By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.25
Director: Amalia Ullman
Starring: Ale Ulman | Amalia Ulman | Andrea Escobar | Genoveva Garcia Castanon | Nacho Vigalondo | Saoirse Bertram
Country: united_states
Year: 2021
Running time: 79
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12788368/reference
Chris says: “Was not a big fan of the whimsical camera wipes or the ‘quirky’ score, but I did love the Nacho Vigalondo cameo, not to mention the concept of ‘freezing one’s enemies.’ 3 cats”
Michael says: “Looking at the post-economic crisis in Spain in recent years through the lens of a mother/daughter pair who will do nearly anything to maintain the illusion of a lifestyle that has slipped away from them EL PLANETA was written/directed and starred a New York based artist who often blurs the line between fiction and autobiography in her work. In this case, she cast her own mother, Ale Ulman, as her mother, and set her film in the Spanish town that they lived during the economic downturn. While maintaining a sense of style and appearance well beyond the means, the film starts on a troubling note as Amalia’s Leonor considers sex work to make ends meet. She has a troubling, yet amusing in a way that brings early Alomodovar films tom mind, conversation with an older man played by well-known director Nacho Vigalando (COLOSSAL; TIMECRIMES). We see Leonor sharing a flat with her mother, Maria, who seems slightly more detached from reality, or at least refusing to accept it. They live on a diet of pastries from a nearby patisserie, and elaborate schemes to maintain their illusion. There is an impending threat of arrest, as Maria’s hijinks in particular have caught the attention of those around them. A disappointing arc where Leonor meets a man who woos her into a date despite her reluctance, regales her with sweet statements, before revealing off-handedly that he is married and her brief belief that she might have found someone who she could love, and also remove her from her desperate situation, had been another illusion. Balancing between absurdist humor (the conversations between Leonor and Maria are hilarious in their nonsensical nature) and the tragedy of how quickly lives can change, Ulman does a great job creating a brief, entertaining film that is undefined with a serious look at class. 3 1/2 cats“