Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

BoardChiri Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Phillipa Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

amyvela-lx sorry but this film is one of the worst i'v seen in European cinema. alright, it has all the clichés and canons of European civilisation, but simply plucking these cultural allusions from everywhere doesn't show any intelligence. moreover, these citations are the most stereotypical, the explanations (of the ruins, legends, etc) the most simplicist, repeating parrot-like the information one can usu find in primary-school text books. the multilingual conversation is amazingly superficial, setting up all these binaries of man-woman, east-west, love-hate. frankly this degree of intellect can be simply found in any street. the ending is quite atrociously suspect to racism, and certainly very stupidly eurocentric. probably the worst thing of the film is that it pretends to make some profound comments whilst it is at best a slap-stick piece of nonsense with a jerk in the last scene

jotix100 It is clear that a Manoel De Oliveira film is not for everyone, not that he has ever tried. The cinema of this director is introspective, as it doesn't aim to please the masses. "Um Filme Falado", his 2003 satisfying movie, is perhaps one of his most accessible.When we first meet Rosa Maria, a university professor, who is embarking on a long trip to Bombay to join her husband for a vacation, we watch her on board with her daughter, Maria Joana, a beautiful child with an inquisitive mind. As the ship goes to the open sea, Rosa Maria is heard explaining to the girl the meaning of the monuments in Lisbon they are passing by.The next ports of call include Marseilles, Naples, Athens, Istambul, Cairo and Aden. In every place the ship stops Rosa Maria and Maria Joana take side trips to see the interesting sites that although touristy, they hold a special significance and serve to advance the story. After all, Rosa Maria being a teacher knows well what she is talking about. In each destination they encounter a kind person, like the Orthodox priest in the Parthenon, or the Portuguese actor by the Piramids.We also see in some of the ports of call a famous woman boarding the ship, but they don't appear until the last segment of the picture, when the captain, John Walesa, invites Rosa Maria and her daughter to join him at his table where Delphine, Francesca, and Helena, are sitting. Each woman talks in her native language, and yet, they all seem to understand what each one is saying. This serene moment doesn't prepare us for the surprise we are about to receive. Since we have no idea about what is coming, we remain in a state of shock because of the suddenness in how things happen. In a way, the film parallel life, as it is difficult to understand why things happen they way they do. Also, the fragility of life itself is examined by Mr. De Oliveira in his own peculiar way.The director has given us no inkling up to the last moment of the film that anything could be so totally wrong. The whole film has such a soothing quality and a peaceful beauty that when the unexpected happens we are caught completely unaware of it.Leonor Silveira has worked with Manoel De Oliveira extensively. She has such a regal presence in everything she does and her beauty is the no nonsense kind. Her Rosa Maria is perfect. John Malkovich and Catherine Deneuve have also worked with the director before, but this is not their film, they just happen to be there at the end. Stefania Sandrelli and Irene Papas are also featured in the film. Ms. Papas makes a wonderful impression as she sings to the delight of all the passengers and the viewers."Um Filme Falado" shows a Manoel De Oliveira at his best. He has produced a gorgeous film that requires our undivided attention.

levin_melkins A movie that really speaks for our generation. The director's attention to detail was unparalleled in all the movies that I have ever seen in my entire life. My ENTIRE life! The performances were stellar and moved me to tears. The artistic cinematography had me glued to my seat and the tight plot is reason enough to watch this eye-popping spectacle. This movie transcends genres in every possible way. I just could not get enough of the movie. I'm watching out for the sequel and will donate half my life's savings to the production of the director's next venture - as long as the little girl is cast in it. I'm sorry I would like to write more coherently and longer but my emotional body is still quivering from the impact of this fantastic movie - a jarring metaphor of what has become of our history, effortlessly gliding with unstoppable eloquence. Please excuse me while i go watch this AGAIN! Please please please go and watch this masterpiece and make your life complete. Oliviera has done the human race proud!

michelerealini This is another Great film of 97year old Portuguese director Manoel De Oliveira (a legend!). It's incredible how this director still creative is... His stories are simple and deep. He demonstrates that with a low budget you can always do strong films, with good lines.A mother takes her daughter to a cruise trip through Mediterranean Sea. She teaches her story and gets in touch with three European women and the ship's captain. Everyone speaks his own language... That's why it's a "Talking picture", a meeting among people of several cultures. The dialogue follow the everyday life. The film seems to be very calm and seems to tell simply a friendship story, until the final scene... Where we remain totally surprised.A small, cultivated and poetic picture, from an European big director.