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Created Mar 23, 2011 12:12PM PST • Edited Mar 23, 2011 12:14PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Pretty Awful 0.5

   A minimalist foreign language film from Argentina, about a sailor on a cargo ship who visits his home while in port. Farrel (Juan Fernandez) works on a cargo ship, which is docking in Tierra Del Fuego. He asks the captain for permission to visit his family while in port. He travels across snow covered mountains and woods, to get to a lumber mill where he meets with his mother and daughter. After spending a few days with them, he goes back to the ship.

   I have already probably typed more lines in this synopsis than there is of dialogue in this movie. Suffice it to say that director Lisandro Alonso believes in very little action or dialogue, instead focusing on the mundane, everyday habits of Farrel. There must be at least three different scenes where we do nothing but watch Farrel eat a meal, while looking around. We become starved for any type of action or interaction, which may be the point of this movie.

   I like to consider myself pretty open to different types of films, and I’ve never shied away from a decent foreign-language film. However, this one didn’t work for me. The complete lack of meaningful dialogue, along with a propensity for the director to use fixed image shots (watching Farrel walk across a field for three minutes), turned me off. I generally need a bit more movement on the screen.

   I would not recommend this to anyone, other than someone who is much more patient with slow, methodical films that don’t posses much dialogue. I was very disappointed.

4. Acting

   Pretty Bad 1.5

5. Male Stars Pretty Bad 1.5

6. Female Stars Pretty Bad 1.5

7. Female Costars Pretty Bad 1.5

8. Male Costars Pretty Bad 1.5

10. Film

    Pretty Awful 0.5

11. Direction Awful 0.0

    I’m not sure why the director felt the need to shot a movie like this, with no action or dialogue.

12. Play Awful 0.0

    Like watching water evaporate. Painfully slow.

13. Music Pretty Awful 0.5

    No music really except for the credits.

14. Visuals Good 3.0

    Beautiful countryside, contrasted with an incredibly dull plot.

15. Content

16. Edge

    Tame 1.2

17. Sex Innocent 1.5

    Some porn pictures hanging in the ship. Nothing really visible.

18. Violence Gentle 1.0

19. Rudeness Polite 1.2

21. Reality

    Natural 1.0

22. Circumstantial Natural 1.0

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0