By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.25 cats
Director: Susan Seidelman
Starring: Christopher Bowen | Judy Davis | Juliette Lewis | Lili Taylor | Marcia Gay Harden
Country: spain
Year: 2002
Running time: 97
IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0235412
Michael says: “I’ve been waiting to see GAUDI AFTERNOON for over a year. This Susan Seidelman (DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN) stars Judy Davis, my favorite actress, and it’s been a while since Davis has headlined a movie. Add to that a terrific cast including Marcia Gay Harden and Lily Taylor, plus themes of gender and identity, and it seemed a natural for my tastes. As the months passed, and film was long finished, I feared I wouldn’t get a chance. Fortunately, the Boston International Festival of Women’s Cinema gave me that chance.
“Davis plays Cassandra Wilson, a solitary translator living for the time being in Barcelona and working on the translation of a Latin American novel. Her uneventful life is thrown off kilter with the arrival of a mysterious woman (Harden) who hires her to find her ex-husband, Ben. As Cassandra reluctantly gets involved with this woman and her strange companions, she quickly sees that things are not what they seem, in fact, people are not who they seem. The case of families struggling over the custody of a child also brings her own family and identity into question.
“Not especially deep, GAUDI AFTERNOON is a romp. An entertaining, laugh out loud caper that highlights Davis’ talents. Downplaying her usual neurotic, comedic type-casting, Davis is superb as the confused Wilson, whose dealings with the flamboyant characters around her open her up to new possibilities. Harden is lots of fun too, really camping it up in a different role for her. Taylor is stuck with a rather one not character, and Juliette Lewis is fine as a ditzy, new age poseur.
“Again, the film is pretty superficial, but it does present an alternative family unit without judging it. Seidelman uses the Barcelonian landscape to full effect, and the laughs are fresh, especially with Davis in her ‘straight-woman’ role.
“I really hope this film gets a release. It’s always a joy to watch Judy Davis on the big screen. And she even shares a kiss with Juliette Lewis!” 3 1/2 cats
Philip says: “I love, love, love this film. Directed by Susan Seidelman, it feels a lot like the alternative sexuality Barcelona version of DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN. No Madonna in this film, but a dream cast including Judy Davis as the narrator, Marcia Gay Harden as Frankie Stevens the mystery woman who sets the drama up for Davis’s character Cassandra, Lili Taylor as Ben the butch lesbian mother, and Juliette Lewis as the new age, free-spirit April. This film makes me smile every time I watch it. It’s like visiting wacky, old friends from a long time ago. It will make you pine to see Barcelona, wonder why Judy Davis doesn’t do more work, and make you scream for a Marcia Gay Harden weekend. GAUDI AFTERNOON is the perfect antidote to the blues. It’s easy, breezy, uncomplicated and packed with a kooky and lovable assortment of characters. Christopher Bowen as Hamilton is particularly delightful, especially his lip-sync to Dean Martin’s Sway that he does in partial drag. Park yourself on the couch and be prepared for some pretty madcap adventures from this bevy of talented women. Gender and sexuality never tasted so delicious. 5 cats
“Review courtesy of Reel Charlie”