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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Hint of the Latin American Magical Realism, May 28, 2004
This review is from: Santitos (DVD)
SANTITOS is a charmingly rendered film based on a novel by Maria Amparo Escandon and directed by Alejandro Springall, a film that has a parable of a story told in a magical realism manner that is so endearing in Latin American culture. This particular film comes to us from Mexico and is filmed in Vera Cruz, Tijuana, and Los Angeles. Briefly, Esperanza (or "hope" in translation and played by Dolores Heredia) has lost her 13-year-old daughter to a mysterious virus during a routine tonsillectomy. Mystery surrounds her death and her burial and in Esperanza's grief she is visited by St Jude (in dirty oven door!) who 'reveals' that her daughter is still alive. Esperanza visits her priest Father Salvador (played by Fernando Torre Lapham in one of the finer comic roles in Latin cinema) who recommends she search for the daughter St Jude has advised 'in a secret miracle' is still alive. She attempts to dig up the sealed coffin but is thwarted. Further 'advice' suggests her daughter may have been sold into prostitution so she travels first to Tijuana and ultimately to Los Angeles, seeking her daughter. The lessons of her journey - including the discovery of true love in the form of an angel - Angel is a wrestler who wears a mask and feathery wings (played by Alberto Estrella) - and ultimately returns to Vera Cruz and an ending to her journey that is as surprising as its inception. There is a wonderful sense of magic to the sets, the costumes, the vast assortment of Santos that appear everywhere, and yes, even to the acting, which always walks graciously along the path that borders excess. It all works and makes the story fun, touching, and ultimately insightful. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
journey of the heart, March 14, 2004
This review is from: Santitos (DVD)
This film received many international awards, including the Latin American Cinema Award at the Sundance Film Festival, where it had its premiere in 1999. It is the directorial debut of Alejandro Springall, and the screenplay is by Maria Amparo Escandon, based on her novel. It is about a bizarre journey from Vera Cruz to Los Angeles and back again, as the naďve, childlike, widow Esperanza seeks to find out what happened to her daughter, and relies on supernatural visions to guide her, which eventually prove that God works in mysterious ways when it comes to matters of the heart, for both maternal and romantic love. Her circuitous pilgrimage takes her through Tijuana, the world of prostitution (which at times unfortunately is somewhat idealized in this film), to the professional wrestling arena. Dolores Heredia is exquisite as Esperanza, the mother who never gives up hope, and others in the cast include Demian Bechir as Cocomixtle the pimp, Alberto Estrella as Angel the wrestler, and Fernando Torre Lapham as Father Salvador.
With rich, colorful cinematography by Xavier Perez Grobert, and a good soundtrack (Carlo Nicolau and Rosino Serrano), this film is filled with wonderful imagery and excellent acting, but just misses the mark for me. Total running time approximately 100 minutes.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
journey of the heart, March 14, 2004
This film received many international awards, including the Latin American Cinema Award at the Sundance Film Festival, where it had its premiere in 1999. It is the directorial debut of Alejandro Springall, and the screenplay is by Maria Amparo Escandon, based on her novel. It is about a bizarre journey from Vera Cruz to Los Angeles and back again, as the naďve, childlike, widow Esperanza seeks to find out what happened to her daughter, and relies on supernatural visions to guide her, which eventually prove that God works in mysterious ways when it comes to matters of the heart, for both maternal and romantic love. Her circuitous pilgrimage takes her through Tijuana, the world of prostitution (which at times unfortunately is somewhat idealized in this film), to the professional wrestling arena. Dolores Heredia is exquisite as Esperanza, the mother who never gives up hope, and others in the cast include Demian Bechir as Cocomixtle the pimp, Alberto Estrella as Angel the wrestler, and Fernando Torre Lapham as Father Salvador.
With rich, colorful cinematography by Xavier Perez Grobert, and a good soundtrack (Carlo Nicolau and Rosino Serrano), this film is filled with wonderful imagery and excellent acting, but just misses the mark for me. I would recommend it for mature audiences only, and this edition of the film does not include subtitles. Total running time approximately 100 minutes.
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