Nonureva Really Surprised!

Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

hasosch The casting of John Malkovich for the role of Dr. F.W. Murnau in "Shadows of a vampire" (2000) was probably not by change (although there is not a ghost of similarity between Malkovich and Murnau) - at least not for those people who have seen Malkovich in "The Convent", where he plays the director of the Nosferatu- and Faust-topics.I think the best approach to this rather hermetic movie of Manoel De Oliveira is by asking questions. Why does his wife who openly despises her husband's work accompany him into the monastery, where she has absolutely nothing to do, where a minute is as long as a day outside of the walls, where she has neither inside nor outside of the remote convent connections to other people? Why is a convent guarded by a couple who celebrates black messes? And does the chief-guardian not look like the Devil in medieval depictions and knows big parts of Faust I by heart, as if he would be actually Mephisto? Another interesting detail is that "Piedade", the immaculate, fragile, angel-like librarian gives the professor an edition of Faust, but of Faust II.The content of Faust II is the purification of Faust's soul. Therefore, all those people who see in "The Convent" the classical Faust-motives are wrong, because these are from Faust I. So, it does not astonish that the wonderful Portuguese landscape that De Oliveira shows us, corresponds practically literally with Goethe's description of the different scenes of Faust II (including the mysterious grove in which Piedad vanishes at the end and in which to loose herself she is wished by the professors jealous wife). I am afraid, all these people who have not read Faust II (and this is the majority both in Europe and elsewhere), is left alone in this movie.At the end of the film, before the credits, we read that the professor has abandoned his research to prove that Shakespeare was the Jewish Spaniard Jacques Perez, but, according to his impressions in the monastery, has dedicated his life now to the research of occultism. This is very interesting insofar as we have here now the former Faust II turned into the Faust at the beginning of Faust I, where he sits in his hollow-like apartment and studies Cabbalist signs, at the same time depressed that he cannot go into the magic letters and thus invokes Satan (as to be seen in F.W. Murnau's "Faust" (1926)). But in De Oliveira's movie we seen the already purified Faust II turning slowly into Faust I. This is by all means exciting.

zjango This film was just too mysterious at times and, even though I found it super provocative and ultimately, worthwhile: the end had me laughing out loud -- and I'm sure that wasn't the intended effect. I'm curious to know what others think:Does the professor actually make a visit to Piedad's room? Or is it a dream, as she describes? How do you read the professor's reaction when she describes her vision? "I should stay far away from this lunatic." or "She and her delusions are sooo hot." -- are a couple of options.How to interpret Piedad's flight into the forest -- is she doomed to fall prey to desire, does this demonstrate the flaw in "goodness"?What other movies by this director would you recommend? Are there similarities among them?

tpendleton This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. There is no plot, no action, no laughs, no "food for thought". Further, the characters are terribly dull and the acting just mediocre. From the very beginning, I never did understand what was going on. And after about 15 minutes, I didn't care. The ending was the silliest thing I've ever witnessed. Anyone who says this is a good movie must either be getting paid or else is trying to impress someone. No one, and I mean no one, who enjoys movies could find a single redeeming quality in this bomb.

boneal A sparse movie, but under-appreciated. John Malkovich's intellectual curiosity threaten both his marriage and his soul. The conclusion flows, but is not obvious when it happens. I suggest watching this twice in succession (it isn't very long) in order to pick up nuances in the dialogue that you might have missed during the first pass.