“Gran Turismo” and the new horror “Dracula” make their theatrical debut

GRAN TURISMO – FROM PLAYER TO RACE

Based on the popular PlayStation racing game, the film tells the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a ‘Gran Turismo’ champion, who enters a Nissan-sponsored competition to find players capable of becoming real racing drivers. The plot stands out for being able to create a narrative from a game that originally has no defined story. While following a familiar sporting formula, with the tough coach, the charismatic rival, the successes, the failures and the inevitable return of the third act, Jann’s transition from virtual player to real driver is deftly represented, with emphasis on the visuals that blend the world of games with reality. However, due to clichés, the work only received 58% approval from American critics, on the average calculated by Rotten Tomatoes.

The lead role is played by Archie Madekwe (“See”), while the cast also stars Djimon Hounsou (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) as his father, David Harbor (“Stranger Things”) as his coach and Orlando Bloom (“Carnival Row”)”) as a marketing executive who sees commercial potential in the new pilot project. The direction is by South African Neill Blomkamp, ​​​​who until then had only directed science fiction films, such as “District 9” and “Elysium”.

DRACULA – DEMETER’S LAST JOURNEY

An extended dramatization of a short chapter from Bram Stoker’s literary classic ‘Dracula’, the film is set in 1897 aboard a Russian ship called the Demeter, which is carrying sinister coffins on its journey from Romania to England. The voyage is marked by a series of deaths and unspeakable horrors, culminating in the empty ship arriving at its destination. The narrative, drawn from the details of the captain’s journal, describes how Count Dracula emerges from his coffin at night and wreaks havoc, attacking first the animals on board and then the crew. The story also includes a woman named Anna, not included in the original chapter, a bride of the vampire who also comes out of her coffin, but to try to help the crew.

Directed by Norwegian André Øvredal, best known for indie horrors like ‘Trollhunter’ and ‘The Autopsy’, the film features cinematography that adds to the dark atmosphere of the story. The representation of Dracula, played by Javier Botet, is inspired by the appearance of “Nosferatu”, and special effects are used to enhance the horror moments. With a retro atmosphere, the production recalls both the features of the former British horror producer Hammer and the claustrophobic “Alien”, in which a monster starts killing, one by one, the entire crew isolated in the vastness of space/sea .

The cast includes Corey Hawkins (“Storm”) as the main protagonist, Aisling Franciosi (“Unforgivable”) as Anna and Liam Cunningham (“Game of Thrones”) as the captain of the ship of the damned.

THE CALL

The new action thriller starring Liam Neeson (“Assassin Without a Trace”) is a remake of the Spanish “El Desconocido” (2015), which also produced a South Korean version, “Ligação Explosiva” (2021) – aired on last November year in Brazil. The plot begins on a seemingly ordinary morning, which quickly turns into a nightmare. The protagonist drives his two children in a car when he receives a mysterious call informing him that there is a bomb in the vehicle, which will be detonated if he tries to stop. After becoming convinced of the seriousness of the threat, the father does everything possible for the survival of his family, while the unidentified caller forces him to commit crimes. The storyline is also reminiscent of the classic “Maximum Speed”, as it triggers a high-speed chase through the city.

Directed by Nimród Antal (“Predators”), the cast also includes Matthew Modine (“Stranger Things”), Noma Dumezweni (“Welcome to the Neighborhood”), Jack Champion (“Scream 6”), Lilly Aspell (“Woman -Marvel 1984”) and Embeth Davidtz (“Lie Influencer”).

MUTI – CRIME AND POWER

The trashy thriller stars Morgan Freeman (“Now You See Me”) as an expert on a serial killer case. The plot follows a series of murders from Rome to Mississippi, linked to a dark aspect of a South African ritual called “Muti”, which involves the use of body parts in witchcraft. Freeman’s character is a professor of African studies, involved in the investigation to help decipher the bizarre evidence that acknowledges the presence of “mutes”. The villain, a scarred African named Randoku (played by former football player Vernon Davis), is supported by a wealthy businessman, while one of the police officers (Cole Hauser, “Yellowstone”) tries to solve the case motivated by the death of his daughter.

Directed by George Gallo, a specialist in low-budget thrillers, who had previously worked with Freeman on “The Poisonous Rose” (2019) and has an unshakable reputation for rarely making good films. Not even the presence of six writers and 18 different producers has prevented their new feature from being considered a dump, with just 11% approval on Rotten Tomatoes.

WITHOUT LEAVING A TRACE

The Polish drama is based on a real and infamous murder case that happened in 1983. The plot begins with student Grzegorz Przemyk (Mateusz Górski) and his friend Jurek (Tomasz Ziętek) celebrating high school graduation in Warsaw, when they are approached by the militia and taken to the police station, where Grzegorz is brutally beaten. The story follows the struggle of Jurek, the only witness to the crime, and Grzegorz’s mother, poet and activist Barbara Sadowska (Sandra Korzeniak), to bring the perpetrators to justice, while facing corruption and intimidation from the communist government. Directed by Jan P. Matuszyński (“Deep Love”), the film is meticulous in detail, capturing the atmosphere of the 1980s and the political tension of the time.

The narrative carefully traces the political maneuvering, deals, cover-ups and coercion that defined the state’s attempt to evade responsibility for murder. But the slow pace and 160-minute length can make for a challenging experience for the viewer.

THE ACCIDENT

The first feature film by director Bruno Carboni from Rio Grande do Sul was awarded for screenplay at the Beijing International Film Festival, China. The plot follows Joana (Carol Martins), a cyclist who suffers an unusual hit and run after confronting a motorist who cuts her off in traffic. Carried on the hood of the car for a few meters, Joana leaves apparently unharmed, but the video of the accident goes viral, and she is forced to come to terms with the ensuing consequences. The narrative is tightly tied, with every action reverberating in direct aftermath, and her footsteps and reverberations cause sharp turns and upheavals in Joana’s life.

Carboni had already demonstrated his talent in the short film “O Teto Sobre Nós”, which competed at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival, Switzerland, and won the trophy for best direction at the 43rd Festival de Gramado. Thanks to this work, he was selected to participate in the Berlinale Talents in 2016 and the Locarno Filmmakers Academy in 2015, programs that bring together young promises of world cinema. Finally, he developed the screenplay of “O Acidente” at the Torino Film Lab laboratory in 2018, in Italy. His ability to get straight to the point, without losing depth and complexity, is evident in the film, which manages to transform an apparently trivial incident into a profound reflection on social and human themes, such as homophobia, misogyny and classicism, as well as offering a delicate character study.

PORTRAITS OF GHOST

The new film by Kleber Mendonça Filho, award-winning director of “O Som ao Redor”, “Aquarius” and “Bacurau”, is his first feature-length documentary. The work is also an ode to his hometown of Recife and his passion for cinema. Divided into three chapters, the work explores the director’s memories, mainly his cinephilia. Mendonça Filho mixes old home videos with his shots, and ventures to discover the street theaters of his childhood, which fueled his obsession but which are largely closed, victims of urban decay and competition from suburban multiplexes . He also explores the alternative future of these halls, visiting what have been transformed into evangelical churches, reflecting religious trends in modern Brazil.

“Ghost Portraits” is a rich chronicle of cinephilia, intertwined with the director’s personal journey. The documentary premiered out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival and attracted the attention of sympathetic international distributors for its nostalgic take on traditional cinema screenings.

DISPOSABLE SCREW

Awarded at the Cine-PE Festival, the documentary by Alberto Graça (“Beatriz”) and Alexandre Valenti (“Amazônia – Heranças de uma Utopia”) deals with modern slavery in rural areas and the exploitation of immigrant labor in the textile industry of São Paulo Paul. The work exposes the precarious working conditions in Brazil, deriving from migratory dynamics prompted by false promises of a better life. Among the cases presented are those of Latin immigrants who make clothes for famous brands and the case of Fazenda Brasil Verde, in Pará, a complete mosaic on the subject, progressively expanding the discussion and the shock. It is about cinema as a channel of denunciation.