Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Eu considero este filme excelente.

Both mean the same thing: “I consider this film excellent.”
Leaving out eu is completely natural; including it can add a bit of emphasis on I (e.g., in contrast to others).

Why isn’t there an é (is) in the sentence, like Eu considero que este filme é excelente?

Portuguese has two main patterns with considerar:

Object + adjective (the pattern in your sentence):
- Eu considero este filme excelente.
  Literally: I consider this film excellent.
  Structure: [subject] [considerar] [object] [adjective]
“Que” + full clause:
- Eu considero que este filme é excelente.
  Literally: I consider that this film is excellent.

Both are correct.
Pattern (1) is a bit more compact and quite common in both spoken and written language.
Pattern (2) is slightly more formal or explanatory, because you state a full sentence after que.

Can I change the word order and say Eu considero este excelente filme?

Not with the same meaning.

Eu considero este filme excelente.
Here, filme is the direct object, and excelente is a predicative complement (it says something about the object via the verb).
Eu considero este excelente filme…
This sounds incomplete. Este excelente filme is just a noun phrase: “this excellent film”. The verb considero still needs something after it (e.g. Eu considero este excelente filme uma obra-prima. – I consider this excellent film a masterpiece.)

If you want to keep the original meaning, you should keep filme before excelente:

✅ Eu considero este filme excelente.
❌ Eu considero este excelente filme. (incomplete on its own)

What’s the difference between este filme and esse filme in European Portuguese?

In traditional grammar:

este = this (close to the speaker, “here”)
esse = that (close to the listener, “there”)
aquele = that (over there), far from both

So:

este filme – a film that is physically near you, or that you are just introducing.
esse filme – a film near the other person, or one they just mentioned.
aquele filme – a film that is distant (physically or in the conversation), often something you both already know about.

In everyday European Portuguese, the strict distance rule is often relaxed, and you’ll hear esse used quite a lot where English uses that, and este where English uses this. But in a textbook / careful style, este filme clearly means “this film (near me / just mentioned by me).”

Why do we say este filme and not o este filme? Can I say Eu considero o filme excelente?

You can’t combine o (the) and este (this); este already acts as a determiner, so it replaces the article.

✅ este filme – this film
❌ o este filme

You can say:

Eu considero o filme excelente. – I consider the film excellent.

Difference in meaning:

este filme: this specific film (pointed out or just introduced now)
o filme: the film that is already known in the context (we both know which one)

Both sentences are grammatically correct; which one you use depends on what you want to emphasize: “this one here” (este) vs “the one we’re talking about” (o).

How does agreement work here? What changes if I talk about more films or a feminine noun?

Agreement rules:

Demonstrative (este/essa/aquele) agrees with the noun in gender and number.
The adjective excelente must also agree in number, but it has the same form for masculine and feminine in the singular.

Examples:

Singular masculine:
- Eu considero este filme excelente.
Singular feminine:
- Eu considero esta série excelente.
Plural masculine:
- Eu considero estes filmes excelentes.
Plural feminine:
- Eu considero estas séries excelentes.

Notice:

este / esta / estes / estas change with gender and number.
excelente → excelentes only changes for plural, not for gender.

How would I avoid repeating este filme and just use a pronoun?

In European Portuguese, the natural way (in an affirmative sentence like this) is to use an object clitic after the verb (enclisis):

Considero-o excelente. – I consider it excellent.

Here:

o = “it / him” (masculine singular) referring to o filme / este filme.

With an explicit subject:

Eu considero-o excelente.

In European Portuguese, Eu o considero excelente (proclisis) is not the usual pattern in a simple affirmative sentence; enclisis (considero-o) is preferred.

If the object is feminine:

Considero-a excelente. – I consider it / her excellent.

Is considerar the same as achar or pensar here? Which is more natural?

All three can express an opinion, but with nuances:

considerar – sounds a bit more deliberate / evaluative, often slightly more formal:
- Eu considero este filme excelente.
achar – very common in speech, more colloquial, like “I think / I find”:
- Acho este filme excelente. – Very natural in everyday conversation.
pensar – often used with que:
- Penso que este filme é excelente. – “I think that this film is excellent.”
  Less common with the object + adjective structure.

In everyday European Portuguese speech, you’ll very often hear Acho este filme excelente or simply Acho o filme excelente, while considerar is common in more careful or formal speech, reviews, essays, etc.

How do I pronounce Eu considero este filme excelente in European Portuguese?

Approximate European Portuguese pronunciation (Lisbon/standard):

Eu – like “eh-oo” [eʊ̯] (often very short, almost just “êw”)
considero – kõ-see-DÉ-r(u)
- con-: nasal “kon”
- stress on -de-: con-si-DE-ro
- final -o: a reduced vowel [u] or [o̞], not like English “oh”.
este – ESH-t(ɨ)
- es- like “esh” [eʃ]
- final -te is often very reduced, like a soft “t” plus a muted vowel [ɨ].
filme – FEEL-m(ɨ)
- stress on fil-
- final -e is not silent; it’s a reduced vowel [ɨ], not like English “film”.
excelente – roughly eh-ks(e)-LÉN-t(ɨ)
- often pronounced close to [ɛk.s(ɨ).ˈlẽ.tɨ]
- stress on -len-: exc-e-LEN-te
- final -te again with a reduced vowel.

Spoken smoothly, many vowels reduce, and the phrase links together:
Eu considero este filme excelente. → something like:
“Êw kõsiDÉru esht FÊLmi ehsseLÉNt(ɨ)”.

Is Eu considero este filme excelente formal, or is it also used in casual speech?

It’s perfectly fine in both, but it leans slightly more formal / careful than the most colloquial option.

In casual conversation in Portugal, people might more often say:

Acho este filme excelente.
Acho o filme excelente.
Este filme é excelente.

Using considerar is common in:

reviews (film, book, music)
essays and opinion pieces
slightly more formal spoken contexts (presentations, interviews, etc.)

But it’s not “stiff” or overly formal; it’s just a bit more evaluative and careful in tone than achar.