arsiete-2 Reviews

Simón Bolívar (1969)

Simon Bolivar as a Liberator

[9/10 · 3 November 2015]

Blassetti was great director. Known from his "white telephone" films in Italy. He dressed as one expects a neo-fascict director to dress, sort of golf pants and boots.

Maximilian Schell a fantastic actor. This is a film, which has been largely forgotten.If you can find where to see it's a must.

One of the best Simon Bolivar films.

The musical score is by the Venezuelan musician Aldemaro Romero. There are a few musical themes which have become icons of music on films.

The photography is by Manuel Berenguer, a noted Spanish director of photography and the use of graded filters makes the tropical skies look as they should.

I worked as an assistant director for the crowd scenes and learned lots from the other assistants and from the movie. I will always remember the director's orders, in IItalian, which I did'nt understand.

I recommend this as a truly, historically correct film, and the master acting Schell, Schiaffino, Rabal, and the Venezuelan Tomás Henriquez, al "Negro Primero".

El cine soy yo (1977)

A Venezuelan projectionist travels with his "Red Whale"

[10/10 · 28 July 2014]

Jacinto, a common man, a "moving man" becomes a film projectionist who shares his movies from a van disguised as a red whale. He is joined by a ten year old child and they continue doing their chosen job. Suddenly a mysterious woman is picked up by the side of the road. Juliet is a French lady who is traveling, just for the love of traveling. Now they have become a triumvirate, like; Don Quixote, Sancho and Del Toboso. The continue and their relationships become bitter, and one by one they leave Jacinto. He ends up in prison after his van is taken away by a judge. Later on the is let go and get to an abandoned petroleum town where he finds a mysterious woman. Jacint utters the word "I'm the Movies" in the worse moment of his life, but he bounces back and, on a horse, follows the red whale into the future.

El Manzano Azul (2012)

A city boy travels to the mountains to live with his grandfather

[7/10 · 27 March 2012]

EL MANZANO AZUL (Oligario Barrera, Venezuela -2012)

Olegario Barrero is an extremely sensitive director. With "Pequeña Revancha" one of his first features, he established himself as an astute and acute observer of people's actions and reactions in the midst a political environment...

This second feature, which concerns us, now, deals with a young man from the city, accustomed to be surrounded by cellular phones, games, TV and other pollution of the Social Network. The child is forcefully introduced to a "simpler", "down to Earth life" in the Páramo high mountains of the Venezuelan Andes. Although the rhythm of their lives seem to be nearer the soil, and "simple things", a conflict is erupts. A real state developer is determined to transform this easygoing paradise into a modern city. The rustic grandfather and the children fight back and win.

The greatest praise that I have for the film is overall exceptional acting: Miguel Ángel Landa, playing the grandfather. Landa has been one of the most prolific actors from Venezuela, but this role is different than when he plays, among others, cops, lowlife or military persons, etc. In this film Landa plays a more intelligent and caring person, full of the wisdom that age brings. His character has a great human depth. Gabriel Mantilla, the male child is completely believable and the spectator watches the change in the boy as he grows in the film. The young girl is also poignant and moving.

The direction of photography is by Cezary Jaworski, a Lodz Polish Film School graduate. Jaworski has been working in Venezuela for many years and has received many photography prizes and works within a style well suited to the story. Since "El Manzano Azul" is not a "realistic" film, the light comes from many sources, some not fully justified. Jaworski lights in location in a traditional studio fashion, but every frame is beautiful to look at.

This a traditional film well made and sometimes touching. I recommend that people go to see it on our screens.

De repente, la película (2011)

An improvisational film

[10/10 · 15 November 2011]

One of the more rare genres of filmmaking is the cinema of absurdity, which can actually be defined in various ways. SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE (De repente, la pelicula) is an absurd comedy, written and directed by veteran Venezuelan filmmaker Luis Armando Roche. New to the genre, this is an experimental film for Roche, derived from a script written 25 years ago. This is a passion project by a filmmaker already well-established in his home country, a filmmaker who has already had films play international festivals such as his 1977 film THE MOVING PICTURE MAN, which played Cannes Film Festival.

SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE is by many definitions not a traditional film. It's clear that Roche intended to break all the rules, a tactic perfectly acceptable by filmmaker's with as much experience under their belt. As they say, "you must learn the rules before you can break them."

I am not going to beat around the bush and get all fluffy by saying the film is perfect. By definition, it cannot be a perfect film because nearly the entire film is improvised. Yes, the entire film, not just the acting. Roche began with a script as his foundation, then took the improvisational concept we've seen so many times from Christopher Guest and crew (such as WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, or BEST IN SHOW) and applies it in full effect to a film about the horrors of filmmaking.

SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE follows a young filmmaker named John Loveland, played by Carlos Antonio Leon, who begins production on a film in the Amazon jungle, but when things don't work out, returns to shoot on location in Caracas, Venezuela. What quickly becomes abundantly clear, is that the film's shady producer, played by Roche himself, has no interest in spending any more money than is minimally necessary.

Production quickly breaks down into chaos, and crew members begin dropping like flies. As everything begins to fall apart, Loveland chooses to embrace the chaos and frustration of disaster and instead makes what can be an anti-movie, a film where every flaw, every mistake and setback is utilized as a way of making some artistic statement. What ensues is a series of slapstick mishaps and absurdist antics, from piñata props and beer drinking parrots to an unexpected homage to Bollywood. In fact, most of SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE is unexpected.

SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE is definitely a meta-movie, a film within a film, dually conscious of itself. While some of the humor may get lost in the cultural translation, much of it remains in tact for the American audience, producing laughter and even a welcome sense of awe inspired by the amazement of what is seen on screen.

If given the opportunity to experience this film, the best advice I can offer is to remember, everything from the acting to the structure, the story and even the technology behind the production are all improvised. For that reason alone, SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE should attract many a film buff as this off-the-cuff style of filmmaking is a rare cinematic experience. by Travis Keune - SLIFF, Nov. 14, 2011