I absolutely loved this movie. It addresses a difficult subject, essentially a minority within a minority, being a woman in a deeply male-dominated society, being a lesbian in a culture with strongly predestined roles of wife and mother and being a Gypsy in a white society. In all three aspects that define who they are, they are discriminated. In this harsh milieu, two girls fall in love. I found the movie positive and hopeful. Carmen and Lola were realistic, their love was belivable. The two lead girls were great despite being non-professional actresses.
11 Reviews
Conservatism, fanatism, and social issues.
danielponga16 November 2018
Exposing conservatism in cultures and communities with the example of the Gypsy community in Spain, repression due to religious fanatism and addressing social problems with hints of sexism and racism. Occasionally over-dramatized in terms of directing and acting, and somewhat stale in terms of screenwriting. Nevertheless, the film gives a very relevant and necessary perspective on regressive communities.
"Just like the movies"
jb-x1 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I watched this for the first time when it first came out in Spain and I was equally enchanted by this film when I watched it recently.
The cinematography is beautiful and every sound/silence fits so well. I really enjoyed the (perhaps overly explicit) symbolism of the dove for peace and emancipation which both closeted protagonists are searching for.
Equally, what I found interesting was their performance of romance with each other - as Carmen says on the coach at the end, it's "just like the movies". Interestingly, they seem to develop their romance through reenacting other movies. For example, the empty swimming pool sequence was very 'La Niña Santa' for me. Secondly, when Carmen laid her head on Lola's lap in the alleyway scene, this was very The Fault In Our Stars for me. Finally, the desire for emancipation and escape through going to the seaside was very resonant of Les 400 Coups - also linking with the fact she had just 'lost' her mother.
I was impressed, and overwhelmed, with the way in which this film built up in tension which made the family confrontation both shocking and very emotional. It is a controversial statement which addresses such homophobia in certain communities and I feel it presents the issue pretty well.
Overall, a beautifully constructed film addressing minority communities and 'taboo' subjects in such communities. I would absolutely recommend!
The cinematography is beautiful and every sound/silence fits so well. I really enjoyed the (perhaps overly explicit) symbolism of the dove for peace and emancipation which both closeted protagonists are searching for.
Equally, what I found interesting was their performance of romance with each other - as Carmen says on the coach at the end, it's "just like the movies". Interestingly, they seem to develop their romance through reenacting other movies. For example, the empty swimming pool sequence was very 'La Niña Santa' for me. Secondly, when Carmen laid her head on Lola's lap in the alleyway scene, this was very The Fault In Our Stars for me. Finally, the desire for emancipation and escape through going to the seaside was very resonant of Les 400 Coups - also linking with the fact she had just 'lost' her mother.
I was impressed, and overwhelmed, with the way in which this film built up in tension which made the family confrontation both shocking and very emotional. It is a controversial statement which addresses such homophobia in certain communities and I feel it presents the issue pretty well.
Overall, a beautifully constructed film addressing minority communities and 'taboo' subjects in such communities. I would absolutely recommend!
This enjoyable picture gives a very interesting and essential perspective on gypsy communities
ma-cortes21 April 2022
An interesting and relevant tale of love between two young women : 17-year-old Carmen (Rosy Rodríguez) lives in a gypsy community in the suburbs of Madrid , Vallecas , and works with her family in a street market . Like every other woman she has ever met, she is destined to live a life that is repeated generation after generation : getting married and raising as many children as possible . She gets engaged to Rafa (Juan José Jiménez) . But one day she meets 16-year-old Lola (Zaira Romero) , an uncommon gypsy girl who dreams about going to university , draws bird graffiti and likes girls . She also helps her family in the street market . Then , little by little , both of whom fall in love . Along the way they are overcoming obstacles that may be stronger than their peculiar romance . The love story of two gypsy girls ¡
An agreeable movie that shows life of the peculiar Romanian race by exposing cultures and communities with the necessary example of the Gypsy community in Spain dealing with the intense love story of two roma women , as they quickly develop a complicity with each other and discover a new world that , inevitably , leads them to be rejected and isolated by their respective families . It includes traditions , repression caused by ancient beliefs , religious fanatism , old habits , dancing of this gypsy ethnic and giving a charming sight-point , though at times falling in the well-worn , cliched and trite , providing an engaging vision of this race . Lovely , attractive and very languid in its style , and regarding thought-provoking and thorny issues , such as : sexism , machism , conservatism and racism . It is good reflection on gypsy life along with the beauty of the people themselves, it captures the Romanian life with a very precise and unique cinematography style . Stars Zaira Romero and Rosy Rodriguez who are pretty good , giving adequate interpretations in in spite of being newcomers and their short age.
This engaging and brilliant account was well directed by Arantxa Echevarría at her film debut , though accasionally over-dramatized in terms of filmmaking and performances . She previously made shorts as Don Enrique de Guzmán, De noche y de pronto , Yo Presidenta , El ultimo bus , Panchito , 7 from Etheria and a documentary : Cuestión de Pelotas. Being her second film La familia perfecta 2021 and following TV series as Días mejores (2 episodes) and El Cid . Rating : 6.5/10 . It got several Awards , Goya Awards , and other prizes as well as nominations in various national and international festivals . And even it received the ministerial applause , being especially recommended to promote gender equality . Decent and acceptable film.
An agreeable movie that shows life of the peculiar Romanian race by exposing cultures and communities with the necessary example of the Gypsy community in Spain dealing with the intense love story of two roma women , as they quickly develop a complicity with each other and discover a new world that , inevitably , leads them to be rejected and isolated by their respective families . It includes traditions , repression caused by ancient beliefs , religious fanatism , old habits , dancing of this gypsy ethnic and giving a charming sight-point , though at times falling in the well-worn , cliched and trite , providing an engaging vision of this race . Lovely , attractive and very languid in its style , and regarding thought-provoking and thorny issues , such as : sexism , machism , conservatism and racism . It is good reflection on gypsy life along with the beauty of the people themselves, it captures the Romanian life with a very precise and unique cinematography style . Stars Zaira Romero and Rosy Rodriguez who are pretty good , giving adequate interpretations in in spite of being newcomers and their short age.
This engaging and brilliant account was well directed by Arantxa Echevarría at her film debut , though accasionally over-dramatized in terms of filmmaking and performances . She previously made shorts as Don Enrique de Guzmán, De noche y de pronto , Yo Presidenta , El ultimo bus , Panchito , 7 from Etheria and a documentary : Cuestión de Pelotas. Being her second film La familia perfecta 2021 and following TV series as Días mejores (2 episodes) and El Cid . Rating : 6.5/10 . It got several Awards , Goya Awards , and other prizes as well as nominations in various national and international festivals . And even it received the ministerial applause , being especially recommended to promote gender equality . Decent and acceptable film.
coming out... a bit dated
ksf-23 June 2021
Zaira Romero is Lola. When her cousin gets engaged, it starts conversations about what gypsy women do when they get married and start families. But Lola doesn't want to be a housewife. She doesn't want kids. She wants to be her own person and go to school for a degree and have her own career. The girl she likes happens to be her cousin's fiancee, Carmen (Rosy Rodríguez ). They spend time alone together, but Carmen has doubts. Will she have the courage to call off the wedding and spend more time with Lola? This was released in 2018, but of course this was still a huge deal in her culture. A great performance by Lola's mom... you can really feel the pain as her parents yell and make a scene in the town square when they find out. Of course, most of the LGBTQ community went through this rejection, to some degree; some parents handle it with more kindness than others. It's good, if a little dated. Spain was the third country to legalize same sex marriage, back in 2005. Written and directed by Arantxa Echevarría. Showing on hbomax streaming channel... it won numerous awards at the film festivals.
The first film to deal with same-sex love in a Roma community
Red-12515 October 2019
The Spanish film Carmen y Lola was shown in the U.S. with the translated title
Carmen & Lola (2018). The movie was written and directed by Arantxa Echevarría.
The film stars Zaira Romero as Lola, a young Roma woman. (We use the word "Roma," but apparently in Spain they still use Gitana or Gypsy. The Roma in Spain use a word for non-Roma that the subtitles call "Whiteys.") Rosy Rodríguez portrays Carmen, another young Roma woman.
Carmen is settled within the Roma community, willing to play out the traditional lifestyle of daughter, wife, mother. Lola doesn't want to break from the community, but she wants to be a teacher, which is unsettling to her parents.
Lola knows that she's a lesbian. Carmen doesn't know that she even might have lesbian tendencies until she meets Lola. The plots starts at that point.
Both Romero and Rodriguez are excellent actors, and they are both confident and comfortable in the roles they play. It's a pleasure to watch them act. The supporting cast is excellent as well.
We saw this film at The Little Theatre, as part of Rochester's wonderful ImageOut LGBT Festival. Carmen & Lola has a pretty good rating of 7.1. I think it's better than that, and I recommend it.
The film stars Zaira Romero as Lola, a young Roma woman. (We use the word "Roma," but apparently in Spain they still use Gitana or Gypsy. The Roma in Spain use a word for non-Roma that the subtitles call "Whiteys.") Rosy Rodríguez portrays Carmen, another young Roma woman.
Carmen is settled within the Roma community, willing to play out the traditional lifestyle of daughter, wife, mother. Lola doesn't want to break from the community, but she wants to be a teacher, which is unsettling to her parents.
Lola knows that she's a lesbian. Carmen doesn't know that she even might have lesbian tendencies until she meets Lola. The plots starts at that point.
Both Romero and Rodriguez are excellent actors, and they are both confident and comfortable in the roles they play. It's a pleasure to watch them act. The supporting cast is excellent as well.
We saw this film at The Little Theatre, as part of Rochester's wonderful ImageOut LGBT Festival. Carmen & Lola has a pretty good rating of 7.1. I think it's better than that, and I recommend it.
Unflinching, polemical, romantic
dratodaiglesia7 September 2018
A brilliant account of the love story between two young women overcoming obstacles that may be stronger in this particular culture, but are certainly not exclusive to it. Those who accuse the film of racism and stereotypical visions should listen to the stories of non-gypsy young lesbians who have also heard their mothers cry and beg them to say it's not true. Excellently performed by all its non-professional gypsy actors, the film is definitely worth seeing.
Unflinching, polemical, romantic
dratodaiglesia7 September 2018
A brilliant account of love between two young women overcoming obstacles that may be stronger in this particular culture, but are certainly not exclusive to it. Those who accuse the film of racism and stereotypical visions should listen to the stories of non-gypsy young lesbians who have also heard their mothers cry and beg them to say it's not true. Moving, disturbing, and excellently performed by all its non-professional gypsy actors. Definitely worth watching.
Absoluty no chemistry
natasjanssen30 June 2019
It was a waste of story for me and some parts could have been worked out better like the parents part.
Also it was a hell to watch the actors having no what so ever chemistry in this movie and I can sincerely say that I probally would have liked it better without any of the romance.
I have no clue why critics rate this movie so high, maybe they are so stuck to be confronted with a "reality" that they are so out of, who knows? For me this was a really bad representing what such a story should be in a romantic way.
I have no clue why critics rate this movie so high, maybe they are so stuck to be confronted with a "reality" that they are so out of, who knows? For me this was a really bad representing what such a story should be in a romantic way.
breathtaking
lnbagget8 May 2023
This movie is perfect for anyone looking for a love story that will not only break your heart but fix it up at the same time. 'Carmen Y Lola' tells the story of two young gypsy girls in Madrid who eventually fall in love despite their families' religious viewpoints and societal expectations of their daughters. Their parents expect them to get engaged, get married, be a wife, and have babies for the rest of their life all while devoting their lives to God. This love story makes you really root for their romance to succeed, and takes you through their journey of keeping their relationship secret. You will feel the story tug at your heartstrings as they deal with society's views on a lesbian relationship and how they don't fit in with their expected roles set by their gypsy heritage. There is a lot of tension between their culture and their nonconforming relationship and relationship with their parents. As a sad yet happy film all in one, I would recommend this film to anyone willing to get fully invested in the story of the characters and fall in love with them.
Poetic
rsaavedra27 April 2024
Two women fall in love within a culture/community that condemns lesbians. Said community is moreover itself discriminated as a whole: gitanos (gypsies) in Spain.
Found the execution of such thorny abstract not only realistic, also truly poetic. Specially the very last scenes, to the very last millisecond of footage. Both visually, and also sound-wise. Measured, exquisitely beautiful, flooring.
Some emotional reactions and storms, as well as very spontaneous, joyful moments, feel almost like parts of a documentary. They ended up captured quite naturally, non-pretentiously. Surprised to learn afterwards that the actors (at least some?) were non-professionals. Many other movies with professional actors do not approach the level this one does. Imho it gives you that sense of having just witnessed a true work of art.
Found the execution of such thorny abstract not only realistic, also truly poetic. Specially the very last scenes, to the very last millisecond of footage. Both visually, and also sound-wise. Measured, exquisitely beautiful, flooring.
Some emotional reactions and storms, as well as very spontaneous, joyful moments, feel almost like parts of a documentary. They ended up captured quite naturally, non-pretentiously. Surprised to learn afterwards that the actors (at least some?) were non-professionals. Many other movies with professional actors do not approach the level this one does. Imho it gives you that sense of having just witnessed a true work of art.
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