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Mysteries of Lisbon Reviews
A gorgeous and intimate epic. The movie convinces you completely that every coincidence, revealed in near endless flashback, makes total sense.
Beautiful to watch with incredible attention to detail, Raoul Ruiz' masterfully crafted Mysteries of Lisbon is a triumph of modern cinema that justifies its intimidating run time with an ambitious narrative structure and thought-provoking meditations on storytelling and the trustworthiness of human recollection.
A very long melodrama based on a classic 19th Century Portuguese novel. Much of the acting is quite good if a bit stiff and some of the dialog is baroque and unrealistic. It has almost soap opera like twists and complications but the story is slow -- very slow, sometimes boringly slow. A film to be enjoyed for its cinematography and period flourishes perhaps but not a film many will find worth sitting through.
complex and a haul at 7 hours but a well crafted epic
Tem muito filme com menos de 2h que soa muito mais demorado que as intrigantes e excelentes 4h30 de Mistérios de Lisboa.
In "Mysteries of Lisbon," Joao(Joao Luis Arrias) is already suffering through school enough without the local bullies picking up on his being an orphan. After falling suddenly ill, he sees an unfamiliar figure through the feverish haze. When he recovers, Father Dinis(Adriano Luz) tells him that it was Angela(Maria Joao Bastos), a countess, who is also Joao's mother. However, all is not happiness for all concerned as she is kept prisoner by her husband who has switched her role with the maid. Still, business and wars call him away for business often which gives them time to get to know each other. But one time they miscalculate, forcing her to flee and Father Dinis also to give her sanctuary, along with a trusted servant. "Mysteries of Lisbon" is a handsomely produced film(reportedly culled from an even longer miniseries) that moves along at its own languid pace, helping to recreate a past world of much tighter social norms that are violated at one's own risk. Apparently, the Catholic Church was the witness protection program of that time period with many of the characters having a complicated back story and more than one name which can be challenging to keep track of for casual viewers.(In any case, I'm glad I did not try to see this in a theatre.) So subtle is the storytelling that I did not realize this movie took place in the 1840's until it got around to bringing up the French Revolution, as I know so very little about Portugese history.
A sumptuous period drama in which identities change, seemingly unconnected people profoundly affect each other and probability is stretched (at times knowingly). The plot is labyrinthine and is difficult to sum up but the ideas and themes left behind once everything is resolved will keep you mulling the film over for long after it is finished.
A total masterpiece.
A beautiful film that spirals in various tales those intertwine at various points only to be back on their way by themselves. The format in which the story develops is almost like lonely travellers meeting, sharing their experiences and continuing on their own paths only to cross paths again at some other point of their travel. The camera work is the icing on this rich multi-layered cake. It induces a dream like feel that glides on a fine balance between bizarre and surrealism... An absolute must watch for film lovers...
A marvellous epic story in the tradition of Bertolucci's 1900.
After a rewatch, what can I say? I wish the film could take over me...forever :)
Camilo Castelo Branco's novel has never been translated into English and little wonder given its mighty length and similarity to many English and French works of fiction of the period. But here, Raul Ruiz transforms it into something wonderful - an elliptical, confusing and intensely oblique narrative that continually confounds our presumptions. I'm not a stickler for watching a film in one sitting so this turned out to be quite manageable - especially in the current era where box sets have primed our attention spans to be more patient. The characters are expertly drawn and the story within a story format introduces us carefully to the intertwining nature of their fortunes over a fifty year period - the transition from eighteenth to mid nineteenth century is effortless. As satisfying as other great masterpieces such as the Jean de Florette movies and The Leopard.
What a magnificent cinematic achievement! In this long film that feels anything but long, the story is thick and and the puzzles are endless. An entirely mesmerizing, exhilirating, enthralling, and utterly delightful experience. But truly a short description is all that is necessary. Let's just call it a masterpiece!
A gorgeously blocked and filmed divestiture of a tangle secrets. The first five star film released in 2011 that I've scene. Masterful
Captivating, despite some bad acting. But still wonderful imagery and interesting, slow pace. Would be better in the original 6 hour tv series than in the long format released here.
Consider it as a play instead of a movie and you'll be more likely to appreciate it for what it is. Also, keep in mind that it was made to be displayed as a six-part miniseries on European television, and not necessarily to be viewed in a single sitting. The attention to detail is incredible, as are the overblown novelistic story lines. Any fan of the period piece should be able to find much to appreciate.
An exercise in an enjoyment becoming a burden.