Review of Llovizna

Llovizna (1997)
Fine 'Verismo' .. 'Verismo magnifico'
25 November 2001
Another viewer evidently missed the point of the production style and also translated too literally ... "Llovisna" ... or "Misty" not 'Drizzlily Rains".

Set in Venezuela in the late 1930's or 40's ... "Llovisna " romantically portrayed the transition of post-Gomez dictatorship Venezuela in the midst of greater post-oil discovery and industrialization in that country's Saar-Ruhr basin .. the Orinico basin; and metropolitan Caracas population explosion. The telenovela virtually made the career of "Ms.Hevci Scarlet Ortiz" -- establishing the former Miss Venezuela contestant as a fine actress ... and through the use of the cim=nematic style of 'verismo' & richly used location scenery and the occasional 'cinema verite' of the style (interlacing footage) to portray lives in the rising working and middle class of Venezuela. As a television production -- good stage craft were used to portray an intimate family - mother and her daughters sustaining a cafe-bar in an old hotel, a padrone like 'god-father' with his shadowy telepathic like influence .. his desire for the truth - for both 'he' and - of his daughter 'Llovisna'.

It has always been a favorite of mine for its verismo portrayal of themes of crime - crooked business or excessive economic power ... passion & love -- and the interlacing of urbanism (a 30's style boxing or sporting scene is remembered) -- and as a production especially breaching the excessive segregation appearance of some Colombian & Venezuelan exports from those mostly 'mixto' nations.

Adapted for the television from a good novel - set in the 30's .. because of its time period -- 'verismo' was a most appropriate style for this production.

[Seen on "Telemundo" Network - just then becoming a subsidiary of the part Italian invested Apollo Group]
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