I was lucky enough to watch this film at its premiere in Cannes, where it won Critics' Week, and I have seen it twice since at different festivals. It is a film that stays with you. Critics said director Antonio Méndez must be a fan or Reygadas but I reckon they are wrong. It is not easy viewing at times but long after you have left the cinema you realise the film has stayed with you and you keep remembering many scenes from it.
Camera work is slow paced, but I understood it is thus because that is the way the main protagonist would see his village after returning - the camera becomes the protagonist's POV: it lingers on every object and person and situation as Pedro's POV, the returned emigrant, would. The slow pace is shown as a conscious decision from the director to make the viewer feel what Pedro would have felt. And it works.
If you like blockbusters and Transformers and terrible actors like Shia LeBouf, this is not for you. This an intimate movie full of beautiful and truthful moments and real, amazing acting.
Give it a chance to sink it and it will.
One of the movies of the year and definitely the best movie at Cannes together with Después de Lucía.
I can foresee a very bright future for its young director. We will hear from him again.
Camera work is slow paced, but I understood it is thus because that is the way the main protagonist would see his village after returning - the camera becomes the protagonist's POV: it lingers on every object and person and situation as Pedro's POV, the returned emigrant, would. The slow pace is shown as a conscious decision from the director to make the viewer feel what Pedro would have felt. And it works.
If you like blockbusters and Transformers and terrible actors like Shia LeBouf, this is not for you. This an intimate movie full of beautiful and truthful moments and real, amazing acting.
Give it a chance to sink it and it will.
One of the movies of the year and definitely the best movie at Cannes together with Después de Lucía.
I can foresee a very bright future for its young director. We will hear from him again.