Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Original Title

El laberinto del fauno

Genre

Drama | Fantasy | War

Director

Guillermo del Toro

Country

Spain | Mexico

Cast

Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Doug Jones, Ariadna Gil, Álex Angulo, Manolo Solo, César Vea, Roger Casamajor, Federico Luppi, Pablo Adán

Plot

In the falangist Spain of 1944, armed with only her imagination, young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) discovers a mysterious labyrinth and meets a faun who sets her on a path to saving herself and her ailing mother.

Opinion

Pan's Labyrinth is an undefined film, a dark fairy tale for grown ups, halfway between the fantasy and the real world, which, in this case, is war. By looking around, I figured this is the main reason why many did not like the film. Having said this, I really liked it.

Guillermo del Toro, which deals with brutality and innocence, has created something different, something special. The continuous alternation between reality and fantasy, lived through a little girl's eyes, has an addictive rhythm.

Sergi López is excellent as the brutal and sadistic falangist Captain Vidal. Ivana Baquero, 11-year-old at that time, delivers a great performance.

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Quotes

Ofelia: Many, many years ago in a sad, faraway land, there was an enormous mountain made of rough, black stone. At sunset, on top of that mountain, a magic rose blossomed every night that made whoever plucked it immortal. But no one dared go near it because its thorns were full of poison. Men talked amongst themselves about their fear of death, and pain, but never about the promise of eternal life. And every day, the rose wilted, unable to bequeath its gift to anyone... forgotten and lost at the top of that cold, dark mountain, forever alone, until the end of time.

Rating

8.5/10

Biutiful (2010)

The most recent movie of Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu portrays a modern-time Barcelona I didn’t know, though I could imagine it exists. In fact, this movie could have been filmed in most European countries, we all know what is going on but it’s just that we choose not to think about unpleasant things that happen around us.

I have read several times that the movie is about “a conflicted man involved in illegal dealing who struggles to take care of his two children”…or variations of it. It so happens that there is a lot more to this story, like sweatshops and exploited illegal immigrants whose lives we also get to know. This is a movie about people of all races struggling to make a living under desperate circumstances.  

Iñarritu even manages to tackle issues like bipolarity, cancer, homosexuality, adultery, murder and after-life, and yes, it all makes sense and adds to the movie.

As for the cast, Javier Bardem deserves his nomination to the Oscars, but with the script and direction this movie has, it would be hard not to do a good job. I was more surprised with the rest of the cast, since they all do a great job with solid performances. I’m thinking of Maricel Alvarez, Hanaa Bouchaib or Diaryatou Daff. Sometimes having a cast of unknown actors adds to it, because it keeps you focused in the story and on the people that are a part of it.

You will see many people describing this movie as boring, scattered, and inferior to “Babel”. It surely is a movie that demands your full attention. I saw this movie alone and I’m glad that I did that.  As for comparing it with the director’s previous work, I had a chance to re-watch Babel very recently and though I really like that movie, I think Biutiful is better. Well, I’m glad we are all different.

One last note to mention how I love the end of this movie. Or the way it begins?

Biutiful earned itself a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nomination.

Green light! 

Revolución (Revolution)

As many of you recall I don’t like to read about movies before watching and this anthology was no exception; so had no idea what was going to see and maybe in the back of my head I had a thought that was a series of short films about the infamous Mexican Revolution and yes, Pancho Villa. You have no idea of how deeply WRONG was I and it’s a true shame to admit what I was expecting when the compilation had films by Reygadas, Escalante, Plá, Eimbcke, and Naranjo, I should have known better!

My head is still spinning from watching the shorts but I’m clear that there are at least two ways to watch the outstanding film: one as representation of current trends in contemporary Mexican cinema (or easier, as films –which most serious reviewers seems tend to do) and second, as a series of films with stories that could simply blow your mind IF you’re familiar with Mexico past and present history, Mexican idiosyncrasy and Mexican traditions. To me the one way that totally blew my mind is the second that I should really expand from Mexico to many other countries in the world that had revolutions at one (or more) time (s) in their History, especially those Latin American countries that have ‘similar’ idiosyncrasies to Mexico.

Ten films reflect and some literally tell what I can call “the effects of the revolution 100 years after” and I know that many will not be prepared at all to what you’re going to watch as honestly is not easy to admit that not much has changed after 100 years and like it’s said in a short: “we need another revolution”. Almost all topics of Mexican idiosyncrasy are touched in the films from religion, traditions, expectations, behaviors, feelings, and so many more things that wont list as list could be very long. Maybe I’m totally biased but story wise Carlos Reygadas This is My Kindom is the ONE that stunningly shows in one scenario (had to be a party) the huge diversity of Mexican population plus their appalling behaviors and views of life. Not what I was expecting visually from Reygadas BUT the storytelling technique fits the absolutely impactful story. Amazing and quite hard to watch if you know what happens in many Latin American countries including the one I’m currently ‘visiting’.

Visually I was taken aback with Amat Escalante outstanding short El Cura Nicolas Colgado (The Hanging Priest) with many visually breath taking images and compositions plus a style that some are relating to Buñuel and Jodorowsky but I believe that in this short, more than in his films, he is developing a style that should explore further to make it his own. Briefly, is an excellent short with a strong story that for a moment I thought it was Reygadas, but soon enough decided was Escalante and felt relief when I was right, gasp.

Fernando Eimbcke’s Bienvenida (The Welcome Ceremony) opens the compilation with a visually outstanding film shot in black and white that absolutely plays with light and darkness while telling a compelling story about how today expectations are still peculiarly fulfilled or maybe totally unfulfilled. Gerardo Naranjo’s R-100 tells about how to save something you have to destroy something else as no one will help you saving without first thinking about consequences or how to run away from your past; a gritty story with nice use of digital colors. Rodrigo Plá’s 30/30 (is a ‘corrido’) is perhaps the only that directly deals with a story about politics with a visual style that plays with photos and moving pictures to effectively show disrespect for what is verbally/sentimentally most respected Mexican past; obviously a story that talks about politics but also about almost everything else.

Most impressive for the message and style is Rodrigo García’s La 7th y Alvarado that with what looks like real footage of the Los Angeles intersection blends filmed images of Revolution revolutionaries. The effect is superb with special mention to opening scene; story made me think about how the “real” revolution consequence is now also happening in some streets of USA. I’m so tempted to do an analysis of what I saw in all the above films and a well-known revolution: the American Revolution, but the post will be long and will have to get into ‘dangerous’ not cinema-related issues, so I leave the analysis up to you reader if you feel like getting into those troubled -but very interesting- similarities.

The other shorts by Marina Chenillo, Patricia Riggen, Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal are acceptable less impactful stories with more ‘normal’ styles that help to rest/entertain from the ones that have stronger stories plus more interesting storytelling, cinematography and style.

In summary an interesting compilation of different styles, different stories and one theme in common, what’s happening after 100 years since the infamous Revolution.

Wish I could say what’s the natural target for this omnibus but is not easy to figure out. My instinct says that is Must Be Seen for those that enjoy strong human stories and don’t mind to think a lot beyond what the eyes see and the ears hear; but also should be an ‘obligate’ tour-de-force for everyone that lives in Latin America and all countries with a revolution (or war) in the past or present. Obviously must be seen for those that enjoy extraordinary good and art cinema for the films by Reygadas, Escalante, Eimbcke, Naranjo, Plá, and García.

I enjoyed the compilation beyond any expectations and absolutely understand why the film was in Semaine de la Critique in 2010 Cannes, 2010 Berlinale and transited other fests in the festival circuit. Some short films are simply perfect shorts, the kind that leaves you with the sensation that you have seen everything; you don’t need more as they are complete stories. Excellent!!!

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Here is a photo with the ten directors at the Berlinale.

Revolucion Worldwide Premiere

Thanks to Mubi who's in partnership with Celluloid Dreams this weekend, meaning ONLY Saturday November 20th and Sunday November 21st, we are able to watch the Premiere of the Cannes-selected Revolución made in honor of the Mexican Revolution 100 Anniversary and the following is a synopsis (from MUBI) of the short films that take a look back at that turbulent time in Mexican History.

The Mexican revolution began one hundred years ago with the overthrow of the country’s dictatorial President Porfirio Díaz. Revolución is a portmanteau film in which ten directors look back in ten short films at the violent upheaval that was to bring dramatic changes to the country. In his film, 30/30, Rodrigo Plá observes commemorative events and local politicians’ speeches. In EL CURA NICOLÁS COLGADO by Amat Escalanate, a boy and a girl come across a priest hanging in a tree. In ESTE ES MI REINO, Carlos Reygadas describes a group of proud Mexicans who invite their foreign friends to join them for a celebration in the country. In LA TIENDA DE RAYA Mariana Chenillo reminds us that, even today, workers are sometimes paid in coupons, which, just as in pre-revolutionary Mexico, they can only redeem in shops owned by their employers. Patricia Riggen’s film, LINDO Y QUERIDO, revolves around an American’s dying wish to be buried in the land he was once forced to leave. The titular protagonist LUCIO in Gael García Bernal’s film is enlightened by his cousin, Omar, as to the sometimes contradictory meanings of certain national symbols. Daniel has an unpleasant altercation with his wife in Diego Luna’s PACÍFICO. He winds up at the beach where he begins to realise that he can only fulfill his dreams by being at home with his family. In R-100 by Gerardo Narango, two workers try to run away from their past; Rodrigo García has the ghosts of deceased revolutionaries pay a visit to Los Angeles in LA 7TH Y ALVARADO, and, in LA BIENVENIDA, Fernando Eimbcke portrays a village that awaits the arrival of a special guest.

I'm embedding the video so we can watch the compilation together and it's not necessary but I stress that one of the shorts is by Carlos Reygadas, who is my favorite contemporary Mexican director and consequently absolutely MUST BE SEEN. But also there are shorts by interesting directors like Fernando Eimbcke, Amat Escalante, Rodrigo Pla, and Gerardo Naranjo; looking forward to watch the films by other Mexican directors I'm not familiar with their work.



ENJOY!!!

Note:  I watched the film in my TV and if you have the computer connected to the TV with an HDMI cable I strongly suggest that you watch the film at MUBI that has the best quality; the film is here.

Cosas Insignificantes (Insignificant Things)

Sometimes films that you forgot about it surprise you not only because after a long time you’re able to watch it but also because the film is good. Andrea Martínez debut is a good film for the story, the performances and most of all for the excellent production values that complement a story that would have been very common and make it quite different thanks to very interesting editing that plays crisscrossing with characters stories.

Not everyone will like the editing as probably will surprise –and eventually annoy- many when what you have already seen appears again when following a different character story; but think that if director have not chosen this storytelling technique, story and film would have been common, will look and feel ‘soapy’ and will not be interesting at all. Still what really blew my mind are the occasional extraordinary takes of a Mexico City that never have seen portrayed so beautiful and yet so dramatic. Just to watch the amazing sights of the volcanoes this film is absolutely must be seen.

But film has also very good performances by an ensemble cast of Mexican and Spanish well-known actors with special mention to Barbara Mori that also produced film and maybe because being a producer –plus a good director- gave a performance that shows that she can really act. But is Paulina Gaitan (from extraordinary Sin Nombre; outstanding Capadocia and excellent Las Aparicio)who steals the movie with her character Esmeralda and her story being the central plot where all other stories converge. Acting in this film is more about body language and facial expressions that tell a lot more than what words could ever do.

The movie is a feel-good movie as has a non-conventional positive ending but story deals with sadness, unhappiness, illness, rage, no-future, loneliness, despair, unfaithfulness, etc. and how an unconventional incident (a beautiful snow alike ash rain) detonates characters change of heart for the better. Title comes from Esmeralda’s collection of little and insignificant common things stored in a small box.

I liked the movie more than I could ever imagined but believe that definitively is not a movie for general audiences as storytelling style is not ‘normal’ and there is no ‘explosive’ drama that will move viewers. This is a film that can move viewers because the little insignificant-and-significant things that happen in narrative and visually. Definitively must be seen for those that like arty cinema with a Latin American flavor.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC