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The delirious passion and angst of Mexican telenovelaAmor Real gets a condensed treatment on this concise DVD presentation.Amor Real tells the story of Matilde Penalver (Adela Noriega), a general's daughter in love with a common soldier named Adolfo Solis (Mauricio Islas), but who is tricked by her status-conscious mother into marrying a wealthy landowner Manuel Fuentes Guerra (Fernando Colunga). But Manuel has his own baggage--he's a bastard, only acknowledged by his father as the old man lay dying. When Matilde learns the truth, she and Adolfo try to run away, but Manuel catches her and carries her off to his hacienda, where their tempestuous marriage is tested all the more when Adolfo arrives in the guise of Manuel's new administrator. From there, the plot of Amor Real explodes in a dozen directions, including the romance of Matilde's unscrupulous brother and a wealthy spinster; the struggle within the household between Matilde and the housekeeper, who also loves Manuel; Adolfo's marriage to a young woman dying of tuberculosis; the scheming of Manuel's cousin to disinherit him; revolution; kidnapping; the murder of a priest; steamy sex; and much, much more, building to an epic conclusion.

Though at times outrageously melodramatic, Amor Real has the juggernaut plotting of a Victor Hugo novel--the many story threads are so skillfully interwoven and lurch from joy to disaster with such vigor that it's impossible not to get swept away. Making the experience even more dizzying is that this DVD is basically a high-points compilation, condensing 95 episodes into a 4 1/2 hour sprint. Between the careful editing and the charismatic cast, the story is easy to follow and giddy in its swiftness. Fans of the full series may find that this abridged version undercuts the pathos of the original, but for the uninitiated, it's a hugely enjoyable high-energy romp. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (138)

Brutally Honest!
City of God is certainly one of the most exceptional foreign language films in movie history! The movie excels in every level. The captivating camera shots make a truly fascinating cinematography. Editing was brilliantly done with some Pulp Fiction influence added into it. No single actor's performance particulary outshine the most, but the ensemble performance, from the street kids to the crime masterminds, is remarkably convincing! The screenwriter made the story so suspenseful, bold and daring, that you would not want to miss a single scene. And the truly best aspect of the movie is its ingenious filmmaking. Watch out for the "apartment scene" where the genius director shows how one small apartment drastically transforms as its inahabitants change through the years.

I would not recommend the film though to people with a weak stomach. I must admit that watching this film was pretty difficult to me because i have no experience of residing in the slums or what other people calls "the ghetto." Everything might come extremely shocking if you are not aware of the reality drug trades and gang wars. There are very graphic violent scenes so watch it at your own risk.

I would recommend it though to people who wants to see something honest, bold and dare. It is one of the, or probably the, most brutally honest film you will ever see! What this film achieved is boldness, directness, and honest filmmaking at its finest!

City of God will blow your mind away
After you finish viewing 'City of God' you are left wondering about the irony of the title. It is not long in the movie where you realize that the City of God is a place totally forgotten by everybody. Still, that is the name that the government of Brazil gave to the housing developments outside Rio, constructed in the early '60s to hold thousands of people. Those slums, known as "the favelas", eventually led to the isolation of poor people from the city center, becoming a place where music, life and colour can be sensed in the air, but at the same time the law is absent and the violent gangs rule the streets.

The story of 'City of God' is based on a book written in a period of 9 years by Paolo Lins, a man who grew up in the favelas and managed to escape. In it, he describes his experiences regarding the creation and the rise of the gangs that control the drug dealing business.

Fernando Meirelles, who started as a director for TV commercials, transforms this complex and demanding material (the book includes more than 200 characters), into a breathtaking, terrifying film that is visually stunning (among others, it includes extensive use of hand-held cameras, flashbacks to introduce the different characters, fast cuts and distinct colours to distinguish the '60s from the '70s, where all the action takes place) and at the same time, shockingly violent: The rate of deaths is so high while the age of the victims so small. 7-year old boys look for guns before they are even able to go to school, and to make things even worse, use them against each other without any hesitation. The gangs provide them with status, power and recognition, replacing importance social structures such as the family.

'City of God' is a film that will blow your mind away; it will certainly trouble you and probably make you feel a bit ashamed and guilty about the things that actually happen around the world, without us doing or knowing anything about. It is certainly refreshing to see occasional moments of humour intervene with its otherwise grim and serious nature. In any case, it is one of the most powerful motion pictures of the current year.

A Frightening, yet Uplifting Masterpiece
City of God is disturbing. It gave me chills seeing coked up juvenile kids putting bullets through other kids' heads, and a ghetto neighorhood which offers no hope whatsoever to any of its occupants. The cinematogrophy is lush, the story, told by a famous photogropher, "Rocket" Rodrigues, is layered and candid. The acting is frightengly excellent, and it contains many scenes which will remain sketched on your brain (unless you grew up there, maybe). An emotional rollercoaster ride, City of God succeeds in transporting the viewer to probably one of the worst areas that has ever existed on this planet, and making us not want to leave.
Bravo!

Tragic Side Of A Great People
For those who think Rio isn't any worse than the likes of LA or any other US city,watch the DVD extra.Apart from that,Rio's murder rate in 1992 according to two reliable sources was 86 per 100,000 - a massive murder rate for a city of ten million(far more striking than Washington D.C. which was 80 per 100,000 in a city of 500,000).What that says is that Rio's worst parts dwarf D.C. or anywhere else in the states.There were some misleading claims in the film and DVD though, such as organized criminality(we are clearly dealing with common criminals here)and Rio being the most dangerous gangland on earth(possibly San Pedro Sula,Honduras and early 90's Bogota,Colombia - CERTAINLY Medellin - also Colombia,have worse areas). The thing that stood out from the film for me was the harrowing scene with the main gang cornering the two little kids - shocking and realistic.Rio is really like this and people need to see the staggering levels of common gang violence in Rio and throughout Latin America(more coverage of the problem in Colombia,Honduras and El Salvador would be welcome).To end I would like to pay tribute to the Brazilian people,they have to be some of the nicest people in the world yet put up with seriously dangerous situations.I have nothing but respect for their bravery.

The Documentary Included on the DVD is just as good
This movie is excellent, in every way. What is so good about this DVD is that it comes with a documentary in the special features that is one of the best I've ever seen. Well worth the money. ... Read more

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Quite simply a great movie, one whose implacable portrait of ruthless greed and insane ambition becomes more pertinent every year. The astonishing Klaus Kinski plays Don Lope de Aguirre, a brutal conquistador who leads his soldiers into the Amazon jungle in an obsessive quest for gold. The story is of the expedition's relentless degeneration into brutality and despair, but the movie is much more than its plot. Director Werner Herzog strove, whenever possible, to replicate the historical circumstances of the conquistadors, and the sheer human effort of traveling through the dense mountains and valleys of Brazil in armor creates a palpable sense of struggle and derangement. This sense of reality, combined with Kinski's intensely furious performance, makes Aguirre, the Wrath of God a riveting film. Its unique emotional power is matched only by other Herzog-Kinski collaborations like Fitzcarraldo and Woyzek. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (76)

Herzog's visionary film is one of the greats!!
Werner Herzog's Aguirre, The Wrath of God is one of the great achievements of the incredible New German Cinema movement of the 1970's. The film's "story" has been discussed elsewhere on this page so I won't bother to repeat it. But really, this is no plot to speak of. This is a mood piece, a dream of a film. It is a study of power and delusions and if that sounds boring, believe me its NOT. The visuals are extraordinary (typical of a Herzog film). From the films incredible opening shot of a long line of men as they snake thier way down a mountain to the final shot, which is one of the most memorable in cinema, of a mad Aguirre on a raft surrounded by corpses and small monkeys floating down the river. Adding to the dreamlike effect is the eerie music of Popol Vuh. Aguirre is a memorable film experience that you should'nt miss. I commend Anchor Bay for releasing Herzog's entire output on DVD, this a definitely one for your personal library at home. Very highly recommeded!

Entertaining but eerie.
This film has always been a sentimental favorite of mine, although it is definitely not a mainstream movie with mass appeal. It chronicles the eerie, haunting, and morbid journey of a group of fifteenth century Spanish conquistadores who break off from Pizzaro's group and head into the deepest parts of the Amazon jungle in search of gold. They are swallowed up, one by one, by unseen natural forces in the jungle, and also by the paranoia and insanity of their leader Aguirre (Kinski). It is well deserving of its reputation as a cult classic, and it is one of Kinski's signature pieces. Showcasing his ability to create a bizzare, twisted and disturbing persona. Since the conquistadores are eventually lead to destruction by Aguirres lust for power and riches it is almost a metaphore of the entire history of the Spanish conquests of South America. The film is actually shot in several languages (including English), then DUBBED into GERMAN, and then SUBTITLED back into English again; which gives the whole thing a rather strange appearance. Kinski's daughter Nastashia is also in the film, playing Aguirre's daughter. Her character is not well developed, and she is only there to show that there IS actually something in the world that Aguirre cares about besides gold. Nevertheless, it is a novelty to see her in her movie debut, before she became famous in her own right. I recommend the movie to those who like offbeat 'artistic' films, and cult classics, but not to those who are looking for light entertainment or an adventure movie.

The doomed quest for El Dorado
I am new to Warner Herzog, and "Aguirre: The Wrath of God" is the 2nd of his films that I have seen. Like many directors with strong artistic visions, I have found his style a bit hard to adapt to but I am appreciating it more and more. The grotesque colors he uses are particularly noteworthy, lending a feeling of unreality that contrasts with the naked realism of his films. The visual images are haunting, and linger after the film is over. The Wrath of God and 400 little monkeys...

"Aguirre: The Wrath of God" is by no means an easy film to get into. The characters are brutal and uninviting, and it is impossible to sympathize with their plight, the conquest of the native peoples. Like the river they travel on, the armored conquistadors move slowly but relentlessly forward, pieces of their humanity and sanity falling off along the way. At one scene in particular, the soldiers dispassionately watch their fellows trapped in a river eddy, discussion whether or not they should attempt a rescue with no more urgency or care than wondering if they should have coffee or tea. The peruvian natives are equally unsympathetic, picking off the soldiers slowly from the jungle, invisible and dangerous. One can see the influence it must have had on"Apocalypse Now."

People call this film dreamlike, and that maybe, but it is also brutally realistic, dirty and harsh. There is a sense that this is exactly what it would be like. There is a definite sense that animals were harmed during the filming, and that people were harmed as well. No camera trickery or artistic license is taken. All deaths are ignoble. Klaus Kinski, as Aguirre, is an uncharismatic Richard III,. slightly hunchbacked and ugly, leading his followers down a mad path that can have only one destination.

Herzog and Kinski's Vision of Manifested Madness
On the eastern slopes of the Andes during the Spanish expedition , Gonzalo Pizarro urges his men to continue through the thick Amazon forests despite the dangers within the dark and humid jungle. The tale of Pizarro's venture begins with an ominous warning as it is revealed to the audience that the only surviving evidence of the expedition is a journal kept by Brother Gaspar de Carvajal, a monk who travels to spread the gospel of Christianity. This bleak foreshadowing induces an inching uneasiness into the mind of the audience. This is enhanced by further looming incidents such as native slaves dying like flies from simple colds and food shortage. The low supply of food leads to a decision to split the group where one group should return for provisions and the other should continue searching for a gold shimmering city. This tale then follows the ill-fated who continue the journey for the legendary city as they are drawn deeper into the cruel world of the Amazon. Deaths of several men forebode the grim future of the expedition, which the leadership wants to call off and return to the safety of civilization. However, Aguirre (Klaus Kinski), a high ranking soldier, commands a rise against the leadership based on a proud vision of greatness and worldly riches beyond imagination that drives him to thrust deeper into the unexplored rainforest. Aguirre's vision draws the expedition into a personal realm of madness and destruction, which leads to only one certain fate.

Aguirre: The Wrath of God has a lingering effect on the audience as the eerie atmosphere created by Herzog persists from the initial shot to the final scene. There are several components that generate this bizarre ambiance of the story such as cinematography, idiosyncrasies, mise-en-scene, and performances by the cast. The cinematography is simple and sometimes documentary-like, which produces a real feeling. This real feeling together with the uncanny knowledge of the unavoidable doom enhances the extraordinary atmosphere of the venture. The complete portrait of the character Aguirre by Klaus Kinski is nothing but spectacular. Herzog's choice of mise-en-scene is delicately chosen as all the items had to be transported by the expedition. Each item within each frame displays a significant symbolism such as the horse and raft, which adds new layers to the unnatural atmosphere. Lastly, the performances by the cast are outstanding as it is not the dialogue that drives the story forward, but the visual manifestation of their being that elevates the outlandish impression of each scene. When Herzog combined all the aspects of film-making in Aguirre: The Wrath of God he left the world a brilliantly eerie cinematic experience that will leave several notions in reflecting minds.

Herzog and Kinski go Tarkovsky.
Wraith of God was actually made in 1972 in German and got its US debut in 1977 and provided Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979) with a vision. The film is pure art through and through using the Amazon River as a backdrop for the epic tale of Spanish conquistadors finding themselves abandoned in South America on a quest to find the legendary city of gold 'El Dorado'. Set a few decades after the Inca Empire has fallen in the 16th century, these troops of Spanish explorers have been selected by the head explorer for the region, and founder of Mexico - Pizarro, to find the lost gold. Within a few days of being on the Amazon the conquistadors are split on the rapids. Soon there is a mutiny, murder, revenge and betrayal as the dreams of vast wealth and power drive all of them to their doom.

The combination of Kinski and Herzog is electric. Here, on a shoe-string budget, they make mountains out of nothing as Tarkovsky did on 'Stalker'. The costumes and sets are all obviously mostly made by the actors and whatever film crew that would actually risk hanging around Herzog and Kinski for the gung-ho shoot. This is kino-art's rendition of Hearts of Darkness. The actual suffering of the film crew (and some cruelty to animals - several horse falling scenes, the pillaging of a village with an attack on pigs and a monkey being thrown aside) is clearly visible in the narrative which borders on extreme adlibbing most of the time as well as hard labour (moving a cannon on a small wagon around the jungle, building rafts with a toilet on board and living off the land). The improvisation though is classic in every sense of the word making Herzog and Kinski instant important additions to the world of high profile art film makers. The cinematography is spot on. The majority of it is hand-held but the images of the jungle are striking and the final shots of the circling raft are sublime. Seeing Kinski chasing monkeys around the raft is also some of the most memorising and breathtakingly remarkable scenes in cinema. The film is one of the most unusual you have ever seen and becomes psychotic towards the final stages showing the craziness of our characters search for the gold - a reflection of the exertions of the crew and actors. Kinski is outstanding as the deranged Don Lope de Aguirre who trying to follow in Pizarro's footsteps even manages to take his family into hell with him. There is an excellent plot element involving a mock trial with a monk as a judge and the crowning of a pseudo-king that will have you in disbelief. The film is so lucidly insane that it will captivate you within the first few minutes. By the time the credits role you will have experienced an epic completed with a few actors, a raft, some animals and natives and yet have witness something as grand and epic as 'Spartacus'. Herzog is a crazed genius and the world is his strange colloid laboratory.

'Aguirre' is up there with the ranks of 'Andre Rublev' and 'Apocalypse Now' however Kinski and Herzog did go one better when they made 'Fitzcarraldo'(they tow a steam ship up a mountain... really!). The aspect ratio of this film is 1.37:1 meaning that it is not in widescreen or letterbox, but it was originally filmed as a square almost (fitting television perfectly). The transfer is extremely good although I believe that this is not a new transfer and was probably encoded from a very good master video tape (Beta SP) for German television broadcast and not from a 35mm film print. No one is complaining though because the quality is extremely good. The extras (documentaries, commentaries) are a must. By the way you can get the Kinski/Herzog box set of 6 films for a few quid extra than this stand alone DVD. Go look for it. ... Read more

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Amores Perros roughly translates to "Love's a bitch," and it's an apt summation of this remarkable film's exploration of passion, loss, and the fragility of our lives. In telling three stories connected by one traumatic incident, Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu uses an intricate screenplay by novelist Guillermo Arriaga to make three movies in close orbit, expressing the notion that we are defined by what we lose--from our loves to our family, our innocence, or even our lives. These interwoven tales--about a young man in love with his brother's pregnant wife, a perfume spokeswoman and her married lover, and a scruffy vagrant who sidelines as a paid killer--are united by a devastating car crash that provides the film's narrative nexus, and by the many dogs that the characters own or care for. There is graphic violence, prompting a disclaimer that controversial dog-fight scenes were harmless and carefully supervised, but what emerges from Amores Perros is a uniquely conceptual portrait of people whom we come to know through their relationship with dogs. The film is simultaneously bleak, cynical, insightful, and compassionate, with layers of meaning that are sure to reward multiple viewings. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (149)

"If you want to make God laugh . . . tell Him your plans."
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Amores Perros" is a noble attempt to restore some much-needed vitality and energy to the film medium. However, it is a muddled piece of work that ultimately proves to be both dynamic and lacking.

The events of three different stories are woven together. "Octavio and Susana" revolves around a forbidden love affair and a frenzied car chase in which one of the cars is carrying a severely wounded dog. The chase eventually ends in a horrific car crash. "Daniel and Valeria" is a tale about a television producer (Alvaro Guerrero) who leaves his family for a model and actress (Goya Toledo). Their romantic bliss is disrupted by the disappearance of the woman's dog and her involvement in the car crash from the previous story. "El Chivo and Maru" is about a mysterious man (Emilio Echevarria) who is much more dangerous than his run-down appearance would suggest.

"Amores Perros" is just too long and too disjointed. It is ambitious filmmaking in the sense that it abandons all pretenses at conventional storytelling, but the loose connections between the separate stories are just too loose to create a solid, satisfying narrative tapestry. Its morally-ambiguous characters are a welcome departure from the goody-goody stock characterizations that occupy too many Hollywood productions these days, but they do not exist to further any coherent theme or story. Rather, they are there merely to produce sensation. "Amores Perros" is admirable for capturing the stark nature and feel of the darker aspects of the world we live in and for its unflinching and sometimes dazzling filmmaking craftsmanship. However, the film does not come together when all is said and done and fails to leave behind any kind of lasting impression.

Feverish And Driven.
"Amores Perros" comes as a roaring sigh in this era of commercial filmmaking over-flowing the market. It is a masterwork done with passion, intelligence and absolute brilliance. With this film director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu has announced his genius to the world and his status as a new major player in the directing game. He comes flying in like Oliver Stone and Martin Scorsese with their first films. What makes this such a great movie is how it vibrates it feeling and realism, we can relate to the characters because they feel real. The film is divided into three stories within Mexico City (but they could take place anywhere else), the first, "Octavio And Susana" is a tale of forbidden lust when Octavio (played by the now popular Gael Garcia Bernal) falls for his hard-edged brother's wife and uses his dog for dogfighting as a way to get some money in a scheme to run off with Susana. This is the story that takes us into the bowels of Mexican culture, into the dark corners of any city, with rich characters and deliciously bloody, violent scenarios that remind us of Arturo Ripstein, who's "Deep Crimson" was another great macabre work of Mexican cinema, or there are also traces of "Los Olvidados" by the great Luis Bunuel, surely the most influential director to work in Mexico (while in exile from Spain). The next story, "Daniel And Valeria" is a darkly comic tale of superficial ways of life being crushed by the realities OF life. Daniel works in a fashion magazine and leaves his wife and children for a beautiful supermodel who loses her leg in a horrible car accident. Here we see some of the film's strongest acting as the emotions boil and ultimately explode. The last tale is "El Chivo And Maru" about an ex-guerrilla hired by a businessman to kill his brother. This story too has great elements of dark comedy injected into the tense drama but the real heart of the story is the surprising truths behind the identity of El Chivo. "Amores Perros" is sure to be an influential film among new young directors, and yet it is so good because it is obvious Inarritu knows the works of the greats like Scorsese and Bunuel and knows what to borrow and how to polish what he borrows to a gloss. Obviously this is the kind of movie that makes reputations, consider that cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, who brings a rich, gritty look to the movie, has already been hired by Oliver Stone for his epic "Alexander." And Inarritu recently participated in a September 11 film composed of 11 films by 11 directors. "Amores Perros" is real, vibrant cinema, just look at the opening chase scene that completely grips us. It is a visceral work that should be watched by all who appreciate good movies and want something new and fresh.

Love and Dogs
Emilio Echevarria makes one of the most powerful Mexican films to be viewed in US American cinemas to date. This three-part film follows three stories and the interwoven themes of love and dogs. The first story, "Octavio and Susana" features the at once grittily violent and tragically romantic story of Octavio and his sister-in-law, Susana. Octavio chooses dog fighting as his path to liberate his love Susana and himself from their destitute state of servitude to Octavio's family. The story ends with a bloody crash that brings us to the next story of "Daniel and Valeria," and we are harshly jolted by the contrast between this beautiful model and her apartment overlooking her billboard and where we left off in Octavio and Susana's bloody lives. Echevarria even foreshadows this contrast earlier in the film when Valeria appears in the background on a television talkshow in the livingroom of Ocatvio's friend prior to a final dogfight. However, Echevarria cleverly turns our concerns on their head, and the most superficially perfect of lives becomes the most sad. We are left feeling empty and helpless when "El Chivo and Maru" ties all three stories together, by at once showing dogs as our loves, our enemies, our weaknesses. This film is gritty and real; the cinematography is at once documentarylike, and beautifully crafted. The shift in time and space suggests the ties between love and dogs, a theme that carries us through the end of the film. You will not be able to see this film once; multiple viewings are required in order to capture all of the beauty and pain.

"Amores Perros" certainly lives up to its name
There have been many movies where it seems obvious that the director has been inspired Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" but few of those films live up to that standard as well as Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's 2000 film "Amores Perros." The title translates as "Love's a Bitch" and there is an intentional irony in that because dogs are a crucial element in each of the interwoven stories. However, saying this is "Pulp Fiction" with dogs misses the point.

"Amores Perros" begins with a frantic car chase in which two men with a founded dog in the back seat of an old car are being pursued by guys with guns in a souped up pick up truck through the streets of the city. The prologue ends with a scene that is the nexus for the three stories written by Guillermo Arriaga, although we will not know that until we return for the second of three visits to this particular moment.

The first story is about "Octavio and Susana." He (Gael García) is a young man who is love with the teenage bride (Vanessa Bauche) of his brother Ramiro (Marco Perez), who is a thug. Octavio has dreams of taking Susana far away and when an opportunity comes to make money off of the family pet Cofi in dog fights, he takes advantage of it. Of course his complex plan comes down to one last big chance to score, which is just another way for Fate to play with him.

"Daniel and Valeria" is about a television producer (Alvaro Guerrero) who has left his wife and children for the young and beautiful Valeria (Goya Toledo). Their happy home starts to fall apart when a small part of their living room floor gives way and Valeria's little dog end up underneath the floorboards.

In the final segment we finally find out about a bearded, scruffy looking street person that we have seen throughout the film. In the final segment, "El Chivo and Maru," we find out that El Chivo, "The Goat" (Emilio Echevarria) is living in an abandoned building and is a hit man for hire. In addition to ending up taking care for one of the main characters from the first story, El Chivo is hired by a man who wants to have his business partner killed. However, El Chivo discovers one interesting fact about his victim that makes him decide to play out this job a little differently.

"Amores Perros" is two-and-a-half hours long, which is a long time to read subtitles, but worth it. Arriaga creates characters with substantial depth and first time director Inarritu invests the stories with flair. The result is a compelling combination of visceral violence and passion, neither of which comes across as being gratuitous. The violence here matters, as compared to the bloodfest in "Cidade de Deus," where all the killing is just a constant waste of lives. Granted, Kátia Lund and Fernando Meirelles are making a much more political point in their film, but I am still struck by the artist range of how violence can be used in such films where the goal is more than to make money and give adolescents cheap thrills.

Translation: These films made "south of the border" reflect a better appreciation for the reality of violence then what is coming out of Hollywood.

Final Note: The DVD for "Amores Perros" has a several music vidoes, which seems strange given the subject matter, but proves to be rather interesting. You would think the film's subject matter would not lend itself to such promotions, but, again, I think we are coming up against some significant cultural differences worth noting.

Really should get 2.5 stars...
This isn't a horrible movie necessarily; if I saw it on TV or something like that, I would probably be satisfied. Unfortunately, it does not live up to expectations.

I haven't seen "21 Grams", so I can't comment on how this compares. What I can say is there are some great parts: the car crash is insanely great and so is the dogfighting element of the film. Unfortunately, the pluses stop at the superficial level; the plot isn't all there and the actors aren't stellar.

Not bad, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it. Find something else to feel artsy. ... Read more

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Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald (Klaus Kinski), known as Fitzcarraldo to the native Peruvians, is an avid opera lover and rubber baron who dreams of building an opera house in the Peruvian jungle. To accomplish this, he plans to reach an isolated patch of rubber trees and make his fortune. But these trees are not directly accessible by river because of dangerous rapids, so Fitzcarraldo runs his ship as close as possible via an alternate river and then enlists the aid of the native Peruvians to drag his ship over a mountain to the desired area. However, the natives seem to have their own agenda in so mysteriously acceding to Fitzcarraldo's wishes. The results manage to both mock and affirm the dreams of determined figures like Fitzcarraldo, making absurdity out of the stuff of human endeavor without negating the beauty of that effort. There is hardly a more awe-inspiring or arresting image than that of Fitzcarraldo's ship pulling itself up the mountain with cables and pulleys, or of the ship resting in mid-ascent as seen through the thick morning fog of the jungle.

The tortured production history of Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo (ably recorded in Les Blank's documentary Burden of Dreams) tends to take the spotlight away from this deeply mesmerizing film. And that's unfortunate, because the film itself is even more fascinating than the trials and tribulations, amazing though they might be, that led to its being made. Part of the problem is the film's deliberate, some might say ponderous, pace, which invites the viewer to experience the slow immersion into the jungle that Fitzcarraldo and company experience. Herzog did something similar in Aguirre, the Wrath of God, sometimes aiming his camera at the river rapids for extended periods of time, with hypnotic results. This could never happen in a Hollywood film, and it should be treasured. --Jim Gay ... Read more

Reviews (34)

One of the Greatest Films Ever...I Was Stunned
It shocks me that I had never even HEARD of "Fitzcarraldo" a week ago (nor did I know who Werner Herzog was), and now that I've seen it I consider it to be one of the 10 best films I've ever seen in my life, right up there with "Vertigo," "Once Upon A Time In The West," and "Rashomon."

The pacing of this film is slow, languid, and dreamlike, and allows the viewer to really immerse him/herself in the brooding jungle atmosphere. I never realized how contrived most American movies felt, until I experienced the stark reality of Werner Herzog's documentary-like style. "Fitzcarraldo" blurs the line between reality and drama, utilizing actual natives in conjunction with his character-actors (including the brilliant and intense Klaus Kinski), who subject themselves to real hardships in order to lend the film legitimacy. The result feels like a cross between a surreal daydream and something out of National Geographic.

The transfer to DVD is virtually perfect. I was awestruck at the quality of the video and audio on this disc. The picture is gorgeous, in sweeping, flawless widescreen, and the sound is bright and alive. There are few extras on this disc, but the film itself was so satisfying that I didn't care.

I highly recommend the boxed set entitled "The Herzog/Kinski Collection," as it contains excellent DVD versions of all 5 of their collaborations, as well as Herzog's tribute to Kinski entitled "My Best Fiend," a fascinating portrait of their bizarre, yet intensely creative, working relationship. It will add to your appreciation of "Fitzcarraldo" and all of their films.

" Life without music would be a mistake"---Nietsche.
Documentaries have been made about the love/hate relationship between the greatest German director and the greatest German actor of the twentieth century. Kinski claimed that he kicked Herzog during the making of this film and that "Herzog groveled." For his part Herzog claimed that when Kinski threatened to walk off the set, Herzog took a high powered rifle and swore to Kinski that he would shoot him as his motorboat passed around the bend.( They were filming in the The Amazon ) Kinski stayed.

Only these two superbly talented megalomaniacs could have pulled off this tour de force of directing and acting.

Fitzcarraldo is, quite simply , one of the greatest films of all time. No other actor could have played the lead as well as Klaus Kinski, and no other director could have conceived eschewing props and actually hauling a 300 ton steamship over a mountain, or, for that matter, hiring warring tribes of headhunters as extras.

It works.

The story is set in the late 19th century when rubber (and robber!) barons created great wealth in the remote jungles of South America, built on the monopoly of the rubber plant. We moderns know that this artificially created civilisation will soon collapse, when the plant is smuggled out; so what better setting than these ephemeral cities of gold and palaces of opulence to tell this tale of man's capacity to dream?

Here is a world where elegance mingles with crudity. In one scene, a millionare, proud of his collection of rare carps, tosses them them large bills, while he jokes in front of an impoverished Fitzcarraldo about how fond the fish are of the taste of money.

Fitzcarraldo has a passion for opera. If the viewer does not share this, the film can still makes sense, provided the viewer has a passion for SOMETHING. If not, forget it. It'll be incomprehensible to anyone without blood in his veins. Just the story of a nut.

Not that Fitzcarraldo is not er . . .speculative in his business schemes. When he announces to his lover, a successful brothel keeper, (Claudia Cardinale) " I have an idea! " She responds with: " Oh, no! Not another one! "

But she bankrolls him, nevertheless. Now all he has to do is--well, as Einstein once eloquently said, to achieve the impossible, we must attempt the absurd.

Caruso on the Amazon!
It seems almost ridiculous to add yet another praise-filled review to the heaps already expressed here, but such a consummate piece of art like, 'Fitzcarraldo,' deserves the most it can get. Since others have brilliantly summarized the plot, I'll concentrate instead on why one should 'treasure' the three perfect hours of this film.

Rare is the film nowadays that says so much with so little. Dialogue is used very sparingly throughout Fitzcarraldo, but that's all the better, for Kinski's Fitzcarraldo doesn't need words to express his dream. Every close-up of that intense face tells more than two hours of annoying chatter ever could. With his sharp features, searing gaze and untamed mane, Kinski is indeed Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald. A man possessed by his dream, by his mission to bring one of the most delectable of human creations, opera, to the 'wilds.' I agree most wholeheartedly with that reviewer who mentionned the role of Kinski's hair. It indeed has a life of its own and it mesmerizes the viewer. Like the antennae of Fitz's spirit, it stiffens in determination to see his passion come to bear, and then flys off his head, when the dream is realized. Every single second of this masterpiece is artfully necessary. Every stony gaze from the Indians, every sweeping shot of the misty jungle fits perfectly into place, creating a mosaic of colossal proportions. The scenes of the boat being painfully nudged over the hill mirror the struggle of creation itself. Or my favorite: when the Indians board the boat and meet Fitz for the first time. Herzog closes-up on how the chief gently touches, then rubs Fitz's palm. Two minutes that cast us into eternity. What could it mean? A symbol of our underlying brotherhood, a first 'clash' between 'the civilized' and 'the wild?' I don't even pretend to know, nor do I particularly care, for the soothing, almost sensual warmth of the scene brings that inner peace that all great art should.

Ponderous? Deliberate? Yes and rightly so. Good things, great things, whether they be an exquisite meal, passionate lovemaking or the creation of a masterpiece, take their own time, irregardless of the frantic chaos that surrounds them. Fitzcarraldo is one such 'time-less' experience. Dive in and revel in its every breathtaking second!

Not only does this film enrichen our senses, it strengthens our hearts. Fitz instructs us on we should pursue our dreams. With relentless faith. Believe and yes, we can move mountains! And move our weighty burdens over them as well. Yes, they are painstaking and for every inch gained, we lose two more. Yes, there are casualties. For ourselves and for others. And yes, nobody believes you can really pull it off, but in the end, you shall have your vindication as did Fitz. Caruso on the Amazon? Watch and believe!

Towering!!
What can one say about this unique film experience. Herzog takes the viewer along for the great "ride" and we must pay attention.

The love of opera here is manifest in a way that is so compulsive and thereby so compelling that we have to take breaths often during this film.

All you F(x) experts can stay home and ponder your next bit of software on your bland and insufferable computers which dole out dreams as emotional as Hexadecimal!! Everything you see here is real and the passion of the vision is evident with Mr Kinski giving one of his Dr. Pretarious performances.

Hollywood bean counters and executives beware..This is a real film, this is cinema not the pap you have been shoveling the last 24 years. Finally, I would like to quote a,line by Paul Scofield in " The Train" to Burt Lancaster...and transpose the thought to those same hollywood bean counters " Letting you look at this film is like showing a " String of Pearls to an Ape"!

Fitzcarraldo a Rare film experience

Obscure history, writ large
Among the things that distinguish Werner Herzog as a film-maker are two qualities that he shares with William Shakespeare: he knows the human heart better than most dramatists, and he never lets the facts get in the way of telling a good story.

Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald (called "Fitzcarraldo" by the natives) was a real guy, who really loved opera, and really did drag a ship over a piece of land to get it from one part of a South American river to another. He did it to bring opera to middle of the jungle. That's history. What drove this guy to do such a frankly outrageous thing in the name of art? What kind of fever siezes a visionary and brings him to the brink of insanity to attempt such a thing? That's the stuff of drama. Herzog knows the difference, and his choices in bringing the story to the screen were flawless.

Fitzcarraldo, like all of Herzong's films (even Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht), uses the theme of cultural clash as a macrocosm of the conflicted human mind. So what if the real boat was much smaller than the one in the film? Who cares if the real act of dragging it across land - though arduous - was not nearly so grand as the film depicts? The resultant images are what count, and they would not have the stunning effect Herzog pulls off in this film were it more "historically accurate".

All film directors do things for effect. What separates the good ones from the great is their reason. The once-great Frances Ford Coppola seems to be aiming for empty aesthetics with his last few films; Herzog wants nothing less than to illuminate the soul. It's a grand, quixotic goal; prone to failure - much like dragging a boat through the jungle. But he seems to pull it off time and time again. You remember the images, yes - they're hard to forget. But you also remember the passion of the characters - their desparate dreams, wild fantasies, great achievements, and devastating failures.

Klaus Kinski perfectly embodies the obsessive madness of the title character - albeit in a far less sinister way than in Aguirre: The Wrath of God. His performance is no less brilliant. Claudia Cardinale plays his love interest, the kind of woman whose heart every visionary dreams of winning.

In most treatments of this kind of story, one would expect things to end badly. They do for Fitz, but somehow it does not matter. He finds grace and dignity in the struggle, rather than the outcome. He is a brighter vision of Don Quixote, and the feeling of surviving his ordeal is, miraculously, more like that of triumph than defeat. Fitzcarraldo ends in exuberance rather than despair. How can a man lose everything and still raise his head so high, as Kinski does in the last scene?

Without a hint of sappy, artificial feel-good-ism, Herzog has pulled off one of the most authentically moving surprise happy endings in recent cinema.

Failure never looked so good! ... Read more

Reviews (34)

A classic of world cinema
The classic film that brought Brazil's bossa nova music to the world outside, this was a wry modernist update of the classical Greek myth of Orpheus and Euridyce, the starcrossed lovers whose passion could not be denied, even by all the powers of Hell. The film is adapted from a bold stage play written by Brazilian poet Vinicius De Moraes, who enlisted a then-unknown Antonio Carlos Jobim to compose the classic bossa tunes that stud the films soundtrack. In this version, Hell is a blend of the futurist modernism that created Brasilia, the sterile and unappealing new capital of Brazil, and the heedless bacchanalia of Carnaval; Vinicius's vision of the lower rings of Hades as a bureaucrat's office is a stroke of pure genius. I first saw this film when I was in high school; viewing it again as an adult steeped in Brazilian popular culture, I certainly got a lot more out of it. Although some Brazilians (prominently, Caetano Veloso) chafe at the fact that this version was directed by a European, director Marcel Camus, I think it's still safe to say that it is a brilliantly made film. Heavy on the textual symbolism and, yes, a bit voyeuristic in its depictation of the happy natives dancing to their catchy samba rhythms, but brilliant nonetheless. It also captures a moment in time -- Brazil's transition into a modern nation, and the heady days before the 1964 coup -- in a way that is precious and ineffable.

poetry in color
tragic love triangle story of simple,passionate people in modern day Rio De Janeiro. You will be deeply affected by the plot,unfolding during carnival time,filmed on location.Artfully blending romance and reality,while allowing the viewer to set aside the appalling poverty of Rio's favellas. The musical score is classic in its genre,the scenic ,practically birds eye,views of Rio are breathtaking,and will linger with you long after you watched the final scene. Standig out,among many memorable scenes,is the religious-spiritual ceremony,in which orpheus seeks contact with his loved one,through a clever spiritual medium. Lovers of Brazilian music are sure to enjoy a musical pearl at the beginning,played by a marching band. The movie,to me,is as powerful today,as when I first saw it,a masterful blend of passion and stark reality,based on Greek mythology.

a good film with famous music
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This movie is credited with brining Bossa nova music into the spotlight. It is well deserving of this credit as the music is groundbreaking for an internatinal release.

The movie itself is based loosely on the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Only this time it takes place during Brazil's famous Carnival. (similar to our Mardi Gras) The film itself is well written and has good acting. The DVD has an optional English language dubbed soundtrack, but I would suggest watching it in Portuguese as dubbing is often done by bad actors. The DVD also has a theatcical trailer that was used in France.

Spicy
This 1959 adaptation of the Greek myth thrilled me.It is quite rare that I am entertained by books turned into movies. Even though the setting (in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil at Carnival)undeniably differs from the original, I truly admire this film.

A Sad Story
This was a great film but it was sad. Eurydice is being chased by death (a dude in a death mask but the actual grim reaper) and we never know why. Perhaps Eurydice was supposed to have died and she somehow cheated death but she finds Orpheus while visting her cousin only Orpheus is engaged to Mira, a crazy but beautiful woman who immediately becomes suspicious of Eurydice. This film was made in Rio and the cinematography was wonderful considering how dated this film actually is. Be warned that it's subtitled and that it's a pretty depressing ending. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

poor but beautiful Cuba!
I have to say that I haven't been to Cuba but I will definetely visit one day. By watching this movie you'll know how primitive, how original, how poor and also how beautiful, how friendly, how much the Cuban people cherish their land, their lives. This is one of my favorite movies so far and you should watch it and own it as well.:)

Gave a Great Laugh to A Cuban Family
When our family sat down to watch Guantanamera we all new the Cuban song from the beggining. Watching this was like going back to Cuba when we traveled across the land. Switching Cars people selling banannas, No road signs, just plain Cuba. The actors in the movie did a great job portraying Cubans. Because you may not believe that's the way real Cubans act, unless your Cuban, but it's what we are really like.

I rated this movie a Four Star because the movie has great laughs for "Cubanos y Gringos". All the irony with cars meeting, people dieing, well I don't want to ruine it for you. But Watch the Movie whether you buy or rent. You'll enjoy it!

'Fresa y Chocolate' better, but watch them both
Filmmakers Tomás Gutiérrez & Juan Carlos Tabio made 'Guantanamera' almost back-to-back with 'Fresa y Chocolate' (Strawberry and Chocolate), and that's how I recommend you view them - rent/buy them as a pair and watch them chronologically, 'Fresa' first.

First, there's the thrill of seeing Mirtha Ibarra and Jorge Perugorría in repeating appearanences, portraying vastly different characters. Of special note is Perugorría's demonstrated range and acting ability. I spent the first half-hour of Guantanamera thinking "That just can't be the same guy."

It was. Amazing stuff.

Also, the film itself presents a take on Cuban life that, while patently absurd to any American, no doubt rings all too true with anyone who has experienced life under Fidel's heavy thumb. Taken together, these two films represent 3 hours of what movies are all about: for me, they were enjoyable and educational; for the filmmakers, they scored a direct hit on the target of their disdain and sarcasm.

Left me laughing and crying all at the same time!!!
As much as I loved "Fresa Y Chocolate" (Strawberry & Chocolate), I love this one even more. The script is superior, and we have the opportunity to meet a wider range of characters, with equally brilliant casting and filming.

If you have seen "Fresa Y Chocolate", then you already love Mirtha Ibarra and Jorge Perugorría. If not, then you will after having seen this film.

If Cheech & Chong, the Marx Brothers & Woody Allen had all collaborated, they couldn't have come up with a film more irreverent, more bitingly satirical, or more delicious with both romance and irony.

And speaking of irony, it seems both impossible that such a film could have come from Cuba in the 1990's, and yet equally impossible for it to have come from any other place. For we have been told, on the one hand, that such burlesque of the Cuban government is not tolerated. Yet, it has always seemed to me that the greatest art arises from the greatest suffering. And Cuba is one of the world's greatest examples of this paradox of human nature. For few nations have suffered as much as the people of Cuba have suffered through out her entire history. And yet, from that island emerges the most beautiful music on earth, and now this!!!

Do yourself a big favor: Don't miss this film!!!

A refreshing Cuban road movie not lacking a sense of irony
The last movie that Cuban director, Tomás Gutiérrez managed to put together alongside his partner, Juan Carlos Tabio, before his death, Guantanamera pretty much can be considered a road movie, but with a very peculiar twist. Irony, an exquisite sense of the most Cuban humor and an important dose of reality can be found in this production, that came only one year after their super-successful "Strawberry and Chocolate," with repeating stars, Mirta Ibarra and Jorge Perugorría, who proved how versatile of an actor he could be: playing a gay character on the first one and a straight macho man on this one. Check it out. You will find it delightful and refreshing. I just give it four stars because it does fall short compared to S&C, its predecessor. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

great movie!!!
this movie is really good. it is about a road trip taken by two fighting cousins whom are on a journey to fufill a wish left by their deceast grandfather in his will. they encounter obstacles on the way and discover a secret the granfather had been hiding all his life. osvaldo benavides (rocco) delivers an amazing performance. I highly suggest you buy this if you are into latin cinema

review: dust to dust
I loved this movie! We watched it in my spanish class, and I had to go home and buy it. The story is wonderful, the acting is amazing, and the music is great. It takes place in mexico, and is about two fighting cousins whom take a road trip to alcapulco to fufill their recently deceasted grand fathers wishes. They enocounter many things along the way and find a common bond. I highly recomend this movie.

Really Excelent movie
I don't remember a movie that made me laugh so much

Great movie!
This movie is very interesting. From beginning to end...you have to watch it! It's funny how they go through so much just to get his grandfather's ashes to the beach... ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Bitter Sugar is Excellent!
This movie is excellent to watch and is based on a true account that happened in Cuba a few years ago. It really sheds light on how awful, oppressive, and manipulative the Cuban government is, and also you can also see the underground struggle for personal freedom and democracy that many of the Cuban people share but can't outwardly express. This movie is a very powerful film.

Brilliant Film and Hanuntigly Devastating
This is an incredible film that was made on a very small budget. I believe some if not all the actors worked for free. If you are from Cuba you know how realistically real and scary this movie is. Leon Ichaso, the film's director hit the nail on the head on this movie because everything in it is exactly how it is and is all true. I left Cuba when I was four but I have since gone back to visit a few relatives that I have there and I can tell you that it is devastating to walk thru the streets and see all the filth,hunger and desperation of its people. This film hit me too close to home and I was moved to tears when I first saw it. To this day everytime I watch it I can't help the tears from rolling down my face. I'm glad that this brilliant movie has been made available on DVD so that more people can see it and take a closer look at the way desperate people live in a country that was once beautiful now torn apart by the harsh and cruel not to mention unhumane regime of Fidel Castro. The film was shot in black and white which makes it all the more real since it would be foolish to do a movie that takes place in Cuba in color since there isn't any. All of the actors did an excellent job with their roles. I wish this film would've of reached a bigger audience when release in 1996 but since it was a low budget film it was only seen by most people living in Miami where the majority of its population is cuban. If you care about what really goen on Cuba today and the struggles that the people over there go thru to break free from under its fascist regime you should see it. I have it in my movie collection and is one of my favorites but I can't watch it too often because it hurts too much. Overall is an excellent movie, I was dissapointed that it was not even considered for an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign film. This movie deserved not only the Oscar but praise and recognition worldwide.

Great movie
I though the movie was stimulating. I creamed in my pants a couple times.

A fifth star for having the guts to make this movie.
Made in beautiful black and white plus an infinite range of greys, this is a "Romeo and Juliet" in modern world story with Capuletos and Montescos being the People vs Big Brother Castro.

It's not Casablanca but it could be a classic if the academia one day took off their mask and recognized its quality.

As for the reviewer below, this is not propaganda from Miami. This is about people who want to be free and people -like you- who want others to be slaves. And listen up: there is no blockade, millions of sex-searching tourists with no conscience seek the island every year leaving their money at hotels where Cubans are not allowed to enter and the tips to the prostitutes.
Cuba is a slave country, you are in your right to like it, but at least admit it.

When you have nothing, why not do nothing together?
This visually stunning, slap-in-your-face film is ultimately painful to watch. You have to admire revolutionaires that for nationalism & personal conviction are willing to put up with so little so much of the time. Watching those young people applauding at the outdoor Castro speech rallies makes you wonder what other options they had. They either wanted to be there & feed their anti-Yankee imperialism beliefs or felt that they would be questioned for staying away. Or perhaps there was nothing better or more interesting to do than attend that outdoor group experience. When you have nothing, why not do nothing together & show solidarity en-masse.

The fresh music & performances heard in the movie, esp. the afro cuban (more afro than cuban, interestingly enough) is a delight to hear and enjoy the proto-African flavored dances that both black & white execute in this film.

When my uncle was last permitted to vacation in Miami--before Clinton made it difficult for the frequent immigration & visits of Cuban nationals--he was often questioned as to why he kept returning to Cuba after his yearly visits to Miami. He was well read in Marxist authors & it showed when he spoke. His Miami relatives questioned him as to why if things were so scare as he claimed they were, though not so scarce that he would repeatedly return to Cuba visit after visit during the 90s, why didn't the remaining Cubans with nary a roast chicken to eat even on Sunday, not rise up & rectify things. His reponse was: we don't rise up because all the brave & decisive Cubans have left & migrated to the USA or other ports of haven.

Or maybe the brave Cubans are still in Cuba holding onto what little remains of a native Cuban culture & identity there still is instead of wanting the wild abandon & comfort & endless summer after a hard day at the offices or local Walmarts of Miami, USA. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The setting is grim, but Carandiru is easily one of Brazilian filmmaker Hector Babenco's most living, thriving works, with scores of powerful performances and an engaging style underscoring the cathartic power of storytelling. Based on a bestselling novel, Carandiru concerns an oncologist (Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos) who treats patients at Sao Paulo's House of Detention, a terrible place largely policed from within by longtime prisoners. The doctor is specifically interested in collecting blood samples for an HIV study, but the more prisoners open up to him, the more compassionate and committed he becomes about their survival. Babenco's episodic structure gives Carandiru a dimension of memory and constant shots of energy, so that even the most horrifying events--drug-related murder, rape, revenge--can't drive this tale into abject misery. Based on actual events, the drama's climactic police raid on the prison (a reconstruction of a 1992 riot called the Carandiru Massacre) is a tour de force. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Extremely Entertaining
This movie has outstanding visual style and tells a story with humor and color. Most films I see about jail are dark and gritty. This was fun at some parts and helped the viewer develop a connection with its inmates, because of their humaness, not from emotional manipulation. It is a true story about the eventual and horrific demise of 111 prisoners, but the story really doesn't get in to the whole demise thing that much. The ending devotes about 30 minutes of footage to this aspect of the jail. It was more about the inmates and their personalities. How the doctor saw them and how they relayed their stories to the doctor with such quirkiness. At first I thought this is going to be a boring movie, but it just kept getting better and better. If you are going to see a historical account of the jail's demise you will only see that part at the end. This is a human story with colorful characters and distinct and original storytelling on how those characters came to be in jail and how they were coping with there imprisonment while they were incarcerated. Funny but Dramatic, some gritty scenes of violence/ and odd but enticing creativity. Very Reccommended!

Lisa Nary

"Truth has no place in jail."
Upon the initial arrival of Dr. Drauzio Varella to his new job as physician at the overcrowded and dilapidated Carandiru penitentiary in Sao Paulo, Brazil he is shocked and disturbed at his new surroundings; but it doesn't take him long to befriend the inmates and take an active interest in the inmates circumstances and personal histories. Through his practice of advocating AIDS prevention and education he forms friendships with a variety of prisoners who fulfill various social roles within the prison hierarchy. The conditions of the prison are alarming; there is little order or established routines and prisoners are left to their own devices.

Based on a true story, CARANDIRU attempts to portray the events leading up to a brutal massacre of 111 prisoners in 1992 when riot police smothered a rebellion within the prison grounds. This film is officially described as a drama but at times it masquerades as a comedy, which attributes to its eventual downfall. Included are many unnecessary scenes that distract from the tension and seriousness of this film, such as the gender bending wedding and the cat-fighting lovers. Also distracting is the often transparent and scripted scenes of the doctor asking the prisoners how they ended up in prison. Although there were some humorous scenes I couldn't help feeling that they just didn't belong.

All in all, CARANDIRU was a disappointment. It could have been a much better film with careful editing and more focus.

If you likes marginal films, see this right away
The Casa de Detenção de São Paulo (Carandiru) was a notorious prison made more so by the 1992 massacre of 111 prisoners. The film Carandiru is directed by Hector Babenco (Pixote, Ironweed, Behind the Sun) in a documentary-style telling of the lives of at some prisoners and employees at the jail leading up to the horrifying event. The documentary style gives the director the ability to get into the minds of the prisoners through fictional interviews with prisoners through the eyes of a doctor working at the jail (the author of the book the film takes its cue from). The problem though, is that the shorts which make up the stories of various prisoners are interesting enough in themselves and at times hilarious, but don't form a cohesive tale as a whole. The bursts of continuous narration are compelling but end up frustrating because they inevitably end up with another sub-plot or side story.

The massacre at Carandiru is a worthwhile story in and of itself. It comes across here as brutal and arbitrary as one would expect. The deaths were condemned by every human rights organization and eventually led to the conviction of Colonel Ubiratan Guimaraes, the head of the operation. The massacre makes up the most effective aspect of the narration and comes across as physically unsettling. The inhumanity of Carandiru makes for an uncommon experience partially captured by Babenco but the unnecessary subplots of this film ruin a great deal of the more rewarding aspects of the film. There is a good film to be made from the story of Carandiru, but at two hours + of largely superfluous running time, this isn't it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Mexican road trip film
"Without a Trace" from Mexican director, Maria Navaro, is a road trip film, but the difference here is that the story centres (as one would expect with Navaro) on women. Ana/Marilu (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon) is intelligent, educated and has some nefarious doings with fake Mayan art. A border patrol officer is more than a little interested in Ana, and that interest is personal. He drags her into his office for questioning, and lets her leave after he's finished drooling on her. The other main character, Aurelia, (Tiare Scanda) is a single mother of two. Aurelia works in a sweatshop in Ciudad Juarez where more than 250 murders of women remain unsolved. Her narcotics-dealing beau makes the mistake of leaving a stash at her place. She cashes in this little nest egg, and hits the road with the proceeds. Ana heads back to her fake Mayan art counterfeit centre, and Aurelia heads for Cancun where she hopes to get a job in a hotel. The two women meet in a roadside cafe, and a relationship begins as they decide to travel together.

The relationship between the two women is the great interest here. They are two different types--Ana is constantly mis-identified as Spanish, and she's quick to correct everyone that she was born in Mexico but educated in Spain. Ana receives both deference for her Spanish looks and derision from others who tend to see her as an outsider. Aurelia is tough and determined, and yet Ana is beyond her experience. The two women need each other, and they silently accept that fact--along with the idea that it's better not to travel alone (look what happens to women in Juarez, for example). As the two women travel together, Aurelia sees new country for the first time, and she marvels at the sumptuousness of it all. To Ana, it's nothing new. The film starts off very strongly, and degenerates into standard fare as the two women travel towards Cancun and are pursued by the annoying men in their lives.

"Without a Trace" is a visually stunning film and worth watching if you're interested in Mexican cinema. The male roles are--dare I say it--token stereotypical types. There is nothing terribly new here, and the ending is disappointing. That said, I have to add that Mexican cinema is enjoying an energetic renaissance, and I'm reaping the benefits as often as I can. Flawed though this film may be, it still beats most of the pap churned out from Hollywood. Director, Navaro is to be commended for the making of "Without a Trace" for the film brings attention to the huge numbers of women raped, mutilated and tortured in Cuidad Juarez. The victims are mainly young sweatshop workers who disappear forever from their families--a fate Aurelia wishes to escape--displacedhuman

A Wonderful Road Movie!
Ana, an educated art historian, and Aurelia, lone mother of two, are two women in trouble, one with the law and the other with drug trafficking thugs. Their paths cross as Ana asks if she can get a ride with Aurelia to Cancun as both attempt to escape their pasts. This is in the backdrop of a vicious serial killer that has murdered over 250 women and haunts all women in Mexico. Without a Trace is a wonderful road movie about the two women as they try to change their lives on their own in the shadow of a patriarchal society. Novaro creates a motherly environment as mother Aurelia breast feeds and nurtures her little baby, but also a tough femme fatale atmosphere with the women drinking beer in different bars. These two aspects of the women are brought to the screen with strong drama and comedy as the women venture for something better. In the end, Novaro creates a wonderful cinematic experience that both entertains and enlightens the audience. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This magnificent Argentinean film centers on Rafael (RicardoDarín), a restaurateur whose life is becoming a knot of stress andfailing relationships. When his father, Nino (Héctor Alterio), decidesthat after 44 years of marriage he wants to give his wife, Norma (NormaAleandro), the church wedding she always wanted, Rafael scoffs; Normahas advanced Alzheimer's and doesn't recognize where she is or who'saround her. After Rafael has a heart attack, he realizes he has tochange his life--but when he makes changes, he discovers how much ofhis life he'd been taking for granted, and that he may have cast asidethe very things he seeks. Son of the Bride is smartly and richlywritten, directed with generosity and precision, and full ofastonishingly full performances. The story's full of clever touches,but it never lets cleverness overwhelm humanity. Simply a superb movie.--Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (17)

If life passes you by, what are you waiting for to catch up?
This little seen Argentinian film is, simply put, one of the most refreshing comedies of the last few years. Nominated for a Foreign Language Film Academy Award in 2001, the movie stars Ricardo Darin (Nine Queens) as Rafael, a man who operates a restaurant once owned by his parents, Nino and Norma.

Basically, the film shows us how Rafael's life changes through a series of events that happen to him and his family, with the final message being that there's more to life than work, and that love is the strongest force there is (at least, that's my take). The tag line says it all: "If life passed you by, what are you waiting for to catch up?". It has some of the funniest dialogues ever, showcasing, in a not-so-stereotypical way, how people from Buenos Aires speak and behave (and I should know, my wife's family's from there!) - although it should be said that some of it may get lost in the translation, especially when really local expressions are used.

The acting is excellent accross the board. Darin is great as the not-so-likeable protagonist, with whom we grow closer as the movie progresses, and most of the other characters, like his girlfriend Naty (the lovely Natalia Verbeke), his ex-wife (Claudia Fontán) and others, while not having that much screen time, give great performances. But the best acting of the film is done by Héctor Alterio, as Nino, Rafael's father, Norma Aleandro (they've worked together in many films, most notably The Official Story, and most recently Cleopatra, with Natalia Oreiro) who plays Norma, his Alzheimer's disease suffering mother, and by Eduardo Blanco, who plays Juan Carlos, his wacky childhood friend who has become an actor.

If you're in the mood to try something that's decidedly not Hollywood, yet refreshing, funny and heartwarming, be sure to give this movie a look. It's well worth it!

Humble comeuppance that reaches for the sky
What a wonderful film! Rafael, stressed and overworked, is rapidly screwing up all the important relationships in his life. He's already divorced, is about to lose his lovely girlfriend, nearly stands up his about-10yo daughter, and doesn't understand why his charming father would want a church wedding for his 'wife' of 44 years, esp since she's suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Then he has a heart attack - and goes thru a classic change of life. But in this case, he first makes everything worse before figuring out how to make it all beter.
Incandescent performances by everyone. Really an astonishingly wonderful Argentinean movie almost overflowing with touches of humanity.

Splendid
Great acting all across the board! A tear-jerker, feel-good drama that has great wit, Hijo de la Novia should appeal to all film lovers who appreciate fine cinema.
A selfish middle-aged restaurant owner's charismatic father decides to spend his savings on a full-blown wedding for his Alzheimer-stricken "girlfriend" of 44 years. After the restauranteer suffers a stroke, he begins to see his life from a new perspective. His father's love of his mother inspires him, and he begins to make ammends.
There are so many fine performances, the excellent script was totally brought to life by these fine actors. This will make you laugh and cry, an absolute must-see.

One of the best South American firms I have seen
I initially watched the firm to learn Spanish but it turns out to be the best firm that I have ever seen--even though I have not seen too many. It's very uplifting and brought out all the good things in life.

Truly the best film of 2001 and one of the best films ever!
Son of the bride is a drama/comedy whitch is beautifully written, acted and directed. Ricardo Darin (one of my favorite actors of all time) completely takes this movie to the limit with fantastic acting. A great movie. ... Read more

Description

No one can live without love . . . By day, brooding, lonely Sergio works as a trash collector in the streets of Lisbon. Bynight, Sergio embarks on an increasingly intense odyssey of random, anonymous sexualencounters. Quickly, Sergio becomes fixated on a hot, young stranger and begins toretreat further and further into his dark dream life, blurring the lines between fantasy andreality, love and obsession. In Portuguese with English Subtitles ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Truly Strange!!!
First, let me say I am giving this completely unorthodox film four stars because I can't stop thinking about it. I'm not really sure I liked it, but I will say it is pretty daring in its approach to what can loosely be called "storytelling." There is very little dialogue, so we don't learn much about the characters, particularly Sergio, the central character, by what they say. Their actions are the primary sources of information into their unusual psyches. Sergio, a very attractive but deeply disturbed young man, is in the midst of a psychological meltdown, but I don't think his bizarre behaviour fully explains what is going on deep in his soul. The minimalist approach of the filmmaker in depicting Sergio's descent seems intent on providing slightly less information than we need to know. Perhaps the idea of this approach is to leave viewers in the dark just enough to be haunted by the film's imagery long after it is over. Maybe this film is an indictment of promiscuous gay sex, but then again, maybe it's an endorsement. I say this because there is an insidiously sexy edge to this work that snuck up on me and wouldn't let