I have long been going to see the film of Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, whose films I like, made by him on his own script in Spain, Todos lo saben (in translation – Everyone knows this), 2018. It turned out to be a crime drama. Laura (Penelope Cruz) comes with her teenage daughter and young son from Argentina, where she has lived for a long time, to Spain for her younger sister’s wedding. My husband couldn’t come with me this time. Her old friend and former lover Paco (Javier Bardem) is also present at the wedding, along with his wife. The daughter quickly meets a local guy and has fun with him, then suddenly complains that she did not feel well, and goes to bed, the girl actually had health problems. Arriving after a while, Laura discovers that her daughter has disappeared, and on her bed are clippings from old newspapers, which talk about the abduction and death of a girl many years ago. After some time, Laura receives a message saying that her daughter has been kidnapped, and is ordered not to go to the police, threatening the death of the girl. And then the story begins to spin, which will stir up old grievances and claims, old secrets will emerge (however, they were not for everyone, as it turns out). Attracted by the husband of one of the daughters, a retired police officer, having read the history, suggests that, judging by the handwriting, criminals should be sought in the immediate environment, primarily among relatives. And then he will be right, but during this time a lot of things will happen, and the husband of Laura Alejandro (Ricardo Darin), who for some reason will be sure that God will help and a daughter will be found. True, the girl will be released with the help of money, ahead of the participants of the events waiting for more new discoveries, but how it will continue to unfold, we will not know. Asghar Farhadi, of course, is a good director, I can’t say how accurately he portrayed Spanish realities, because I’m not familiar with them, the actors also play good, the film is also quite good, although I liked his Iranian films better.
A good and intriguing Spanish detective, where you can trace the distinctive features of Hollywood works, and the married duo of Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz pleases on the screen. The plot, based on the title, will affect flashbacks, but the production in the present time seems to relax the viewer before the drama.
The whole family and relatives gather at the wedding, the atmosphere conveys the spirit of hot, Spanish locations with notes of Italian architecture and love line. Passion is built on culture and love as a strong emotional component, where there is no place for the American vulgar accent. Here love is more, not worse, but definitely distinctive. Consider Giuseppe Tornatore’s Malena or Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name. Bright episodes under the rays of the Spanish sun, laughter and joy. The wedding is a joyful event, friends brighten up the event, a specific shooting gives out both the intensity of passions and the fun of watching. Unusual camera coverage, 180-degree revs and long episodes show that this is a different movie, with a different filling, despite the plot conflict similar to many detectives.
And it comes gradually, gaining momentum, mixing the celebration of the event and humor with tragic events. This tipping point, when most of the characters are still on the bright side, and the main character needs to convey the terrifying truth, then the shift of mood and stunnedness is perfectly conveyed to the viewer. The best part of the picture is the awareness and acceptance of the drama, the exit from the comfort zone.
The plot and the detective perfectly convey the emotions of the heroes, and create intrigue from the incident. The film gives excellent acting work: Javier Bardem is magnificent, panic attacks and experiences are played out with hurrah, and Penelope Cruz destroys with her eyes, finishing off an already great tragedy with drama. The plot dilutes and savors the past of the heroes, since the conflict turn can only be associated with past years. Here the viewer learns interesting details about the characters, which in the present time would be better to hide. Solving a serious and complex problem reveals the inner line of the narrative, demonstrates personal conflicts and gives the viewer “skeletons from the closet.”
Some logical points are omitted, although the viewer does not know all the maps. Intrigue and excitement are killed, as the picture violates its own rules associated with a dramatic turn. For most of the film, while the investigation is underway, we learn stunning details, as well as savor the reaction to mysteries and revealed maps, where the set-up “after so many years” gives emotions and experiences. For the entire viewing, the plot has gained strong momentum, it seems that it will not stop, more and more details emerge – indeed, the labyrinths of the past.
But, unfortunately, and this is only my opinion, interest in the work for the finale disappears, the surprisingly confusing investigation does not live up to expectations. That is, yes – it was unforeseen, but it was so shown, so revealed trump card that there was no effect of “Wow”. I wanted even more intricacies, but it was somehow easy for the plot twisted with secret threads.
The picture is good, a small exposition and the main intrigue are magnificent, secrets are gradually coming to light, the actors are chic in the images, but the denouement is like a checkmark, to complete the story. As if the director Asghar Farhadi aimed to show surprise and shocking facts, and the completion of the detective component pulled under the final chapter.
Interest in the film "Labyrinths of the Past" (2018) Asghar Farhadi was provided by the acting couple, playing the main roles. Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem are not only better Spanish actors today, but also spouses. This is always interesting to watch on the screen. Moreover, the trailer promised some skeletons in the closet and breakage of the cover, which is also in a sense projected on the model family.
The Spanish experience of the living legend of Iranian cinema can not be called unsuccessful: brilliant actors (besides the already named Inma Cuesta, Eduardo Fernandez, Barbara Lenny and others), a beautiful soundtrack and Spanish flavor, which manifests itself especially brightly in the first “cloudless” part of the picture. All this against the background of family relationships: love, resentment, lack of attention, old scores, new relationships. It is difficult to understand this – not to the viewer, who just gradually understands everything, but to the heroes who live with this cargo for many years.
And yet the drama promised by all this did not come true. There is drama, but it lacks depth. The Spanish temperament is considered explosive and very bright, but it can be called rather secretive in everything that concerns the senses. In other words, passions can indeed break through the dam, but not every Spaniard is willing to express them openly. Therefore, the rather superficial conflicts of the film “Labyrinths of the Past” (in the original, by the way, “Everybody knows this”) look unconvincing. And reinforces this feeling of soap opera itself denouement of the story, because the detective did not happen.
Perhaps, the picture appeared at a different time, it would have made a completely different impression, but the neighborhood in the output of Pedro Almadovar’s Pain and Glory (almost a year passed between world premieres, but the films were released in Russian hire with a difference of four months) played a role. And this despite the fact that the Labyrinths were the first. Nevertheless, the comparison that begs for thanks to the participation of Penelope Cruz in these two films is certainly not in favor of Asghar Farhadi.
All this does not negate the fact that the director managed to create a whole palette of images, the characters turned out to be deep and complex, even those that play a clearly secondary role in this story. This part of the film is so successful that I want to talk about each of them separately. Both Antonio (Ramon Barea), Ana (Inma Cuesta), Fernando (Eduardo Fernandez), and Mariana (Elvira Minguez) are real characters that actors can paint with strokes, rare lines.
Only the images of Laura (Penelope Cruz) and Paco (Javier Bardem) are written in broad strokes. Paco was especially penetrating in its rustic simplicity, courageous brutality and general naturalness. And it is his fate that leaves a feeling of irreparable changes, deep loneliness, which can not be hidden behind the vain dances of the eternal role of the soul of any company - both in illness and in health, as they say.
Farhadi became unmistakably accurate in another observation, expressed indirectly: the maternal heart knows everything in advance, even if it does not want to. And the more unexpected the plot path through which this thought is conveyed, the more expressive it sounds.
Farhadi’s name attracted him, as his films The Salesman, Secrets of the Past and, especially, The Divorce of Nader and Simin, The Story of Ellie made a strong impression. “Labyrins”, despite the cast, did not leave such an impression. The story was invented banal and, I must say, not interesting. A lot of screen time is wasted, as well as the audience attention. Disappointed.
I understand very well professional film critics who compare Labyrinths with classic Latin American soap. I understand very well, but I regret it even more: they look under the hood, discuss how it all works, and rightly note that this is an exemplary “santaisaura”. But how it travels, rustles and dissects them - it seems - does not matter at all. And for me, as a consumer, it is the impression that is important, not a high-brow, albeit fair, explanation of how low it is achieved. And for me, "Labyrinths" - all the same immensely respected by me Farhadi, albeit not the highest - as "Divorce" - flight. The same Farhadi who, in whatever genre and language he is filming, is still about a family whose problems he talks about in a way that makes you physically feel like your own. And let this time “Labyrinths” is a conditional detective about the abduction of a child, the main thing in it is not the intricacies of the investigation and not the “shocking” outcome, but the very feeling of a hole in the chest when you can neither eat, nor drink, nor sleep, nor even think coherently if you have a child stolen and you do not know what to do, where he is and what to do with him. And, by the way, no one promised that it would be a detective: the film in the original is called “Everybody Knows”, and a potential skeleton from the closet from the very beginning is on display. It’s probably partly decided in the style of a Latin American series, but I don’t feel any vulgarity in it. Maybe because Farhadi is a master?
7 out of 10
I haven’t written reviews for a long time, but I can’t pass by now without standing up for Asghar Farhadi’s new film. First of all, before the Russian-speaking viewer, because on a more global scale, “Everybody Knows” (the original name) does not need protection. Judge for yourself: the last film of the opening of the 71st Cannes International Film Festival, not in English or French, was also a representative of Spain no less than 15 years ago; although the film did not take any prizes, but was nominated for the Palme d’Or in the already mentioned Cannes, as well as in 8 categories for the Spanish Goya Film Award; the average score on IMDb as of November 2019 is 7/10, which corresponds to a positive status, a similar situation on Rotten tomatoes and Metacritic. What about our homegrown professional critics? After reading some of the excerpts from the red reviews given here, only one question arises: did they understand what they wrote?
Discarding the ornate meaningless turns (especially tried a couple with Cinema TV), one way or another comes to the conclusion that the claims of these dissatisfied “connoisseurs of beauty”, whose names say nothing today and are unlikely to say anything in the future, come down, in fact, to the following: too predictable thriller and not too modern Spanish cinema, referring to the notorious soap operas.
At the same time, initially approaching “Labyrinths of the Past” as a thriller, or considering it later as a thriller, the guys with red reviews clearly got the door wrong. Iranian Asghar Farhadi, known to the general public for the Oscar-winning film “The Divorce of Nader and Simin” is not David Fincher, and he shoots primarily the author’s conversational and feature films, social and family dramas. Farhadi’s nationality and first works should not be confused – the director works according to the patterns of the European school, which is why he is so highly appreciated by the European festival audience. In this regard, the Labyrinths fully follow the fate of, for example, the Best Proposal, which at one time had about the same claims (predictably and uniformly). Responding to silly questions, Giuseppe Tornatore then explained in detail that this is a “false thriller”, where under the mask of an action movie hides a drama about love with an emphasis on the personality of the main character. Mysteries and unexpected plot twists in this case are not a goal, but only a means. The cherry on the cake, not the cake itself. So Farhadi made a typical high-quality family drama, where he introduced elements from other genres (in particular, from the detective), but not a thriller.
As for the second claim, everything is much more subtle, and the answer to the question posed is decided by the presence or absence of a certain taste. World cinema knows many examples when people who came from outside were also criticized at first, and then, years and decades later, it turned out that they did canonical things in a particular genre or in a particular country. Sergio Leone and his spaghetti westerns won't let you lie. Time, as always, will tell. Meanwhile, setting foot on Spanish soil, Asghar Farhadi very organically inscribed his plot into the life and culture of this “hot” country, found a suitable place of action and placed the necessary accents, made his heroes alive, which are really interesting to watch. A good script is half the success of a film. In Labyrinths, he is thoughtful, logical and, most importantly, realistic. The motivation of the heroes corresponds to the events, loaded guns hanging on the walls at the right moment. At first, the episode that seemed superfluous, or rather the dialogue and the information spoken during it, will later become the key for the viewer to find the culprits of what is happening. Perhaps seeds for Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, but for a family drama – just right. Yes, there is an extramarital child, hastily severed love affairs, long-standing unresolved grievances and other skeletons in closets, but if you consider these signs of a soap opera for housewives, then our life is a soap opera. For comparison, in many Hollywood action scenes, pathos, platitude and capital truths are much more than in this story.
Concluding my defensive speech, I also note the obvious advantages of “Labyrinths” as a feature film. First and foremost, of course, the actors. Married couple Javier Bardem – Penelope Cruz, Ricardo Darin, Barbara Lenny, Eduard Fernandez and other stars of Spanish cinema rarely gather in this composition and clearly not to fake. Let it be without much brilliance, but everyone confirms their class, and in general their acting ensemble looks very organic. Nominations for Goya for best director, script, editing and song did not become accidental. But if the high-level confirmation of Asghar Farhadi and his team can only be verified by watching the new work and comparing it with previous ones, then the wonderful acoustic theme “Una de esas noches sin final” can be found separately on YouTube at any time and appreciate the mood and atmosphere of “Todos lo saben” already now.
7.5 out of 10
Despite my extensive knowledge of cinema, there is no mention of Iranian filmmaker and screenwriter Asghar Farhadi. Therefore, the Spanish-language family drama with elements of crime ' Labyrinths of the past' (in the original 'Todos lo saben' in literal translation 'Everybody knows') became, in fact, my debut acquaintance with the work of Farhadi. And meanwhile, this Iranian is the record holder - the only one of the currently living directors, who has two statuettes in the zakashnik ' for ' Best Foreign Language Film'. However, if in the first case of victory (for the tape ' Divorce of Nader and Simin') no one had any questions, Asgar was then one hundred percent favorite, then the award for ' Salesman' caused controversy, and the jury ' Oscar' again removed in politicization, because everyone knows about the very strained relations between the US and Iran, and Farhadi does not hide his opposition point of view, being the one who is called a dissident.
But Asghar Farhadi was given a chance to tear down all the crooked talk in his direction about the unfairly won ' Golden Knight' besides Farhadi with ' Labyrinths of the past' for the first time went beyond the territorial boundaries, for the first time made a film not in Iranian, and in the genre message there were noticeable changes, because Farhadi specializes in acute social dramas that are directly related to the housing issue, and in ' it all begins with the fact that the heroine of Penelo with his big daughter Cruz in order to celebrate her wedding in Argentina. While all the guests are having fun, the on-screen daughter Cruz makes acquaintance with a local young man. And everything seems to be cloudless at first glance, even despite the rain that has begun and the lights turned off due to the accident, but then an incident happens, which, according to the domino rule, leads to unexpected consequences, and skeletons from the cabinets begin to extend their bony arms. . .
And yet it is necessary to consciously approach the viewing ' Labyrinths...', since this is really a family-type drama, and the criminal component is only an impulse to further consequences and actions of the participants in the events. And since Asghar Farhadi is such a titled filmmaker and can be attributed to the favorites of the most prestigious film competitions, any viewer has the right to expect something global and aesthetically acceptable. But, admittedly, the development of events in the film is too obvious, more than once or twice you could easily predict what will happen next. And even the emphasis on mutual reproaches concerning Farhadi’s favorite topic, the land issue, does not elicit keen sympathetic emotions. And the shadows of the past, arising against the background of past love, are already perceived as an old story, known for all its branches. But, nevertheless, in 'Labyrinths...' it is worth noting the skillful work of the operator, who José Luis Alcaine, several times collaborated with Pedro Almodovar. Alcaine managed to create a dramatically tense atmosphere in a limited space, vividly expressing the emotional state of the characters of the film.
And here we came to the most iconic characteristic ' Labyrinths of the past' because even with all the talent of the operator to make the scenes attractive would not work without the acting, and she in the film really on top. And I want to highlight four: actually, Penelope Cruz, her husband in the world Javier Bardem, as well as one of the most valued Argentine actors Ricardo Darina and actress Barbara Lenny. Javier Bardem reminded himself in all his glory, he always managed the heroes ready for his own sacrifice, as he magnificently demonstrated in the dramas ' The Sea Inside' and 'Boutiful'. The sincerity of the actions of his hero in ' Labyrinths...' there is no doubt, and the fierceness with which he undertakes to correct the situation is understandable, attempts to wash away past sins, and everything that happens for him is like retribution, which sooner or later should come. Penelope Cruz also showed her dramatic refinement, her unhappy mother on the verge of a nervous breakdown, an exemplary type. In the final third of the film, Ricardo Darin appears, and the Bardem-Cruz-Darin triangle becomes an ornament ' Labyrinths of the Past' Barbara Lenny, let’s say, brought variety to the film, defending her point of view, as if feeling a threat to her home.
Of course, it would be difficult and even wrong to form a confident opinion about the quality of Asghar Farhadi’s work, based only on one movie he has seen. But I will be honest that he did not admire the plot plan, did not bring anything particularly new, but we can also blame it on the inexperience of the director of work outside Iran. But ' Labyrinths...' clearly benefit from the expressive play of actors who created convincing multi-layered images, revealing as well as the secrets of their former family, as the plot develops, where one out of the ordinary event rocked the already shaky balance, and much began to crumble like a house of cards. . .
The visit of Asghar Farhadi to European cinema can hardly be called outstanding, like he was provided with everything he asked for - Spanish flavor, the format of the story in which, based on past works, the director feels quite comfortable, but the Labyrinths of the past clearly does not become the leader of the famous Iranian director.
Also, attracting such eminent stars as Cruz and Bardem, which even alone could draw a scenario of the second trial, Farhadi hardly used the full potential of available resources. The structure of the development of this story in the initial phase of the tape is not easy – many names and faces flashing in the frame only after the equator will build a hierarchy in the eyes of the viewer, many sisters, many cousins, and it is difficult to follow the presentation of the main characters in the first half of the film.
Further, the circle narrows to the relationship between the characters of Cruz and Bardem, who, being married in real life, shun each other in every second joint shot. An interesting dynamic of Farhadi's work - starting with a purely everyday story "Divorce of Nader and Semin" the director does not abandon his commitment to everyday relations in the scripts, but gradually adds secondary colors from other genres.
In the case of the Labyrinth of the Past, there was a small local detective who, unfortunately, could not fully realize himself. As a result, Farhadi’s Spanish-language picture was not a failure, it is an excellent addition to his portfolio of independent projects, but as a director who has visited so many guilds and award ceremonies during his career, there is a certain sediment that the result could and should have been more significant.
6 out of 10
The opening of the 71st Cannes Film Festival began with the presentation of a new author's picture by Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, who presented to the public in his time ' Divorce of Nader and Simin' The main roles were played by Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. And according to the established tradition, the original name ' Everyone knows' was changed by Russian localizers to more ' intriguing' ' Labyrinths of the past'.
The plot of the film introduces the viewer to the main character Laura, who came with her family on vacation from Argentina to her small Spanish town for the wedding of friends. A meeting with a long-standing love and an unexpected incident will force all the characters to face the past.
Asghar Farhadi is a lover of digging into the national color, which is clearly noticeable in ' Labyrinths of the past': from the very first frame to the final credits, the viewer expects a complete immersion in the life of provincial Europe and the ocean of Spanish passions. On the one hand, it is incredibly curious and atmospheric to absorb all these nuances of a unique cultural code. On the other hand, after 50 minutes of timekeeping, it begins to tire as a long, meaningless family quarrel into which the potential of a detective thriller neatly flows, attracting at first to the screen and losing rhythm and intrigue to the second half of timekeeping. At the exit, the labyrinth is for the most part an ordinary rectangle, without hidden pockets and hidden scenario moves.
Pros: Caste, plot.
Polishinel's secret is to make a film that mocks European loyalty. I think Bertolucci shot something similar in the early 80s. It is such a deep and inconvenient subject that the hypocrisy and the desire for a revolutionary distribution of capital is so characteristic of the middle class. Farhadi shows us the lives of several Spanish families who for many years hide secrets and consider one transaction unfair. Of course, all this leads to crime. It is no secret where exactly the organizers of the crime are. The main thing is to decide on a specific person. But it's hard to be wrong. However...
However, instead of pragmatically cutting this hastily tightened Gordian knot, our heroes are drowning in their emotions, anguish and anxieties. False moral values cause them to ignore the obvious, and the same false values cause some to take risks. Farhadi subtly sums up everything to the fact that for the sake of preserving imaginary decencies (which do not exist and never existed in the lives of these people), the characters of the film either silence the facts or heroize. These things are so similar. As the intrigue intensifies, the narrative strays into a lot of very successful mise-en-scene - accurate and verified dialogues between the characters. Given all the piquancy of the situation, every speech turnover is an act.
In my opinion, such a sweet statement of militant hypocrisy is incredibly not enough to make the tape really interesting. Nothing else was offered and not done. Famous actors demonstrated their acting level, the director outlined international ambitions. Therefore, despite the big names and festival firmware, this film will remain a small, almost everyday story. Like a hastily made anterprise
Every person at least once in his life, but made a mistake in the past, which he tried to either forget or hide from the eyes of others. But often the truth came out anyway. In most cases, others could only be very surprised and even experience some kind of shock. But there are cases when there are people who want to take advantage of the dark past of this person, as happened to the main characters of the detective drama “Labyrinths of the Past”.
Synopsis Laura comes with her children to a small town somewhere in Spain to celebrate the long-awaited wedding of her younger sister. Everyone is happy, everyone is happy, everyone remembers the past. But this celebration of life is suddenly overshadowed by an event that will forever change the life of Laura and her family.
Despite a number of shortcomings, which will be discussed below, there are no complaints about the film in terms of the actors’ performances. Penelope Cruz perfectly performed the role of a desperate mother, ready to do anything to save a loved one. Javier Bardem also made a pleasant impression as Paco, Laura’s former lover, who was ready to leave the past in the past, but was forced to return to it when he learned that the life of a loved one depends on him. From secondary roles, I would single out Ricardo Darin as the husband of Laura Alejandro, a man with a difficult past who still has not lost a human face.
Asghar Farhadi became famous for the world of cinema, first of all, for opening Persian cinema to the audience, firmly stating that Iran is capable of producing truly worthy films. Specifically, his films with the prevailing dramatic background are successful as well-designed thrillers, which expose the problems of family, marriage and relationships. The only problem is that such a plot is more suitable for Iranian films, but not for Spanish ones. On the one hand, Labyrinths of the Past carefully try to hook the viewer with a tense atmosphere and a sense of suspicion that each of the characters is involved in what is happening. On the other hand, on the screen, all this happens so sluggishly and slowly that from an exciting drama with elements of a thriller, the film begins to resemble an ordinary soap opera.
Scenario Most often in the films of Asghar Farhadi, at first glance, a simple family story soon acquires a shade of action detective or even thriller. According to the plot of Labyrinths of the Past, Laura, who has lived in Argentina with her husband Alejandro, comes to her native Spain for the wedding of her younger sister, taking with her two children. After saying hello and meeting all of her relatives and old friends, including Paco, who was once her first love, Laura immerses herself in the wedding ceremony. Everything goes bright, lush, cheerful and cheerful, but the fun overshadows the sudden disappearance of the eldest daughter Laura. Soon strangers begin to send messages to the woman, warning that her daughter has been kidnapped and demanding a large ransom in exchange for her life. If we take into account the imagination of Farhadi, then the plot should acquire shades of an action thriller, reveal the secret of Laura and Paco’s past, which led to such terrible consequences. However, in reality, we see only tiresome talk about who is to blame for what, how important it is to keep the family, no matter what, and the past of the heroes has only indirect significance. We end up with a rather sluggish kidnapping detective drama.
The result "Labyrinths of the past" left rather mixed feelings. On the one hand, the film has thriller elements that should captivate the viewer in an insane atmosphere of anticipation. On the other hand, the lack of innovative zest and banal (even predictable) intrigue makes you see a simple story in the film, which can only catch the loud name of the director.
7 out of 10
A detective story for our attention. And at first it seems that the director gives the viewer a smiling melodrama. Not surprisingly, the story revolves around the upcoming wedding. Arrival of guests, accommodation, smiles and all this in a small Spanish town where this big family built a nest. Parents marry a girl and on such a joyful holiday from Argentina comes with two children the eldest daughter, she is the sister of the bride. Health toasts, ceremonial in the church, nice faces in naked delights. As always, everything is solemn and memorable. A walk with a Spanish sweep is a smoke of a horse, and the viewer has the opportunity to capture those present in memory. Glasses, bottles, wine, dancing, laughter.
Going into the bedroom to see a sleeping fourteen-year-old, the mother does not find her in bed. She's not in the bathroom either. Worry takes over a woman. With desperation, she begins to show anxiety. Suddenly a message arrives on the phone, Your daughter is with us, we demand a ransom, do not contact the police if you do not want her dead. From this point on, peace and complacency give way to anxiety and fear. Misunderstanding addressed to the viewer - for what? Why? What caused it? And who could enter the house and carry the child without being noticed? And the author of the film competently weaves a web of questions wrapping us with it, frozen with surprise.
Your deductive methods are quite appropriate here. Try to solve this crossword puzzle. The crime was committed by hired workers to help in the harvest. Motive? A well-off family is able to pay the ransom. Or maybe the crew of cameramen invited to the wedding was to blame? They moved freely around the house without arousing suspicion. What if the criminal is among the guests and even now, when discussing, he sees everything, hears everything, watches everything? Maybe. But the father of the missing girl could also dare to take such a step - money problems and unemployment motivated him to such a daring plan in the hope of getting a ring coin for his granddaughter from a rich father-in-law... Is this the first love of an Argentine woman? She broke a man's heart and then neglected him? And such “if” and “maybe” the viewer has a whole bouquet – the director knows his business and after passing half the timekeeping, we do not have a single lead. Only guesses.
Very nice viewing.
Slow movie with hot Spanish blood is very unexpected.
7 out of 10
“Labyrinths of the Past” (“Everybody Knows”) is a novelty from two-time Oscar winner Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, whose films “The Salesman” and “The Divorce of Nader and Simin” took their honorable places in the history of world cinema.
As for the new film, the events unfold in a small town on the outskirts of Spain. The main character, together with two children, comes to his relatives for the wedding of his sister. But during the evening festivities, a terrible tragedy occurs, which strongly affects both the main character and all family members. People’s destinies change before their eyes, instead of smiling, tears appear, and joy dissolves into insatiable sadness.
At first it may seem that this is an ordinary drama about family relationships, because the fundamental engine is the family, but in fact the story tells us a completely different side of family values, where one replaces another, and sweet lies turn into bitter truth. Of course, a lot of pictures were shot on this topic, and I am sure that they will be shot repeatedly, since this topic is relevant at all times, so you should not immediately blame the authors of the picture for some mediocrity, which allegedly offer us a secondary product. By itself, the plot of the story and the characters seem familiar to us and to some extent even relatives, but further events with all the details immerse the viewer in a completely unfamiliar world, where some time ago it seemed that everything was absolutely clear and predictable. The harshness of the story affects all the characters, and the authors do not miss anything, adding to each character a certain feature that distinguishes from the others. We watch, follow and even spy on someone to find out the truth, find out the reason and identify the culprit who caused the heroes irreparable harm with aggravating consequences.
Of course, you can talk for a long time about the charms of plot development, but, in my opinion, it is better to see once than to hear different versions from different people a hundred times. However, it is a simple and understandable story that carries an important message and at the same time presses on the painful points of human perception. On the one hand, this is a serious and profound drama about adults, and on the other hand, it is an absolutely simple action thriller, which, unfortunately, I solved in the middle of the film. Honestly, I do not understand what the author hoped for when he wrote his story, because any experienced viewer will instantly and without any problems be able to predict the finale, guess about all the omissions and so on. But most likely, the director simply did not want to focus his film on the secrecy of the plot narrative. He simply showed the skill of beautiful actors and demonstrated the inflating atmosphere, which throughout the film only intensified.
If we talk about the production, it looks easy and relaxed. Each shot is made with a light elegance and masterful presentation, as if the viewer is watching an old Italian film of the 70s with Sophia Loren in the title role. Of course, I can exaggerate, but I personally saw just such inclinations in the overall structure of a large narrative. The whole production is devoid of any conjuncture or other features of the modern world, so the picture of the atmosphere of perception will be very relevant even after many years. This picture is timeless.
As for the cast, the director also approached this issue very competently and professionally. The main roles are performed by many famous Spanish-speaking actors. As for me, each artist is beautiful in his own way, and he coped with his task one hundred percent. Whether they are young or old, each of them gave their characters a lively feeling, breathing real life into them. Although the main story revolves around Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, I personally liked other artists, especially the magnificent Sarah Salamo, who admires her beauty and magnetic look.
In general, I do not know about you, but I really liked the picture, so I definitely recommend it to everyone without exception. To all lovers of quality film work is dedicated! Enjoy your visit.