By Mikhail Saavedra
Little Ashes :
As it often happens with films about artists, Paul Morrison’s “Little Ashes” is quite the visual feast. A fairly revisionist story about the supposed nature of the relationship between one of the leading lights of Surrealism Salvador Dali (Robert Pattison) and one of the greatest Spanish poets of all time Federico Garcia Lorca (Javier Beltran).
The movie has certain moments of beauty, its art direction being one of its highlights. But a movie, at least from my perspective, is not something to merely look upon, but to feel, and this is where I have my biggest issue with the movie. Plus there is something decidedly irritating about seeing a movie that everyone knows would flow much better if it were in the original language of the historical protagonists (Can someone explain to me why it’s ok to have most of the film in English but with the liberal and unexplained use of Spanish here and there?)
There is some wit, but the movie lacks heart, we understand something very wrong is happening in Spain (Spanish Civil War brewing) but except for a couple of scenes, it is quite hard to understand the motivations of both Lorca and Dali (even if his profound selfishness is made quite clear).
There is at least one thing that did stand out for me: My profound dislike of Dali has a real basis! Viva Picasso!
mikhail@alternavox.net
Little Ashes: with Javier Beltrán, Robert Pattinson, Matthew McNulty, Marina Gatell, Arly Jover. Directed by Paul Morrison, from a screenplay by Philippa Goslett. 112 minutes. Playing at the Royal Cinema in Toronto, check your local listings for showtimes.