O Ídolo (2021) User Reviews

What is this? Hollywood you better watch out!

[hey-jeronimo · 9/10 · 9 December 2021]

This short was so well made, regarding the fact that it was made using only a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Analysing the argument, I honestly felt it was going at a really fast pace. Especially the climax of the plot.

However this short stands out in the technical point:

• The long shots were astounding;
• The camera movements were a bold choice and a risk, because of being recorded with the Samsung S21 Ultra, but a good risk that really paid-off!

But what a surprise seeing this was a original screenplay by the one and only Fernando Pessoa.

I truly recommend people seeing this in a theatre!

A short that asks for a complete movie

[marioomachado · 8/10 · 4 December 2021]

The trailer for this short convinced me right away.

The final stone, that took me to watch it at the theater, was the fact that it was completely recorded using just a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Starting for the argument itself, it is a well written short.

It as a start, a middle and a bit of a sour end, as we know in advance that this is a short, but it continues the plot asks for much more.

Actually this kind of argument asks for the writer's creativity to explore the beautiful and creative mind of Fernando Pessoa.

It is a short that could easily turned into a full movie.

That epoque environment and a full story set on a cruise ship, would have set a perfect plot for a suspense movie from the beginning untill the end.

So, we just have to imagine how this short could have gone if it was a full set movie.

Also this kind of feeling left on the viewer side, gives a sense of accomplishment to the director, because he completely passed the messaged of a well written and directed story.

From the technical side of filmmaking, if I didn't knew this was filmed using only a smartphone I possible could never guessed it.

As i knew before hand, I was particularly searching for flaws, at the same time admiring the techniques they used to get the most advantage of that small sensor.

We all know that a great filming technique could even make a bad camera to produce some beautiful scenes.

Even so, there are scenes that even the best director cannot do much without the technology to achieve it.

In this short there was some dark scenes set in a deck of a ship at the middle of the night.

We all know how a smartphone super small sensor strugle with low light, especially at night.

So, in this particular scene I was paying close attention.

Actually the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra did a magnificent job capturing all the glimpse of light it could, reducing the noise at maximum.

The light technicians also did a great job too, balancing a decent ambient light.

Overall it was a very pleasant short to watch that mixes a lot of perfect combinations.

From a full set of different scenes, various filmaking techniques, well written tory, two different languages integrations and a captive viewer attention, this is a short that makes the viewer to wish to have a full movie to watch and enjoy.

By Mario Machado

Watched In Porto, 04.12.2012 @20h - Parque Nascente #GalaxyS21 Ticket number: e89cb582-8967-4bdf-b2a5-a97ec4e5590f.

What a downstream of emotions! Portuguese production at best level!

[dinaafreitas · 9/10 · 10 December 2021]

If someone told me that what i just saw was filmed using only a smartphone, I'll most certainly said that was a lie.

What a fantastic surprise it was.

Starting with some aerial shots and followed by some close range shots, on some paper works, i could tell that some of those were filmed handheld.

Although I could notice it, they were so well accomplished that i could never tell they were shot with a smartphone.

The technique resulted perfectly giving the audience a more dynamic feel to the shots.

Also, the pace of the short, the argument and all the set scenes, fitted magically together, or this wasn't from the magical mind of Fernando Pessoa.

Shout out to the director who adapted this argument so greatly to the theater.

A short that must be watched by everybody.

Top level quality in here.

By DIna Alves Freitas

Watched in O' Porto, 04.12.2012 - 20:00h Parque Nascente #GalaxyS21 Ticket number: 779e04a1-45fd-4d4e-9a5e-076d59f5187d.

What is this? Hollywood you better watch out!

[hey-jeronimo · 9/10 · 9 December 2021]

This short was so well made, regarding the fact that it was made using only a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Analysing the argument, i honestly felt it was going at a really fast pace. Especially the climax of the plot.

However this short stands out in the technical point:

• The long shots were astounding;
• The camera movements were a bold choice and a risk, because of being recorded with the Samsung S21 Ultra, but a good risk that really paid-off!

But what a surprise seeing this was a original screenplay by the one and only Fernando Pessoa.

I trully recommend people watching this on theatre!

Samsung should give the filming crew some powerbanks, because we need a full movie!

[jr-31186 · 10/10 · 10 December 2021]

Giving life to an argument by Fernando Pessoa certainly is not for everyone, and that's probably the reason why we are watching this masterpiece only after 100 years of its original argument.

Everything in this short was on point, except for its duration, but thats why it is a Short and not a full lenght Movie.

Don't take me wrong, what was here achieved with only about 22 minutes of screen play is remarkable.

In that short period of time we can feel the suspense, drama, mystery and a big plot twist that sometimes full movies can't accomplish to deliver us.

There are some messages we can get in this movie, one of them being that people tend to give more value to things sometimes more than their life. Other being the fact that people think they are the smartest, while Sotto thought he was a mastermind by making that diversion plan, he was outplayed since the begining, as all the Idols he had were fake and the real one was in the "shadows" with another guy who no one gave value

The end of this story allows you to think of what really happened, amongst all those fake Idols, was the real one returned to its owner?

About the quality of the footage, and this is unanimous, Clap Clap Clap!

I knew the S21 Ultra was fully capable to shoot with, for a personal use. I would never think it could be used profissionally and make a movie like this one.

This movie has dark scenes (they were no problem for the S21Ultra) and fast scenes (Lets talk about that SuperSteady mode?).

Of course, althought it is incredible, all the credits can't go only to the S21Ultra, one round of aplause as well to all the filming crew and director, what an amazing job you all made here.

Watched In Porto, 05.12.2012 session: 12h - Parque Nascente #GalaxyS21 Ticket number: 9553fc5c-b070-473d-9384-5affeddf1759

Joana Ribeiro.

Epic and revolutionary in every way

[beatrizdmpinto · 8/10 · 9 December 2021]

I always heard that Fernando Pessoa was a person ahead of his time. Nothing more ironic and aligned than recording one of his arguments with the Samsung S21 ultra 5G, a device described as "epic and revolutionary in every way" the same description could be used to describe the Pessoa.

From the seamless integration of several languages, the number of different scenarios, to the fantastic sound production, which together with small details such as the recreation of Europa or the choice of the idol, an artifact that exists and is on display in NY, makes the viewer feel as if is facing a real story. And also worthy of mentioning, the beautiful integration of "Portugalidade" which, despite not being in the original script, could not fit more perfectly.

In short, I liked this short film it shows that cinema is more than equipment and investment cinema it's the history, it's the script.

And it's one more proof that Portuguese cinema exists and has always existed, because we have and always had incredible, creative people with the tinge of madness that it takes to write and create projects like this.

Lisboa, 3 Dezembro, 21h. Bilhete: 6f7178a8-846b-4336-afd3-cbd2aee9ec35.

Tradução PT: Sempre ouvi dizer que o Fernando Pessoa era uma pessoa à frente do seu tempo. Nada mais irónico e alinhado que gravar um dos seus argumentos com o Samsung S21 ultra 5G, um dispositivo "épico e revolucionário em todos os sentidos", a mesma descrição podia ser usada para descrever o Pessoa.

Desde a integração de várias línguas em simultâneo, ao número de diferentes cenários, até à fantástica produção sonora, que junto de pequenos detalhes como a recriação do Europa ou a escolha do ídolo, um artefacto que existe e está em exibição em NY, faz com que o visualizador sinta que está perante uma história real. E ainda, é de mencionar, a bonita integração da portugalidade que, apesar de não estar no argumento original, não podia encaixar de forma mais perfeita.

Em suma, gostei desta curta, mostra que o cinema é mais que o equipamento e o investimento, o cinema é a história, é o argumento.

E é mais uma prova que o cinema português existe e sempre existiu, porque temos e sempre tivemos pessoas incríveis, criativas e com o pingo de loucura que é preciso para escrever e alinhar em projetos como este.