Sólo Dios sabe (2006) User Reviews

Beautiful and sweet love story that sadly runs out of steam during the last 1/4

[willden21 · 7/10 · 22 January 2006]

3/4stars This starts as a magical and beautiful film about love and destiny and fate and religion. Is there a divine purpose to our lives? Many questions are pondered in this loving film.

It starts out as a simple road trip film where a Brazillian student on visa to SAn Diego goes to Tijuana and loses her passport. Then embarks on a wonderful journey with a new found friend to Mexico City to retrieve another one. The first hour is pure magic. An absolute joy to watch, full of mystery, romance, laughter, and humanity. Then as the film moves it's scenery to Brazil it dives into spirituality and faith and begins to slowly meander while still staying strong, until the last quarter relies on overdramatized cliché which does not ruin the film, but does however slow it down and change the overall tone of the film.

Overall, Solo Dios Sabe is beautifully shot and edited and wonderfully acted by everyone involved, sadly as the film progresses the screenplay slowly fizzles out towards the end. Still many many positives leave this as being well worth recommending as a wonderful epic love story.

3 stars out of 4 stars

a very visually stimulating movie

[big_D_on_the_microphone · 7/10 · 2 May 2006]

I just saw "God only knows" yesterday at the SF Int. Film Festival. While it starts off slow and feels like just another weak tale of romance, it picks up later with a strong twist and delivers a heartfelt message. A very strong independent film, with wonderful undertones and beautifully filmed. After the screening, the director Carlos was available for comments and it was clear to me that he had a strong vision for this movie and that it was definitely a piece close to his heart. The use of clocks, water, and living creatures that bind the movie together was an excellent choice. I would love to see this movie again, but that of course requires it to get better distribution.

I found this movie disappointing.

[kittylee55 · 6/10 · 1 April 2006]

The beginning of the movie is the most interesting part and takes place in Mexico.

The ending of this movie is a cliché, a "disease of the month" type of movie. The moment the leading characters get to Brazil, they begin to get bogged down with problems, and the movie gets to be more and more of a downer.

The movie shows the outer rituals of the condomble religion, but doesn't explain the belief systems and the philosophy behind this combination of African religions and Catholicism. They should have done more research.

It shows scenes of condomble ceremonies, and of an island in Brazil where apparently everyone practices African religions.

Watching this movie is like watching 2 different movies. I recommended with reservations, as the ending is too melodramatic, like a Brazilian TV novela.

Quite well done!

[amwoods13 · 9/10 · 1 May 2006]

Solo Dios Sabe is, at its heart, a journey that explores love, romance, spirituality, and fate. The two main characters, a Brazilian-born art teacher from San Diego and a journalist from Mexico City, travel the same road from Tijuana to Mexico City to Sao Paolo, but their fates and spirituality go in different directions, intersecting for a brief moment in the middle of the film.

Alice Braga (as the art teacher) and Diego Luna (as the journalist) are revelations in the way they reveal the complex emotions that result from their journey. The chemistry between them is palpable. It is a joy to watch their journey. The cinematography and music brilliantly set the changing moods and tones of the movie. There are many subtleties throughout the movie that enrich the story, but might be missed on first viewing. The director, Carlos Bolado, is to be commended for delivering such a rich slice of the lives of the two mesmerizing lead characters.

Wonderful Film!

[Lucy_SoCalLatina · 10/10 · 8 October 2006]

I saw this film last night at the L.A. Latino International Film Festival. It was wonderful, beautifully created. I highly recommend this film to all. The film takes you across 3 countries, U.S., Mexico and Brazil. It is about fate and destiny and finding your identity. A young Brazillian girl does just that when she meets a Mexican wandering, lonely journalist outside a Tijuana night club. At first I wondered what the two can have in common and why they met. However, as the story unfolds one begins to see how fate has indeed brought them together. The movie is sensual, as the beautiful Alice Braga is captivating and real. The movie also touches on some Latin stereotypes which I found to be very cute and funny, as did the rest of the audience. The beginning of the film is carefree and free-spirited as the leading lady is and yet towards the end it begins to evolve into something deeper and complex. As an added plus, the movie has some great music. Julietta Venegas and Oto. For those who like their music like I do you will really enjoy this. If you have never heard of them, trust me it was chosen very well for this film and I know you will like it. So bottom line I give this movie a 10! I recommend it to everyone. If you are just looking for a feel good movie that is all fluff, well this isn't for you (sch as the lady who commented above) But if you would like an interesting movie that is real and thought provoking then you will like this a lot. Oh, and about the religious part. What they did reveal, about it was just enough. I don't think the Director would have had to gone into great detail in explaining the belief system, in fact I am glad he didn't or it would have taken the movie in another tangent. Everyone knows that we Latino's/Latina's have a foundation in faith and various religious beliefs, depending on one's country of origin. It was weaved in perfectly throughout the end of the movie. Can't wait to buy my copy of this movie!!!

A Jumbled Mess

[ahthepowerofcheese · 4/10 · 20 February 2008]

What I wouldn't do to give this film a re-write. Extra disappointing due to the great beginning, Solo Dios Sabe degenerates into a mess of superstitious bull after the halfway point and ends on a note so ludicrous, soppy and melodramatic I couldn't believe I was watching the same movie I started with. The film had numerous elements in its favor, such as chemistry between Diego Luna and Alice Braga so palpable I thought the screen would start sparking, a great soundtrack, and beautiful locations. Instead of ending with the heavy-handed religious mumbo jumbo, the film should have kept the focus on being a frothy road movie with maybe some undertones about fate and superstition vs. logic peppered through. I understand the director's entire intent with the film was to make it about religion, but the fact is that it just didn't work, and he threw away so much great stuff from the beginning by doing so.

A great movie, not for those who are writers of televisa novels.

[spicuzz · 9/10 · 15 September 2006]

First of all, this movie is great. It has a two-way meaning, plus the inclusion of a photographic story.

The problem here is that public must pay the necessary attention to it AND NOT TALK DURING THE MOVIE!!!! (I watched it on Guadalajara Film Fest 'n there were 3 Televisa soap-opera writers who didn't stop talking during all the movie!!! Obviously they didn't understand the meaning of it!) The beauty of this film is that uses the same wasted theme: a love story; but Bolado gives it another meaning, a reflection meaning, leading the viewer to a land where the exploration of the strange ways of the life are the fact that catches up all the attention.

Bolado also gives us a vision of different countries and places which is almost unknown, like the modern Mexico City or the tribes of Brazil, without forgetting the Rumorosa passage.

But most important is the fascination that Bolado portrays for different religions, and how they can coexist in the same individual.

Thoughtful and well-done

[AndrewYang · 9/10 · 15 September 2006]

I had the opportunity to see this movie at a personal screening, and I thought it was terrific. I didn't know much about the film going in, but I found myself very quickly drawn into the narrative and the characters. The film was shot very well, and used a lot of interesting perspectives and angles (along with some great natural backdrops).

I also felt special seeing this movie before it's released - when it's released you should give it a look. It's surprising and moving.

Plus I didn't realize until later where I'd seen the actress before . . . she was the young woman from City of God that the narrator had a crush on! City of God was one of my all-time favorite movies . . .