MovieChat Forums > El pasado (2007) Discussion > 114 minutes of pure torture!!!

114 minutes of pure torture!!!

posted 16 years ago by peibul-1
6 replies | jump to latest

I usually get to the cinema with an open mind and with the desire to entertain myself. Most of the times, I try to pick up the nice parts of each film, even if they only represent a very small fraction of the entire masterpiece. Discussions with my friends and peers may arise from that informal analysis, but they usually remain as mere small talks.

This time, I decided to give myself some time to put into words a recommendation for all those possible viewers: Please do NOT see this movie. Do NOT waste your precious time and money with this sub-dull, painful and senseless film!

I felt something was wrong with it from the moment the initial credits began: Gael’s name appeared prior the director’s. Even the most respected actors obey the simplest rule of courtesy: The director is the responsible of building a surreal world onto a screen. It is his name the one that should go first. Exceptional cases exist, but this was far from being one of those.

Then, one of the very first scenes shocked me: A model, on a narrow alley, was modeling panties and bras to a photographer… who was actually taking pictures of her face!?! (Never mind the absence of a light technician, or any other technician whatsoever) If that isn’t bad directing, tell me what is?

A terribly written screenplay, with no art direction and no sense of time framing, deserved, from my humble opinion, to be publicly discredited. If it inspired something to me was pure fear: the main female character (Sofía) seemed so terribly out of her mind that scared me even more than the shredded mask of Tomás (the amazing boy from ‘The Orphanage’ – ‘El Orfanato’, a movie that deserves much more attention than this)

I have decided not to provide more details, since I considered of more importance the distribution of this warning message. I feel sorry for the actors, especially for Gael, since I presume they had a different idea of the story, and got lost in the poor vision of a wrongly-proclaimed Academy Award nominated director.

[–] ice_151 16 years ago

I agree, partly.
This movie left me disapointed and thoroughly confused; I couldn't understand how such an illogical and shallow movie could be maid in the serious manner and tone it holds up. I also felt sorry for Gael who usually chooses to play in interesting movies... It looked to me as though he was commiting some sort of career suicide, but maybe it was just a mistake he made.
I didn't feel any of this 'raw emotion' I read about in other reviews, just senseless actions with no psychologic backround to back them up.
The only constant in this movie was Sofia's scary obsession and I have to admit that even though the movie was awfully boring, her character saved me from leaving the theater... that and Gael as a gym instructer.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] robinphil 16 years ago

Some scenes is beautifully shot but meaningless, and the plot is disordered and cutted into pieces illogically. Awful experience of watching this movie.

[–] robgmafra 15 years ago

I've have read the book "The Past" before I have actually watched the movie. I was afraid about the result, because the bad reviews and the opinion of friends. But for my surprise I quite enjoy this piece. Babenco has been, since "Kiss of Spider Man"and "Pixote ", one of the most interesting director; at least, his works are always provocative and not mainstream at all.There's an air of Fellini , Truffaut- echoes of Adele H. The man as a pathetic puppet in women's hands, and the cult of the phallus regardless its owner. The film intrigued me, and it has rarelly happen in the current movie scene.

[–] SeisCinemaSeis 15 years ago

Certainly El pasado is not the best work by Héctor Babenco, yet is not as bad as some people suggest. Granted, it's a flawed film but still it has several redeemable qualities; among them the excellent performance by Gael García Bernal as Rimini. Without any doubt Gael is one of the best actors of his generation.

I cannot understand why this movie have polarized so much IMDB users. I.e. 55% of US users have rated this movie with 1! C'mon! are they a bunch of idiots or just a herd of trolls?

7/10

[–] 0imagination 11 years ago

I think most people rated it low because they didn't get it. It's a great film.

"Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once"