings about it. I didn’t find the first couple of episodes that interesting. It took longer than it should, to get into the action, and the omnipresence of the professor is going a bit too far. But let’s see the ups and downs of this season. (If you did not watch this season yet, consider stop reading. Spoilers ahead.) Rio’s Mistake As annoying as it can be, Rio’s mistake is quite realistic. There is no perfect crime, and there is always someone who doesn’t follow the rules. I found it a rational choice of action to get a new storyline.  New characters In this season we have new characters, and I loved them. Palermo is, somehow, the new Berlin and he brings new dramas and conflicts inside the group, which enriches the story. Howe...

After watching a couple of Spanish shows, we get used to the language and get more curious about other shows. This one is a drama, passed in the ’20s and ‘30s, about four coworker women. In a time of abrupt changes, we can see some fierce independent women fighting for their rights. While that, others blindly obey their husbands and other men in the family. The contrast is evident from the first episode. The surrounding society, where all the action takes place was what I liked the most. Freedom was the keyword in the crazy ’20s, but it comes with a price tag, and each character will pay for it, in very different ways. You can’t talk about the decade of 1920 without talking about the suffragists and the female emancipation. The fight against a society that makes everything it can to keep the status quo . At the same time, this agitation and modernity contrast with the woman spanked and abused by her husband or the woman who can barely see her boyfriend. They all live t...

I was a big fan of Disney’s cartoon version of this story. Said so, as soon as I watched the trailer on Netflix , I decided to watch the movie. It is a very different version, but I liked it. It’s intense, violent, dark and makes you sit in front of the screen for 2 hours without even think of it. Also, prepare yourself to hold your breath many times. The protagonist is a good actor. Acting and counter scene with something that is not really there, it’s never easy. I imagine that for a kid, it is an even more significant challenge. Nevertheless, Rohan Chand was flawless in his role. The special effects bothered me a little bit, though. The fact that the animals don’t look real takes out a bit of the magic of this movie. However, due to the quality of the story and characters, it ends up not being so important after all.  The story is complex, more than in early versions. We have a fierce fight for power, with alliances and games that put Mowgli on the human s...

I hadn’t watched the first season of American Crime Story . Never felt very interested in the show and the only reason I watched this most recent season was because it was about Versace. I got very intrigued by the show because I remember the case, as it was thoroughly explored by the media at the time. So I decided I’d give the series a try. I didn’t know a lot about Versace’s life. Almost nothing really, so I can’t truly criticize the choices by the production when it came to the story. However, I have a problem with the title. It may have been better not to call it “the assassination of Versace”, but rather “Versace’s killer” as the protagonist is not the designer but rather his killer and this wasn’t exactly what most people seemed to expect going in. This was also the case for me and I must admit I got a bit disappointed. The show is good enough to make you curious and keep you watching it but it isn’t all that exciting. Even so, if you were able to skip past the ...

This is one of those situations where I’m not sure what to say in a review of this show. The show is… not good. Sure, Renée Zellweger helps (a lot) but she isn’t enough to pull the show through its mediocrity. When she isn’t on the screen, we aren’t left with not much at all, unfortunately. It’s a lot of fun to see her trying to impersonate a femme fatal , with zero ethics or moral principles, but it’s a little too stereotyped for my personal taste. Yet, it’s definitely the best part of the entire show. That alone, speaks volumes. The story is primarily about secrets and all characters are, somehow, emotionally broken. Some of them don’t even make a whole lot of sense and while watching you’re commonly asking yourself why they’re even here, to begin with. It looks like they don’t belong. They are connected by bonds of blood or friendship but everything seems a bit too shallow. I felt as though these were a bunch of random stories that someone desperately tried to conne...

This was a very surprising show, where the disability is showcased in a very natural, even sometimes fun way, clearly meant to show the audience how our focus should really be on the human being, beyond any evident disabilities. It’s a comedy, at times dark, and at times filled with strength, willpower and motivational messages and you can easily find yourself watching it for a couple of hours in a row since it only features eight 15-minute episodes. It’s kind of autobiographical, but I had no idea at the time I watched it, so I’m giving my opinion on the impact it had on me whilst unaware of that fact. The protagonist is a gay guy with Cerebral Palsy, fighting to be able to be independent, have a job and, as all of us, love. He is somewhat ashamed of his health condition, also being very tired of not getting treated like any other person, so he tries to hide it, which tends to lead him toward particularly difficult situations. It’s a very strong character and it gi...

This new show by Netflix is another “ surprisingly addictive ” one that you’ll want to binge watch.  It follows a story, in which there is a big secret involved, which the whole action revolves around. Fun fact, you know this from the very beginning, but that doesn’t take away your interest in the story, and where it’s headed, quite the opposite. The cast is pretty good and the story and action are guided well throughout. Labeled as a dark comedy, you’ll find it to be a near-perfect mix of funny and tragic moments, that will keep you glued to your screens. One of the things that I found the most interesting is that, for the first time, I second guessed myself on what to do while watching a show. Usually, watching the situations unfold, from the outside looking in, you very easily think and make a judgment on what the character should do, yet in this case, the show is able to emotionally involve you in such a matter that I found myself having doubts about what m...

After 2 years of waiting, we finally watched the last episode of Game of Thrones this week, and the results were... let's say, unexpected. Being a huge fan of the books and the show, I couldn't let this end without saying anything. I'm quite used to bad endings for good shows by now (just think about  Dexter ou Lost ...) so I hadn't many expectations. This whole season was some sort of race against time and that was quite annoying for me, and as far as I know, for most of GoT fans around the world. We get it, they needed to end the show, but there were so many choices... We can't say that the show didn't surprise us, there were so many (and much more obvious) choices that weren't made, in fact, if you watched it closely, you'll probably feel that they write it precisely to destroy every single fan theory existent. What they forgot was that those theories existed... because they made sense! The high point of the episode was, with...

Maddie’s disappearance was, probably, the biggest case of this sort in Portugal, ever. A very controversial one, with great impact in the public opinion of one of the safest countries in the world. Many things were said about it, and many doubts and suspicions remain in our minds, to this very day, about what really happened to little Maddie. The way this documentary show was made is very clever. You go and follow along, step by step throughout the investigation and you will change your opinion and suspicions throughout it, as each piece of evidence comes to light. You might be overwhelmed with many different feelings and no matter your initial opinion about the case, you’ll feel doubt start to creep up as you watch each episode. It’s very interesting the way different people, from different countries, face each detail and the cultural differences that might seem like nothing on most regular occasions, might be huge under such complicated circumstances. I remember how ...

This story looks like one of those bedtime stories our parents used to tell us. Superhero children, with awesome powers, yet so normal, requiring love and affection, like any regular child. Moral lessons and consequences that befall them when they do something wrong… Well, this isn’t exactly the premise of the show, but at first sight, it’s what it most reminded me of. You have this group of individuals, linked, connected as brothers, not by blood but by the craziness of their adoptive father instead. He took the children under his care and turned his house into some sort of boarding school for special kids. Give it a couple of years and you end up with a very dysfunctional family.  Despite the huge amount of fantasy, we can easily create empathy with the characters. They’re all very interesting and very different from one another, which makes us pay attention to all of their stories and they’re all pretty captivating. Pogo is a very curious character from ...

Domestic violence in all its forms is kind of the subject ‘of the hour’ in my country due to a series of unbelievable court decisions regarding it and cases involving it. Maybe because of that, I had some sort of expectations about this show that weren’t totally fulfilled by what it’s really about. The way I saw it, the show wasn’t very entertaining as it was too slow, Debra was a tedious, monotonous character and John wasn’t very convincing as a villain. As I hadn’t heard of this particular case before, it was only by the end of the first episode that I knew it was based on real facts and people, but that just made the whole thing seem… even more shallow. After a couple of episodes, however, I realized that some of that vibe, of that feeling it was evoking, how fake it all seemed, might all be on purpose and this apparent ‘not-so-great’ ability of John for manipulation was actually a genius master scheme to show us what a truly manipulative person should look like and...