MovieChat Forums > Luna de Avellaneda (2004) Discussion > Overrated

Overrated

posted 19 years ago by harinordo
16 replies | jump to latest

It’s amazing how overrated “Luna de Avellaneda” has become, at least in Argentina.

The plot depicts the story of a sports club in a Buenos Aires after the financial crisis Argentina suffered in December 2001, and of those people who try to save it from being closed in order to built a sort of Mall (think of Wall-Mart).

The story yields different situations among the characters that have in common the administration of the club.

The movie itself tries to portrait how difficult life is for the middle class in Argentina and it is THERE where it falls foul. The ways the situations are dealt are too childish, not to mention shallow, instead of a more matured approach. You can’t expect much from a movie made by POL-KA (basically the biggest mainstream producer of the country), but I was hoping to find something else rather than a group of actors throwing a collective tantrum to the economical misfortune of the country.

Far better movies have been made under similar “difficult” framework. For a local example, think of “Made In Argentina” where a family, who has left the country during the last Coup d’Etat, returns during democracy to visit their parents & friends.

I would recommend this movie instead of “Luna de Avellaneda” for anyone who seeks for Argentinean films.

[–] estebanfr_87 18 years ago

Me encantó tu comentario, me di cuenta de que a todos les gusta Luna de avellaneda porque es una fábula socialista que no va más allá de la simple transformación del club de barrio en un hipermercado, como si la "pobre gente" de ese lugar no pudiera encontrar otro lugar donde desarrollar las mismas actividades, como si fueran víctimas sin ningún poder. Es sencillamente estúpida, y a la gente le gusta porque les dá una excusa para renegar del mercado y votar candidatos que protejan a la "pobre gente" de los "malos comerciantes"

[–] RioRep 18 years ago

I think you missed the point. The movie is not against the development of a poor neighborhood in Argentina. Neither is againt the "malos comerciantes". The movie is about a romantic man. So romantic he coudn´t see the indeniable decadence in which he lives. And how he would love to mantain the simbolism of this inside of him. Even though it is utopic. Like his son said: "es distinto ahora". It´s a movie about getting old. It´s a movie about being a man and watch everything you had changing around you, and how it is hard for him to keep up with those changes. He does not want to save the world. But he´s a sensible guy who would love to make a difference at least for one little girl. And he did it for sure. But he´s not Super Man. He´s learned the hard way that wanting to do too much, he almost lost his family. And finally realizes that´s the most important thing.

This is a beautiful film. I felt deeply touched by Roman´s feelings. The movie can make you laugh and also brings you to tears. It made remember how my gramdmother talks about her childhood and the places that do not exist anymore but in her memory. She knows that there was nothing she could do against it but to keep it in her mind. That´s what Roman will do. At least he´s got his old picture as a souvenir.

I loved the movie.

Just my thoughts.

[–] estebanfr_87 18 years ago

Existe en estas nuevas corrientes del cine argentino, un cierto parecido al neorrealismo italiano, una necesidad de quejarse de la modernidad y mostrar a personas marginales, a los anti-héroes del sistema. Sin dudas Luna de Avellaneda ayuda a esta tendencia, asi como tantas otras, como las de Carlos Sorín.

[–] RioRep 17 years ago

Bueno, se hay algo a quejarse de la modernidade que lo hagan... yo creo que existem muchas cosas que no van así tan bien en este mundo "moderno"... Pero talvez yo estea errado...

[–] serge1969 17 years ago

I can't believe this movie is still attracting comments!

I saw it about three years ago at the Montreal Film Festival, and it was one of the best films I've seen in my life. I know very little Spanish, but I think I understood some of the objections people from Argetina wrote here. It is obvious that these are right wing people (In the USA would be Bush Republicans), who are bothered by the strong community-against-establishment message the movie has.

The DVD idn't come out here, nor did it open, but I still can't shake it from my mind. I haven't seen a movie since that it even approaches this one in terms of quality, b eauty and sheer emotional impact.

I see that there are fat pigs everywhere, not just in America!!! Ha ha ha!

[–] RioRep 17 years ago

Serge, you may even be right about the pollitical inclinations of some of the posters. But try not to make comparisons with your country and think about this movie as something that belongs to another culture. Then you could maybe love it even most. I understand what you meant. But wouldn´t it be better if you allow Argentina to be Argentina for you?

I have the feeling that the fellas that dislike the movie for portraying the so called changes against old customes like something that is bad, would not be necessarilly pro Bush and the republicans. They just feel like that their country would be better and would grow more without it.

I personally don´t agree. I think that there is a middle term. Harder to find for sure, but worth the risk.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] mar_donnoli 17 years ago

Película brillante por donde se la mire, con una envidiable construcción de los personajes.
Recuerden que es post-crisis, y el club es solo una mera excusa para mostrar los conflictos que esta crisis trajo sobre los personajes.
Piensen en Million Dollar Baby, no es una pelicula de boxeo tipo Rocky, Clint Eastwood utiliza el boxeo también como excusa para mostrar el drama de los personajes.

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning." — Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] brolin_lgc 16 years ago

Se ve que te falta mucha calle… La película me pareció muy buena sin llegar a ser sobresaliente.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] diegohg-1 17 years ago

Querían poner un casino, no un supermercado. Mirá la pelicula antes de criticarla.

[–] ttride 17 years ago

Che dejense de embromar. La pelicula trata sobre los sueños de las personas y la recuperacion de algunos valores perdidos (como todas las de Campanella, con excepcion de "el tiro del final"). todo las demas implicancias corren por cuenta del espectador. no es una pelicula que "baje linea" como tantas otras en el cine argentino.
¿acaso todas las peliculas tienen que ser sobre triunfadores?

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] neo17ar 16 years ago

aguante diego! yo puse lo mismo, pense que nadie se habia dado cuenta! y justo recien veo tu post! puse exactamente lo mismo. encima escriben en ingles y son mas argentinos que el cortado con tostados. dios mio! me dio mas tranquilidad cuando vi tu post :D

[–] bforbedetti 11 years ago

I'll write in english because i'm guessing you don't speak spanish.
Childish approach? Shallow? Clearly, you don't know anything about my country (even if you live here, which i don't think you do), don't know nothing about its history and about life here. And of course you can't even put yourself in the position this characters are.
First of all they didn't want to built a "sort of Mall-Wall Mart" thing. It was a casino. PLEASE DON'T SAY THAT if you don't really know how the story goes.
This movie is about what the mix of neoliberal policies - by the hand of a disastrous government- left in our country, in our continent i dare say. It's about the crash produced by neoliberal ideology and values, with the values that this club was built on. Darin's character is dealing with that changed new world in which he now lives in, and in which the need of a middle class gone to a lower middle class pushes him to abandon those community-"romantic" ideals he was raised with. It's harsh, and it's real. This happened a lot in the 2000's, not only with clubs, with small family businness too. It speaks about how cold and individualist this new policies are leading people to become, but at the same time there seems to be no other choice, because you have to survive somehow.
Roman and Fanego represent opposite sides of this, of course, maybe a little exagerated, but i think it serves its purpose. Roman has to deal with this changes, just as many people had to do here 13 years ago (and a little before that too). He's disappointed by all of this but also knows that there's nothing to do with it, things are changing and people has to keep working to live. That's what he says in the final speech. He say's to Fanego "You're right.. you're right" because he understands that there's nothing much to do against the weight of this whole paradigm. I don't expect you to understand it because you clearly haven't been through something like that and can't put yourself in that place.
But PLEASE tell me WHERE this is shallow or childish because I REALLY DON'T SEE IT. I could keep on writing about this movie but i have other things to do.
PLEASE keep seeing good movies and stop eating that *beep* heroe movie craps that EEUU sticks in our brains. And don't insult our films. We have amazing films too even if it don't fit in your brain.