User reviews

It is arduously difficult to make a decent film starting from a novel by Almudena Grandes. Besides `Malena' we already have her novel `Las Edades de Lulú' (1990, Bigas Luna) turned into a film - one might say with more pain than glory. Grandes is one of those novelists coming up out of the post-Franco years, and though what she writes is clearly free of taboos, especially those of a sexual nature, her style and quality of writing is poor, to say the least. More or less bred on romantic rosy love-stories by Corín Tellado, Grandes simply puts in the spicy bits and adds her own sexual fantasies and frustrations for good measure. Thus we have both Lulú and Malena coming out of their innocent adolescency into being young women bent on satisfying their sexual desires at any cost, the price being their own self-destruction. And with no doubt, in both cases, Grandes seems equally bent on portraying rather cheaply her own would-have-been appetites. Her language is often crude, reaching extreme vulgarity, which in itself is not precisely appropriate for writing anything of a decent literary level. She is, of course, no D.H. Lawrence... Such that `Malena' might have been a considerably better film if it had started off from superior material. Ariadna Gil as Malena and Marta Belaustégui as her twin sister Reina are impeccable, though Gil was superb two years later in `Lágrimas Negras' (q.v.). However the story just seems to be a revamping of `Lulú' as the basic concepts of a highly sexually-awakened woman is the basic entwining thread. `Malena' wins by having better characterization and perhaps better directing, though this may just be a penchant of mine as I thoroughly dislike Óscar Ladoire in `Lulú' or any other film. And of course it has Ariadna Gil, perhaps the best actress in Spain today. In both `Malena' and `Lulú' one `smells' the inherent `antimachismo' displayed by Grandes; but peculiarly, it is herself who is inadvertently putting her own finger on her outdated concepts, probably due to the fact that a patriarchal masculinism governed her home in her infancy (see: Miguel A. Pérez Abad) which has led her to making men seem like `troglodytes' (ibid.). However, in neither of the two films does this convince, let alone succeed. Quote Almudena Grandes: <<The most important prize for a writer is his readers: it is the only thing that cannot be tampered with and never gets out of date.>> End quote. Yes, that may be so, but we must take into account that most readers in Spain do not have well-founded criteria with which to judge good, mediocre or bad literature. Hopefully Spanish film-makers will leave this writer in peace and not return to her for any further fantasious inspirations.

The life and times of Malena (Ariadana Gil) from little girl (played by Dafne Fernández) and teenager into adulthood , as she distinguishes herself from her rival older sister Reina (Marta Beláustegui) and relying heavily on the relationships among the main characters , a complex loving cobweb plenty of deceptions , pain , mistrust and lies .

This is a thought-provoking drama with emotion , routine plot , unfriendly family relationship , jealousy , profanity , romance including a lot of sexual scenes but also contains too much dialogue and many other things . Intense and heart-rending melodrama about a peculiar and suffering pair of unlikeable sisters . This tiring as well as dramatical story is a passionate retelling and a touching melodrama , adding strong sex scenes and nudism . Based on a bestseller written by Almudena Grandes , a successful writer whose novels are filled with sex and dramatic as well erotic relations among her personages . Her novels and books have been adapted to big screen in various films titled : ¨Castillos De Cartón ¨, ¨Atlas Geografía Humana¨ , ¨Los Aires Difíciles¨ , ¨Geografía Del Deseo¨ , ¨Aunque Tú No lo Sepas¨ and ¨Las Edades De Lulú¨ . This ¨Malena is the Name of a Tango¨ packs an uneven plot that relies heavily on the relationship among sisters protagonists Malena/Ariadna Gil and her sibling Reina/Marta Belaustegui whose interactions with Malena, her lovers and her children over time vary from the cordial to the unethical . Their interpretations result to absurd and lifeless , playing two unkind roles . Support cast is frankly good such as Luis Fernando Alvés , Isabel Otero , Alicia Hermida , Ana Otero , Susi Sánchez , Juan Carlos Vellido , Dafne Fernández , Miguel Palenzuela , among others . The main problem has to face , beyond not being able to avoid falling into a little interesting drama , it is derived from the coldness of its staging , excessive dialog and some slow-moving scenes . Because the story needs a vibration more real than the one offered in this sometimes dull as well as sad flick , though also develops some enjoyable moments . Anyway, it's is compensated with an adequate cinematography by Alfredo Mayo including spotless pictorial images and a willingness , almost perfect of the elements of each shot , every sequence , every space ; setting rightly the seventies and eighties . Furthermore , a sensitive and appropriate musical score by the notorious Antoine Duhamel , recently deceased , a prolific French composer who has composed excellent soundtracks and with a long career .

The motion picture was lousily directed , and without enthusiasm , by Gerardo Herrero . Gerardo is a famous producer as well as filmmaker . He was President of the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (1994-1994) . Great producer of big hits , being especially known for The Secret of your ears (2009), Sin Retorno (2010) , Balada Triste de Trompeta (2010) , Crimenes De Oxford (2008) and El Hijo De La Novia (2001). He also directed some good films such as ¨Silencio En Nieve¨ , ¨Corredor Nocturno¨ , ¨Principio Arquímedes¨ , ¨Crimen Galindez¨ , ¨Frontera Sur¨, ¨Territorio Comanche¨ , ¨Desvio a Paraíso¨ , ¨Al Acecho¨ and ¨Heroína¨ .