User Reviews

In an effort to learn Spanish, I've been watching a lot of Spanish- language movies, and not worrying too much about the quality. It was nice, finally, to watch one that is quite well done. This little Argentinean, romantic comedy is philosophical, charming, and visually beautiful.

Martin (Javier Drolas), an agoraphobic website designer and Mariana (Pilar Lopez de Ayala), an underemployed architect, live on the same street in Buenos Aires. Both are depressed and lonely. As both go through a series of futile dates, we come to see that they would be perfect for each other, but of course, the odds of the two of them meeting in such a huge city are not good. The city has ways of putting up barriers between people, and the theme of the film is that successfully making a life in such a place requires physically and mentally breaking through those barriers.

Meanwhile, the camera lingers on the skyline and the individual buildings of Buenos Aires, gray and inhuman. The variety of buildings is endless, and many have blank, windowless sidewalls, called medianeras. These blank spaces are used for billboards, an ugly alternative to what could have been light-bringing windows, and many apartment- dwellers rebel by chipping through the concrete to place unauthorized windows.

Despite the urban philosophizing and beautiful cinematography, "Medianeras" does not demand to be taken too seriously. It's a fun, optimistic, romantic comedy which declares that, as one of the songs in the film puts it, "true love will find you in the end." Amen to that.

Sidewalls (2011)

A wonderful, heartwarming, smart and funny film. Anyone would like this, so see it.

Two lonely young people in two nearby apartments in Buenos Aries are everything in this fairy tale feel good romance. A romance where the two characters have never met.

The city is lovingly brought to life through its buildings, most of them ordinary big city buildings much like the two characters are ordinary inhabitants. And the title, sidewalls (which is medianeras in Spanish for this home-grown Argentine movie), refers to the tall and often windowless side facades of the structures, including many apartment buildings, including the two where our hero and heroine reside.

So what goes on? You see the almost painfully lonely lives of two really likable people, wishing they could somehow meet. They have similar interests, they live near to each other, and they are both looking for love. Small things happen in the movie, little asides, but really the whole things is just this gradual accumulation of expectation. They really should meet, somehow, cross paths and recognize their parallel needs. The audience is totally convinced they are perfect for each other.

If only life would comply.

Director Gustavo Taretto, who also wrote the sly monologues and voiceovers for the movie (there is almost no dialog), originally made this as a short in 2005, running at half an hour, and it got rave reviews and won a slew of awards. So it was expanded here, and somehow it doesn't seem stretched too long even though the idea is the same (and the same lead actor was used, with a different lead actress). If there is any drawback to the movie, however, it is a slowly growing feeling that there is just this one clever situation at hand and it needs to resolve, or end, or something, to keep the incredible magic of the first half going.

Not that it exactly flags. The fairytale aspects get slightly improbable (as fairy tales do) by the last half hour, but it's exactly what you need. And then it's done, a fun and funny gem. It fits into a category of independent features worldwide using small casts, young actors and simple bright ideas. This is one of the best.

This is a movie about life and solitariness in modern capitol of Argentina. Urban chaos, modern way of life and new technology keep people apart which was the first point of the movie and title "Sidewalls" is just metaphor for those things. Sidewalls describes main protagonists lives of loneliness, displeasure and endurance. In the end Internet unites them and sidewalls lost its purpose which was the second point of the movie. Maybe the end is in some kind of way like in Hollywood style but it is not very bad flaw. This movie has in my opinion artistic qualities 'cause production, direction and acting really worked here. Storyline was good as well.

A Spanish 500 Days of Summer mixed with a more urban and up to date You've Got Mail. I liked this film a lot. I watched on a whim, this being the first movie I've actually watched fully subtitled and I've got to say, personally it made the experience of the movie that much more enjoyable.(I think it added a feeling of being connected, seeing that there are people out there from a different culture feeling and hurting and living just like me) Now even though dialogue is primarily in Spanish, English songs are used and this also brought an even more familiar tone to the movie as a whole. I connected with both the main characters in the film. Their feelings of loneliness on the inside, yet, still going on with their day to day all while being mixed with their phobias, longings, quarks, and vulnerabilities. This movie works, it works on every cylinder. Beautifully shot and beautifully written.. Watching this will not be a waste of your time.

Martín and Mariana are slightly damaged people who live in buildings just opposite one another. Both are afraid of the outside world. While they often don't notice each other, separation might be the very thing that brings them together.

The film opens with a Manhattan-like montage showing the many buildings in Buenos Aires, a monologue from Martín (played by Javier Drolas) describes how architecture is the ultimate human expression and a mirror-accurate reflection of how we are – disorganized, contradictory, chaotic and disconnected. Martín states that his entire life is in his apartment: he works, sleeps, eats, has sex (with himself) and entertains himself there. He blames architects because they have designed the outlines of his life. Modernity has made our homes so comfortable that being outside and interacting with other people now seem daunting.

The characters are quirky but realistic. We are presented with their inner monologues along with animations visualizing their inner thoughts. It is never quirky for the sake of being quirky. Let's just say if Zoe Deschanel suddenly manifested in this movie, she would have been quietly escorted out by Latino security guards. No seriously, Martín and Mariana's quirks come from a real damaged place of hurt, heartbreak and a loss of faith in people. Something that felt really real for me was how Mariana likes to lean on a specific spot in her apartment -a wall besides the 5-step walkway up to her bedroom area. It does not look particularly comfortable or anything special, but she leans there and uses it like a place of safety. That hit me on a personal level.

Sidewalls provides a precise portrayal of isolation and loneliness and underneath asks some challenging questions. Why is all this interconnectivity setting us apart? How can someone feel alone on a subway full of people? Is love the answer? It might be the answer, but it's goddamn hard to find amidst all this interconnectivity. Suffice to say, Martín and Mariana do get to meet potential lovers and it is interesting to see how they play out and how it affects the two protagonists. There are many whimsical moments and I smiled through most of the film. It gets a bit dark at times too. Mariana purchases a mannequin and interacts with it in all sorts of ways and I hoped that her condition wouldn't worsen into anything darker. For that, I think actress Pilar López de Ayala has the meatier role. After this film, I think I have a new crush.

I liked what the film had to say about urban loneliness. I liked and cared for these characters and wanted to see them together. It's a nice charming gem of a love story. I would have wanted to see more interaction between the two characters, but maybe that's a good thing. It left me wanting more.

For more reviews, please visit my film blog @ http://hkauteur.wordpress.com

Its maybe strange to title the comment on this way, but this beautiful movie made me exactly that impression. Watching this movie from second grade European country was enlightening thing to do. It show me that on a different continent on different hemisphere on planet Earth, but in a same time, people live with a very same problems as I and my countryman do. Everyone become more and more isolated, people get estranged, while we more and more zip ourselves in our concrete beehives. And a exit from that darkness is simple. We need more light. Not of those artificial but those natural, God given, Sun light. There was a lot symbolic in act of braking a hole in a wall in one movie segment. Best recommendations.

As soon as the movie began, I was hooked. The gorgeous shots of the buildings of Buenos Aires had my eyes glued to screen. As the story began, I was welcomed into the lives of Martin and Mariana, two people living in isolation from the big crowded world just outside their door. With the comforting mood of the movie, I felt as though I was there with them, living a peaceful and quiet existence, completely cut off from the busy and fast paced world surrounding me. It was nice. I felt relaxed and at ease as I watched the two characters struggle with relationships, phobias, and just life in general. If I were to use one word to describe this movie, it would be beautiful, but not just because of the gorgeous cinematography. I thought the movie was beautiful because it was real. It told a story about two imperfect characters living imperfect lives in their imperfect homes because that's what life is, imperfectly beautiful.

The movie "Sidewalls" is very different from the movies I usually watch and to be completely honest I'm not sure if I liked it or not. I thought it portrayed real life very accurately; real like is sometimes slow and a bit dull. In real life you go through conflicts caused by others or sometimes the conflicts are within; depression, anxiety, insomnia, loneliness, etc, and I think "Sidewalls" showed that. I would prefer if the movie was in English, mainly because I focused on the dialogue and didn't see some of the detail that was put into a couple shots. However, I thought "Sidewalls" was filmed very well; I personally really like it in movies when there is a voice over with shots that complement what is being said and this movie did that multiple times. I really liked how the two main characters went to the same places, were connected in several ways (the chair, the crosswalk, etc), but they never met until the end of the movie. I think the director wanted this movie to accurately portray reality: mental health issues controlling certain people's lives, how the internet is ruining face to face communication, but can also bring people together, and how everyone, at one time in their life, will feel completely and utterly alone. I think this movie can be directed towards a wide variety; mainly teens-adults. I definitely don't think this movie is appropriate for children because of some of the content and I don't think most elders would like this movie, but besides that I think this movie is targeted to most ages. I think that "Sidewalls" was a movie; it did have some things you could learn from and say was "educationally", but I do think it is more for pleasure. Overall, I do think "Sidewalls" was a good movie; I would suggest it to a friend and may even watch it again myself.

Incredible work, Especially all architect students should watch.

Two young adults live lonely, isolated existences in modern Buenos Aires and repeatedly fail to meet each other despite living on either sides of a street.

Javier Drolas is a web designer living in a cluttered, one room apartment. He doesn't like to go outside and only does for his therapy appointments and to walk the dog his American girlfriend left with him when she returned home for a visit and never came back. He has a brief sexual relationship with a young, emo dog walker, but it's not very satisfying.

Pilar López de Ayala is a young architect working as a window dresser. She has a series of unsatisfying relationships and is happier relating to the mannequins she keeps in her apartment.

The film teases several meetings between these two, but along the way, muses on life in modern Buenos Aires, a city that has grown so fast that it's a mishmash of haphazard architectural styles and most people live in tiny apartments in giant high rises. The growth of online relationships and slow death of personal, physical ones is killing the romantic lives of young people like our protagonists.

It's a very slight, but quite engaging film. You never doubt that a film with this light a tone will end with these two meeting, but it's a pleasant journey. Gustavo Taretto telescopes his indebtedness to Woody Allen by having our protagonists both watching the climax of "Manhattan". This film is more like "Annie Hall" with a steady narration by both leads and a blend of many styles ... animation, on screen graphics and many other gimmicks are dropped in.

The poetic language of the film, the well-thought of ideas, and the artistic concepts are great. It's very brilliant and creative watching it only once wouldn't give it justice.

This film sidewalls was quite interesting, showing the lives of two individuals before they meet each other. What I think I enjoyed most was the shots they displayed of the buildings in the city, and different views and angles you wouldn't normally see, or consider. I liked how they showed their two paths crossing throughout the movie before they actually met, like when they were both standing at the crosswalk and their hoods formed a heart, that was cool. It was interesting watching a film in a different language, because it's not normally something I would do, and without subtitles I would have absolutely no idea what was really going on, which is the interesting thing about language, because to one group it really means something and you can communicate with it, but if you don't know it, its just different sounds. Though I found some of the scenes to be somewhat random, and not really contributing to the story at all, which is fine, but also a little confusing. The film itself was also quite saddening honestly, which I think was the point in a way. Showing the modern day sadness and isolation of the internet, "connecting" with others but not really connecting, and just feeling alone and depressed. It's definitely not something I would watch again, but I'm glad I saw it.

I watch this movie every time I fell sad and somehow it makes me see life in a more optimistic way 🙂

Although I only saw the second half of this film, the first thing that pulled me in were the stills of the buildings of Buenos Aires. I love cities, and I find the (still) shots very calming and satisfying. There was a sort of poetry to these shots, showing us angles and points of view we never normally look for, and the soft-voiced narration that accompanied them made me fall in love. It made me realize how little time I spend looking up/around when I'm down town. I got the impression that the characters were very genuine. The actors had a fantastic, very down to earth way of expressing the multiple emotions throughout this film. It wasn't stuffy, and they didn't waste time trying to make themselves look good; they focused on the emotion. I sympathized with them, and it didn't feel strained at all. Even though it was filmed in a different part of the world and in a different language, I believe many aspects of this story are easy to relate to for anyone who has fallen in love, believes in fate, or struggles with barriers (literal and figurative) in their life. There is not a large amount of actual dialogue between characters,which adds to the disconnected feeling of barriers, and is quite refreshing. The script is charming and quirky, with a subtle wit to keep the movie up. It is definitely a film you need to be fully awake for; it is the equivalent of coming across a particularly difficult "Where Is Waldo?". You look over the exact same areas again and again and again, but you keep getting lost in the imagery. Like Mariana, we all find our Waldo one day. Medianeras is an urban fairy tale for people who believe in love. Keep on chanting, those of who bear your hearts on your sleeves. Wear them proudly. This film is dedicated to you.

Even tho I only got to see have of this movie I did enjoy what I watched. I did also have a couple complaints. I liked this movie because I found it was very unique and it wasn't like anything I have ever seen. I also enjoyed that the characters were unique and there was details that added depth to them. At the beginning Martin had a monologue comparing people to buildings and he mentioned all these mental illnesses and said "I have all besides suicide". I also enjoyed that they gave a background story on both Martin and Mariana. What I didn't enjoy was that I found it was hard to follow in the beginning and I didn't really understand what was happening. I think that the director was trying to set a what we think life will be vs reality feeling. I think this because he did a good job showing that life will not always be a happy place and that people will have problems that they can't control. For example Mariana is scared of lifts and hasn't taken one for years. I think that this is directed towards teens and adults because it is a "tough" movie to watch looking at people with problems. There is also some nudity and those scenes are for more responsible audience. I think this is a movie because it is for entertainment.

Martín and Mariana are lonely Buenos Aires residents living next to each other without knowing. Mariana lives on the 8th floor but has a phobia about elevators. Her long-term relationship fell apart and she's isolated in her apartment looking for Waldo in the city. Martin is caring for a little dog that his ex left when she took off for America. She starts dating the dog-walker but she's distant. He spends more time online than in real life. Eventually, Martin and Mariana finally meets. This is a cold romance of two isolated human beings in an isolating environment. The biggest problem is that the characters don't get together until the very end. It's an artsy romance movie but not one of fiery passion. There is an artistic appeal but not necessarily a compelling watch.

sidewalls it's not a movie for everyone, it's filmed in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires, there's two main characters, Martin and Mariana, they are both single adults and they live in the exact opposite building one another but they often don't notice each other. despite loneliness, separation could be the key to bring them together. even tho this movie is mostly sad and depressing, in many scenes it's funny and hilarious and this helped this movie not being boring. in my personal opinion it's a good movie but i can understand people that says that it's boring because as i said, it's not a movie for everyone for this reasing i gave it a 7/10.