Socrates

Apologies for the tawdry headline but I was just now a bit blown away by this flick. I had recently seen director Alexandre Moratto's "7 Prisoners" (also excellent) so dug back into time (via IMDB LoL) to check out his earlier work.

WOW there was so much unexpected raw honesty and imagery and emotion in this movie I was flabbergasted. And it was produced by young students!!

Exceptional.

Having come to the showing with any clue of films plot was I can confidently say I was very surprised. The beginning moved a little slow and the cinematography seemed almost primitive (I later learned that was intentional) but otherwise the film ultimately crescendoed into a tour de force. There aren't many films as intimate and visceral as this. More films should have teens and young adults working on the staff to give a different perspective from what film watchers are generally used to

Wow....compelling movie to watch, but for all the wrong reasons. It gives a glimpse of dire poverty that exists in Brazil, where even the tropical weather and palms aren't enough to offset the ugliness of it all. The primary lead, Socrates, is a 15 year old kid who suddenly and unexpectedly loses his mother, his only guardian. The movie follows his desperate search for a job in order to keep his apartment and buy food. Who is this actor playing this kid? Every scene looked real, tragic, pathetic, depressing and it left me feeling grateful for all I have, right here in wintry Ohio.

Socrates, a good-hearted boy being pushed into manhood the hard way, lurches from crisis to crisis. Then this fairly short film ends.

There was room to tell us more, even while we can probably guess the back-story involving his father. The cinematography is brilliant, and the English sub-titles were precise and colloquial, so that was a big help. Not too unusually for Brazilian films, "Socrates" gives us the feeling of being right there, almost as if it were a documentary. I understand this was a project involving young filmmakers and they should be commended -- it's strong, and would only have been made stronger by filling in bits and pieces of the story.

Wow, where do I start. This heart felt refreshing movie almost leaves you wanting more when it comes to an end. The Director really took time and saw things through as the acting the visual shots and the storytelling all provide a perfect blend into one beautiful storyline. I've watched this movie three times and it just gets better each and every time this is a film that's perfect for any situation and highly recommended. This Director I will definitely keep an ion for future projects because the mind and creativity is next level. Kudos to the casting crew for such an amazing job and Film that they created. Really amazing work.