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Reviews
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
An interesting add-on to LOTR. Entertaining.
*** Warning, this review may contain a spoiler ***
First of all, I don't consider myself a LOTR's expert or die hard know-it-all fan. I just enjoyed the first three films for its ingenuity, story telling value and special effects. When the extended version of the first three films were released in Blue Ray I bought the set and revisited the story again.
I agree with some other reviews that at times the movie looks too cartoonish, but in general it's an entertaining add-on to the LOTR franchise.
The introduction of the dwarfs at the beginning is very original and enjoyable. The scene around the table while they dine at Bilbo's table is simply too long. I would have deleted some of those shots to make the story more dynamic at the beginning. The other scene that I would have deleted entirely is that of the Trolls.
My favorite scene is that of Gandalf and Galadriel having their telepathic conversation in Rivendell.
The movie is very entertaining in general, especially after the first hour, and the end sets the tone for what's next. in my view it features more adventure than torment (at times the LOTR movies were too agonizing.)
Barrio Cuba (2005)
Probably the best Cuban movie in the last 20 years.
Barrio Cuba is one of those movies that become memorable in an instant. It reflects crudely the Cuban reality. The plots don't need political discourses, they are dramatic and crude enough. It shows a country in ruins and the hopeless state of mind of Cubans. You have to have lived in Cuba or at least be extremely familiar with the Cuban reality to really grasp what this movie is all about. In my view the only flaw is that at the end Solas had the opportunity to beautifully link all the three plots in at least two different scenes, the one of Mario Limonta standing in front of a train and the scene at the airport, where a Cuban family is returning to visit their relatives in the island. Kudos to Humberto Solas!