User Reviews

On 30 December, in the airport of Mexico City, the husband of Lucia (Cecilia Roth) vanishes a few minutes before the last call to the flight to Rio de Janerio, where they are going to see the reveillon in Copacabana. Lucia goes to the police to report the disappearance, and back home, she is mainly supported by two neighbors, the seventy years old Félix (Carlos Álvarez-Novoa) and the young man Adrián (Kuno Becker). Together, they look for Lucia's husband, in a journey of friendship, love and self-discovery for Lucia. Alternating the reality and the imagination of the character of Lucia, who is the narrator of the story, "La Hija del Cannibal" is a delightful, intriguing and original tale. The mysterious story is very unpredictable, and includes a tough critics to the corruption of the Mexican government. Cecilia Roth is excellent and very charming, as usual, very well-supported by Carlos Álvarez-Novoa and Kuno Becker. I liked this movie a lot and highly recommended as a very fresh screenplay. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Aos Olhos de Uma Mulher" ("Through the Eyes of a Woman")

Spanish/Mexican co-production set in Mexico and surroundings with thrills , fun , intrigue , humor , bemusing incidents and nice players . It deals with a mature woman called Lucia (Cecilia Roth , Pedro Almodovar's usual actress) , she is a kid's book author and tells the tale of her husband's disappearance . Lucia is on an adventure that could change her life if she doesn't turn back . One day on their way to Brazil , at airport , her husband just disappears with no tracks . She goes to the District Precinct to denounce the deeds , gets a ransom note , and when is attacked by some hoodlums she befriends an old dude (the veteran Carlos Alvarez Novoa) downstairs and the young man (Kuno Becker) upstairs . Both of them help her and are caught up in trouble when attempt to solve the kidnapping and try to find him . In their vicissitude , the dropouts will be involving into mobsters , powerful drug baron , corrupt officers , among others . Things take a bit of a twist as she realized the abducting may not be as clear as it seems on the surface . In pursuing its objective the losers will face a group of gangsters , kidnappers and Police officers . Meanwhile , the motley team travels across Mexico .

This pursuit/road movie comedy contains intrigue , lots of emotion , drama , mystery , humor , entertainment , amusement and a colorful photography with juicy atmosphere . The extraordinary new wave of Mexican cinema continues with this slightly funny film , including entertaining events , suspense and an enticing love story ; being based on a novel written by Rosa Montero and screenplay by the same filmmaker Antonio Serrano . The film moves in fits and starts most of which would be desirable, with more traps the viewer resists any kind, and some moments of enjoyment and others quite a few embarrassing . The journey of the protagonists is so repetitive and the most part results to be rich in absurdities and implausibilities . The flick gives a short description about lives of people in Mexico D.F. , neighborhood , malls , markets , delinquency underground and many other things . This is a typical action/comedy from the 2000s with the usual ingredients such as thrills , suspense , enjoyable humor , social habits , relationships among people and an enjoyable love story between a Milf and a young boy . The main issue about the continuous meetings and ongoing squabbles between the protagonists and the pursuers is so repetitive and that makes it a bit boring though happen several adventures , mishaps , distresses and an unexpected final twist . The picture attempts to spread optimism about the events of life , friendship and love , with its amusing sides but also including some risks . The film explores the relationship among a motley trio well played by top-notch actors such as Cecilia Roth , Carlos Alvarez Novoa and Kuno Becker .

Atmospheric and appropriate musical score , including evocative Mexican sounds . Adequate as well as colorful cinematography by Xavier Pérez Grobet who subsequently worked in Hollywood such as : ¨Super Nacho¨, ¨Monster house¨, ¨Lyrics and music¨ , ¨I love you Philip Morris¨ and ¨Enough Said¨, among others . The motion picture well produced by great producer Andres Vicente Gomez was professionally written and directed by Antonio Serrano . Antonio was born in Mexico City and is a talented and versatile writer/director who has made a vast array of often solid and entertaining films in all kind of genres such as ¨Morelos¨, ¨Hidalgo¨ , ¨Sexo, Pudor , Lagrimas¨ and this acceptable comedy/thriller ¨La Hija del Cannibal¨ or "The Cannibal's Daughter¨ or ¨Lucía, Lucía" - USA title .

Antonio Serrano has to be commended in bringing this film to the screen. Unfortunately, the finished product leaves a lot to be desired. The script based on Rosa Montero's novel, The Daughter of the Cannibal, turns out to be an enigma with a lot of questions not being answered.

Cecilia Roth makes this film comes alive. She is the only thing going for this strange tale of deceit that, at times, doesn't make a lot of sense. Ms Roth is the only excuse for seeing this uneven movie.

The underlying theme is how greed affects innocent people. Also, how Lucia's marriage of more than ten years has been a sham. Ramon, her missing husband, obviously, can't perform in the sack. Cecilia is a very unfulfilled woman until the 'hunky' Felix comes into the picture and is able to get some life out this woman. Felix awakes feelings within Lucia she didn'n know she had, but alas, it's too late for her to undergo another relationship, with Felix, or anyone else.

This film kept reminding this viewer of another, and better Mexican film, "Y tu mama tambien", in that there's is a trio embarked in a quest along the Mexican highways. Lucia, Lucia, never achieves the magic of that other picture, but it's a very nice effort, which keeps the viewer hoping it will get there as well.

Wasn't this supposed to be the summer of only dumb sequels for teenagers?

So what a surprise that we have a virtual trilogy of intelligent foreign films about women of a certain age with strong, sexy imaginations and time on their hands to meet up with unexpected strangers, in "Swimming Pool" then "Friday Night (Vendredi Soir)" and now "Lucia, Lucia (La Hija del canibal)."

"Lucia" is unexpectedly the funniest of the three, a delightfully wry black comedy with twists on expectations that the storyteller turns on herself constantly as she bonds in an odd three-some with her neighbors, an elderly ex-revolutionary and a young hunk.

While based on a novel, it seems like a gender/generational response to the Mexican teen-age road movie "Y Tu Mama Tambien," in the classic tradition of women's response songs to hits (as in "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels"), complete with a country line dance scene as a relaxing break from political intrigue and marital secrets exposed while Lucia searches for her kidnapped husband -- and herself.

One of the running jokes is how the older generations can still surprise the young 'uns.

"Lucia, Lucia" is a Mexican comedy/light-drama about a forty something married woman who takes up with an older man and a younger man to go in search of her kidnapped husband. What follows is, by all accounts, an unsatisfying tale of the hapless trio sorting through the foibles and mischief of Mexican bad guys, cops, and some underground movement. As a comedy/mystery story, this film stumbles around awkwardly. However, as a showcase for the beautiful title character (Roth), the film works very well. Those who expect a story may be disappointed whereas those who expect a light hearted character study of a woman in midlife working her relationships with two men may be amply rewarded. Recommended for more mature audiences into Latin flicks. (Those who enjoy this film may want to check out "Solas", a Spanish film which is also about a woman in trouble who, like Lucia, takes up with a Carlos Álvarez-Novoa character). (B-)

Cecilia Roth (Almodovar's All About My Mother, Dark Habits) is an older woman whose husband mysteriously disappears in an airport when they are travelling to Rio. She finds he has 20 million pesos in his safe deposit box to pay ransom.

With Felix (Carlos Álvarez-Nóvoa) at her side, she manages to try and find out what happened to her husband. She also enlists the aid of young Adrian (Kuno Becker) in the adventure. The three of them are certainly worth watching.

Felix is an old leftist who is handy with a gun, and Adrian is looking for some fun with a woman almost twice his age. She definitely doesn't look bad for that age either! It would be helpful to be more versed in Mexican politics to enjoy this.

If you expect the plot in this Mexican pseudo-thriller to make sense, or be suspenseful, you are bound to be disappointed. The crux of this movie are the relationships and mid-life recentering that go on in Lucia's (Cecilia Roth) life. Her husband disappears, and she rushes to find him. Along the way she is befriended by an old ex-rebel communist and a young man who falls in love with her despite her wishes otherwise. These two friends come to take precedence in her life as she realized she doesn't really like her husband, and wants to live her own life. When she eventually tracks down her husband, she wishes him well and they go their separate ways. I didn't dislike the film even despite its weakness. I was interested to see how Lucia discovered herself and grew closer to and pushed away those around her.

This movie is like a veggie burger with eggplant in place of beef, covered in lettuce and tomatoes and sauce. When you first bite in, the first thing you taste is the bun and the lettuce. Then as you chew, you see that there is sauce, tomato and eggplant, but no meat. Try as you might, it's just not the same without meat. It might be not be disappointing if it were packaged a salad between bread, but as a substitute for a burger, it just doesn't satisfy. 5/10

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Lucia reinvents herself frequently, much as the movie does, and the entire film comes at us with a completely fresh look and a delightfully high level of energy. The main cast members are sexy, the direction is both interesting and unique, and the movie is quite entertaining.

(2003) Lucia, Lucia/ La hija del caníbal (In Spanish with English subtitles) THRILLER

Adapted from the novel by Rosa Montero, co-written and directed by Antonio Serrano involving a middle age wife Lucia (Cecilia Roth) who has learned that her husband has been kidnapped with a huge demand she unknowingly knew nothing about. And as the movie progresses the husband's kidnapping unfolds Lucia welcomes two tenants of Felix (Carlos Álvarez-Nóvoa) and Adrian (Kuno Becker) into the mystery as well as the money.

Intriguing and baffling with some twists and unexpected turns some of the moments between Lucia and her three leads is similar to the average Pedro Aldomovar movie.

Is this a comedy fueled with drama or viceversa? La hija del caníbal is the second effort for Antonio Serrano, the man behind the "successful" movie Sexo, pudor y lágrimas -but only because the money earned with it says so-, and sadly to say, it's not a good one. Based on a novel by writer/journalist Rosa Montero, La hija... tells the story of a middle age woman whom, all of a sudden, has lost track of her husband. Vaguely, the plot is about the crisis that affects women when they turn in their forties; and I mean real vaguely just because this film never goes deeper than the surface of the matter. Once again Serrano has put on film his own vision of what something or someone SHOULD look like, not searching what's really going on inside the character or situation. At least in most of the movie the director left behind it´s yuppie like panomaric and pretentious tricks and talk he used for his debut, but also, he got himself trapped in a maze in which he couldn't find a wiser way to get out of it; even though he had already a plot.

It´s not so lame, but isn't that good either. I think the main problem with it is the sense of flatness all over the story. There's no passion -in actors or director-, and when you expect for the plot to go in crescendo, it maintains the same level leading you into risky stages of nearly boredom, saved only because some support roles comes to scene and gives some air to it. The film delays on it's take off and once it does (but in a poorly manner), the audience spends a hard time trying to get really involved mainly because of the events and how they are treated, and lead by the circumstances that surrounds the narrative, anyone should expect for a true climax. And that it's something that never happens.

Magic surrealism it's not a word for being used in here but neither is a crude reality, the execution in a whole it´s almost childish, and the only one worth to look at is spaniard actor Álvarez-Novoa, but he's performing almost the same role he has done before in Solas -by the way, a superb film-; anything else is just like a half done puzzle, where you can guess the figure but never admire it complete. This is not a good effort, but at least Serrano is shaking off him a perspective of a pretentious México full of contrasts in the cool or intellectual guy, but, ironically, that's exactly what intrigues me; to what kind of audience is this film intended? I don't think people who loved Sexo, pudor y lágrimas is gonna run to see it because this one it´s more down to earth, and the thriller freaks won´t find it amusing because of it's lack of real suspense. Maybe it's only for soap opera watchers. Let´s just wait for what's coming next from Serrano.

Lucia, played by veteran actress and foreign film diva Cecilia Roth, is your typical rite-of-passage character. Through the events surrounding the disappearance of her husband, Lucia discovers a new side of herself she hasn't felt due to the freedom of being unmarried and unrestricted. Is it her womaness, her sexuality, her independence she finds? Bingo! You guessed right. The movie wouldn't be so bad if it actually showed her character development from a more personal-inner perspective ... but the journey is clouded through the integration of two men in her life and a weak plot that just seems to drag on and on and on ... at least that's how you feel when the so called "mystery" is solved. It's like you sat through the whole movie for no reason at all ... Roth's acting is good ... although bit overkill on the crying scenes ... the actor who plays Felix is a bit distracting ... facial expressions and lines are given unnaturally, and the other man, her young-love toy, is nothing more than slight eye-candy to hormonal admirers.

In short, the plot is fairly original, but not well executed, circular camera shots confuse the audience, the comedy is a bit dry and weak, the drama is a bit heavy, and the acting is moderate. This movie gets four stars (****) ... had Cecilia Roth not been in it, it would have received (**) ... she is the only redeeming value of this flick.

-Daine-

I was introduced to the joys of Latino films less than a year ago. While "Lucia, Lucia" didn't amaze me, it certainly reaffirmed my belief that the average quality of Spanish language films, at least those released in the US, is generally higher than Hollywood films, and on par with American independent cinema. The plot definitely isn't spoon-fed to you in Lucia, Lucia. The filmmakers wisely let us know right away that the narrator isn't fully reliable. This is important, because without viewing the film as a story a person is telling you that may or may not be true, there would be temptation to poke holes in the plot. I appreciate films with somewhat subtle social commentary. This isn't a film about corruption, but it does point out existing corruption in the Mexican government. I was shocked when my girlfriend told me how old Cecilia Roth is. While the nudity and sex scenes were a tad unnecessary, she certainly has a body worth showing off. Her acting definitely carries the movie. I don't think I understood the portions with Lucia's parents, aside from illustrating that Lucia doesn't have much of a loving family to fall back on. I liked the change in hair-styles and how her apartment changes appearance to suit the narrator's mood. Its something I'll watch more closely when I see the film again. Overall this is a fine movie. It ranks below "Amores Perros" and "Y tu mama, Tambien", but is still a worthwhile movie. It saddens me though that if art reflects life, the Latin American world seems to be losing the sense of community it held onto longer than the US did. It stands to reason that as globalization spreads, people become less connected with their neighbors and community. It seems that Mexico might be undergoing a process of social alienation not unlike what happened in this country in the 80s and 90s.

I avoided seeing this movie for a long time, simply because I was tired of being let down by bad mexican cinema. After seeing the huge marketing campaign behind it and noticing that it had the same director/writer of Sexo, Pudor Y Lagrimas, I decided to give it a shot. Big mistake, this is a mess of a movie, the plot, the dialogue, the paper thin characters. Not one of the elements that made Sexo, Pudor Y lagrimas translated, the only thing that remained were the preachy monologues and overall pretentiousness.

Writers are driving me crazy: In `Adaptation' Nicolas Cage was barely sane struggling with his inspiration and incendiary companions, true or otherwise; in `Swimming Pool,' Charlotte Rampling created a plausible fiction of a dangerous female border and Rampling's desire to make real the murders she wrote.

Antonio Serrano's `Lucia, Lucia' is set in Mexico with a children's writer, Lucia (Cecilia Roth from Almodovar's `All about My Mother'), admitting in voiceover her fictions about her life, establishing herself as an unreliable narrator about the kidnapping of her husband, her attempts to recover him, an affair with a younger man, and a friendship with an older man. Initially I was put off by her lies because a mystery needs a reliable narrator, but as I accepted her creative effort to describe the middle-aged crisis through these fictions, I settled into an aesthetic trance that sees clearly the symbolism of each character relating to her changes of life. Her observation that heaven must be a moment of sex frozen in time is one of the interesting insights these varied experiences brought to her.

Involved in the kidnapping is a rebel gang patterned after the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) prominent about 30 years ago in Mexico. This plot to deliver the ransom money to the gang is so complicated that even the playful plots of `Y Tu mama Tambien' and `Amores Perros' seem simple by contrast. The inclusion of a corrupt government in the kidnapping is confusing and certainly adds no allegorical insight given the historically corrupt governments of Mexico.

The Spanish version of this film is called `The Cannibal's Daughter,' a much more daring and figuratively descriptive title for Lucia's consuming life. Actually, her actor father once played a cannibal and mother sees marriage as sharing life with the living dead. It's easy to see why Lucia questions her marriage and warily enters into relationships with the passionate young man and politically-romantic older man. At the least in her story, she is experiencing what the bard predicted when he said of middle age:

`Thou hast nor youth, nor age, But as it were an after-dinner's sleep Dreaming on both.'

In the end, the story turns nicely on the evolution of a soul who accepts life and her place in it as a writer whose imagination helps her find peace. The men may lose her, but she finds herself.

I just finished watching the movie, I saw it at the blockbuster store and didn't want to rent it because I thought it was really bad, however, I just rented it anyways.... I am not going to tell you what this movie is about, but what I think about the movie (I have never studied cinema or anything, so, please tae this just as a comment from an excentric person)

This movie has the lost mexican touch from the seventies, with the political yell from this decade (2000-2009). Funny indeed, but also dramatical and

superficial, with the magical mexican touch of surrealism (which Jodorowsky

excelled in his films, shooted in Mexico, like El Topo and Holy Mountain)

The political yell I am referring here is the one that has come out in cinema in mexico this decade, in movies that include: La ley de Herodes (Herodes' Law)

among others. It is NOT a Hollywood movie, so please do not expect a huge budget movie

with huge SFX, instead a more tight budget movie, with a nice story to tell

This movie is once again the reflection of the mexican society:

First of all: The magic and beauty of the unbeauty that comes from surrealism, which is the same as Mexico and it's people, how they live and think, which is a surreal way of thinking, and as most of us think surrealistic, the mexican culture and society tend to be more surreal (giving you a fantastic photography of the horrible but beautiful)

Secondly: The political yell; this is because of the oppression and corruption mexican people had to suffer all these years, where they just work oppressively receiving nothing but LESS buying power and MORE frustration (this is related once again to surrealism), where only a few are priviliged (this is a lot more notable when you go south of America) Political screams is an escape valve to that oppression, and this movie is one of that kind

If you have had the chance to see mexican cinema, this is a nice example (not the best, though) to watch it. I may just dare to say this movie is a lot like the french cinema, only with less introspectiveness (as the french cinema tends to be [not all of it of course, but it's a cultural thing, which gives a flavor to each cinema of the world])

Well... all in all this movie is a Superb, with brilliant direction and photography, however, not very appreciated by some critics..... ...by the way, I almost forgot to tell you, I loved the way the movie begins

This movie is really bad. Cecilia is a great actress but the whole story is plain and vain. There are scenes that dont make sense at all and i guess this is due to the original novel. Director's previous movie was not that bad, sexo pudor y lagrimas although it was almost like a mini mexican soap opera at times. This is one is a amores perros wanna be, but done with no sense of flow in a story or direction of emotions on the actors.

So, there was I, in the movie theater, prepared to see a great film, I mean, there was a lot of talent involved; Antonio Serrano, whose movie "Sexo, pudor y lágrimas" and his work on TV were a good referent. Cecilia Roth, great in "Todo sobre mi madre". Brigitte Broch, Oscar winner for "Moulin Rouge". That is, a great group of people making a movie which had spread a lot of curiosity. But then I faced reality, Cecilia Roth was BORING in this film, Antonio Serrano must be still thinking "what did I do wrong with her?", she was not that luminous actress bringing great characters to life. She was just reading her lines, and crying at any moment. Then Kuno Becker, again, what was Serrano thinking? He is terrible, he should be making soap operas again. Then the story was totally unchained, but not in a fancy way kind of "Pulp Fiction"; no, the story stops somewhere and takes another piece and doesn't solve any conflict. I think they took screenplay and scissors and started to experiment. Then, the sex scenes. I had never seen a film using them like that. I mean, there were moments when you said, why are they making love? why? why? I think those scenes could have been easily erased and the movie would have been the same junk. Well, I have to say some positive things too, for example, Carlos Alvarez-Novoa is great. He gives his character deep and energy, something Cecilia and Kuno could not do. And the soundtrack is great, the song "Canibal" deserved to be a big hit, but I think the movie contaminated it. By the way, Brigitte Broch, give that Oscar Back!!!!