That was an excellent one.

Better Late Then Never

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

This film has great exterior shots of the American west and some really bad acting. The theme is OK--that coincidence may be more than just that. So what else is there to say?IF you have never been to the west or you want to recapture an experience, then you must see this film.So is this film fun: yes and no. If you can afford Mania's awful acting, then this film clearly is recommended for you!

It's of no surprise that Fernando Fragata's Backlight made the list of the Top 10 most profitable Portuguese films by the Portuguese Film Institute. Backlight is without a doubt a great film. It also turned out to be a very controversial film, simply because not a lot of films like this come out of Portugal. Despite the fact that the film was shot entirely in the USA and is in English Language, it's still a Portuguese film, because the writer/director/producer Fernando Fragata is Portuguese.I have seen many films with interlocking stories and about a lot of different people and their lives, but rarely we find it as emotional and well-made as this. The plot was iffy to me at first, but after the first 10 minutes I got really into it. Backlight really surprised me in the way that actually none of the characters know each other at first. The screenplay was very clever to just have like a glimpse into these people's lives. I thought it made the story unpredictable, and when the heavy parts come, you are really into it and I found myself totally absorbed. The characters are very fleshed out making you invest emotionally in each one with no effort.The performances all around were brilliant, but to me the stand-out was Skyler Day. I thought her story was the strongest, weirdest and sometimes funniest at the same time, and it was really well written. I thought her acting was phenomenal, and I think she is predestined to have a successful career. Joaquim de Almeida and Scott Bailey were very good too, in a more subtle way. I thought the direction and cinematography was phenomenal. The grand finale has one of the most amazing and beautiful slow-motion sequences in cinema history.

I'm from Portugal and i really wanted this movie to be good, to be proud of Portuguese cinema but...The movie has a lot of mistakes, like out of focus pictures (scene where mother and daughter talk on the roof) and the scene where the boy is talking with the old men on the car.The acting is mostly bad, except for the Mother which is REALLY REALLY, dreadful bad.The idea of the movie was good, but the bad plot, the catastrophic acting (have i mentioned how bad the mother's acting was?) and out of focus pictures just become unacceptable.There are far better movies in Portugal, we didn't needed to go to USA to make such a bad movie...If you want my advice watch real Portuguese movies and not this...

Resuming this movie into one word, inspiring.I am not a big fan of Portuguese movies although there are some exceptions, and therefore I thought this was just another one. When all the propaganda appeared, the main idea seemed quite intelligent. When I saw it, I was stunned.The acting is consistent and the characters are well constructed, bearing in mind that the main characters only have like one third of the whole movie. I think everyone that watches the movie can identify themselves with one of the characters. The photography is very well handled, and gives you scenes of cities, deserts, plane graveyards... Again, in one word breathtaking.The soundtrack is pretty decent, and plays an important role, being a constant during the whole movie.The supernatural events are not exaggerated, and although being important, I don't think they are a downfall in the movie, only a way of gathering the three stories.The script is the best part of this film. Inspiring, transmitting hope and most important of all remembering you to live your life to the fullest.Throughout the movie you tend to guess who is who and how are they related, but the final twist is mind blowing. He sacrificed his life for a stranger even without knowing, noble. Not a cliché finale, but one that keeps your mind revolving around the film even after the movie has finished for some hours.Congratulations to the Portuguese director, you have achieved a lot, and made us feel proud.The movie is well worth all the Euros I payed.