Swedish Nympho Slaves - 1977 - Switzerland

Swedish Nympho Slaves - 1977 - 5/10
AKA - Die Sklavinnen

 
Ignore the opening scene, set in a “police station” / gentlemen’s club,
The subsequent prison break frees the notorious Princess Arminda, just to snare her.
Under torture, she confesses to numerous misdeeds.
Seducing a multimillionaire’s daughter, drugging her, kidnapping, then turning her into a prostitute.
Being a Jess Franco film, there is gratuitous sex and nudity.
The story flirts with Noir, there is decent camerawork, exotic Portugal locations.
Nevertheless, this is a patched-together affair (check Lina’s hairstyles) cobbled from numerous shoots.

Dry Water - 2019 - Portugal

Dry Water - 2019 - 6/10
AKA - Auga Seca

 
Son Fran is an idealist, developing a process for dry water to help drought stricken regions.
Too bad his family is more profit oriented.
Their business is international export, and when a bloody death occurs at the pier, police visit.
And the detectives keep at it, since stories and evidence does not add up.
Two short seasons of corruption and investigation.
To tell the truth, I was happy with one, deciding it was more accurate to reality.

Drama Queen - 2024 - Portugal

Drama Queen - 2024 - 6/10

 
“Look at this mess.  It’s going to leave a stain.”
She meets the man of her dreams, puts a binding spell on him, only that does not work.
Never, ever, underestimate the persistence and ingenuity of a determined female (boy, do I know).
And if she is messed up, heaven help you.
Horror romance that soon goes so wrong, and so gory.

Lisbon - 1956 - Portugal

Lisbon - 1956 - 6/10

 
Skipper John Evans is hired by Aristides Mavros.
Evans is a smuggler, Mavros is a cultured Greek criminal, highly connected.
Third part of the triangle is Sylvia Merrill, wife of a kidnapped millionaire.
She desperately wants her husband returned, though she stands to be wealthy if he dies.
Low-key adventure, bolstered with witty dialogue and beautiful Lisbon scenery.
Filmed in Trucolor, using Naturama lenses, this Republic movie (one of their last) still looks great.
Claude Rains perfect as the dapper mastermind.
Directed and produced by Ray Milland, who also plays the skipper, desired by two females.
I found that difficult to accept, but the scenery, Noir twists, and Nelson Riddle score made this enjoyable.

Inquietude - 1998 - Portugal

Inquietude - 1998 - 4/10
AKA - Anxiety

 
Portuguese arthouse film appears crafted to test the stamina of foreign film buffs.
Three sequential tales - extraordinarily slow - of unhappy, over-thinking worriers.
Famous father and son fear they may become forgotten.
Artist is concerned about fate of prostitute (courtesan) he is obsessed with.
Girl fears she cannot marry a boy from another village.
Dialogue is ponderous, fraught with meaning, dense with muddling layers.
Others around me dozed off.
Poster film for people who hate arthouse films.

Vitalina Varela - 2019 - Portugal

Vitalina Varela - 2019 - 6/10

 
Wife Vitalina travels from Cape Verde to Lisbon following the death of her husband.
He, like so many migrants, came to work, make his fortune.  Only he stayed for 40 years.
His story – her story – their story, is told amidst shadows and silences.
Indeed, this is one of the darkest films I have viewed, and casual viewers might mistake the “look” for Horror.
Dialogue is spare, and soft.  Quiet prevails throughout,
It can also be excruciatingly slow, waiting for “something” to happen, hoping anything will happen.
Ultimately, this became a pain to watch.  Numbing.

Night Train To Lisbon - 2013 - Portugal

Night Train To Lisbon - 2013 - 7/10

 
Jeremy Irons plays Swiss professor who, after an encounter, stumbles across a slim philosophical / confessional book by a Portuguese writer.
He becomes bewitched by the “goldsmith of words,” and catches the train to Lisbon to meet the writer.
Once there, he interviews family and friends, and teases the backstory of broken dreams, lost love, betrayal, and torture, set during the Portuguese revolution of the mid 70's.
Dual narratives dovetail Irons’ deepening quest with the excavation of memory.
Most of the film was shot in Lisbon, with its narrow, cobblestone lanes and breathtaking views of the night washed city below and the distant Sao Jorge Castelo.  Especially at night, from the Alfama, Lisbon is enchanting.
Highly rewarding film for those who enjoy following the thread to wherever it leads.