La sagrada familia, a review by Danae Cassandra
Where We Are: ChilewikipediaWhat We Watched:
La sagrada familia (The Sacred Family)Overview:A dinner guest turns a family's Easter weekend upside down in this sophisticated comedy drama from Chile. On Good Friday, college freshman Marco brings his beautiful new girlfriend Sofia to meet his parents at their house on the beach. Sofia quickly charms everyone, but her impulsiveness and honesty hint at her disruptive nature. When mother is unexpectedly called away and the trio are joined by another three of Marco's friends, Sofia's flirtatious, manipulative ways soon expose latent frictions, sexual tensions, and the unspoken rules that tie the family together.
My Thoughts:Hand-held camera, improvised dialogue, three day shoot; this is a film that shows its low budget and revels in it, using it to achieve a look that is like watching a home movie. It works well for this film, as it wouldn't for others. The cast all do their work very well, each inhabiting their character believably. Nonetheless, there's a distance between them and the viewer that makes it hard to care about them. The film is sort of raw and real, but also rough and in parts a little poorly finished. Transition in one scene in particular is very poor and jumpy, leaving the viewer confused as to how and what exactly happened. The ending is the same, while Marco comes of age and finds his truth at the end of the film, and there is some closure, his actions before that don't make a lot of sense either way one interprets them. Interesting film, however, but only recommended if you're a fan of art films.
Bechtel Test: Pass
Overall: 3/5
(From Around the World in 86 Movies on September 10th, 2012)
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May 25, 2024, 01:34:42 PM
