Lumsdal Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

mjcfoxx A young man begins pinning a narrative while in the throes of death (which you will never fully comprehend until the end of the film), and in so doing tells the tale of his parents and all the people whose lives were affected by their swift and tragic romance. It is told in the way that such tales might be told by an old man, like a river of thought, one story leading into the next, all cohesive, yet all out of joint, puzzle pieces. Like a puzzle, it is up to you, as the viewer, to put together something of a landscape of lives. There is no deep meaning to the picture, it is beauty, people, life. Each piece is a piece of time, a moment, a lurid little story, and as you receive them all, you piece them each together according to the characters and how each one affects the other. Not every detail is accurate, because this is a story as it is told, and not as it is occurring. Some people seem much more noble, or much more insidious perhaps, than they really are. These are people through the eyes of the teller of the tale, which is than being told to you by the one who heard it. Two of the characters, Alberto and Dinnis, have multiple identities, and seem to be the angel and the devil of the story, though their first-known and most common names are ironic, as is life. In fact, the story is a searing indictment of religion, as one commits suicide by spending the rest of their lives in a convent or as a monk. The nobility is hypocritical, and to live is to cheat on each other, and honor is simply what others think of you; pure honor is naivety and the naive are viciously thrown about as pawns. As the teller of these tales begins to deteriorate, the series of stories becomes more and more disjointed. In one final scene, he is visiting his mother's grave and meets his grandfather, who has become an impoverished beggar. The two of them have a bit of conversation, but never fully realize who the other one is. They depart, and both go off to die alone, the grandfather, perversely blind to all parts of the story save his own (he's literally blind too, after actually attempting suicide the dishonorable way... you know, literally attempting suicide). This is essentially a Victorian painting come to life, and when you know all the details, you know little other than, well, life's a bitch... and only the good die young.

kenedy03 Sometimes, period pieces can be repetitive and badly executed, especially in terms of the settings, costumes, and storyline. However, Mysteries of Lisbon is quite the exception. In the first place, the title is catchy, and its set in Europe, so you are most certainly assured that this is going to be a wonderful thrill.Adapted from the 1854 Portuguese novel by Camilo Castelo Branco, the story involves several characters, most of them of aristocratic lineage, high nobility. The characters include a jealous countess who follows her lover across Europe, a priest, a young orphan, a reformed crook who becomes a successful merchant, among others.Joao is an orphan boy who doesn't know his parents, and the only father figure he knows is Father Dinis, the priest at the boarding school where he is staying. When he finally learns who his mother is, the hapless Angela de Lima, Countess of Santa Barbara, the story commences into a beautifully created intricate web where all the characters are related to each other or have come across each other in one point or another.The movie is quite long, around 4 hrs 20 minutes, but the pacing is simply well done so that the story moves at a quick pace without any unnecessary pauses. the setting and the mise-en-scene is quite wonderfully done, especially the use of the miniature theater that is used to introduce different set of characters.One of the themes that stood out here is how the nobility, despite the privileges of their titles, wealth and magnificent mansions, are quite miserable. For instance, the Countess of Santa Barbara had an impossible love, and she was forced to give up her child and marry a man who mistreated her through out the duration of their marriage. And when she finally meets him, she only gets to spend a little time with him before she decides to enter a convent. So do the rest of the aristocratic characters that are revealed later on.It is truly unfortunate that Raul Ruiz passed away, because Mysteries of Lisbon shows the mark of a true film-maker who uses film as a work of art that is well directed, well shot and well produced.This is indeed a magnificent and brilliant film.

twilliams76 At four and one-half hours, this is the longest movie I have seen in quite some time. The length will most definitely detract many (as would the costumes and subtitles) from ever sitting down to view this; but I think those with patience and appreciation of "epic"/sweeping storytelling might like this one.This is the story of Joao, a young orphaned boy (he discovers he's actually a bastard as the story unfolds) living in a Catholic orphanage under the watchful, caring eye of Father Denis. Joao learns of his parentage and where they came from and their circumstances ... and as those stories unfold we learn of different characters in THOSE stories as well.The film spirals and sweeps and sways with several tangents and characters; but I found it all interesting and actually wanted to continue watching. That each of the stories intertwine and circle each other is part of the "mystery" of the title and parts of the film act and feel as if the entire production is a dream.It is lovely to look at (gorgeous costumes and sets) and each of the characters has a revelation that continues the "mystery" and the intrigue and drama. The story travels from the streets of Lisbon to Venice to France to Tunis and to Brazil ... it is SWEEPING on a grand-scale as it also spans three decades.Based on the late author, Camilo Castelo Branco's (who shot himself at the age of 70 b/c he was going blind) novel of the same name, Chilean director Raoul Ruiz has given us his final film (it is masterful) as he died shortly before the film began screening. That it is all so tragic and doomed and romantic is fitting ... as that is exactly what the movie gives its viewer.I know none of my friends will give this one a shot ... it does require patience. But it is a beauty.

TheLittleSongbird Mysteries of Lisbon in my view is utterly mesmerising, and one of those rare cases where there is no bad thing about it. As an adaptation of the novel, it succeeds wonderfully, on its own terms it is even more impressive. Mysteries of Lisbon may be lengthy at just over four and a half hours. But because everything was so well done, there was not a single moment where I was not transfixed.On a visual standpoint, Mysteries of Lisbon looks amazing. The photography is gorgeous complete with beautiful-looking scenery and costumes, while there is an atmospheric and striking colour palette. The music does a fine job in conveying the mood of each scene, with not one scene feeling musically out of place.Mysteries of Lisbon also benefits from a brilliant story. There are several story lines developed (very well) and incorporated throughout, but the main crux of the story told here is so unique and compelling it drew me in immediately. The script is of exceptional quality, often very moving, literate and thoughtful, while the characters have a complexity while being intriguing as well.When it comes to the acting, there is not a single bad performance, Luz especially in the lead is fantastic. And throughout the direction is superb. Overall, this is mesmerising and highly recommended. 10/10 Bethany Cox