John From (2015)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2015
	Director: João Nicolau
	Actors: Julia Palha, Clara Riedl, Filipe Vargas
	Country: P
	Genre: Drama, Fantasy
	Conditions of visioning: 03.10.2016, ArteKinoFestival, Streaming, Portuguese with French subtitles
Synopsis: Rita (Pahla) is 15 years old and is bored by the summer in the city. She floods the balcony floor and splashes about while soaking up the mighty sun. She has an ever-present best friend (Riedl). When Rita visits the exhibition put on by a new neighbour (Vargas) she falls not only in another world.
Review: I did not expect much from this movie apart from the sweet naivety and torpor of many Portuguese movies. And what a surprise when I saw Nicolau daring magic realism as a movie. While the first part sets us in the realism of a Portuguese city during the Summer school break, actually everything is getting settled and prepared for the magic realism part. I loved this aspect. The reality is quite boring as it is supposed to be for the characters. Only problem is that I got bored a bit as well. By luck I did not miss the heart of the movie. Even if it starts sweet, the love à la Lolita of a young girl for an adult is kind of controversial in a traditional society like the Portuguese one. This was also good to see.  The use of the John From religion from the Vanuatu is also quite interesting as the same process of idealisation of one person appears when Rita falls in love for the neighbour. The acting reflects the typical torpor. The acting of Julia Palha is not naive but quite proud and complex. This makes her character very interesting. The secondary characters are more decoration of her story, but it is fine this way, as it forces to focus on her thoughts and her psychology.  The narrative process builds a realistic world of one character in a very clear way, maybe a bit too long for me, but explodes in a very creative and well controled fantasy part.
Rating: 7 /10