En las estrellas

Fantasy and reality blend in this creative and poignant look at fatherhood, grief, and filmmaking.

Up Among the Stars is a great love letter to early cinema. With old-school, practical effects reminiscent of Georges Méliès and imagery that evokes a childlike sense of wonder, there's a delightfully quaint spirit to this movie-within-a-movie.

But it's true heart lies with Victor, a struggling father constantly chasing his past, and his young son, Ingmar, who bond through film and the art of escapism - both trying to protect the other from hard truths.

Strong writing and performances make these characters and their story feel likeable, genuine, and warm. It's engaging, well-paced, and while sad themes are explored, it ultimately left me feeling hopeful.

With less than five-hundred ratings, this touching Spanish drama is a great addition to the world of magical realism, and undoubtedly deserves much more attention.

It deals with a loser and distressed man called Victor : Luis Calleja , he is a vagrant without job , neither home, nor money who lives only with his child : Jorge Andreu . His only friends are a ticket clerk : Ingrid García Johnson, and the owner of a run-down cinema with no public . The washed-out Victor , while dreaming with his wife : Macarena Gómez, wants again to shot a movie , but going bankrupt , he asks for help a botcher director : Jose Luis García Pérez and his older sister : Magüi Mira, but both of whom reject him. Meanwhile , they are dodging social laborers attempting to take the child for a state facilty . Finally , Victor faces off the dark reality and uncovers the true enigma of his life while tells his child the terrible events happened in his past .

A fantasy film with plenty of imagination , sensibility , fantastic adventure , melancoly and surrealist dreams . The picture uses traditional sets along with computer generator special effects blending unearthy Worlds from George Melies , Segundo de Chomon and Dalinean scenarios . There is also a particular and enjoyable father-son relationship in "Cinema Paradise" and "La Vida Es Bella" style , taking parts of these films here and there . Stars Luis Callejo giving a very good acting as a bum with no income that is really affected since the death his wife and while dreaming in past glories and living improbable and supernatural adventures . Meanwhile his beloved son is finely interpreted by newcomer actor Jorge Andreu , he is pretty good as the rebel child named Ingmar -paying tribute to Ingmar Bergman- who is extremely interested in monster films and attraction parks . They are very good accompanied by a charming support cast giving brief but attractive interpretations , such as : Macarena Gómez as the grieving wife , Ingrid García Johnson as a likeable ticket clerk , Álvaro Roig as the unfortunate manager of a cinema with a stockroom plenty of celluloid classics that nobody pays to watch , Jose Luis García Pérez as an ungrateful filmmaker , Magui Mira as the egoistic and mean aunt , as well as others providing cameos as Kiti Manver , Fernando Ramallo, Carlos Santos , Saturnino García, Liz Lobato or the director himself Zoe Berriatua .

Being well produced by the great director/producer Eloy de la Iglesia and his wife Carolina Bang , in fact this "En Las Estrellas" is realized in the wake of Eloy de la Iglesia films , following his peculiar style . The motion picture was well written and directed by Zoe Berriatua . He is a notorious secondary actor and occassionally director, making various shorts and another feature film titled Los Heroes Del Mal. Rating : 7/10 . Well worth seeing . Better than average .

This aims to please those with a heart for fantasy. A heart for older movies and claymation. Nods to a lot of movies that used trick technology and a lot of crazy stories are being told. It makes sense with the main character being a film director and having had to endure a big loss while still having his son whom he tries to entertain and shield from certain ugly truths.

It's also a movie about denying reality - living in your fantasy or making one up that is, so you don't have to deal with certain things that are unavoidable otherwise. The acting is really good, the effects are good and the story itself is more than engaging.

I had no idea what to expect from this Spanish film when I found it on Netflix, but I am delighted to have done so. After a shaky start it slowly, gradually reels the viewer in and rewards us with a story of lost romance and father-son love. Victor, the filmmaker father, is one of life's likeable losers. His glory days are behind him but he clings to the dream of a final masterwork to seal his creative career. Ingmar, the son, idolises his father while simultaneously disliking his descent into drink and melancholy. The deceased Angela holds enduring power over both their lives. We are carried along with the Quixotic quest for the film classic that will change everything, despite seeing bleak hopelessness closing in on them.

There are elements of other great works here: some sets are reminiscent of Dogville; the sci-fi is a homage to First Men in the Moon, or even A Grand Day Out; the reverence for early cinema recalls Spirit of the Beehive or Cinema Paradiso. There are fun tricks with perspective, a joke about a diary in robot language "which, of course, the writer could read", and gentle slapstick in wordplay between Victor and a street homeless man, Victor and his sister, Victor and the truth. Ingmar hits on a novel means to escape school, and is spellbinding in a way few child actors can be. Some of the animation feels as if it was borrowed from a much bigger budget production.

For all its good points, Up Among The Stars falls just short of true greatness, although only in small ways. Maybe it won't change your life, but it will certainly make your day.

I found this movie through the Netflix codes site. I had no idea what I was in for. It took 20 minutes to start but it was worth the long set up. It's fantastical and it's emotional. It's a man who continues to hit rock bottom because he is grieving the death of his wife. The relationship between the son and father reminds me of those old 60s gems where it was all about the relationship and not the effects. This is a bare bones production with low budget set design, but it works. It's a charming story about getting back up when you keep falling down.