Close Your Eyes (2023 film)

 

Directed by Victor Erice and screenplay by Erice and Michel Gaztambide from a story by Erice, Cerrar los ojos (Close Your Eyes) is the story of an actor who had disappeared on a film set where a TV show revives the case of his disappearance where those close to the man are forced to confront the past and piece together what happened. The film marks a 31-year return to feature-length film for Erice as it explores a man’s disappearance as well as the film that he was working on until he left and never returned. Starring Manolo Solo, Jose Coronado, Ana Torrent, Petra Martinez, Maria Leon, Mario Pardo, Helena Miquel, Antonio Dechent, Jose Maria Pou, Soledad Villamil, and Juan Margallo. Cerrar los ojos is a ravishing and evocative film by Victor Erice.

The film revolves around a novelist who is asked to participate in a TV show about an unresolved case in which an actor disappeared on set more than 20 years ago on a film the novelist was making that was never finished. It is a film about a man who is forced to return to the past about the disappearance of his best friend with many interested to find out what happened to him and why he disappeared. The film’s screenplay by Victor Erice and Michel Gaztambide is straightforward in its narrative though it opens with the actor Julio Arenas (Jose Coronado) acting on a film set, and it would be the last time anyone would see him. More than 20 years later, his best friend in novelist/filmmaker Miguel Garay (Manolo Solo) is asked to appear in a TV show to talk about Arenas’ disappearance as well as the unfinished film entitled The Farewell Gaze that Garay was shooting with Arenas.

The film’s first act is set in Madrid where Garay visits an old friend in editor/archivist Max Rocaq (Mario Prado) as well as talk to Arenas’ daughter Ana (Ana Torrent) and a former lover in Lola (Soledad Villamil). The film’s second act takes place in Asturias where Miguel lives a simpler life as he spends his time fishing, translating novels for publishing houses, and living in a trailer with his dog Kali and Romani neighbors. It displays a man who once had an exhilarating life with Arenas only to stop authoring novels in favor of a short story every now and then while preferring to live in anonymity with a few people. Then he receives news emerged from the people at the show about claims that Arenas is alive as it adds a lot more intrigue. The script does play a lot of references into Erice’s own life and career considering that his second film was only half-finished when it was released only to make a documentary 9 years later about an artist and spent more than 30 years making short films instead of a feature-length film.

Erice’s direction is majestic in not just its simplicity but also in the way he presents layers upon layers of ambiguity into the film. Shot on various locations in Spain including Madrid, Asturias, and the provinces of Granada and Almeria, Erice creates a film that is a somber and meditative film that follows a man coping with the past. The film opens with a scene from the film-within-a-film in The Farewell Gaze where Arenas plays a man asked by this old man (Jose Maria Pou) to find his daughter. It is in this scene where Arenas walks out of the camera frame and never returns to the set making that film unfinished. Much of Erice’s compositions rely on wide and medium shots in not just getting the depth of field into the locations but also to play into the different cultures of Spain whether it is the modernistic tone of Madrid to the more simplistic world of the beach towns. There are close-ups in Erice’s direction, yet it only plays into intimate moments such as scenes in The Farewell Gaze while much of his work has him using medium shots.

Erice also plays into the idea of the past where Garay’s time with Max has them talking about films in the old days and film projectors becoming nearly extinct while a scene at Garay’s home that he shares with his dog and gypsy neighbors has him singing a country/western song in English from a Howard Hawks film. Still, Erice maintains this sense of melancholia as it plays into regret when the film reaches its third act where Garay is given news about a man who might be Arenas. The film then becomes this study of identity where Garay would meet this man but with caution where he does not want to say anything that would be upsetting towards him but also for Garay. Erice also plays into the idea of what could trigger old memories as it relates to a picture this man is carrying as it is from the film that Garay was making. The film’s ending is an ambiguous one as it relates to the past with people who might know this man or had known him for a while witnessing something that is about loss, regret, identity, and the idea of miracles. Overall, Erice crafts a rapturous and enchanting film about a filmmaker trying to cope with the disappearance of his best friend and the past that continues to haunt him.

Cinematographer Valentin Alvarez does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its low-key approach to lighting up some of the exterior scenes at night along with some sunny and naturalistic look for some scenes at the beachside areas. Editor Ascen Marchena does excellent work with the editing with some transitional fade-outs to help structure the story as well as some rhythmic cuts to play into the drama. Art director Curru Garabal does brilliant work with the look of Garay’s home on the beach with the small trailer that he sleeps in as well as the hotel rooms he would live in with all its space. Costume designer Helena Sanchis does fantastic work with the costumes as it is casual in what many of the characters wear while the costumes in The Farewell Gaze are more refined to play into its look.

Hair/makeup supervisor Beatushka Wojtowicz does amazing work with the look of Garay as both a younger man in the 1990s and the look of this mysterious old man he would later meet. Visual effects supervisor Juliana Lasuncion does nice work with the visual effects as it is set-dressing for some of the film’s locations as well as scenes in The Farewell Gaze. Sound designer Juan Ferro does superb work with the sound in capturing the layers of natural sounds at a location including scenes on the beach or at the estate for the scenes in The Farewell Gaze as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Federico Jusid is wonderful for its understated and somber piano orchestral score that plays into the sense of loss and melancholia that looms throughout the film with a soundtrack that features available music on set whether it is tango-based music or the country/western song that Garay sings from a Howard Hawks film.

The casting by Pablo Ini and Pilar Moya is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Venecia Franco as the daughter of the old man in The Farewell Gaze, Jose Maria Pou as that old man in The Farewell Gaze, Juan Margallo as a neurologist Garay meets in the third act about the old man he meets, Helena Miquel as a news journalist in Marta that asked Garay to be on her show, Antonio Dechent as a gossip columnist in Tico Mayoral that Gary dislikes because of his thoughts on Arenas, Maria Granados as a nurse in Belen who works at a retirement home facility who believes that the old man who works there is Arenas, Petra Martinez as one of the heads of the retirement home in Sister Consuelo who is fascinated by the identity of this old man who works at the home, and Soledad Villamil as a former lover of Arenas in Lola who invites Garay for a drink as they talk about the past as well as lamenting over Arenas’ state of mind at that time.

Mario Pardo is excellent as Garay’s friend Max who is a film editor/archivist who kept Garay’s copies of his unfinished film while also providing some witty commentary about Arenas’ disappearance as well as saying a lot of things about cinema including a funny joke about Carl Theoden Dreyer. Ana Torrent is brilliant as Arenas’ daughter Ana as a woman who declines to take part in the TV special about her father as she is unsure about her father’s mental state as she is only seen once in the first and returns in the third act to meet the man who might be her father where she copes with his mental state. Jose Coronado is incredible in the dual role of Julio Arenas and the mysterious man called Gardel where Coronado provides this sense of liveliness as Arenas who would endure a mental breakdown that would lead to his disappearance while his performance as Gardel is restrained as a man who prefers to live in isolation. Finally, there’s Manolo Solo in a phenomenal performance as Miguel Garay as a novelist/filmmaker who was Arenas’ best friend as he laments over his friend’s disappearance and the past while confronts the idea that he is responsible for what might have happened. Even as he deals with the idea that this old man he meets is his long-lost friend where he ponders whether he should try to get this man to remember something or to just let him be as it is a somber and riveting performance from Garay.

Cerrar los ojos is an outstanding film by Victor Erice. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, and its compelling study of memory, loss, identity, and the idea of the soul. It is a film that explores the idea of who people were and who they are in the present as well as the idea of loss and regret as it relates to the past. If this film is Erice’s final feature-length film, then he goes out with a winner. In the end, Cerrar los ojos is a magnificent film by Victor Erice.

Victor Erice Films: The Spirit of the Beehive - El Sur - Dream of Light/The Quince Sun Tree

© thevoid99 2025

Thesis (1996 film)

Directed and scored by Alejandro Amenabar and written by Amenabar and Mateo Gil, Tesis (Thesis) is the story of a student who is writing a thesis on violence as her research leads her into a murder mystery involving snuff films. The film is a thriller that plays into one’s fascination with death as well as the culture of snuff films. Starring Ana Torrent, Fele Martinez, Eduardo Noriega, Xabier Elorriaga, and Miguel Picazo. Tesis is a provocative yet entrancing film from Alejandro Amenabar.

The film revolves around a college student who is trying to work on a thesis on audio/visual violence and humanity’s fascination with it as she becomes engrossed in the culture of snuff films following the death of her professor where she is aided by a film student who believes something is up about these films. It is a suspense-thriller that revolves around the culture of snuff films as a young woman deals with not just these mysterious deaths of these women but also who are involved with filming and keeping them secret. The film’s screenplay by Alejandro Amenabar and Mateo Gil doesn’t just explore a woman’s fascination with violence despite her disdain for it but also this subculture where violent acts and deaths are being filmed for the pleasure of some. While the protagonist Angela (Ana Torrent) is interested in watching these films for her thesis as her professor recommends one of his students in Chema (Fele Martinez) to show some films to her.

Once her film professor in Figueroa (Miguel Picazo) dies mysteriously after supposedly watching one of these snuff films, Chema would watch it himself as he would make some big discoveries about not just some of the details but also the kind of cameras that were used. While there are suspects such as a former classmate of Chema in Bosco (Eduardo Noriega), Angela finds herself attracted to Bosco which confuses her while she is also confronted by her new professor Castro (Xabier Elorriaga) about the motivation of her thesis. Especially as Castro is someone that is telling his students about the idea of giving in towards commercialism instead of individual artistic pursuits to help the film industry in Spain. It adds to this conflict of sort that is happening throughout the story about what these snuff filmmakers want to provide but also to see if the public at large would want to see this in this twisted form of voyeurism.

Amenabar’s direction definitely plays with the conventions of suspense and drama while adding bits of humor into the film. Shot largely in Madrid at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the film does have an intimacy into some of the compositions where some of it features medium shots as well as a few wide shots to capture the space of the classrooms. Amenabar also creates some unique compositions from the scene where Angela and Chema first look at each other as they’re both listening to different music as it showcases how different they are. Yet, their interest in film is what brings them together though Chema is someone who is more of a guy that loves horror and gratuitous violence. The usage of video cameras and the look of the snuff films definitely add something that is quite gruesome as Amenabar plays off into the element of suspense as it includes a chase scene but also moments that blur the lines of reality and fiction. Even in scenes that play into a sense of terror such as the scene where Angela and Chema go into the school library and find this secret room.

Amenabar’s score would help play into the suspense and drama such as his piano-based themes that would be featured prominently in the chase scenes while he would create some low-key orchestral moments for the drama including the film’s climax. Especially as it features many twists and turns into who has been killing these women and is there more than just one killer where Angela is caught in the middle as she plays the Final Girl persona that is so prevalent in horror/suspense films. Yet, she is key into not just solving this mystery but also cope with the aftermath as it relates to her thesis and what she had been intending to say. Overall, Amenabar creates a thrilling yet captivating film about a woman’s study on violence and her introduction into the world of snuff films.

Cinematographer Hans Burman does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of lights for many of the interior scenes such as the boiler room and hallways where the secret tapes are at as well as some of the scenes set at night and the grainy look of the digital video that was used for the snuff films. Editor Maria Elena Sainz de Rozas does amazing work with the editing with its usage of fade-outs and jump-cuts for some of the suspenseful and dramatic moments as well as creating some offbeat cuts in some of the snuff films. Production designer Wolfgang Burmann does excellent work with the look of Chema‘s apartment home that is filled with horror posters and all sorts macabre imagery as well as the look of the secret place where the snuff films are hidden.

Costume designer Ana Cuerda does nice work with the costumes from the casual look of Angela to the more grungy look of Chema and the more refined look of Bosco. The sound work of Ricardo Steinberg is superb for the sound work that is created in some of the snuff films as well as scenes that play up into the suspenseful moments of the film.

The film’s fantastic cast include some notable small roles from Teresa Castanedo as a news broadcaster, Olga Margallo as the young woman shown in the snuff film, Paco Hernandez and Rosa Avila as Angela’s parents, Miguel Picazo as Angela’s old professor Figueroa, Nieves Herranz as Angela’s younger sister Sena, and Rosa Campillo in a wonderful performance as Bosco’s girlfriend Yolanda who reveals to Angela about the workshop that was part of the snuff films. Xabier Elorriaga is excellent as Professor Castro as the new head of the film department who tells his student to make films and give the audience what they want while being very suspicious about what Angela is wanting to say in her thesis.

Eduardo Noriega is brilliant as Bosco as this very good-looking student who is quite creepy as it plays into his own intentions but also someone who knows about what goes on in these workshops. Fele Martinez is amazing as Chema as a horror/action film buff with a love for violence who makes some key discoveries into the snuff films while being somewhat antagonistic towards Angela in her lack of knowledge on film violence. Finally, there’s Ana Torrent in a remarkable performance as Angela as this college student trying to finish a thesis on audio/visual violence as she finds a snuff film that her professor watched where she finds herself entangled in a murder mystery where it’s a performance that has Torrent display a restraint but also a unique interpretation of the Final Girl persona.

Tesis is a phenomenal film from Alejandro Amenabar. Featuring amazing performances from Ana Torrent, Fele Martinez, and Eduardo Noriega as well as a thrilling premise and exploration into the world of snuff films. The film is a thriller that manages to very gripping but also with a sense of wit. In the end, Tesis is a sensational film from Alejandro Amenabar.

Alejandro Amenabar Films: Open Your Eyes - The Others - The Sea Inside - Agora - Regression - The Auteurs #51: Alejandro Amenabar

© thevoid99 2016

Cria Cuervos...

Written and directed by Carlos Saura, Cria Cuervos… (Raise Ravens…) is the story of a young girl who is dealing with the death of her mother as she also deals with changes in her family both socially and personally. The film doesn’t just play into a young girl coming-of-age following her mother’s death but also linger for her mother to come back as she deals with the social changes around her. Starring Ana Torrent, Monica Randall, Hector Alterio, Florinda Chico, and Geraldine Chaplin. Cria Cuervos… is a dazzling yet touching film from Carlos Saura.

The film plays into the life of a young girl and her two sisters following the deaths of their parents as they’re being raised by their aunt and mute grandmother while the young girl sees the ghost of her mother. It’s a film that is largely told from the perspective of the girl Ana (Ana Torrent) as it is set during the summer in their home in Madrid where she and her sisters rarely leave the house as they’re being watched by their Aunt Paulina (Monica Randall) as the girls are also tasked to take care of their mute grandmother (Josefina Diaz). Yet, it is a film that has a unique narrative since it is told by Ana as an adult (Geraldine Chaplin) who reflects on that period in time as she also deals with how much the death of her mother (Geraldine Chaplin) meant to her.

Carlos Saura’s screenplay opens with the death of Ana’s father Anselmo (Hector Alterio) as she then sees her mother as it is believed that she’s alive but once her narration, in her older self, appears. It is clear that it is told with a sense of reality and surrealism to play into Ana struggling with the absence of her mother as she becomes uncomfortable with the presence of her Aunt Paulina whom she feels is too strict. It adds to the sense of tension between the two as well as Aunt Paulina struggling to win Ana over though there are things that Paulina doesn’t know about her sister. There are also some ambiguity as it relates to the death of Ana’s father as Ana believed that she killed him as she expresses some guilt over what happened. All of which adds to the sense of melancholia that surrounds the older Ana who reflects on these memories as well as the brief moments of happiness that relates to the world outside of Madrid.

Saura’s direction is quite intoxicating in terms of the intimacy that he creates as it is shot largely in this house in the middle of Madrid with an empty swimming pool in the backyard. While there are some wide shots of the city of Madrid shot from rooftops to show a country in a state of transition during the final days of Francisco Franco’s rule as there are some allegories for what Saura is saying on a visual scale. The city of Madrid and the Spanish countryside represent a world that is emerging as well as old values that are re-emerging where Saura uses a lot of wide and medium shots to showcase this sense of freedom. For the scenes set in the house where Ana, her sisters, their grandmother, and Aunt Paulina live in is one that is very mystical and intimate as there are some unique close-ups and compositions that play into a sense of repression though Aunt Paulina is anything but a Fascist.

Saura’s approach to surrealism and fantasy is more about the sense of loss that Ana is dealing with as it is clear how close she was with her mother as there is a chilling flashback where the young Ana visits her ailing mother on her deathbed convulsing with pain. It’s among these moments that are eerie as it plays into Ana’s understanding about death and how she feels threatened by Aunt Paulina’s position in replacing her as a maternal figure. It also adds into the sense of growing pains as Ana wishes that Paulina would die or she would die herself so she can reunite with her mother. All of which has the older Ana reflect on not just the turmoil of her childhood but also reflect on death and how much it impacted her as an adult. Overall, Saura creates a very evocative yet touching film about a young girl coping with loss.

Cinematographer Teodoro Escamilla does brilliant work with the film‘s naturalistic yet colorful cinematography as it plays into the intimacy of the home with its approach to lighting for scenes in the day and night as well as shots set in the Spanish countryside. Editor Pablo G. del Amo does fantastic work with the editing as it is very straightforward with a few rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and sense of surrealism. Set decorator Rafael Palermo does amazing work with the look of the house and the look of the rooms to play into the personality of the characters living at home.

Costume designer Maiki Marin does terrific work with the clothes as it plays into the period of the times during the final days Franco-era Spain to play into the youthful personalities of the girls as well as the more reserved look of Aunt Paulina and the same dress that Ana‘s mother would often appear as a ghost. The sound work of Bernardo Mens and Antonio Illan is superb as it maintains that sense of naturalism in its approach to music as well as things that happen in and out of the house to play into the world the girls want to venture to. The film’s music by Federico Mompou is wonderful as it’s mostly low-key in its approach to classical-based music while the rest of the soundtrack features a classical piano piece, a flamenco song that Ana’s grandmother listens to, and a pop song that definitely says a lot about what Ana is going through yet something that she doesn’t understand since she is too young to understand the concept of death.

The film’s excellent cast includes some notable small roles from Mitra Miller as Anselmo’s mistress Amelia, German Cobos as Amelia’s husband Nicholas, Josefina Diaz as Ana’s grandmother, Hector Alterio as Ana’s father Anselmo who is sort of a philanderer that has a weakness for women, and Florinda Chico as the housemaid Rosa who knows a lot about Ana’s mother as she is the closest person Ana considers as a maternal figure. Conchi Perez and Maite Sanchez are brilliant in their respective roles as the sisters Irene and Maite as the two respectively serve as Ana’s oldest and youngest sisters who cope with their new changes in their life.

Monica Randall is amazing as Aunt Paulina as a strict woman who is trying to maintain some order as well as get to know her nieces as she finds herself being tested by Ana. Geraldine Chaplin is brilliant in a dual role as Ana’s mother as a woman who deals with her illness and troubled marriage and as the older Ana who reflects on the summer where she lost her father and coped with how sad her childhood was. Finally, there’s Ana Torrent in a spectacular performance as Ana as this young girl dealing with the death of her mother as well as the changes in her family life as it’s this very naturalistic yet exhilarating performance of a young girl dealing with loss.

Cria Cuervos… is a phenomenal film from Carlos Saura that features great performances from Ana Torrent and Geraldine Chaplin. The film isn’t just a unique study on death from the perspective of a child but also in how a child tries to maintain the memories and spirit of her mother. Even as it’s set during one of Spain’s most intense period where it plays to a sense of change emerging as the film is also a look into that change and how it reflects into the life of this young girl. In the end, Cria Cuervos… is a sensational film from Carlos Saura.

Carlos Saura Films: (Cuenca) - (The Delinquents (1960 film)) - (Weeping for a Bandit) - (La caza) - Peppermint Frappe - (Stress is Three) - (Honeycomb) - (The Garden of Delights) - (Ana and the Wolves) - (Cousin Angelica) - (Elisa, vida mia) - (Blindfolded Eyes) - (Mama Turns 100) - (Faster, Faster) - (Blood Wedding) - (Sweet Hours) - (Antonieta) - (Carmen (1983 film)) - (Los Zancos) - (El amor brujo) - (El Dorado (1988 film)) - (The Dark Night) - (Ay Carmela!) - (The South) - (Marathon) - (Sevillanas) - (Outrage) - (Flamenco) - (Taxi (1996 film)) - (Little Bird) - (Tango) - (Goya in Bordeaux) - (Bunuel and King Solomon’s Table) - (Salome) - (The 7th Day) - (Iberia) - (Fados) - (I, Don Giovanni) - (Flamenco, Flamenco)

© thevoid99 2015

The Spirit of the Beehive

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 10/31/08.

When Mexican director Guillermo del Toro released the widely acclaimed film El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth) in 2006, del Toro acknowledged the influence of Spanish director Victor Erice. Though he's only made three feature films in his entire career, he is considered to be one of the influential Spanish film directors to come out of that country since Luis Bunuel. In 1973, Erice released his seminal debut feature about a six-year-old girl whose life would change after seeing the film Frankenstein in her rural small town entitled El Espiritu de la Colmena (The Spirit of the Beehive).

Directed by Victor Erice with a script he co-wrote with Angel Fernandez Santos and Francisco J. Querejeta , El Espiritu de la Colmena is about a young girl in 1940 rural Spain whose life would change when she sees a screening of Frankenstein as she becomes possessed by its images. Set after the Spanish Civil War, the film explores the development of a young girl as her perception of reality blurs. Starring Ana Torrent, Fernando Fernan Gomez, Teresa Gimpera, and Isabel Telleria. El Espiritu de la Colmena is a gorgeous yet haunting film from Victor Erice.

It's 1940 in rural Spain where a truck is carrying some movies to play at the local city hall to an excited group of children. The film to played for the day is James Whale's Frankenstein as adults and children watch the film. Transfixed by its images is a shy, six-year old girl named Ana (Ana Torrent). Along with her older sister Isabel (Isabel Telleria), they see this film while their mother Teresa (Teresa Gimpera) writes a letter to a long-lost lover she had many years ago. The girls' father Fernando (Fernando Fernan Gomez) is an aging beekeeper which he often writes about. Later that night, Ana asks her sister about the Frankenstein monster where Isabel reveals that it's no monster but a spirit.

Ana's curiosity that the monster could be real leads her and Isabel to an abandoned sheepfold where they believe the monster lives in there. Yet, Ana finds a footprint as her curiosity increases. During a day with their father, they learn a lesson about mushrooms as Ana is given a lesson about life and its fallacies. When Isabel plays a trick on Ana, Ana's fascination over the monster ends up taking Isabel's prank seriously until she realize it was a prank. Ana's idea of fantasy and reality blurs when a fugitive soldier (Juan Margallo) arrives into the sheepfold. Ana befriends the man through silent dialogue but he is suddenly killed by some soldiers. Ana returns to the sheepfold where she's shocked in what she sees as her idea of fantasy and reality is blurred even more right to the end.

The film is just a simple tale about a young girl transfixed by a film and her fascination with the world of spiritual beings. It's also a film about life and death in all of its mysteries. While the film isn't very plot driven, it's more about curiosity from the mind of a young girl and how she's enamored with this film. Victor Erice and co-writer Angel Fernandez Santos create a story that's about a child being enamored by all of these ideas of spiritual beings and death. While the script is more loose in its storytelling, Erice's directing is truly superb and imaginative.

While some might compare him to reknowned American auteur Terrence Malick both visually and on a personal level considering that both directors don't make films very frequently. Erice, like Malick, creates natural images and shots of huge landscapes to create a feel that is gorgeous with a pacing style that's elliptical in letting the story unfold for its characters. Unlike Malick, Erice is more in tune with a spiritual tale as he, like the character of Ana, prefers to remain curious in what might happen. With a lot of long shots and gorgeous compositions, Erice creates a film that is truly magical and haunting.

Cinematographer Luis Cuadrado, who was going blind during production, creates a gorgeous look with naturalistic, colorful exterior shots that are wide and epic in its imagery. The interior look with the use of the sun and lights are awashed with sepia colors and shading as the cinematography is truly exquisite to look at in every frame. Editor Pablo Gonzalez del Amo creates amazing work in the editing with uses of jump cuts, dissolves from day to night in some sequences, and smooth transitions to give the film a fluid, transcendental feel. Art director Jaime Chavarri and set decorator Aldolfo Cofino create a great look at the home of Ana and Isabel in its natural, Spanish-tile look. Costume designer Peris does excellent work with the film's costume to give it a 1940s look and feel that matches the look of the entire film.

Makeup artist Ramon de Diego does excellent work in creating makeup for the look of the monster that Ana seems intrigued by late into the film. Sound effects team Luis Castro and Jean Michel Sire create unique sound work for horror and dramatic tension to help with the film's eerie mood. The music of Luis de Pablo is brilliant in its melodic, flute-driven score to play up the film's sense of innocence and haunting tone with other woodwinds.

The cast is excellent with notable small roles from Estanis Gonzalez as the chief inspector, Miguel Picazo as the doctor, Laly Soldevila as the girls' schoolteacher, Ketty de la Camara as the maid, Juan Margallo as the fugitive, and playing the monster near the end of the film is Jose Villasante. Teresa Gimpera is excellent as the girls' mother who seems to be longing for a lost love as she drifts into her fantasy world while being devoted to her husband. Isabel Telleria is great as the older sister who increases Ana's intrigue in the supernatural while trying to play a prank on her that only furthers Ana's interest. Fernando Fernan Gomez is superb as the father who shows Ana and Isabel the fallacy about life and death as he examines his own world of beehives and nature.

The film's best performance is Ana Torrent as Ana, the girl who is intrigued by the film Frankenstein. Torrent's performance is amazing for a young girl as her observant and innocent curiosity drives the film as she takes the audience into a journey. With very little dialogue, her performance is mesmerizing from start to finish as it's clear that it's the heart of the film as Torrent brings a performance like no other. It should also be noted that she helped create the film's opening credit sequence of children's drawings as well.

El Espiritu de la Colmena is a gorgeous, haunting, and imaginative film from Victor Erice. Fans of Spanish cinema will no doubt consider this essential while those new to Spain's great film work will see this as a great introduction. Audiences intrigued by some of the art films of Guillermo del Toro will see where he gets his influence. Thanks to a great cast led by Ana Torrent along with exquisite cinematography and a mesmerizing film score. El Espiritu de la Colmena is a film that revels in the power of imagination from the mind of a child.

Victor Erice Films: El Sur - Dream of Light - Close Your Eyes

© thevoid99 2011

The Other Boleyn Girl

Originally Written and Posted on 3/2/08 w/ Additional Edits.

 

In the 16th Century, Henry VIII ruled England while he was known more for having six wives during his reign. The most famous wife of them all was his second Anne Boleyn who would later be beheaded in an accusation of adultery in 1536 three years after she became queen. During those years, she gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth I who would be raised by Anne's sister Mary. The story of Anne Boleyn was then told from another perspective by novelist Phillippa Gregory from her sister Mary in the book entitled The Other Boleyn Girl. The book was a success as it's now become a film adaptation in the same name.

The Other Boleyn Girl tells the story of Anne and Mary Boleyn's relationship as sisters until they're met by Henry VIII. When Mary is chosen over Anne, she becomes the king’s mistress until Anne gets his attention and a rivalry ensues between the two sisters. Directed by Justin Chadwick with a screenplay by Peter Morgan of The Queen fame, the film is a dramatic re-telling on one of the greatest affairs in English history. Playing the title role of Mary Boleyn is Scarlett Johansson and as Anne Boleyn, Natalie Portman. With Eric Bana in the role of Henry VIII, the film also stars Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jim Sturgess, Juno Temple, and Ana Torrent. The Other Boleyn Girl is a superb though by-the-books period drama from Justin Chadwick and screenwriter Peter Morgan.

It's Mary Boleyn's wedding day as she is set to wed William Carey (Benedict Cumberbatch) with her older sister Anne and younger brother George (Jim Sturgess) watching. With their parents Sir Thomas Boleyn (Mark Rylance) and Lady Elizabeth Boleyn (Kristin Scott Thomas) watching as well, arriving to the wedding is Elizabeth's brother The Duke of Norfolk (David Morrissey) who tells Thomas news of the king's dissatisfaction with his wife Queen Katherine of Aragon (Ana Torrent), who could no longer bear children, let alone a son. With King Henry VIII losing interest in the queen, he seeks a mistress as Anne is suggested to be in the running. Though Elizabeth isn’t happy by the news, Anne reluctantly decides to take the chance in being the king's new mistress as well as a lady-in-waiting for the queen.

Henry arrives to meet the Boleyns as he catches the eye of Anne where she tries to impress with horseback riding. Unfortunately, Anne managed to get the king injured as he meets Mary who nurses him. Mary suddenly is set to become the new mistress as well as lady-in-waiting with William Carey given a position to work with the king and Duke of Norfolk. Mary reluctantly takes part as she has an encounter with the queen as she finds herself satisfying the king in many ways. Anne meanwhile, elopes with Henry Percy (Oliver Coleman) that gets her and the family in trouble as she is sent to France in exile. With George also set to be married to one of the king's lady-in-waiting in Jane Parker (Juno Temple), things look good for the Boleyns when Mary finds herself pregnant. With Mary now forced to lie in bed, Anne returns from exile as she charms the king while rejecting his gifts in order to maintain his attention towards Mary.

Mary eventually, gives birth to a boy but Anne's ambitions to have Henry's heart and such manages to have Henry ignore the newborn boy as well as Mary. Anne's charms wins over Henry with Mary now set to live in the country with her son while no longer married to William Carey. When troubles arises for Henry's desire to divorce Katherine and have Anne as his new queen, Mary returns to help Anne in her bid. When Henry makes the decision to break from the Catholic Church and form his own, he gets his divorce and Anne Boleyn becomes the new Queen of England. Yet, her plan to give birth to a son falters when she ends up giving birth to a girl named Elizabeth. When Anne makes attempts to give Henry a son, he starts to have his attention towards Jane Seymour (Corrine Galloway). Anne seeks help from Mary and George about getting a son as Mary decides she wants out. Joining her is William Stafford (Eddie Redmayne) who had long desired her as the two move to the country.

When Anne is suddenly accused of treason with George also indicted on the crime, Mary returns to London to help out her siblings. Mary makes a final plea for the king to spare her sister as the Boleyn family falls apart with the girls' mother distraught over what her husband and brother had done.

While the film doesn't have a serious approach to historical contents while not telling the audience when exactly the events in the film occurs. It does faithfully tell about Henry VIII's affairs with Anne Boleyn while taking on the perspective of Mary Boleyn. Credit goes to screenwriter Peter Morgan for delving into the film's historical approach as well as the love triangle between Henry VIII and the Boleyn sisters. While Anne Boleyn is portrayed as an ambitious, bitchy character, Mary is her opposite as a simple, shy character where the two seems to have something to offer to Henry VIII. The perspective of characters as well as the rest of the Boleyn family is wonderfully portrayed, particularly of Lady Elizabeth Boleyn who is forced to watch her daughters be treated like objects.

Director Justin Chadwick does a solid job in capturing the drama and atmosphere of the period. While nothing about the filmmaking is groundbreaking, Chadwick does deserve credit for creating a grand film that is true to the period-drama genre while delving into some amazing scenes for its drama and the tone of the times. Not everything Chadwick does is great, notably the love scenes as he emphasizes on styles that includes blurry shots that doesn't work. Chadwick falters in that while the suspense of something very dramatic that is to come lacks momentum. Still, despite its flaws, the film is a good period-drama.

Cinematographer Kieran McGuigan does an excellent job with the film's colorful tone in its exterior settings with the sunlight to convey the moods of the film. Some of the nighttime, darker scenes with elements of blue lights and shading is lovely to watch though it's not really much to get excited about. Editors Paul Knight and the legendary Carol Littleton does some wonderful work in the film's leisurely pacing while utilizing jump-cuts for some of the film’s dramatic exchanges between characters. Production designer John Paul Kelly, set decorator Sara Wan, and art director David Allday do an excellent job with the film's look of the interior homes with the look of chairs, tablecloths, and beds.

Sandy Powell's costume designs are wonderfully exquisite to the design of the dresses for the Boleyn sisters, Henry VIII's clothing, and the look of the period itself. Powell's work is truly superb as it is authentic to the look and feel of the 16th Century. Sound editor Julian Slater and mixers Ed Coyler and John Casali do excellent work in creating an atmosphere of the times including some of the film’s dramatic scenes that included a layering of an argument between Henry and Anne while the scene is showing Mary taking care of baby Elizabeth. The music of Ed Shearmur is wonderfully subtle with bass-heavy orchestration to convey the film's sense of drama without any epic arrangements and such.

The cast assembled by Karen Lindsay-Stewart is superb with appearances from Daisy Doidge-Hill, Kizzy Fassett, and Finton Reilly as the young Anne, Mary, and George Boleyn, respectively along with Alfie Allen as the king's messenger and Corrine Galloway as Henry's soon-to-be third wife Jane Seymour. From the Joe Wright adaptation of Atonement, supporting actors Benedict Cumberbatch as William Carey and Juno Temple as Jane Parker are excellent in their roles while Temple has a bigger role as George Boleyn's wife whom George doesn't seem to like very much. Oliver Coleman and Eddie Redmayne as the respective lovers of Anne and Mary are excellent with Redmayne in a bigger role as a man who desired Mary while sympathizing with her role in court.

Spanish actress Ana Torrent is excellent as Katherine of Aragon who intimidates Mary while having a presence that is very regal as she has a wonderful, subtle confrontation with Natalie Portman. David Morrissey is also great as the ambitious, conniving Duke of Norfolk whose connection to the king only causes trouble with his family as he is a character that cares more about prestige than family. Mark Rylance is brilliant as the ambitious Thomas Boleyn who decides to have his daughters become the king's mistresses hoping to ensure a prestigious position for him. Kristin Scott Thomas is superb as Lady Boleyn who is more concerned about her daughters' happiness instead of wealth as she is forced to see her family disintegrate. Thomas' scene where her anger at her husband and brother is just powerful.

Jim Sturgess is wonderful as George Boleyn, the loyal brother of Anne and Mary who hopes to protect them until he's forced to do something for Anne as he becomes confused and hurt. Eric Bana is okay but not great as Henry the VIII. The restraint and lack of heavy emotions makes the character of Henry the VIII very dull. Even when he has to be compared to Jonathan Rhys-Meyers of The Tudors mini-series.  Henry the VIII is supposed to be a man that is big and full of himself as Bana doesn't really do anything but sit around and just give orders.  It's a really uninspiring performance though there's moments where he can be romantic but doesn't exude the sexuality of the young Henry the VIII.

The film's best performances goes to the double-power combo of Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, where if they were one, they'd be called Scartalie Porthansson. Portman's witty, sly, charming performance as Anne Boleyn as she exudes sexiness while using her smiles and giggles to win everyone. While her British accent isn't perfect, Portman makes up for it with her winning performance as her dramatic work is superb. After a series of lackluster films and performances, Scarlett Johansson delivers her strongest performance since 2004's A Love Song for Bobby Long. Using her minimalist approach to performance, Johansson brings subtlety and grace to her performance as Mary Boleyn. While Johansson has often been known for her beauty, that becomes second as her portrayal of the shy, innocent Mary is amazing as Johansson delves into the pain and confusion of her sister's ambitions as well as her role.

While both actresses manage to hold their own against Eric Bana, it's the scenes when they're together that's just dynamite. The two actresses seem to be in ease with other while displaying a masterful sense of drama as the two fight and comfort each other in powerful some powerful scenes. Both are great at crying but the two of them cry together, overwhelming.

While it's not a perfect film, The Other Boleyn Girl is still an enjoyable period film that's entertaining and engaging. Thanks to the double-powerhouse combo of Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson with wonderful support from Jim Sturgess, and Kristin Scott Thomas. It's a film that history buffs might seem to enjoy once they don't take some of the historical context to seriously. Fans of both Portman and Johansson will no doubt consider their performances to be essential among their respective filmography. More importantly, the film is a showcase for the two as they show some of Hollywood's more well-known, lesser-talented young actresses how it's done. So in the end, The Other Boleyn Girl is a very good though flawed period film that is watchable thanks to the acting talents of Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson.

(C) thevoid99 2010