Some interesting visual motifs here, with several quite intentional scenes of low-key flames/fires - e.g. making toast on the hob, lighting a cigarette - and lots of scenes of mist and fog over the landscape, reminiscent of smoke.
I've never been to Galicia or even to mainland Spain, but to me this film feels reflective of odd quiet rural outsiders everywhere. People who might be thought of as dangerous (and sometimes are), but who are rarely malevolent. Social outcasts largely…
Sean Baker seems like the only filmmaker who can do this. Humane observations of modern people in all the messiness of their lives, warts and all, realist and not political, never making big moral judgements about it's characters or trying to tell us what we should think. I found myself really moved by this one during the end credits, and I'm not even sure exactly why. And the music at the end is perfect.
I think cinema/films can be a…
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
Really struggled to relate to this. I didn't really understand either of the main characters. I get that Kate feels Geoff may have used her to "replace" his old lover Katya - but I don't understand why she's so cold and jealous and unempathetic, right from the start of the film, about Geoff's very traumatic bereavement. Tbf Geoff himself is weirdly sketchy about it all - but considering the repressed pain of what he's experienced, I think I can understand…
Usually I think I can sense what others appreciate about a film even if I don't particularly like it myself; but I'm completely bemused as to why this has so many 4-5 star reviews.
It is quite inventive, and I think quite well edited in the "musical" scenes. The central romantic relationship is quite sweet, and I liked the rooftop shot at the end with the umbrellas.
But beyond that I just can't see what's so impressive about it. It's…
