MovieChat Forums > Crystal Fairy y el cactus mágico (2014) Discussion > No one gets this movie.

No one gets this movie.

posted 10 years ago by Chironomo
15 replies | jump to latest

From reading all the threads on this page it seems to me that no one gets it.

Crystal and Jamie are not opposites - they are both self indulgent. Crystal is a complete hypocrite - shown many times - but thrown in the face of the less intelligent when she drinks the soft drink after lecturing the others about sugar. We never know what she did to the women in the park to piss them off - but from her character it seems likely that their anger is reasonable.

Jamie invites hookers to his friend's house without permission, invites a stranger on their planned trip without asking, steals the cactus etc...

The real contrast is between the Chileans and the yanks. The Chileans are relaxed and down to Earth whereas the yanks are busy disappearing up their own backsides. This continues even under the influence of the drug, showing how deeply ingrained it is.

The biggest disappointment to me about this movie was the fact it never made me so much as smile, let a lone laugh. Maybe because I have met all these people before, way too many times...

[–] IMDB_Vits 10 years ago

We never know what she did to the women in the park to piss them off - but from her character it seems likely that their anger is reasonable.

Those were gypsies. They're quite common here. They stay on the streets trying to get people to talk to them. When they see someone who looks naive (like a tourist), they start telling them their future and stuff and THEN tell them that they have to pay. In the movie, they were saying "She has to pay us". I think CRYSTAL FAIRY (who didn't spoke Spanish THAT well) was another victim.

The real contrast is between the Chileans and the yanks. The Chileans are relaxed and down to Earth whereas the yanks are busy disappearing up their own backsides. This continues even under the influence of the drug, showing how deeply ingrained it is.

No need to generalize. These people in particular were like that which is why your analisys of contrast makes sense. But we're not all like that. Specially in Santiago, the typical big city where everyone is always stressed about traffic and stuff. And you don't need to tell me you have relaxed people over there.

[–] Chironomo 10 years ago

Thank you for explaining the scene with gypsies.

I am sure what you said about stressed people is true. But that is not what the movie showed - I was commenting on what is depicted in the movie. At the start it seems they are in a city - when they go to the party.

What is your take on what this movie was trying to say?

[–] IMDB_Vits 10 years ago

I am sure what you said about stressed people is true. But that is not what the movie showed - I was commenting on what is depicted in the movie.

Exactly. It's not really related to their nationalities.

At the start it seems they are in a city - when they go to the party.

It's hard to tell where they were. But it could be Santiago. The distance between Santiago and Copiapo AND between Copiapo and San Pedro are both around 15 hours by car. And we see that it takes them 2 days to get there.

What is your take on what this movie was trying to say?

About what?

[–] Chironomo 10 years ago

About anything?

I found this movie to be confusing - and from what others have said I think I am not alone.

Maybe it was just supposed to be funny but I found it to be slightly depressing instead. As well as a little frustrating.

[–] IMDB_Vits 10 years ago

Slice of life movies always feel pointless at first. And this one is even harder to like because it's a mix with road movie. The two genres are complete opposite in structure.

It all comes down to what you took from the movie. If watching a tourist battle for the attention of locals against another tourist and/or watching how being obsessed with schedules (even if it's for a fun activity) is annoying wasn't enough for you, no problem. But for me it was also about the bonding of the five, which I didn't even realize until the final minutes.

[–] motopsychic 10 years ago

Champa was the coolest. Did anyone else notice the hookers were dudes? Transvestites? Prevalent adam's apples. I think Champa knew, but Jamie was oblivious.

I have also met all these people, and it made me miss dirty hippie vagina. I always hate any character Michael Seirra plays, so that was to be expected, but I strangely enjoyed the movie, even though Jamie was an annoying douche bag.

[–] Chironomo 10 years ago

LOL Fair enough.

[–] Eve_of_Destruction 10 years ago

I have also met all these people, and it made me miss dirty hippie vagina.

How fascinating. I didn't know hippies were not clean.

We live by the Sun, we feel by the Moon

[–] shinsaiboxman 9 years ago

My god, watch South Park sometime, lots of facts about dirty hippies. You want to keep your nose as far away as possible from dirty hippie vagina. It's what I think of whenever they play a commercial for "feminine hygiene" products. Ewwwww!

[–] Favri 9 years ago

I watched this movie a while ago and I remember enjoying it. No masterpiece, but quite an interesting, different portrayal of a slice of a certain type of life. Or different types of lives intertwining during a pretty exciting trip.

I started thinking about it a few days ago, I believe for reasons not too dissimilar to what you're saying: no one really gets it. I found this interview with Gaby Hoffmann, who I think was incredible in this film, very interesting and very helpful in better understanding what Silva was trying to portray here and how the cast approached the film. It certainly made me appreciate it more, understand it better and maybe even want to watch it again.

http://movieline.com/2013/01/25/gaby-hoffmann-interview-crystal-fairy/

A question sometimes drives me hazy: am I or the others crazy? - A.Einstein

[–] XCopoutX_16 9 years ago

To "get" this movie, is to "get" the ego-smashing effects of psychadelics. All the self-centeredness slips away & u learn to be right-sized. They perfectly depicted the experience.

[–] PsychoDingo 8 years ago

Agreed...well said, indeed. 

To elaborate further, we saw the psychedelic effect that can allow a person to see themselves from a more objective perspective. Jamie's realization that he had, in fact, been an aššhole and owed Crystal an apology was a fantastic illustration of that.

I was hoping the film would go there, and it did. Kudos to the filmmakers.

Surreal Cinema: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls006574276/

[–] TheAnimalMother 8 years ago

I think XCopoutX_16 nailed it really. I don't agree with the OP about their behavior continuing once the drug kicks in, it doesn't. At first when it is kicking in a little, we see Jamie and Crystal still being fake and annoying people for the most part, but once the drug kicks in that aspect of them is totally gone. They become much more real and down to earth, even though they are high. As Copout says, the self centered aspect of them disappears. The drug helps them get over their ego's conditioning and the experience changes them both even long term, at least to some degree. It seems that Crystal definitely changed the most. The two brothers that took the drug didn't really have ego issues to begin with, so they seemed basically the exact same high or straight. The only difference with them seemed to be that they smiled and laughed just a little more.

My body's a cage, it's been used and abused...and I...LIKE IT!!

[–] Applejackson75 8 years ago

Sounds to me like YOU didn't get the movie. The fact that you've met these people many times is exactly the point. I've met these people; I've been these people. All of them. On many different occasions. This movie is very real. It's clearly been made by someone who's been there.

[–] againstglobalism 8 years ago

In my opinion...

The movie revolves around the differences and similarities between Jamie and Crystal. Jamie is impatient, impulsive, and has an overwhelming desire to trip on San Pedro cactus. Even though Jamie seems to be seeking out some sort of spiritual awareness, it still doesn't change the fact of how aggressive and impatient he is about everything. He has such high expectations about San Pedro cactus, that it sort of prevents him from preparing his mind for a psychedelic trip. He is determined, but yet he underestimates the San Pedro cactus. He's always thinking ahead, but never really thinking about the current moment.

Crystal was somewhat hypocritical and over-controlling. It seemed like she always enjoyed having control over the current situation, which eventually creates a clash of personalities between Jamie and Crystal. Jamie was also controlling. But his controlling behavior stemmed more from his determination to find the San Pedro cactus. Crystal just had a controlling personality, period. And plus, I got the hint that Jamie was super annoyed by Crystal's "spiritualism". Seeing that he was already determined to have a spiritual experience through the San Pedro cactus, he hated the fact that Crystal was always acting "spiritually superior" over everyone. And on top of that, Crystal's personality was very layed back and patient, while Jamie's personality was completely the opposite. Her patience had become a distraction and was creating setbacks for Jamie's plan. Crystal was more about enjoying herself, while Jamie was strictly set out on a mission to trip on San Pedro. Her hypocritical side showed when she consumed high amounts of sugar, while insisting for everyone to always eat healthy.

As in for the Chileans, they just seemed layed back, and sort of just "going with the flow". They were very neutral about everything. They didn't exactly encourage or disregard Jamie's plans. Their neutral personalities didn't interrupt and halt Jamie's plans. But in the end, I guess you can say everything worked itself out.