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Najwa Nimri,
Fele Martínez,
Nancho Novo,
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Julio Medem
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: Homevision
: Drama, Foreign, Romance, Spain
: 109 min.
: Spanish
: English
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Julio Medem directed this romantic Spanish drama with location scenes in Finland. School children Ana (Sara Valiente) and Otto (Peru Medem) are brought together when a paper airplane flown from a window by Otto unites Ana's mother Olga (Maru Valdiviesio) with Otto's father Alvaro (Nancho Novo). After this encounter, Olga and Alvaro fall in love -- with the result that Alvaro leaves Otto's German mother Ula (Beate Jensen). To be near Ana, Otto begins living with Alvaro and Olga. Ana believes that Otto harbors the soul of her dead father. As adolescents, Otto (Fele Martinez) and Ana (Najwa Nimri) share a kiss over a book opened to a passage about the Arctic Circle, and they often sleep together. Otto is grief-stricken by the death of his mother -- partially due to his leaving her for Ana. Shown at 1998 film festivals (Venice, Toronto). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
GreenCine Says: From the mesmerizing opening shots to the haunting finale, Julio Medem's Lovers of the Artic Circle will have you in its thrall. Crossing back and forth in time seamlessly, the film traces the love story of two step-siblings who are seemingly pre-destined for each other. The love story is beautiful, if perhaps a little, pardon the expression, cold - but as a cinematic journey and exploration of the mysteries of the heart it works a spell. Medem's audacious direction occasionally steps over the line of preciousness, but rarely to its detriment. In fact, fans of the later, more popular film Amelie will appreciate it, even if Lovers is a darker and deeper work, with perhaps more in common with the work of Alain Resnais. Alberto Iglesias's lovely neo-classical score adds to the hypnotic effect. The film is essentially cinematic poetry. - Craig Phillips
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| A Forbidden Lovers Tale Crafted Better than Shakespearean Prose
by mechanicalme
June 29, 2008 - 3:20 PM PDT
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2 out of 3 members found this review helpful
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This tale of love and tragedy is so profoundly felt, it took hours for my heart to return to the real world. The version i watched didn't have the option to view english subtitles, however with my "bastante bien" grasp of the language, it kept me both captivated and engaged. the two main characters are thickly developed, their love and frustrations for each other are real and heartbreaking. i highly encourage anyone to see this movie. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 7.65) 26 Votes
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