Iris (Silke), a beautiful young photographer, flees an unhappy marriage and returns to her mother in a village in Spain. The Spanish Civil War is raging and this is a time when life often dangles by a thread. Iris's story is shaped by the twists of fate during armed conflict and the choices she makes as she tries to follow her heart. When capricious violence claims Iris's mother (Jesusa Andany) and the young woman takes refuge with others in a shelter during a bombing attack, she also takes comfort in the arms of Oscar, a handsome doctor (Gines Garcia Millan). She builds a new life in her childhood village, embarking on a passionate love affair with Oscar and forging a fateful relationship with Magdelena (Ana Torrent), a young nurse at his hospital. Iris enjoys but a brief season of relative peace and happiness, however, as her worlds collide. Her ex-husband, Julian, reappears briefly about the same time her new husband is called away to treat wounded -- and never returns. The old husband heeds the call to arms, and when Iris gives birth to her daughter,Agata, Julian's mother, Rosario (Martirio) enters the story to assert her parental rights, contending that a divorce never occurred. Iris' attempt to resist only results in unhappy legal complications under a system that regards adultery as a crime. Iris's struggles to reunite with her daughter (Aida de la Cruz as a child, Merce Pons as an adult), and to find Oscar become a trans-generational quest as she tries to fulfill her heart's destiny. This production, directed by Rosa Verges, is put over with earnest performances from a strong cast, but staging of key plot points is awkward, bordering on amateurish. Most American viewers, for instance, probably will cringe at the demise of Iris' mother. And the scenes showing the raging passion between Oscar and Iris seem overplayed to the point that they make the final resolution feel as if it oddly misfires. Even so, Silke is radiant in the title role and Torrent, as Iris's loyal friend, speaks volumes with her extraordinary eyes. Aida de la Cruz is enchanting as the young Agata.
2 Reviews
An uneven and slow film about the consequences of the Spanish civil war
ma-cortes1 September 2023
Iris (Silke), a beautiful young photographer, leaves an unhappy marriage to a wealthy man (Abel Folk) of bourgeouis origin and returns to her mother (Martirio) in a village in Spain. The Spanish Civil War is raging, then Iris meets doctor Oscar (Ginés Garcia Millán) with whom she falls in love. Later on, Iris gives birth to her daughter, Agata, and Julian's mother, Rosario (Mary Francis or Paca Gabaldón), enters the story to assert her parental rights, contending that a divorce never occurred.
Dramatic picture about the consequences of Spanish civil war , being realized with academicism and general coldness. Downbeat and at times dull film with acceptable performances .¨Iris¨ results to be other of the innumerable stories to deal with dramatic deeds regarding the Civil War background . A familiar theme about the global horrors of a fratricide war, impossible to forget to our cinema. Rosa Vergés , also writes the script along with the historian Jordi Barrachina, filmed in her usual formal and stylistic scholarship , without leaving a trace the thought-provoking issues, in terms of dramatic and narrative excitement . Including a spotless pictorial cinematography and a willingness, almost perfect of the elements of each shot, every sequence, every space; the main problem has to face "Iris", beyond not being able to avoid falling into the usual pamphlet is precisely derived from the coldness of its staging, which eventually become monotonous over 100 min of runtime. Because the story needs a vibration more real than the one offered in this slow-moving and sometimes boring film. Stars Silke giving a so-so acting as the beautiful woman with an unfortunate life that is immersed in all kinds of fateful events. In the nineties she was one of the best-known actresses in Spanish cinema, achieving some successes interpreting films like Tierra (1996), Km. 0 (2000) y Almejas y mejillones (2000), Camara Fria (2003), La hora Fria (2006) and her greatest hits were Hola, ¿Estas sola?, and Tuno Negro . However, inexplicably and suddenly she decided to live in Ibiza and took an anonymous life.
But anyway, its is compensated with decent performances from Ana Torrent and Ginés Garcia Millán, interpreters who provided a considerable boost to the result. Rosa Vergés is a fine director of actors and the main players are well complemented by a good cast of secondaries, such as: Ginés García Millán, Nacho Fresneda, Mariana Cordero, Fermí Reixach, Mercè Pons, Miquel Gelabert, Paca Gabaldón, Abel Folk, forming a powerful human group of men and women giving adequate interpretations. The motion picture was mediocrely directed by Rosa Vergés who attempts to pay tribute to the victims of the Spanish civil war. This Spanish craftsman is a fine filmmaker, known for: Boom Boom (1990), Tic tac (1997), ? Para qué sirve un marido? (1997), Souvenir (1994) and Iris (2004). The latter movie got some nominations: 2005 Nominated Barcelona Film Award Iris (2004) Best Film; Ana Torrent Nominated Barcelona Film Award Best Actress ; 2005 Nominated Barcelona Film Award Best Director, Rosa Vergés; Nominated Best Screenplay Rosa Vergés, Jordi Barrachina and Málaga Spanish Film Festival Nominated Golden Biznaga Rosa Vergés.
Dramatic picture about the consequences of Spanish civil war , being realized with academicism and general coldness. Downbeat and at times dull film with acceptable performances .¨Iris¨ results to be other of the innumerable stories to deal with dramatic deeds regarding the Civil War background . A familiar theme about the global horrors of a fratricide war, impossible to forget to our cinema. Rosa Vergés , also writes the script along with the historian Jordi Barrachina, filmed in her usual formal and stylistic scholarship , without leaving a trace the thought-provoking issues, in terms of dramatic and narrative excitement . Including a spotless pictorial cinematography and a willingness, almost perfect of the elements of each shot, every sequence, every space; the main problem has to face "Iris", beyond not being able to avoid falling into the usual pamphlet is precisely derived from the coldness of its staging, which eventually become monotonous over 100 min of runtime. Because the story needs a vibration more real than the one offered in this slow-moving and sometimes boring film. Stars Silke giving a so-so acting as the beautiful woman with an unfortunate life that is immersed in all kinds of fateful events. In the nineties she was one of the best-known actresses in Spanish cinema, achieving some successes interpreting films like Tierra (1996), Km. 0 (2000) y Almejas y mejillones (2000), Camara Fria (2003), La hora Fria (2006) and her greatest hits were Hola, ¿Estas sola?, and Tuno Negro . However, inexplicably and suddenly she decided to live in Ibiza and took an anonymous life.
But anyway, its is compensated with decent performances from Ana Torrent and Ginés Garcia Millán, interpreters who provided a considerable boost to the result. Rosa Vergés is a fine director of actors and the main players are well complemented by a good cast of secondaries, such as: Ginés García Millán, Nacho Fresneda, Mariana Cordero, Fermí Reixach, Mercè Pons, Miquel Gelabert, Paca Gabaldón, Abel Folk, forming a powerful human group of men and women giving adequate interpretations. The motion picture was mediocrely directed by Rosa Vergés who attempts to pay tribute to the victims of the Spanish civil war. This Spanish craftsman is a fine filmmaker, known for: Boom Boom (1990), Tic tac (1997), ? Para qué sirve un marido? (1997), Souvenir (1994) and Iris (2004). The latter movie got some nominations: 2005 Nominated Barcelona Film Award Iris (2004) Best Film; Ana Torrent Nominated Barcelona Film Award Best Actress ; 2005 Nominated Barcelona Film Award Best Director, Rosa Vergés; Nominated Best Screenplay Rosa Vergés, Jordi Barrachina and Málaga Spanish Film Festival Nominated Golden Biznaga Rosa Vergés.
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