Eliseo Subiela has produced one of his more disappointing efforts in this would-be fairy tale about a young cashier who discovers she has extraordinary powers. Although filled with moments demonstrating this talented filmmaker's witty and graceful style, it is ultimately undone by its high whimsy quotient.
"Little Miracles" (Pequenos Milagros) recently received its U.S. premiere at the Miami Film Festival, which has consistently championed the Argentine director's works.
The story concerns young Rosalia, who works at the local supermarket and is also a volunteer reader for the blind. She spends much of her time fantasizing scenarios about the various people she comes across and conjures up images of herself as a silent-movie damsel in distress who is constantly being rescued by her fairy godmother. Ultimately, through the "little miracles" that keep happening to her, Rosalia comes to believe that she is a fairy herself and sets out to improve the lives of those around her.
At the same time, she is being observed by a young astronomer who specializes, of course, in the study of UFOs. Constantly spotting the beautiful Rosalia in his photographs, he becomes obsessed with her. Living alone, he resorts to seeking romantic advice from his pet, a bloodshot basset hound.
"Little Miracles" is a highly stylized effort that ranges from surrealism to poetry to tangos to naturalism. Unfortunately, it never attains the mystical tone it seeks, and the endless fantasy sequences -- although they contain many imaginative visual elements -- simply slow the pace to a crawl. The film is most effective when it remains earthbound, as with an extended and moving scene in which Rosalia makes peace with the father who abandoned her years before. Ironically, it is with the more fantastical elements, which are usually signaled by the sounds of a choir on the soundtrack, that the film seems its most prosaic.
LITTLE MIRACLES (PEQUENOS MILAGROS)
Promisa SA
Director-screenwriter: Eliseo Subiela
Producers: Omar Romay, Eliseo Subiela
Executive producer: Sabina Sigler
Director of photography: Daniel Rodriguez Maseda
Editor: Marcela Saenz
Music: Osvaldo Montes
Color/stereo
Cast: Julieta Ortega, Antonio Birabent, Paco Rabal, Hector Alterio, Monica Galan
Running time -- 100 minutes
No MPAA rating...
"Little Miracles" (Pequenos Milagros) recently received its U.S. premiere at the Miami Film Festival, which has consistently championed the Argentine director's works.
The story concerns young Rosalia, who works at the local supermarket and is also a volunteer reader for the blind. She spends much of her time fantasizing scenarios about the various people she comes across and conjures up images of herself as a silent-movie damsel in distress who is constantly being rescued by her fairy godmother. Ultimately, through the "little miracles" that keep happening to her, Rosalia comes to believe that she is a fairy herself and sets out to improve the lives of those around her.
At the same time, she is being observed by a young astronomer who specializes, of course, in the study of UFOs. Constantly spotting the beautiful Rosalia in his photographs, he becomes obsessed with her. Living alone, he resorts to seeking romantic advice from his pet, a bloodshot basset hound.
"Little Miracles" is a highly stylized effort that ranges from surrealism to poetry to tangos to naturalism. Unfortunately, it never attains the mystical tone it seeks, and the endless fantasy sequences -- although they contain many imaginative visual elements -- simply slow the pace to a crawl. The film is most effective when it remains earthbound, as with an extended and moving scene in which Rosalia makes peace with the father who abandoned her years before. Ironically, it is with the more fantastical elements, which are usually signaled by the sounds of a choir on the soundtrack, that the film seems its most prosaic.
LITTLE MIRACLES (PEQUENOS MILAGROS)
Promisa SA
Director-screenwriter: Eliseo Subiela
Producers: Omar Romay, Eliseo Subiela
Executive producer: Sabina Sigler
Director of photography: Daniel Rodriguez Maseda
Editor: Marcela Saenz
Music: Osvaldo Montes
Color/stereo
Cast: Julieta Ortega, Antonio Birabent, Paco Rabal, Hector Alterio, Monica Galan
Running time -- 100 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 2/18/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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