Customer Reviews

The Lisbon Story

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a die-hard Madredeus fan I was thrilled to learn that the esteemed director Wim Wenders, also a big fan of the Portuguese group, asked them to perform in his film and record a soundtrack (Ainda).

This film follows a German as he travels to Portugal to locate an old friend (Patrick Bauchau)and along the way he becomes intrigued by the Portuguese culture and enamored of Madredeus, whose rehearsal he stumbles upon.

I loved the cinematography of this film as it captures the essence and mystical beauty of Lisbon. And the music made by Madredeus....there simply aren't words to describe it. It is just beautiful.

Since there is no violence, rampant sex or foul language in the film, this movie did not attract a wide audience in the US. I have a feeling that fans of Wim Wenders and Madredeus know about this film. I just wish more people would see this wonderful cinematic work.

I encourage people who are not familiar with the work of Wim Wenders (a brilliant director) or Madredeus (the best band in the world as far as I am concerned) to watch this film. It has some quirky moments and some nice touches of humor that I think appeal to our basic sense of humanity.

Go! Watch this film!

I could go on for ages about what a beautiful, poetic, uplifting movie this is. Especially for artists, musicians, writers and philosophers, this is a must-see. But I am terribly disappointed in this version because they dubbed the last 2 powerful scenes from the original English into German. Sure, it makes more sense that German characters would speak German to each other, but the original English--broken as it was--carried so much more power, poetry and meaning.

Small yet significant plays on words, like "moving pictures can still be... moving" as well as subtle jokes alluding to old Beatles songs "You're sitting there like The Fool on the Hill! Now finish your movie With a Little Help From Your Friends" are completely lost in reverse-translation to German. I have the original English version on videotape and it's far better than this dubbed German DVD. I'm going to see if I can get my money back.

The problem is that all versions claim to be English (even this one), so it's a hit-or-miss. If anyone finds a DVD of the true English version (especially the last 2 scenes in the movie theater and in the blue car), please post that info here!

This film has to be seen, and listened to, but more than anything it has to be felt. It is a film of few words and much imagination, and I feel one should not make many words about it. There are so many nuances here that words just fail to express. If you like dreaming, by all means watch this film. If you like feeling nostalgic, or whistful, you will love this film.

No, it is not an exciting movie, and there's not much happening here. There's no "action", but there is "Handlung" i.e. there are events and relationships unfolding in very special and minute ways. I love this film, and I love Madredeus and their music, which has filled my life with beauty since I first discovered them via this film.

When I think about Lisbon the images of Alfama, the electric tram, the Tagus river, its food, its people, and Fernando Pessoa come to my mind, but I have never considered that Lisbon could be experienced through its sounds, and I'm not talking about the sound of fado, that's a theme for another Lisbon Story. Wim Wenders pays special attention to the importance of sound, and music, when making a film. He shoot this film in the true Lisbon, in the heart of the city, not the Lisbon that you see in postcards, and he has managed to capture my beloved Lisbon as it really is, beautiful, old, dilapidated, surrealist, full of character.

I love the music of Madredeus, although is not traditional fado, and despite the fact that I'm not a Teresa Salgueiro's fan, I have to say that the music -Salgueiro's high-pitched voice, and presence, included- gives an ethereal atmosphere to the film. No one but Madredeus could have been more adequate to make the music of Lisbon Story.

I'd have loved to give 10 stars to this film. I loved it, it's magic, pure visual poetry. A fantastic trip to an amazing place that it will stay with me for a long, long time.

"In broad daylight, even the sounds shine" Fernando Pessoa

If you are interested in the process of filmmaking (before digital) this charming film follows a sound man gathering material for his friend's film. Since it takes place in the beautiful city of Lisbon there is a lot of charm to be seen and heard. We also meet the neighbors of the now missing filmmaker, the music group Madredeus, and their music compliments the journey of the sound man looking for his friend and collecting sound for his film. Explores some philosophical issues about filmmaking and also how some "foley" sound is made for films.

Lisbon is truly an unique experience and it's fado music is an unexpected delight. This will take you on a minivacation.

This is a beautiful movie. Full of pictures and sounds displaying true essence of Lisbon. Not the one tourists usually see when they wonder in the central parts. This movie takes you where local people have been living their lives for centuries, where every wall and house remembers times long gone. It brings Lisbon into your room.

Atmosphere, pictures, sounds, music, interesting characters, few words.

This is not in any way a movie with action or memorable dialogs (words are seldom spoken but they make complete sense, no wasting), it is delicious meal for your eyes, ears and imagination.

Wim Wenders is a directory I certainly respect but do not really love. His only movie that I found memorable is Buena Vista Social Club. I have seen most of his movies but I usually find them too hard to grasp. This one is, mostly, no exception.

Wenders clearly knows what he is doing, and the camera work is outstanding. But I found the story not so compelling (with the exception of the ending), and the acting fairly mediocre. On the other hand, the music is truly outstanding, and I happy I watched this movie just because it introduced me to the wonderful Madredeus.

Overall, if you are looking for a movie with a plot, you will probably want to stay away from this one. But even if you like artsy movies (and I often do) you may end up finding Lisbon Story quite boring at times. The movie is also filled with sequences supposed to be amusing, but humor almost always comes out very flat.

If you find the first part of the movie not compelling, but you still enjoy the shots and the music, my advice is to stick until the end, because the conclusion is (without giving it away) very interesting and much better than the rest of the movie.