>>So now there are 3 of us - Kate, is your comment that it was "interesting" kind of a damning with faint praise? How did you like it?<<
I did like it. LOL, not damning praise at all...just still thinking about it I guess >>Ok, so what was the movie about? There have to be a bunch of levels of meaning, and I wonder if you agree or disagree with that<< Yes, the way I saw it is 1) it was a coming of age movie 2) at the same time it was about Luisa's choice & you know something more is going on with her than just her marriage problems 3) the contrast between the poverty & political vs the beauty of the beach & lifestyle of the fisherman & family >>1. people searching for what they really want and when they find it, they can't deal with it, they run away from it, and their lives are harmed thereby - last scene with Julio and Tenoch, neither looks very happy, the only happy one was Daniel who had a boyfriend. When they discovered what they really wnated, what gave them joy, they both fled and the last time we see them, the joy that we saw for so long in the movie is all gone. The only other possibly happy one was Luisa who got to live her days in a place of her choosing, where she seemed blissful.<< I'm not sure if the boys ever discovered what they really wanted...it wasn't clear to me (but I don't want to give the plot away here)...if I am understanding what you mean... >>4. A 4th level - that is one of the best coming of age movies ever, and certainly more real than anything we have ever seen out of Hollywood., or any Emerican film for that matter. I thought the portrayal of the boys, of their friends, their parties, the way they treated each other, was very realistic. (That is the way boys are...)<< Absolutely, & perhaps this is why it was so appealing, especially to men, because it was so realistic about the way boys are >>6. And wasn't it well acted - and the second time around, as Ebert said in his review you have it see it twice so that you watch it knowing the story - I found the script very profound.<< I only saw it once so I imagine you'd be able to get more of the script the 2nd time...its always a challenge with subtitles to absorb everything all at once in the movie...at least to me >>I saw it through the prism of my own life and my own experience, and my first level of meaning could be way off to someone else and I really desire other opinions, other people's insights.<< Again, why I think this movie is especially appealling to men. >>Also, the 2nd time I saw it, some woman was all disgusted, calling it a porn film, and I thought it was so far from porn as could be - but it was, shall we say, very visual. But that was essential to the reality the movie was after.<< She missed the whole point, too bad...
