When it comes to science fiction staples, time travel is one of my favorites. The best time-travel movies use the concept to explore some aspect of the human condition, and “The Man from the Future” accomplishes this in spades.
Wagner Moura plays João “Zero” Henrique, a gifted but embittered scientist working on developing a new energy source. When a freak accident sends him back in time, João realizes that he can use the opportunity to prevent his college girlfriend Helena (played by Alinne Moraes) from betraying him and ruining his life. In the process, however, he learns a thing or two about himself and his place in the world.
“The Man from the Future,” a Brazilian film, checks all the right time-travel boxes: temporal paradoxes, alternate timelines, time loops and cool special effects. All the while, however, the film is much more introspective than, say, “Back to the Future.” It spends quite a lot of time examining its characters and their relationships. This is not to say, it isn’t funny, though. The movie is a comedy first and most of the gags survived translation.
One of the key moments that “The Man from the Future” keeps returning to is a concert, and the filmmakers use this as an excuse to fill the movie with great Brazilian and rock music circa 1991.
Between the soundtrack and the plot, the film is a fun little trip through time.
ngonzales@durangoherald.com. Nick Gonzales is one of The Durango Herald newsroom’s resident film buffs. He welcomes movie recommendations. Follow him on Twitter @lackingzones.
The Man from the Future
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Comedy, science fiction & fantasy
Directed by: Cláudio Torres
Language: Brazilian Portuguese
Release: 2011
Available on: Netflix, iTunes
Nick’s Picks
Step Up
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, romance
Directed by: Anne Fletcher
Written by: Duane Adler, Melissa Rosenberg
Why watch it: Most critics would say that this teen romance is trite. But it’s a dance film – you don’t watch it for the plot. You watch it to see Channing and Jenna Dewan Tatum dance.
Release: 2006
Available on: Netflix, iTunes, Amazon
Burn After Reading
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, drama
Directed by: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Written by: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Why watch it: The Coen Brothers are great at crafting brilliantly quirky comedy-dramas. This CIA-based comedy of errors/thriller is one of those movies.
Release: 2008
Available on: Netflix, iTunes, Amazon
Kung Fury
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Comedy
Directed by: David Sandberg
Written by: David Sandberg
Why watch it: Short, sweet and absurd, “Kung Fury” boils down everything cool about ’80s movies and video games and sticks it in a story about a time-traveling martial artist fighting Hitler.
Release: 2015
Available on: Netflix, iTunes, Amazon
Sky High
Rating: PG
Genre: Kids & family
Directed by: Mike Mitchell
Written by: Paul Hernandez, Bob Schooley, Mark McCorkle
Why watch it: While the plot of this superhero high school movie is predictable, the supporting cast (featuring Bruce Campbell, Lynda Carter, Dave Foley and Kurt Russell) makes it quite enjoyable.
Release: 2005
Available on: Netflix, iTunes, Amazon
