Change Your Image
alan_adamson
Reviews
Sus ojos se cerraron y el mundo sigue andando (1997)
Mischievous reflection on celebrity
It helps to like the tango music of Carlos Gardel - there is a lot of it. I found I enjoyed the form and the performances, and the songs did provide a running commentary at times on the action in the film. The integration of the music and the story is a key part of the film. For me, I am grateful to the film among other things for introducing me to Gardel.
The plot is reminiscent of several films about celebrity and the line between fiction and reality, but keeps its feet on the ground, and ends with a deft and humorous touch, which is also rather moving. Is this magic realism? Whatever it is, it works.
There are some lovely set pieces that I found lovely - Gardel singing to his current girlfriend, the finish, Renzo's performance in Bogota. I recommend it highly.
El hijo de la novia (2001)
A successful tightrope walk
Films like 'El Hijo de la Novia' walk a tightrope for me - a main character who finds he must change his life, a mother with Alzheimer's disease, a cute daughter, etc. all create the danger that the film will turn into treacle and I will want to change the channel at any minute (the film is currently running on Canada's Movie Network). I never even thought of changing the channel. Campanella and his cast mix the sentiment with humour, and with small touches that make the characters much more real and engaging. The acting is uniformly excellent (a feature that this film shares with 'Nueve Reinas' - the two films share the lead actor, Ricardo Darin). The writing kept me surprised as it followed its larger inevitable path. A thorough pleasure to watch. I recommend this film highly.
Gallego (1988)
History of Galician emigration to Cuba
I saw this on TeleLatino TV in Canada and regret that it seems unavailable on videotape as I would like to recommend it to friends. Centred on two characters who emigrate from Galicia to Cuba early in the 20th century, it follows their lives, and social developments in Cuba and Spain, over the next fifty years. The film is lovely to watch; the Galician and Cuban settings seemed entirely convincing (I have been to Galicia, never to Cuba). Given the historical scope, the film seems somewhat episodic at times (perhaps an artifact of its having been edited for television). Some characters appear and disappear without much explanation. Francisco Rabal is outstanding as another Galician emigrant.