Vidas pequeñas (2010) Poster

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6/10
A notable but depressing film with high sensitivity , enjoyable human relationships and great feeling
ma-cortes10 November 2022
This film traces sensitive , stirring stories, dealing with the little tragedies of a a group of excluded people living on Madrid outskirts .Closely observed relationships: how the 2008 financial crisis affects the personal lives of various people who suffer throughout their thunderous lives by developing different surviving strategies when thrown together in a caravan neighborhood . As they stay at an isolated site far from the noisy city.

A slow motion film that's more profound than it seems to be , including deep human relationships , enjoyable roles and a nice romance when our starring rekindles old flames . A choral and well-structured film in which there is a detailed character study with special depth on the various protagonists , concerning a thorny and uncool subject as as the poorness , economical crisis and unfortunate population . ¨Vidas pequeñas¨or Little lives¨ has been a film of complicated production . Its filming was stopped numerous times due to budget problems . The necessary funding was not found to tell this story of victims of the crisis . After almost 6 years of starts and stops, eventually saw the light. And seen from a distance, it seems logical that failed at Spanish boxoffice and even some television stations that are increasingly interested in pure entertainment would not find it interesting to bet on a heartbreaking drama. Because in this film, Enrique Gabriel, as the Robert Altman of Vidas Cruzadas or Short Cuts (1993) , recounts the lives of a series of characters who intersect and live in a campsite on the outskirts of Madrid , including a magnificent general shot of the desolate wasteland with the 4 Towers in the background, metaphor of a society that excludes its members . It displays a sensational main and support cast giving top-notch interpretations . Ana Fernández competently plays the posh clothing designer who also sees her exclusion , suffering in her own flesh , while falls in love again, lighting old loving ashes, as Roberto Enriquez, in the role of a mystic mime who has withdrawn from society because he rejects competitiveness , along with Alicia Borrachero as a disenchanted beautician , they are the three fundamental legs of a dramatic building full of hard , heartbreaking , but also emotional stories, supported by a top-level high school staff . Here stands out a great plethora of notorious actors giving terrific performances , such as : Yohana Cobo , Laura Domínguez , Manuel García Merino , Ana Gracia , Emilio Gutiérrez Caba, Pep Oliva, Txema Blasco and special mention for Angela Molina who excels as a good-natured , peculiar writer .

The motion picture was well directed by Enrique Gabriel. It won various nominations , such as : Spanish Actors Union 2011 Film: Supporting Performance, Female : Alicia Borrachero , Supporting Performance, Male Emilio Gutiérrez Caba and Nominee Golden Spike Best Film : Enrique Gabriel . This Argentine filmmaker Enrique Gabriel studied literature in Paris and later worked as a movie-maker in Spain. First an assistant-director, he got into filmmaking as of 1991 with Krapatchouk (1992), which earned him awards at the Verone, Karlovy Vary and Punta del Este International Film Festivals. In 1994, he founded his own production company, A. T. P. I. P. Another festival favorite was his next film, En la puta calle (1997) (Putain de rue), a humorous account of life in the streets, a nice mix of naturalism and heartfelt humanity. His next effort was this attractive Las huellas borradas (1999) concerning a deadly location about to be drowned by a swamp , it won Málaga Spanish Film Festival 1999 Winner Best Actress Asunción Balaguer Winner , Best Director Enrique Gabriel Winner Best Film , Sant Jordi Awards 2000 Winner Sant Jordi Best Spanish Actress Asunción Balaguer . After a seven year hiatus, Enrique was back with an apparently lighter work, Suspiros del corazón (2006), a modern Don Quixote tale . Vidas pequeñas(2010) rating : 6.5/10 . Worthwhile watching .
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8/10
Excellent Acting
bpeb14 August 2018
After the 2008 global recession, director Enrique Gabriel (remember 1992 Krapatchouck and 1008 Hitting Bottom), returns to examine the consequences of unemployment in a closely observed and quieter reflective mode which shows and does not tell. The film focuses on the insignificant lives, vidas pequeñas of the title, which do matter, as they attempt with different coping mechanism, whether denial, resignation, anger, delusion, despair, perseverance, pride, optimism, alcohol, memories, etc, to deal with their personal circumstances and survive in spite of their different backgrounds and events on which they have little control. The focus is on relationships as the characters are joined by Bárbara (Ana Fernández), who learns the value of caring and solidarity when she accepts Andres's invitation (Roberto Enriquez) to the caravan site on the outskirts of Madrid..
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