User Reviews

We meet Erni, an aging former actress and model, as she is preparing for a night out. Her apartment in Buenos Aires' entertainment area, is close to the theater where one of her friends is appearing. We watch Ernie with interest as she walks oblivious to everyone on the street. She knows how to carry herself. We find out later on that she is in relationship with a man, but they live in separate places.

Erni embarks in a trip to a rural community where evidently she came from. It's her niece Ana's fifteenth birthday. Ana adores her aunt, in whom she sees glamor, sophistication and poise that her family lacks. The bonding between these two comes to a sore point after Ana sees Roberto, the hotel manager, emerge from Erni's room. The girl had developed a crush on the handsome young man without realizing he really wanted the aunt.

The stay at the hotel is cut short after Erni realizes she has been cheated by her own sister from the farm they had inherited. The sister had lied to Erni about what they had done to that part of the land. Erni goes back to Buenos Aires to a life she feels comfortable even if she has to make concessions and accept the dwindling opportunities to someone her age.

We were pleasantly surprised by Anahi Berneri's accomplishment in this picture. The film has no pretensions; it just wants to tell the story of an aging woman who is nearing fifty and the changes she must face in her life. "Encarnacion" stays with the viewer long after it had finished. Part of the success is the way the narrative is presented and Diego Poleri's impressive cinematography that takes an effective look at the world of Erni.

Silvia Perez is a gorgeous woman who shows courage in facing the camera the way she does. Her face shows the passing of time in small wrinkles and other problems caused by living intensively. Ms. Perez did an outstanding job in creating a character she seems to know so well. Martina Juncadella, who shows up as Ana, is also another asset in the film.

We shall be looking forward to Ms. Berneri's new projects with anticipation.

I just saw this film at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival. This Argentinian film focuses on an aging B-movie starlet who was once an it-girl. Paris Hilton, watch and take note, it may not be too late alter course! I found this story to be a metaphor for how interesting the day's newspaper and news-makers are until we've finished reading it and are ready to toss it into the recycling bin. Newsprint can be reborn and fashioned into something new. Unfortunately, the same isn't always true for an aging actress even with the popularity of plastic surgery in Argentina.

The main character Erni (Silvia Pérez) is the starlet past her prime. Erni's Buenos Aires apartment is plastered with posters reflecting her B-movie glory days. She lives a pretty lackluster existence these days still hoping for the right film role but realizing that she'd be lucky to make it in commercials. Erni lives alone and between hoping for that big break she sleeps with whomever she feels like. She even works on posting her own web page to keep herself in the public eye and googles herself to see how well she's doing. Pérez was perfect for this role. So much so that most people were wondering whether this film was based on fact. It must have been a challenging role as the actress revealed all of her vulnerabilities in the film, we see her diminishing looks in full view.

The plot changes when Erni is invited to her niece Ana's (Martina Juncadella) birthday party and decides to go to the rural area where she is originally from. Her sister's family is fairly conservative and doesn't approve of Erni's choices in life. This lack of approval contrasts with the approval seeking that often is found in those starving for fame. Ana is turning 15 and admires her aunt, there's a great contrast between the younger moving towards her peak and the older already past this peak.