An interesting Spanish drama with a double family story and experimental screen narrative that offers honest slices of reality.
The title of the film can mislead, as this is not a story on loneliness, but a bout family, traditional and non traditional. The first story, and my favorite, is the one of old widow Antonia -beautifully played by Petra Martinez- and her daughters, which depicts very realistically the sacrifices and self-abandonment of many mothers in Spain, who have lived their lives just trying to help their offspring and they are mistreated by them when they are old and fragile; the story is also a perfect reflection of the tensions, love, resentment, and backstabbing existing in many families. The story is straightforwardly told - "extroverted". The second, is the story of a grieving single mother, Adela -convincingly played by Sonia Almarcha-, who has lost her baby in an terrorist attack and has an unstable relationship; this story is full of silences and told in an introverted way as if we were Adela's neighbors , we knew her story but not what she's feeling and had to deduce that from what we see of her by watching her through her house windows. Although both stories are very different in mood and approach, they somewhat complement each other.
The movie has a semi-documentary style with a split screen, one of which is usually an empty space, a corridor, hallways and windows, that do not add anything to the story most of the time. I found that narratively unnecessary. On the contrary, the use of a still camera, with face frontal and/or lateral is very effective, as it helps to establish an intimate relationship with the character, to focus on the character and what is saying, to feel physically close to her.
The actors' heartfelt performances make the characters truly believable and real.
I did not like the beginning of the film, which looked as if you started to watch a home-made film half way its running. The ending was also disappointing and inconclusive.
A good movie overall, but a little pretentious.
The movie won three Goyas to the best film, the best director and the best new actor, among many other awards in Spain.
The title of the film can mislead, as this is not a story on loneliness, but a bout family, traditional and non traditional. The first story, and my favorite, is the one of old widow Antonia -beautifully played by Petra Martinez- and her daughters, which depicts very realistically the sacrifices and self-abandonment of many mothers in Spain, who have lived their lives just trying to help their offspring and they are mistreated by them when they are old and fragile; the story is also a perfect reflection of the tensions, love, resentment, and backstabbing existing in many families. The story is straightforwardly told - "extroverted". The second, is the story of a grieving single mother, Adela -convincingly played by Sonia Almarcha-, who has lost her baby in an terrorist attack and has an unstable relationship; this story is full of silences and told in an introverted way as if we were Adela's neighbors , we knew her story but not what she's feeling and had to deduce that from what we see of her by watching her through her house windows. Although both stories are very different in mood and approach, they somewhat complement each other.
The movie has a semi-documentary style with a split screen, one of which is usually an empty space, a corridor, hallways and windows, that do not add anything to the story most of the time. I found that narratively unnecessary. On the contrary, the use of a still camera, with face frontal and/or lateral is very effective, as it helps to establish an intimate relationship with the character, to focus on the character and what is saying, to feel physically close to her.
The actors' heartfelt performances make the characters truly believable and real.
I did not like the beginning of the film, which looked as if you started to watch a home-made film half way its running. The ending was also disappointing and inconclusive.
A good movie overall, but a little pretentious.
The movie won three Goyas to the best film, the best director and the best new actor, among many other awards in Spain.