John From

saitosouta

At first, this depicts 2 cute girls wandering in boringly endless summer with affluent cinematography, making me think this is interesting but ordinary Rivette-esque film. But in latter half, sun-soaked chaos with girl's love & Melanesian cultures changes the world, beyond my cliched imagination, gradually & fundamentally & WHAT THE F**K. Alessandro Comodin & João Nicolau are pared treasures in contemporary cinema.

Igor Ramos

Nicolau manages to turn a very banal plot into a catchy and fresh film with a charming combination of fun music, nicely framed shots (specially the architectural elements), some dreamy sequences and that feeling of laziness/freedom we only had during the long summer days. Julia Palha was a very good choice for the leading role, providing the character with the lightness, humor and emotion it demanded.

Lucas Granero

Esquemas juveniles alterados: la lógica del coming-of-age, gastadísima a esta altura, toma vuelos inesperados en John From, donde las hormonas adolescentes afectan el realismo del relato dando lugar a la aparición de lo fantástico. No es una operación sencilla pero Nicolau confía lo suficiente en las dimensiones posibles de la ficción como para su película resulte una oda al corazón de todas esas chicas enamoradas.

Daniel Roque

Seguindo um pouco o fio condutor que mistura documentário/ficção/fantasia de Miguel Gomes, esta história aparentemente simples sobre (como o realizador indica) 'o coração de uma menina' ganha força através da fotografia, dos contrastes cromáticos, dos planos, dos nevoeiros inesperados, e da boa banda sonora - até porque "Lily Allen é fixe".

José Neves

From a director that was one more variation of a cinema-mood-coolness supposedly artistic, via an authorial suspension, as Wes Anderson or Miguel Gomes, this is a gratifying film: an illusory and illusionist fable of growing that, gradually, is taking body of the film and goes beyond the unbearable commonplaces about adolescence (and the ways of filming it) to let be satisfied by an utopic exotic (alien) offering.

Federico D'Accinni

Similarly to another of MUBI's Special Discoveries, LE PARC, this film explores adolescent love in a curiously exotic and meditative way. Shot nearly like an Antonioni movie for its slow-paced but highly effective narrative, JOHN FROM is a coming-of-age story that feels colourful and surreal at the same time. Loved the last 20 minutes the most, where every sequence feels even more cinematically ambitious.

Bilouaustria

Nice framing, and a good feel for what it is to be young and bored. But this looks sometimes a bit like original-conservatism. By that i mean : wanting to be different but ending being different the way everybody else is. Is there a school (Fémis) or similar influences ? It does not look personal enough to me (though it is really well made, i don't mind). Still some potential, i'll be curious to see his next film.

Quattro

At first I gave it one star; rethinking about it, it grew up to two stars; after a rewatch, here comes the third one – and who knows when will the fourth show up. A genuine, warm and colorful teenage daydream. I'm so happy I've changed my mind about it! I've pasted my first rating in the comments below: if you agree with it, please consider giving this a second chance! ↓