Colossal Youth

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04/28/2014 An interesting meditation on life in poverty but it feels so stretched out that much of the intended impact feels muted. I like it more in retrospect but I doubt I'd ever take the time to watch it again. See more 11/19/2012 The end of the trilogy. I'm exhausted from its stasis. I didn't understand the point and I'm too perplexed to care. See more 06/27/2012 Visually, unlike I've ever seen before, this film has single-handedly raised my appreciation and anticipation of what digital cinema can do. Costa has a remarkably astute eye when it comes to light, to framing, and to the positioning of his actors. In this film, Costa uses these formal elements to create a wide spectrum of feeling, dominated by a sense that a neighborhood, a community, a family, and maybe meaning altogether has been lost. See this film. See more 07/12/2010 When it comes to long, slow-paced, spare films, this one is int he top echelon. The hazy, langorous, narrative is indeed trying, despite some arresting images; and ultimately I have to admit that maybe this film is outside my level of astuteness. See more 04/07/2009 A Fontainhas, quartier desherite de Lisbonne, Ventura erre comme une ame en peine, tourmente par la vie et ses fantomes et un plan de relogement social. Costa le filme en plans sequences somptueux comme un herault sortit des mythes. See more 06/17/2008 Stillness can often show a lack of wanting to move on. Whether due to budget constraints or artistry, Pedro Costa’s use of still shots in Colossal Youth shows how many of the characters are not yet ready to move on with their lives and deal with change in the modern world. Using a cast made of amateurs, the film follows Ventura as he visits each of his ‘children’ in the slums of Fontainhas, who are gradually being moved to a newly built development. Each tells their own story in snapshots of their deprived lives to build a picture of life in the slums. The lack of camera movement and realistic tales give the film a documentary feel, making this film a struggle. The lack of activity, dark lighting and long dialogues can at times fail to keep the viewer engaged, despite the protagonists’ ability to hold attention. The films long duration and repetitive nature make this one for contentious viewers alone. Much like Jia Zhang-Ke’s Still Life, Pedro Costa shows how modern change is affecting the lives of society’s lower order who simply want to remain still. See more Read all reviews

Colossal Youth

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