Customer Reviews

Little Ashes [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ]

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

My girlfriends and I drove over four hours away to see this movie in San Francisco when it played in the theatres. We weren't expecting much simply because this was a low-budget independent movie not getting much attention/buzz. So, how great to find a gem of a story and captivating acting by the two leads.

The movie is beautifully shot, the colors are magnificent and the story is one you are compelled to hear with an ending scene that will break your heart.

The acting of Pattinson at times can seem awkward, as he has much growing as an actor to do, but he delivers an appropriately weird and uncomfortable performance as Dali. His performance, unlike those of just plain old bad actors, is anything but boring, and one can only wonder what Pattinson may be capable of with more experience.

And Beltrain as Lorca is hard to take your eyes off of. He has an ease and sincerity to his delivery that never falters, and you'll wish he'd never stop talking let alone leave the screen!

This movie is worth watching. You'll be thinking about it long after the credits have stopped rolling.

For most of his life, Salvador Dali denied that he had ever been lovers with the tragic poet Federico García Lorca -- until the end of his life.

So, writer Philippa Goslett and director Paul Morrison explore what may have been in "Little Ashes," in which two young men become close friends, more-than-friends, only to have their relationship splinter apart. It's a powerful little story with astonishing acting by Robert Pattinson and Javier Beltran, but it tends to meander and shake way too much.

In the Madrid of 1922, a shy and awkward art student named Salvador Dali (Pattinson) is drawn into a circle of vibrant, iconoclastic young artists, including filmmaker Luis Buñuel (Matthew McNulty) and poet Federico García Lorca (Javier Beltran). Lorca in particular is intrigued by Dali, who is just discovering his unique melty surrealist style -- and it's not a platonic crush. And though initially he fights against the attraction, a trip to the seaside reveals Lorca's feelings to Dali.

But as their attraction grows, Buñuel feels shut out and tries to pull Dali out of Lorca's orbit -- and after an unsuccessful attempt to consummate their affair, Dali vanishes to Paris without a word. A possibly insulting movie and many years widen the split between them, until Lorca meets Dali, now world famous and in love with the "witch" Gala (Arly Jover). Dali has changed, and so has Spain -- with terrible results.

I know relatively little of either Dali or Lorca's lives, but it seems that "Little Ashes" is less about what happened than about what MIGHT have happened. Unfortunately it also falls prey to a common flaw in biographical movies, even if they're semi-fictionalized accounts -- it meanders randomly much of the time, and has awkward jumps between the different phases in the two men's lives. And what is up with Beltran suddenly reciting poetry in Spanish?

But if it meanders, it's a picturesque meander -- sunny streets of Madrid, shadowy apartments, rocky beaches, weird surrealist visions of Paris, and fun nightclubs where bright young artists congregate. Paul Morrison has a straightforward directorial style with few ups or downs, but there are some beautiful moments sprinkled throughout it -- such as a balletic swim in a moonlit blue sea, or the bittersweet final scenes for Lorca (interspersed with Dali frantically smearing black paint all over).

But this movie would be utterly forgettable if it weren't for the leads. Both are painfully magnificent, both in their chemistry and in their attempts to embody their characters. Beltran is a tragic figure who brims over with passion, sorrow and integrity, and somehow you know that things never end happily for this poor man. Marina Gatell has a small but well-acted role as a young woman passionately in love with Lorca, but obviously she can be nothing more than his friend (and once, a sexual proxy for Dali).

And Pattinson exudes almost Johnny-Depplike skill in almost becoming Dali. This is no glamorous "Twilight" role -- at first Pattinson plays him as a twitchy, painfully awkward and shy young man, but as Dali grows in confidence he also becomes more insistently eccentric and flamboyant, to the point where Lorca no longer recognizes him as a person. Mad laughter, insane grief, and all the time we're never quite sure what he's truly thinking about anything -- except, at the end, about Lorca himself.

"Little Ashes" is a flawed portrait covered in jewel-like paint -- the actors are truly astonishing in their skill, but the direction is a straightforward and spotty affair. And it's all the more tragic because at least some of it is true.

A friend recommended this movie to me, and it didn't sound like my cup of tea. However I ordered it anyway and I loved it. It's the story of three friends filmmaker Luis Bunel, poet Frederico Garcia Lorca, and painter Salvador Dali when they were students at Art school in Spain. However the focus of the film is the relationship between Lorca and Dali. It's very moving and heart-wrenching. The characters are beautifully played by Javier Beltran and Robert Pattinson. Both actors are fantastic. I was surprized by the chemistry between these two actors. They played off each other very well. Beltran illustrated Lorca's passion for Dali and Pattinson portrayed the conflicted & eccentric Dali to perfection. It's about love, loss, fear,regret, love of country & family, prejudice and violence. I decided to look up the work of these artists b/c of the film. I saw some films of Dali. He really was eccentric and Robert nailed that. I was crying at the end because it was very moving and sad. I would have liked more background information on all three major characters. They could have hired a dialect coach to make the English of the two British actors sound more like that of the Spanish actor. Other than that I highly recommend the film.

Just finished watching this movie. As an artist, and a fan of Pattinson, I wasn't sure what to expect (having seen and hated the Haunted Airman). Acting was superb, and the cinematography beautiful. A well-done art film, it made you feel the moment. Passionate and exquisite.

I must admit, at first i bought this movie because Robert Pattinson was in it. However, after watching it, i fell in love with it, with the actors who portrayed each character so well. I have read way too many negative comments about this movie, ranging from the small budget to the bad acting. I honestly don't see it, i think this movie is great. It touched me in a way that made me want to learn more about Federico Garcia Lorca and Salvador Dali so much that i bought any book i could gather about their lives and work. I would also love to go to Spain to visit the cities where these two great artists grew up.
Like i said i'm completely fascinated with their lives. After reading so many books about them i still can't get enough.
We all have different tastes about movies but i think everyone should give it a try. It's sad this movie didn't get the publicity it deserved.

I decided to spend an artsy weekend and was able to watch most of Robert Pattinson's indie films (Little Ashes, The Haunted Airman, Bad Mother's Handbook, and How To Be). Of all the films, I was tremendously impressed at the skill in delivery of Salvador Dali's character by Pattinson. So many people are aware of him on the BIG screen with works like Twilight, New Moon and Harry Potter, but I believe that his true calling may be with the independent artsy films like Little Ashes.

It may be difficult to see Pattinson as a character so opposite to his Twilight persona of Edward Cullen; however, he is truly an artist in its purist sense. I look forward to seeing what he will do in the future with period works like Bel Ami and Water for Elephants.

I highly recommend watching Little Ashes.

I first heard of this movie through Robert Pattinson's affiliation with the film. After watching this film I became truly inspired...especially as a young homosexual who is struggling to show people that love has no limits and this includes the individuals' sexual orientation. I believe this film showed that you cannot choose who you fall in love with; love can be irrational, unkind, and painful, but what this film showed was that, yes, it is all of theses things, but it is also beautiful, and innocent, and limitless. I would strongly recommend this film to anyone who is either questioning their sexual orientation or have questions regarding love and how it corresponds with homosexuality.

I thought this film did an excellent job delving into the possibilities and mysteries of Dali's life and adventures. It was romantic and heart-breaking. Robert Pattinson did such an excellent job that after a few minutes I forgot all about "Edward". Javier Beltran was simply amazing and when the two are on screen together, their chemistry and portrayals completely wrap you up in their tale. If you're a Dali fan - I think you'll like it (if you care about life stories and not just looking at his work).

I watched this movie at the theater, and was struck how well it was put together. How well the actors protrade the real people the story was about. I Thought Rob Pattinson did a outstanding job playing his part. His acting ability is outstand . I am purchasing this DVD to add to my collection cause its worth having. Bravo to the actors and the director for making this film.

Beautifully evocative of the 1920's, just a gorgeous film. Tailored clothes, period cars, and location shooting along with a talented cast and poetic script make this a sensuous journey to another age and culture.

Although the film focuses more on the poet Lorca than Dali, it perfectly captures the free-wheeling artistic milieu and the fervor of young artists finding themselves, creating environments with words, paint, costumes to express who they are.

If you are old and cynical you may not appreciate the beauty and sense of exploration and discovery of new worlds expressed by the young artists. The film inspired me to read more about Dali, Lorca and the art scene of the time. Every moment Robert Pattinson was on camera, from the moment of his entrance in linen ruffles and riding boots, you couldn't take your eyes off him. Pattinson captured the complexity, intelligence and artistic sensibility of this artist, along with his (probably necessary) narcissistic and self-aggrandizing temperament. (Don't all artists need the belief in their genius to promote their art, rather than to end up crazy, cutting off their ears?)

It was disappointing that there were only 4 extras on the DVD, which consist of interviews with the director, screenwriter, and two actors. It would have been great to see some behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes or an audio commentary.

Recommended for a dreamy night spent in another time, another country, being other people.