Tapas

Here in Rijeka this month we've got a month of Spanish movies and on Friday night it was great choice to watch one Spanish movie. I love Spanish movies so I had great expectations from this one and first time directors Corbacho and Cruz did great job in my eyes. Their story is so real and very simple. We're actually watching 4 stories about lives of ordinary people in suburb of Barcelona. Lolo is owner of the main restaurant in town and his wife (cook in his restaurant) left him because he never really paid any attention for her, only for money. So Lolo hires Mao, Chinese who is a great cook. Raquel is middle-age woman who is very lonely (because her husband left her), so she keeps some sort of relationship with one man on internet. Doña Conchi and Don Mariano are one old couple, that are hit with news that Don Mariano is dying of cancer. Doña Conchi tries to make his life beautiful by selling low drugs to others. She gets money so she can buy him everything he needs. César and Opo are two teenagers who only wants to have some good time. Their conversations about sex, Bruce Lee and life are great. Main message of this movie is love. Cause love connects every character in this story.

"Tapas" is drama with elements of comedy and I really recommend it to everyone who wants to hear stories about life and love told in beautiful simplicity.

This pleasant collage by first-time directors José Corbacho and Juan Cruz is made up of three loosely interwoven stories of various people in a Barcelona neighbourhood, with a tapas bar as the central location, where most characters' lives intertwine. The title not only refers to those small appetizers Spain is famous for, but also to the Spanish verb "tapar" which means to cover up, or to hide.

I found the story of Lolo, the bar owner, the most engaging. His wife abandoned him, he is full of prejudice against women and foreigners, cannot show his emotions and has developed a deeply rooted incapability of engaging in any meaningful relationships. He needs a new chef and ends up with Mao, a Chinese immigrant who's kungfu-ing all the time but is the most efficient cook he ever had and suddenly people are flocking to his bar because his dishes are actually really good now. Some of the insights springing from this story are a bit contrived. Lolo who's learning that not all Chinese are communists or illiterate paupers seems like 40 years too late to me, but somehow the actors and the low-key filming make even obnoxious Lolo seem sympathetic and near the end of the film, I really rooted for this man.

Rubén Ochandiano gives an exceptional performance as Ruben, a teen supermarket worker who engages in a sexual relationship with middle-aged shop owner Raquel (Elvira Menquez). A very talented young actor, a natural screen presence. I hope it ensues in more prominent roles in the foreseeable future.

It's all low-key and unpretentious, with sober direction and cinematography, but surprisingly effective. Many of its characters could easily have befallen victim to stereotypes but the cast does an amazing job to give this a real breath of fresh air. Hard to resist.

Camera Obscura --- 8/10

I've just got back from watching this delightful film at the London Film Festival. I have to say that I was not expecting a lot as I had booked the tickets on a whim, But wow! was I glad I did.

This film is a show case of everything good about European cinema. Characters that the audience really care about with a gripping story which makes you laugh and cry, all carried by an everyday reality. Everything lacking from much of Hollywood's output.

Essentially the story covers the troubles of daily life of 3 generations, the young seeking sex, drugs and rock and roll. The middle aged repairing or seeking new relationships and the old saying goodbye. However what binds this story is the way the three generations interweave and rely on each other to get through.

I found this a really funny, touching film and a genuine must see.

For an American, regularly exposed to American movies, "Tapas" is a unique and unusual experience. There are no special effects. There is no computer scenery. It is an Altman-like ensemble piece with closely related multiple story lines performed by the most talented of actors. The main characters include a middle-age divorcée looking for love, a bistro owner with a low opinion of the human race, two young supermarket stockers with party on their minds, an old lady who peddles drugs to finance her and her husband's declining years, and a Chinese chef. This is one of the most realistic and entertaining European movies that I've seen in some time. Highly recommended.

First of all: if you think sex with prostitutes and recreational use of illegal drugs are always bad actions, this movie is not for you. I'm not saying this movie is drenched in all that stuff. It actually is not. But it does treat these subjects as commonplace, at least for some people. And it does not judge them, even if it makes fun at them at times. I like that.

About the story and the looks of it: This is a movie that deals with some serious realities, mostly emotional ones, but with strong humorous overtones. I understand the story happens in a neighborhood in Barcelona, Spain, but it looks like somewhere the tourists do not know. This feels deep and warm. Very nice, in short.