I first learned of this film back in the early 1980's, while watching an episode of the "Siskel and Ebert" movie review show on PBS. One of them (I can't remember which)favorably reviewed it as one their undiscovered gems. Miraculously, it appeared on HBO a few weeks later. My wife and I both thought, "What a charming movie!" I didn't realize until much later that it had been re-dubbed with "softer" Scots accents for American audiences. I just thought the dialog was a bit stilted due to colloquial speech. For me, this just added to the charm.

Gordon John Sinclair performance as Gregory is a classic. The anguish displayed on his face when he finally garners enough courage to ask Dorothy (Dee Hepburn) for a date, just as she enters the shower room is pure, teen-age angst! Any man or boy, who has experienced the same dilemma, anywhere in the world, can empathize superbly with Gregory. Even better is his feigned indifference when he realizes Dorothy stands him up, while waiting beneath the huge clock at the union.

Dee Hepburn's performance as Dorothy displays the same infuriating ambivalence any boy has experienced when asking out a girl, he truly knows is indifferent to him.

Perhaps the best performance is that of the script, with the subtle clues, thrown in by director Bill Forsyth, as to who really is "Gregory's Girl".

The viewer is not even sure at first, who Madeline (Gregory's sister)is. The knowing glances stolen by Susan (Clair Grogan) and her furtive and clandestine conversations with Dorothy begin to tell the tale.

The supporting performance by Robert Buchanan as Gregory's best friend Andy, almost steal the show. I always remembered his classic line: "Nine losses in a row and what do they do? Sack the goalie and put girl on the forward line!" In his Scottish brogue "girl" comes out as a rolling "gare-ell." Great stuff!

Perhaps the best scene in the entire movie is Gregory's and Susan's "gravity defying" dance in the park near the end. What imagination and how utterly, typically, and wonderfully adolescent! I almost wish I was a teen-ager again.


I saw this film in 1996 when I was in an English lesson at school. It as since remained one of my favourite films that I have seen again.

Its a romantic comedy that is not bittersweet. Managing to do something no other film as done. Completely captured the atmosphere of high school and the small problems that being a teenager throws at you.

The dialogue and characters are fantastic and the penguin sub plot is genius...

Buy it now. It may look like a film about football, but thats a very small part of the film. So keep an eye out for it. Its on British TV a lot.


This TV film is based correctly on historical events developed in April 19,1775 , beginning hostilities for a shot was fired and starting the American Revolution, skirmishes among the British troops and the colonial militia were in Lexington and Concorde(Massachusetts); the deeds are the following : The first battle of the American War of Independence was in Lexington,northwest of Boston.Anticipating a rebellion ,The British general Thomas Gage sent 800 troops to seize stores at Concord and arrest John Hancock and John Adams ,two prominent American rebels.The rebellious were warned by Paul Revere(Vlasta Vrana).An advance party under Major Pitcairn encountered a party of about 50 Minutemen ,American rebel militia troops,on Lexington Common.They refused to disperse when ordered to do so,and Pitcairn ordered his troops to open fire. Eight Minutemen were killed and the remainder retired.Fervants patriots(Tommy Lee Jones,Chad Lowe and Robert Urich) against redcoats were led by Salomon Chandler(Rip Torn). The British party turned back for Concord and was later ambushed ;it was only saved by reinforcements sent out from Concord .The total losses in two actions were 73 British killed and 174 wounded,49 Americans killed and 39 wounded.

The movie is a good adaptation upon the notorious historic events and based on a Howard Fast's(Spartacus) novel . The film is produced by Robert Halmi Jr from ¨Hallmark , Hall of fame¨ TV , which has produced several films and series about historical happenings and known personages , as : Cleopatra, Odyssea(Ulises), Hercules , Jason and the Argonauts, Joan of Arc, Lion in Winter( Henry II and Leonor Aquitania), Prince and pauper( Henry VIII and Edward VI ), among others . The movie is well directed by Delbert Mann (Marty). The flick will appeal to American history buffs.


After disposing of the fact that this film was significantly under budgeted, and, in spots, more than a bit overacted, what remains is a realistically cold and existential account of the first day of the American Revolution. While the principal characters have decided to take a stand against British domination, most are a bit vague in their feelings and haven't judged exactly how far they are willing to go. Yet, the events of the Day assume a life of their own and sweep everyone along.

I was most impressed by the way the film depicts the confusion of war and the mostly improvised pattern of resistance against the redcoats. Firing is heard all around, though no one is exactly sure from where or by whom. Men move through the woods with their guns, forming ad hoc groups to ambush the roadbound British columns---whose primary mission was the confiscation of privately owned firearms. The tactics are historically accurate. They fire, and retreat to concealed positions to reload. Most of these men are reluctant warriors, resigned to an unpleasant task, yet resolved to carry it through. A fine illustration of the ultimate Check and Balance of an armed citizenry; a concept enshrined in our Constitution yet too readily dismissed by many who claim to believe in democratic principles.

Another interesting and rather rare touch is the fact that the scriptwriters made a real effort to have the characters speak as people of the time would have. I have found that in many "historical" films the actors use words, sentence structure and alliterative devices from modern times. In some instances, well intentioned editors concerned with realism overcompensate to the point where the dialogue is overly formalized, archaic, and stilted. Not so here. The actors really sound like what one would read in contemporary, primary sources describing the event. This by itself gives the film considerable educational value.

A good "war is hell" movie still suitable for younger viewers due to its lack of gratuitous gore, and a memorable portrayal of ordinary people facing up to the bold task of confronting tyranny.


This summary contains spoilers.

For Revolutionary War buffs (yes the species does exist) the pickings in the film industry are pretty slim, this winter's "The Crossing" and this summer's "The Patriot" notwithstanding. Medieval movies are easy to find, WW II movies are everywhere, and Civil War movies are always an on screen favorite. Yet for some reason, the American Revolution is largely ignored by Hollywood.

One of the excellent films in this small genre is April Morning, a Hallmark hall of fame presentation that was aired in 1988. The film focuses on a 15-year-old lad named Adam Cooper who lives in the sleepy little hamlet of Lexington, Massachusetts Bay Colony in April 1775. Life for Adam consists of doing his farm chores, courting his sweetheart Ruth Simmons (Meredith Salenger), daughter of Joseph Simmons (Robert Urich), and desperately trying to win the approval of his gruff, temperamental yet good-hearted father Moses (Tommy Lee Jones - before he was ultra-famous). Other characters include Adam's mother Sarah (Susan Blakely), his Granny (Joan Heney) and local firebrand Solomon Chandler (Rip Torn). Lexington is a quiet town, and would remain so if it didn't have the misfortune of being the halfway point along the main road from Boston to Concord MA, where patriot militia groups have been stockpiling arms and gunpowder. On the night of April 18th 1775, the British launch a secret raid with the goal of surprising Concord and securing the contraband. Col. Francis Smith commands the expedition of 1000+ red coated soldiers. Nothing goes right for the redcoats. The surprise is blown even before the march begins as Paul Revere and his co-riders ride through the countryside and warn every little town, including Lexington.

When the morning of April 19th dawns, 70 or so men are drawn up on the green as the British march through the town. Inexplicably, Maj. John Pitcairn, commanding the advance party, picks a fight with the men, even though they do not block his path. He demands their dispersion and the surrender of their weapons. Refused, he forms a line of battle and advances on the minutemen. Someone, somewhere fires a gunshot. To this day his (or, for all we know, her) name is unknown. For dramatic purposes, the movie has Chandler pulling the trigger. Believing themselves under attack, the soldiers charge and shoot down Lexingtonians left and right. 10 are killed and 8 wounded. Moses is one of the fatalities, Adam, Joseph and Solomon running for their lives.

The English reform, and continue their already much-delayed march to Concord. Solomon predicts that "It'll be easier for them to go down that road then it will be for them to come back." He's right. The soldiers find almost nothing of value in Concord, the contraband having been recently removed. After skirmishing with more militia there, the British return to Boston via the same route they came. What follows is an English slaughter. The road is practically walled with farmers with guns, whipped up into a bloodthirsty and lethal rage by the carnage at Lexington. The colonists, including Adam, Solomon, and Joseph fire on the redcoats from every tree, rock, fence, and bush. The British take most of the casualties, but not all. By the time the day is out, Solomon is dead, and Adam and Joseph return to Lexington, quite aware that quiet peaceful days are gone forever for Lexington, Massachusetts, and the 13 colonies.

To the best of my knowledge this movie stands with Disney's ancient "Johnny Tremain" as the only two films to depict the beginning of the Revolutionary War. True, the body count at Lexington wasn't much, but for starting a war, it was enough.

The battle sequences are well set up and photographed, one of the most striking audile effects being the drums of the advancing English force, which we hear through the trees for a full minute and a half before the lobsterbacks come into view. The steady increase of fear in the militia is palpable. So too are all the details of the mighty British host preparing to advance. From the rasp and clank of bayonets being fixed to the shouts of hurrah, every effort was made to make the British army look as scary and mechanical as possible.

Tommy Lee Jones and Chad Lowe both went on to successful careers, and this movie proves that they had their acting chops down long before they were famous (April Morning Pre-dates Life goes on and Under Siege). This movie also serves as notches in the acting guns of Urich and Torn.

Meredith Salenger of "The Journey of Natty Gann" and more recently "Lake Placid" is lovely and wholesome as Ruth, and portrays her character with an excellent blend of support, worry, faith, and horror for the two men in her life - her father Joseph and Adam. Ruth is what any man who is forced into a war so desperately wants to come home to. The fact that Ms. Salenger is not as recognizable in the movie world as her costars of this film are is proof to me that there is not enough justice in Hollywood.

This movie is a treat for all fans of history, Lowe, and Jones. Contrary to what this database says, it IS available on home video, if you look hard enough. Check out your nearest Blockbuster or Movies Unlimited and find the guy/girl who most looks like he knows what he's doing. They'll probably be able to set you up. It's worth the search.


Synopsis: On "April Morning," April 19 1775, a shot fired on Lexington green changed the world forever.

The prosecution of Robert Goldstein for the movie Spirit of 1776 put down the Revolution in the theatre. Literature has produced greats in the genre but only a short list of motion pictures embraces a subject with issues which remain contemporary.

American leftist Howard Fast produced several notable novels on the Revolution: April Morning about the Battles of Lexington and Concord, The Unvanquished about the disastrous Battle of Brooklyn, "The Crossing" about the battle of Trenton and Citizen Thomas Paine about the apostle of democratic revolution.

Two of Fast's critically acclaimed books were made into movies: The Crossing and April Morning. Neither movie version drew large audiences.

Often compared to Red Badge of Courage, April Morning dawns over the sleepy hamlet of Lexington where 15-year-old Adam Cooper's main concern is the chores on the family farm, courting his girl and hanging out with his friends. Creeping toward the quiet town, is a red coat column bound to destroy the patriot's caches of arms at Concord.

Forewarned the local militia musters some men to stand on the green. Inexplicably, Major John Pitcairn, commanding the advance party, orders the militia to disperse. Refused, the British advance on the minutemen. A shot rings out. Firing begins.

When the smoke clears, 10 locals are killed and 8 more wounded. Adam and his friends are sent packing. As English lines continue the march to Concord, Adam's friend Solomon predicts "It'll be easier for them to go down that road then it will be for them to come back." After skirmishing with militia at Concord, the British return to Boston down a road walled with angry farmers whipped up into a rage by the incursion. Redcoats face hostile fire according to legend from every tree, rock, fence, and bush.

The British take casualties, but inflict not a few on their aroused adversary clinging to the protection of the bush. A more mature Adam returns home with the painful knowledge that peaceful joys are over.

The battle sequences are well staged with the drums of the advancing British beating a terrifying warning of the approach of the mighty British host whose clanking bayonets and the accompanying huzzahs send a soul splitting chill.


-Great story and amazing voice work

-Mr. Frieze lives peacefully in Antarctica with a small Inuit boy. He stays there because it's the only place his body can survive without his clunky suit. He spends his time fishing then looks for a way to cure his wife who lives in a frozen state. One day a group of scientist accidentally destroys his home and his wife's protective chamber, they figured no one would be crazy enough to live in such cold condition. However, they figure wrong and trigger Mr. Frieze to go back to his old menacing ways by dawning on his suit and going to Gotham to find an old friend to help bring his wife back to good health. Meanwhile back in Gotham Batman and Robin are busy protecting the city whiles their alter egos maintain a normal life of parties and work. Frieze eventually finds his friend and he tells him that his wife needs a transplant, they find an unwilling donor and she happens to be batgirl's alter ego. Batman and robin find out and soon have to go and rescue her from Mr. Frieze.

-Unlike its live action movie counter part, this is a well made movie with intelligent characters. Mr. Frieze isn't a cliché bad guy that wants to take over the world or destroy Gotham for that matter. He just wants to find a cure for his wife and is willing to do whatever it takes to cure her. Batman is a smart detective that uses fear to get what he wants and Robin is techno savvy sidekick that does more than deliver lame punch lines. The only thing this movie shares with the live action version might be that they both have excellent scores. Shirley Walker used Elfman's theme in this one and used it well, she also created her own themes and did a great job of not letting the music get too loud but rather score the emotions that the characters are feeling.

-This is a great movie and what Warner brothers should have made instead of that dog crap called "Batman and Robin". If you can forgive its short length then you'll really enjoy this movie

Kevin Conroy has the coolest voice ever


Alongside Mask of the Phantasm, this movie is a great tribute to the Animated Series that brought Batman into children's lives. This movie, even though it was animated, was serious, realistic, and had a great plot. The fact that it came out after Shcumaker's Batman & Robin, is a shame, due to the fact that this movie, an animated movie, blows the big screen movie out of the water. Just goes to show the difference between a great movie and director, and a horrible movie.

The voices for the characters were picked perfectly, and unlike the Freeze of Batman and Robin, this Dr. Freeze was perfectly in alignment with the mentality and actions of the comic book villain.

Kevin Conroy sounds just like you expect Batman to sound like, blowing George Clooneys frankly oddball and campy rendition away. Conroy acts like people expect the real Batman to act, assuming of course you are not Joel Schumaker or anyone who thinks said directors movies are good.


I for one have never really been a big fan of animated cartoon type movies, that is since I'm now an adult but in my past as a kid I treasured them. And being a big "Batman" fan I just had to check out the animated films even as an adult. I must say that this film featuring villain Mr. Freeze: Subzero didn't let me down either. As Freeze wanted to chill Gotham City this animated film brought red hot explosive action! The drama and story is well laid out with a plot twist that would even appear in a big screen movie. It centers around Barbara Gordon("Batgirl") who finds herself being the unlucky one that's kidnapped by Freeze when he finds out that she's an organ donor. The thing is the wife of Freeze needs an organ transplant to return to her normal state. Never fear "Batman" and "Robin" are to the rescue! Really watch this if you haven't it ends with everyone on a happy note just like the days when you as a kid watched cartoons! Overall great animated work of a "Batman" film.


This is another Great Batman cartoon and for all the same reasons the storyline is good it has lots of action in it the cartoon effects are good the voice over actors are good such as Kevin Conroy as Batman, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred, Loren Lester as Richard "Dick" Grayson etc. The villain is good Michael ansara as Mr. Freeze. So i am sure you will not be disappointed with Batman and Mr. Freeze Subzero because it is a really good movie. So make sure that you rent or buy Batman and Mr. Freeze subzero because it is a great movie.

Overall score: ******** out of **********

***1/2 out of *****


If Mask of the Phantasm compliments the first 70 episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, Subzero compliments the 15 episodes that comprise the Adventures of Batman and Robin. Mr. Freeze is one of my top favorite villains in this show thanks to Michael Ansara's magnificent portrayal of a tortured man, who although dead to emotions is more determined than ever to save the life of his dying wife Nora. I love this movie better than Mask of the Phantasm because being a Batman and Robin fan, I was thrilled that Robin was included in this Direct to Video Release. Kevin Conroy and Loren Lester are once again, superb in their roles as Batman and Robin. Regarding Batgirl, I was not exactly happy that she was in costume only briefly, but as Barbara Gordon, she was great as a damsel in distress, but still able to take care of herself, just like in the Heart of Steel 2 part episode. We even see a potential romance develop between Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon. Dick's wild motorcycle ride after Freeze's van is definitely worth seeing. The animation quality is even better than ever, partially due to CGI, but hey! I'm not complaining.

It's interesting to note two voice overs in this movie, George Dzunda (Scarface and the Ventriloquist and Perry White on Superman) is the voice of Dr. Gregory Belson and Dean Jones (Disney's Herbie the Love Bug movies) is the voice of Belson's Stockbroker.

My biggest gripe about this movie was the fact that WB decided to wait an entire year before releasing it. I felt they should have gone ahead and released it in the summer of 1997 so people could have enjoyed a better "Batman and Robin" movie than the abomination that Schumacher made. By airing the WB episodes first and then releasing this movie in 1998 was a mistake I felt. Why? Because if you saw the WB episode "Cold Comfort" you would already know the upcoming fate of Nora Fries, so WB's decision to bump the release spoiled the surprise of this delightful movie for everyone.

Of all the three animated Batman movies, I felt that Subzero is by far, the best of the three. It's also the last time we see the Batman characters in the Fox style before their revamps on the WB network, plus, with the exception of the "Old Wounds" episode, it's Dick Grayson's last adventure as Robin. And my hats off to the late Mary Kay Bergman, who voiced over Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in this movie. Like Mask of the Phantasm, I highly recommend Subzero for purchase or rental.


Whether SubZero is the best Batman movie that is up for debate, but it is a long, long way from being the worst. The problem is really that it was released so close to Batman and Robin, but as far as I am concerned SubZero completely blows Batman and Robin out of the water. Apart from the colourful costumes and sets, Batman and Robin for me failed on characterisation, scripting and acting-George Clooney was completely wrong for Batman and Arnold Schwarznegger's Freeze didn't come close to the complex character he is in the comic books. SubZero, while not as ambitious as Mask of the Phantasm is a very good film. True, the secondary characters could've done with more development, but it is compensated by top notch animation, a good music score, surprisingly mature scripting and a compelling enough story, that is quite action packed, and the ending was very poignant to say the least. The voice acting and characterisations were exemplary. Batman is more a side character to Robin, but Kevin Conroy ensures he is his dark and brooding self like Batman should be. Robin here is quite heroic here and Barbara aka Batgirl is really beautiful. What made the film though was Freeze himself. While still chilling and ambitious, he is also sympathetic and loves his wife to death. Michael Ansara conveyed that perfectly. In conclusion, pretty darn good for a Batman film. 9/10 Bethany Cox


This animated offering uses similar elements to Schumacher's then fresh-in-the-memory disaster  Robin, Mr. Freeze, Batgirl  and manages to combine them into a movie that isn't a painfully misconceived travesty. The story is a bit simplistic and falls short of the emotional underpinning of 'Mask of the Phantasm', but the classy design and strong voice cast are in place, and the animation ably mixes the traditional and the CG. The action is really where this movie hits the spot, though. An early chase when Batgirl is abducted is superb, but it's the intense finale  an extended sequence on Freeze's oil rig hideout  that will blow you away. The music pounds, the animation astounds, fire rages all around  it's terrific stuff, really exciting. A comic book corker.


This film is way better than Batman & Robin and should have been in theaters instead of B&R. This film was released straight to video to get people to watch the theatrical B&R, but many people think that this film is better which is hilarious. The DCAU Mr. Freeze, Batman, and Robin are way better than what was in B&R. There is no ice puns, imagery that looks gay, bad plot, bright lights, a super villain that shouldn't be a mindless thug, and fight scenes that resemble the 1960s series. This shows that a direct to video film can be better than a theatrical release if the people working on the film care about the characters and plot instead of selling toys and being over obsessed with making the film kid friendly.


This should not be red as a suggestion not to watch the movie , but that's the impression it gave me . Also , it needs CLASSIC or , maybe , a little enhanced CLASSIC drawing not computer animations . In this case , computer animations ruin the pictorial atmosphere that characterized the new Batman Series . Maybe it costs more but it's worth it ! Also , the plot should have been more serious or insidious . The story is too simple . Besides , if it's a cartoon , the kids would buy it anyway . The music is good , the sounds are good but the computer generated animations and the lack of story complexity drags this project down to the level of a simple good episode of The New Batman Adventures . It is really not up to the par with The Mask of The Phantasm .


Let's face it: after "Batman and Robin," the Batman movie franchise needs help. If only WB would realize that the solution is right under their noses! I've heard that "SubZero" went straight to video after "B&R" bombed, despite plans to release it theatrically. WB, please don't do that again! "SubZero" is what the live-action films should be.

Mr. Freeze, voiced to chilling perfection by Michael Ansara, is one of the best characters. The term "villain" cannot be applied loosely here. Yes, he is cold-blooded (literally). Yet you just cannot help but feel for this guy. He does not do anything for money, power, or fame: he does it all for love. Mr. Freeze is basically nothing more than a man who loves his wife so much that he will do anything to save her. His intentions are good, but he goes about it the wrong way. In that sense, he is no different than the rest of us. And deep down, Victor Fries does have the power to love and can be gentle, as seen in the beginning and touching ending of the film. Top this film off with a great score and the fact that Barbara Gordon gets to hold her own against the baddies WITHOUT her Batgirl suit, and you have a winner.

So please, WB, release more animated Batman films like this one into theaters. Spend money on them! Promote them like you would "Wild Wild West!" See what happens!


It was about a million zillion times better than Batman & Robin and that actually came out in theaters. Go rent this 'cause it's the second best Batman movie. The best being Batman 1 'cause it was just amazing. See Joel, it's a dark movie so there's no neon. It's a pretty basic concept.


Both "Steamboat Willie" and "Plane Crazy" are timeless classics. Personally, while very entertaining, due to its somewhat minimal story, I didn't find it as much as a classic. Still it has held up well, with some nice black and white animation, plus the music is absolutely wonderful here, particularly in the sword fight between Mickey and Pete. Speaking of Mickey, he is so cool here, he smokes, dances the tango and challenges others to sword fights. Minnie is also quite hot, and Pete is suitably villainous. Walt Disney does a great job with the vocals, making the most of the little amount of dialogue he has, as a vast majority of the cartoon is driven by visuals and music. All in all, entertaining and worth watching. 8/10 Bethany Cox


Personally, unlike the other reviewers of this cartoon, I found "Galloppin' Gaucho" very entertaining and I personally prefer it to Mickey Mouse's first two cartoons before it, "Plane Crazy" and "Steamboat Willie", for the following reasons: 1. In the previous episodes, Mickey Mouse was quite a horrible, prank-playing character, who could be quite mean to Minnie Mouse or innocent animals. In this episode, he was not particularly mean to anyone (anyone innocent, anyway) and was very good to Minnie. 2. The plot in this cartoon is somewhat cliché, but I found it very entertaining all the same and is a plot change from the Looney Tunes cartoons I usually watch (where no respected girlfriend is featured). 3. As I mentioned before, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse are very "cool" in this episode and they both dance very well (in a sort of slow-music style).

In this cartoon, Mickey Mouse is travelling on an ostrich/rhea, in South America and he stops at a bar by the road. There, he sees a very attractive female mouse, dancing to the guitar. She too notices Mickey and also finds him very attractive and they dance together (once both have impressed each other a little more). Suddenly, Minnie Mouse is snatched away by a huge (but normal size in real-life comparison from mice to cats) and fierce cat, who obviously plans on eating her. He takes Minnie away to his abode and Mickey quickly decides to go on after her. Will Mickey Mouse save his new love in time? I recommend this cartoon to anyone who enjoys Mickey and Minnie Mouse cartoons in general and to people who like old cartoons with a clever slapstick style intertwined with the story. Enjoy "Gallopin' Gaucho"! :-) 8 and a half out of ten.


1928 was a landmark year for animation. This is when Mickey Mouse debuted in the cartoon PLANE CRAZY and just a short time later, Mickey scored one of his biggest hits in his second film, STEAMBOAT WILLIE, as it was the first cartoon with a soundtrack (with sound effects and music). Because GALLOPIN' GAUCHO appeared after these two other films, it is less interesting from a historical viewpoint and also, unfortunately, isn't quite as entertaining.

The film begins with Mickey playing a character clearly inspired by the Valentino film, BLOOD AND SAND. This is a super-cool Mickey who smokes, dances the Tango and romances Minnie--a big change from the previous Mickey films. However, the evil cat comes and kidnaps Minnie and it's up to Mickey to save the day. The usual odd Ub Iwerks style of animation is there and it's quite charming, though as I just saw it immediately after PLANE CRAZY and STEAMBOAT WILLIE, it just didn't seem as entertaining or clever. Still, it does hold up reasonably well after 80 years.


A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon.

THE GALLOPIN' GAUCHO must speed to rescue cantina dancer Minnie from the foul clutches of Pete, the outlaw cat.

This ancient black & white film was only the second Mickey Mouse cartoon released with synchronized sound. It's fun watching The Mouse doing a Douglas Fairbanks spoof - using his tail the way Doug did his bullwhip in THE GAUCHO (1927). Is Mickey's faithful Argentinean mount an ostrich or a rhea? The Disney animators were already making full use of underwear & posterior jokes. Pete still has both legs in this one.

Walt Disney (1901-1966) was always intrigued by drawings. As a lad in Marceline, Missouri, he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper; later, as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War, he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle. Back in Kansas City, along with artist Ub Iwerks, Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters. Always the innovator, his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe. Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923, where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor. When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor, the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination, ensuring Disney's immortality. The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut, STEAMBOAT WILLIE (1928), a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music. The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared, and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color, illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development, an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable. Mickey's feisty, naughty behavior had captured millions of fans, but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions: temperamental Donald Duck, intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto. All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films. Against a blizzard of doomsayers, Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White, Pinocchio, Bambi, Peter Pan and Mr. Toad. Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse, or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off.


When I saw the trailers it looked like a European film and settings, but luckily this movie was in English directed by a German born Belgium director Sam Garbarski.

The story is in a small village near London about a widowed grand-mother Maggie (Marianne Faithful), whose grand son has to undergo treatment in Australia. She has a son Tom (Kevin Bishop) and daughter in law Sarah (Siobhan Hewlett) who can not earn that much to afford the trip to Australia. Maggie loves the grandson a lot but does not have any skills to do work  she has never worked in her entire life. After being rejected at many places, in search of work she lands up in the Soho area (red light district of London) in Mikky's (Miki Manojlovic) sex club / restaurant. Very shy and hesitant  she agrees to the work of masturbating men for a decent sum of Pounds 900 per week. Within no time she becomes the famous Irina Palm (pseudo name) for her skills. Maggie finds a new confidence and self-independence through this new role  which she never thought would become her respected profession. She borrows money from Miki and gives to her son, who becomes suspicious and when he follows her and knows about her new profession and is deeply hurt. He wants her to take the money back and leave the dirty profession.

The movie is about the journey through the mind of Maggie. Her hesitations, her doubts, her fears, her joy, her confidence, her love, and her grandiose  everything is perfect.

Marianne Faithful  who started her career as a singer, and later got involved in film acting  looks beautiful (just google her name and see how beautiful she was in her young days) and has acted honorably in portraying the character of Maggie to its core. She speaks more in her silences, stares and glances than with words. She was the perfect casting by the Director Sam. A special mention of veteran actor Miki Manojlovic  who has played the dark character of Mikky with so much punch and humanness that it is remarkable and not easy to forget. Both Marianne and Miki sparkles the screen with their historic.

A very well directed film by Sam  this is just his fifth directional project. He has also co-written the script with Philip Blasband. Cinematography by Christophe Beacarne is wonderful in capturing the life of a small British village to the dark and dingy streets and hotels of Soho especially the beginning shot of the village through bird's view and hand held shots of dark back alleys of Soho.

At one point in the movie when Maggie is forced by her son to leave the work, I was longing for Marianne to go back to her profession  because that had brought her self- dignity and self-esteem. But I will not say the ending and spoil of interest.

A very good  sensitive movie! (Stars 7.5 out of 10)


Every now and then a remarkable small film is made. The recent "Venus" starring Peter O'Toole is one. Irina Palm is also one.

This is a story of a middle-aged woman (Maggie, played by Marianne Faithful) worn down by sadness. She must get hold of a substantial amount of money. Forced by necessity and desperation Maggie does something that is at first utterly alien to her, but may yet become an awakening and salvation, a route to an identity she does not know she has and to new love.

Marianne Faithful's central performance is hugely affecting in its undecorated stillness and simplicity. This film is a cut above so many bigger releases. If you like a small story well-told it is for you.


Marianne Faithful stars as a grandmother desperate to provide a rare and expensive medical treatment for her cancer-stricken grandson, in any way possible. She tries every other avenue before settling, reluctantly, on sex work.

The synopsis just doesn't do justice to the movie; my expectations were low, but the film really delivers. From the reactions of her friends and family to the pride she begins to take in her job, this movie has a wealth of subtle and not-so-subtle points to make. The one thing I noted was that there is no way, in the context of the film, to condemn her character for what she is doing. She simply has to reach her goal, and nothing is going to stop her. That kind of dedication is rare and touching.

The best scenes were the grandmother's relations with the club owner and other workers. She holds her own and maintains her dignity despite the circumstances she finds herself in. There aren't any crude jokes, despite the material, but there are rare moments of humor.

Watch this if you get the chance, you won't be disappointed.


Irina Palm is one of those quirky off-beat Brit flicks that you come across every now and again. Based around the life of a middle aged Maggie, widowed, one son and a grandchild dying of a rare illness. Maggie needs a lot of money to pay for the treatment the boy needs, which can only be found in Australia. However, as widow whose main employment seems to have been as a lady who lunches, her work skills are rather non-existent. Also having sold of the family silver and home some time previously there is very little in the kitty to pay for the treatment he needs. However, she eventually finds salvation in the sex trade as an unlikely sex worker however a rather talented one at that. Finding her niche in hand jobs (to be polite) she sets about becoming the best in London and the target of headhunters (or hand-hunters in this case) What I really enjoyed is the sheer brilliant humanity that Ms Faithful brought to the screen as she realizes that there are real people who work the industry, real that is with families, and homes of their own Special mention must go to Miki Manojlovic and Jenny Agutter for two of the best scenes in the film. All in all a well worth the trip out but as its now playing at Art house cinemas might be a little bit tricky to find.


Somehow in line with "Calendar Girls" and "Mrs Henderson Presents" as it deals with the sex life of elderly ladies, "Irina Palm" is the story of the slightly-more-than-middle-aged Maggie who has to raise a large sum of money in order to save her grandchild from dying, takes a job as a w*nker in a sex club (minimal physical touch, no nude scenes, all done in the best taste) (... imaginable under the circumstances, that is) - and finds that she has a rare talent for just that sort of work. I liked it. The story is given every conceivable, foreseeable twist and turn - a romance with the sex bar proprietor who just had to sample her talent on the sly; her friends who are dying to be let in on the particulars, but still are too prudish not to turn their backs on her; her son finding out and flying into a rage, and the reconciliation with her hostile daughter-in-law when she learns about Maggie's sacrifice - all predictable, but still: I liked it. Perhaps because everybody in the film puts out great performance. Miki Manoljovic is very good as the sex bar owner who falls in love with his unlikely ace employee, Kevin Bishop is frighteningly good as the loving, mild-mannered son who cannot really see his way through to understand his mother (which son could, given her line of work?), and Marianne Faithful, that rarely seen blast from the past (my past, at least) is certainly a far cry from her Ophelia in 1969 (Yes, I do know that she's been doing bits and bobs in between, but somehow I've missed them). Marianne Faithful's slow, slightly hazy style is recognizable still, and I'd say she carries this film through in a very touching way - no pun intended.


I watched this movie in the preview in my university. I must admit that when my friend told me what it was about I thought it would be one of those dull good-intentioned but poorly made movie. I was wrong.

This movie is powerful and transmits a lot. Doesn't pretend to feel pity, and even though the beginning might be even considered dramatic, it made me laugh out loud several times.

It's the first review I write, but I definitely thought I should drop a line to defend this beautiful story that talks about what can a person do for a loved one, about re-discovering yourself, about avoiding stupid dogmas... And at the end it leaves you with a broad smile and a sense of tenderness that not so commonly a movie inflicts you.

If you like beautiful stories, this is your movie.


A charitable and moving tale about a woman who unselfishly compromises her dignity in order to save her grandchild's life.

The middle-aged window Maggie lives a quiet life in suburban England. She has a restrained relationship to her son Tom and his wire Sarah. The light of her life is her grandchild Olly who recently has become seriously ill. Maggie does her best to help, but the employers are not exactly waiting in line for a middle-aged woman with no education worth mentioning. When all family-members learn that there are no English specialist able to treat Olly and the only solution is leaving for Melborne to find the necessary treatment, they have to find a way to raise enough Money for the trip. The next day Maggie sees an advertisement on the window of a sex-club where a hostess is wanted. Maggie meets up with the owner and it doesn't take long before she's offered the job. Even though Maggies knew job is far from what she expected it to be, she Accepts it because of Olly. In a short period of time Maggie achieves a good reputation and gets well paid. She also finds a good friend in single-mom Louisa and seems to be getting a long fine in her new business. But people in the neighborhood are staring to question Maggies sudden change in behavior and Maggie realizes that sooner or later she will have to confront her friends with their prejudice and revalue her own morals.

Sam Garbarski delivers one of the most authentic descriptions of everyday-life since Ken Loachs "Ladybird,Ladybird"(1994) and Mike Leighs " Secrets and Lies"(1996). The films balanced handling of it's topics gives the viewer time to reflect. The gentle pace and realistic performances contributes to create a movie-experience with deep human insight. The whole movie is filled with a underlying aura of empathy and love that shines through in this wonderful film.


IRINA PALM may be a film too many people will overlook, thinking it either empty headed or pornographic. But word of mouth should correct those misconceptions, as this little quiet film is a tender story of an aging woman's sacrifices and healthy outlook in the face of adversity. IRINA PALM is that happy marriage of comedy and drama, a heartwarming tale that leaves the viewer with both a smile and a tear.

Written by Director Sam Garbarski with Martin Herron and Phillipe Blasband, IRINA PALM is the story of a widowed grandmother Maggie (Marianne Faithful in a luminous performance) whose young grandson Ollie (Corey Burke) is gravely ill. Maggie's son Tom (Kevin Bishop) and daughter-in-law Sarah (Siobhan Hewlett) cannot afford the transfer from England to Australia where the young lad could undergo curative treatment. Maggie decides she must find a job - a daunting task for an older woman with no particular job training - to make the treatment affordable. After numerous rejections from employment agencies, she spies a Sex Shop advertising for 'hostesses'. Thinking that designation means serving tea, etc, she enters the shady establishment and is interviewed by the owner Miki (Miki Manojlovic), a gentle man who gently describes the type of employment: Maggie would sit in a room and provide simple masturbation through a glory hole for anonymous clients. At first shocked by the job description, she in desperation investigates the business with the help of her soon to be best friend Luisa (Dorka Gryllus), and accepts the job with reservations. To her surprise (and the surprise of Miki and Luisa) Maggie gains a loyal following of customers, so much so that she is given the name 'Irina Palm'.

Keeping her employment a secret from everyone, she is the brunt of gossip from her old cronies and when she gives the money from her job to her son Tom without revealing its source, she causes a riff in the family. Maggie is courted by other sex shop owners who offer higher pay, but she remains faithful to Miki who advanced her the money for Ollie's trip to Australia. Tom stalks his mother to her workplace, discovers the source of her income, and explodes with anger and embarrassment that his mother would stoop to such depths. But Maggie's role as Irina Palm has given her confidence and also opened her heart not only to her grandson's future but to her own happiness as well. The ending may be expected by some, but will warm the hearts of everyone.

There are many moments of humor - Maggie's learning her trade, her ultimate confession to her cronies as to her occupation, etc - and this lightness makes the dramatic message more powerful. Faithful is extraordinarily fine in this difficult role, but the entire cast is sensitively responsive to the screenplay and to director Garbarski's vision. This is a film to cherish. Highly recommended. Grady Harp


Maggie is a widow in her fifties living in a small English village outside of London. She has spent her life in a humdrum manner taking care of her family. Her grandson is very ill and in the hospital. His only chance of survival is surgery in Australia. The medical expenses will be paid by the health care system, but the transportation, etc. must be provided by the family.

Maggie does not have the money, and her son has been out of work for almost a year. Maggie is determined to get the money and goes off to London in a quest of employment of any sort. She is greeted with disdain by potential employers and employment agencies as she is an unremarkable woman with no experience or talent.

In an act of final desperation, Maggie enters a sex shop on a seedy street in London advertising help wanted. It is here that Maggie finds she has a talent much sought after by the clientèle of the shop. She is given the professional name of Irina Palm by her boss, Miki.

It should be obvious that there are going to be sizable repercussions from a modest widow so radically expanding her range of experience, and there are.

Marianne Faithful and Yugoslavian actor Miki Manojlovic are extremely effective as Maggie and Miki - two people who, despite their ages, are able to learn and develop from their experiences.

You'll find that Irina Palm is a very slow moving film but one that offers a very different view of human nature. It is an intriguing slice of life.


This artful and poignant film is a perfect balance between the sadness of how impotent adults are when a child is ill and the laughter that leavens the sadness. Music of Ghuzu guitar group propels the actions forward. Sensitive camera work doesn't allow us to be more than very limited voyeurs into the workings of a SoHo sex club where our protagonist grandmother, played to perfection by Marianne Faithful, in a role that shows us how multi talented this former rock chick of 1970's fame as the muse for Mick Jagger is as a mature woman. She does what she is able to do for not only her sick grandson, but for her son who is unable to "fix" what a "good father" should be able to. Her moral dilemma is resolved in how she limits and defines just what a "good mother" should do for her children to protect them from life's foibles and cruelties. The Desert Film Society of Palm Springs, CA screened this film on Sat. Dec. 15, 2007 for our 300+ members who thought it one of the best films we have shown this year, along with The Man in the Chair.


Nothing's shocking anymore. After hearing the words "semen-stained dress" during national news broadcasts, from the lips of super-square Dan Rather, no less, on a nightly basis during the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal, a grandma-cum-sex trade worker who orally stimulates anonymous men at a gentleman's club has less shock value than it might have, say, in the late-seventies, when Diane Keaton starred as a slutty schoolteacher, looking for love in all the wrong places, in Richard Brooks' "Looking for Mr. Goodbar". When Maggie(Marianne Faithful) jerks back and forth on a client's penis, just be grateful that filmmaker Catherine Breillat wasn't at the helm of "Irina Palm". It would just be too graphic for words. But the film is Breillat-like in the sense that the filmmaker de-eroticizes sex, by taking the sex organ out of context from the human body, which is something the French provocateur attempted with female genitalia in 1999's "Romance". The hand-job soon becomes a normal job, like an office job, which is the case for anybody involved in the sex industry, as exemplified when Maggie brings into her "office", some personal effects from home.

Since the end-result of Maggie's unlikely occupation is for a good cause, the greater good blinds us to how unseemly her line of work really is. When Tom(Kevin Bishop) chastises Maggie after he discovers what mom has been up to, for the first time, do we question her sense of morality. "Irina Palm" stops being a deadpan comedy and asks its audience to take a second look at what Maggie is doing. Is she humiliating herself? Yes and no. At the beginning, yes, because Maggie was squeamish. But she did it anyway, as an act of love for her sick grandson. After the shock of the new wears off, Maggie starts to take pride in her job. She's good at it. The former-homemaker has never been good at anything in her life. Although Maggie lives in a good neighborhood, and has fancy friends, she's only upper-class by association. Her husband was rich. By being a sex industry worker, she's reclaiming her working class roots. Arguably, she doesn't belong in the parlour of a society friend, sipping tea with the ladies. Maggie finds herself, alone in a room with penises, and becomes something more substantial than a widow. Like the girls in Lizzie Borden's "Working Girls", Maggie finds feminism in the strangest places, too.


This movie was a total surprise and a lot more entertaining than expected. There were a lot of quiet or dead moments, but those seemed to work out, not only for use as a scene change, but to convey just how bleak, when you really sit down and think about it, most people's lives are. The plot centers around a widowed grandmother, and her son and daughter-in-law, and their plight to get medical help for the grandson/son, though we are never told just what he has, and for most of the scenes we see him in, he looks okay really. I would have liked a little background of his ailment and why he had to go to Australia in order to get treatment. Both families have borrowed as much as they can against what they own and are told that the treatment will be free, as it's something new, but the family must pay their own way there and for their stay. Of course none have any money and all have been turned down for more loans. So Maggie, the grandmother, and played quite well by Marianne Faithful, goes out looking for a job, but she's a 50-year-old widow with no skills. She happens across an ad in the window for a hostess at a sex club, and like most naive people, thinks all she will have to do is bring tea to the customers and clean off tables. The scene where she's thinking this is what she will have to do and then told exactly what it is she will do is done perfectly, and the look on her face is awesome as she comes to realize just what a hostess actually does. Of course, she declines. But then there's that dying grandson hanging over her head, so she chooses to do something that repulses her in order to help out to save her grandson. So the premise, IMO, is just how far would one go to save a loved one? And it's not like she was having actual sex. All she was doing was giving hand jobs, and through a hole in the wall to boot. What was really funny was once she got into the job, and she took her job seriously since this is what an honest person would do, regardless of the job, not to mention she was really good at it, and thus she began to make her workplace more homey. Don't we all do this? We put up pictures of loved ones, flowers, personal items, etc. And there is one particular scene where she is at work and like a lot of us, multi-tasking. I won't give that one away. It was so funny we had to stop the DVD and rewind to watch it again. Yes, there were problems. What movie does not? Some of the issues discussed are the acting talents, or lack thereof, of certain cast members, and some were kind of dry and others overdone, but overall, the entire cast was right on the money. Even her so-called friends and their reactions when they found out what she was doing. One woman was actually quite interested while the others feigned repulsion. This is one of those sleeper movies to rent and just sit back and enjoy the ride.


When I first saw Marianne Faithful in Irena Palm, she was so much the frumpy housewife that I almost didn't recognize her. As the movie continued, however, I saw her bright eyes and intense expressions and realized that she's one of the few women who, like the far less likable Leni Riesenstahl, will be sexy in old age. She's had an odd career, going from ingénue groupie to seen-it-all chanteuse, seemingly without a middle period. In this film, she emerges as a greater actor than singer (though her Pirate Jenny from the Threepenny Opera may be the best version of the song in English). Her talent's in full bloom in Irena Palm. She appears in almost every frame and holds together a story that, on its own, is not always plausible.

Maggie, the frumpy housewife, has a beloved grandson who's dying of some disease. He can go to Australia for experimental treatment but no one in the family can afford the 6,000 pounds needed for travel expenses. Maggie, without marketable experience, roams the streets of London in search of work to raise the money, without success until she applies for a hostess job at a grubby Soho sex show. Miki (Miki Manojlovic), the show's manager, likes the look of Maggie's hands and is willing to try her out. Seems the work involves masturbating anonymous men who, having been excited by nude showgirls, feed coins to a meter and stick their cocks through holes in a wall. Maggie does a fine job, develops a following, and proves an accomplished earner.

But, of course, things get more complicated, and not only because Maggie develops "penis elbow" and must wear her arm in a sling. Her women friends wonder how she's spending her time and she refuses to tell them. When she gets the necessary money and gives it to her son, he follows her to her workplace and is outraged to discover that his mother's a whore. His wife understands better, however, and insists on accepting the money for the trip to Australia with their son. The film ends with Maggie returning to Miki's sex club and kissing her pimp/manager on the lips in what is clearly a developing romance.

Ms Faithful has displayed, throughout her career, a visceral hatred of capitalism (her version of Working Class Hero is clearer and more intense than John Lennon's). Irena Palm can be seen as a sophisticated exploration of capitalist contradictions. Maggie is both satisfied by her financial success and happy that she can do something well, but the sordidness of her occupation is not minimized. Miki's sex club is realistically crowded and dirty. When her co-worker, Luisa (Dorka Gryllus), is unable to line up the men like Maggie, she is unceremoniously fired. Beneath its somewhat silly plot, Irena Palm makes serious statements, and Marianne Faithful enables it to happen.


" Irina Palm " is a curious combination of the British village comedy and raunchy HBO special. The story of a grandmother who resorts to desperate measures to make money for her sick grandson's operation could've easily been a tearjerker for simpletons. Fortunately that didn't happen. Maggie is a sad ,lonely, middle-aged frump who spent her life just plodding along. Her life's greatest humiliation somehow turned into a hope for better future all around. It would be impossible to tell this highly unusual story without creative actors. Marianne Faithful may not be the greatest actress in the world, but in this part she fits the bill perfectly. Her sultry deep voice and her tired, natural face speak for themselves. Serbian actor Miki Manojlovic plays his role with great flair and charm. This is a small, independent flick that makes us believe in power of brave ideas.


It seems Belgian director Sam Garbarski didn't set out to make an English movie (the script was originally written by Phillipe Blasband in French) but even with a diverse cast and continental locations he has produced one. Marianne Faithful's performance as the slightly out of it middle aged widow who becomes a hand job operative in a Soho sex shop to earn money for her sick grandson's operation is wonderfully judged. She has to do this in secret, of course, under the nom de hand "Irina Palm" for this is England and she would suffer terminal embarrassment were her family or friends to find out what she is up to. In France, on the other hand, it might not matter so much.

Despite the sordid nature of "Irina's" fund raising efforts, this is a comedy-drama, not soft porn and the exposition is tastefully done  no graphic images are employed. The other main performances fit the fairly gentle tone, even the veteran Serbian actor Miki Manjlovic as the sex shop owner. The plot, as the makers admit, is a bit of a fairy tale, but satisfying nevertheless, and we can't help wishing "Irina" as well. I did wonder about her customers though. Paying for sex is at bottom, so to speak, pretty pathetic, even for someone with Erina's professional skill, and the film makes little attempt to look at the situation from the customer's viewpoint, though we do get the impression the customers are satisfied. Weirdly, Marianne Faithful is descended from the Sacher-Masoch family, but her character does not dish out pain here. A small film but pleasant and entertaining.


Rarely have I enjoyed a film this much when I also found so much wrong with it. The biggest reasons for liking Irina Palm are Marianne Faithful and Miki Manojlovic. They are terrific, both humble and genuine in their roles of hand-jobbist and sex-club owner, respectively. I hesitate to call them prostitute and pimp because that would grossly overstate their actual vocations. It's gross overstatements that slightly mar this otherwise delightful film about a woman who, apparently, stoops to a pretty low standard in her efforts to save the life of her gravely ill grandson.

I write "apparently" because I couldn't help but conclude from this film that giving hand-jobs for a living is not all that bad. Maggie (M. Faithful) receives the moral high ground in her confrontations with both her friends and her son when the truth of her vocation is revealed. Her son makes a fool of himself, vastly over-acting and over-reacting when he discovers his mother working in a sex club. He sees her dressed in a typical day dress walking through the club. All the other women are half naked, but her son concludes that she is working as a whore. He calls her a whore, screams it at her without a single question. As the audience, we see this display of ridiculous emotion as misplaced. Maggie's daughter-in-law, who up to this point didn't seem to care if her son lived or died, rises to the defense of her mother-in-law. Maggie entered this degrading lifestyle to save her grandson. That's what is important.

Maggie finds strength and a new, authentic life in refusing to accompany her son and grandson to Australia, and instead returns to the sex club and kisses (and presumably falls in love with) the sex club owner, who, in response to Maggie's declaration that she likes his smile, affirming their budding closeness, says "I like the way you work." Gracious me.

Dorka Gryllus is also wonderful as the young veteran of glory hole work. But after developing her character, and her relationship with Maggie, she is abruptly tossed aside. The two of them had become friends, but Louisa (D. Gryllus) is unrealistically fired because, apparently, Maggie has taken away all her clients. On her way out, Louisa curses Maggie who has no idea why. When Maggie later approaches Louisa at her home in a run down housing project (isn't that where you'd expect a glory hole worker to live?) to attempt reconciliation perhaps, Louisa opens up a can of class-consciously aware worms in response, but then is shut out, turned off, and eliminated from the rest of the film entirely.

The script to Irina Palm (palm, hand-job, get it?) has to have some tongue planted firmly in cheek. For those who are curious, there are no penises shown in the film, only arm movements and careful camera angles that suggest the size of the unseen units must average one to two feet in length. The rise of this mild-mannered, fifty-year-old grandma who can't even say the f-word, from nobody to the "best right hand in London", with men in long queues to receive her services is absurd. It's just not that kind of skill. It's a very small segment of a larger talent pool.

Maggie wears her right arm in a sling for most of the film, suffering from "penis elbow", which is akin to tennis elbow only from a different vocation. Enjoy the film. Don't sweat the details of this simple and touching story, just soak in the wonderful performances amidst the (inexplicably chosen) mildly raunchy milieu.


Anybody who is sick to death of the standard glut of Summer block busters has a lucky break here. Irina Palm is a small,quiet film about a widow (Marianne Faithful,who will always be remembered as Mick Jagger's girlfriend back in the mid to late 60's,and had a brief recording career herself before Heroin & other drugs side tracked her), who has seen better days,finds out her grandson is dying from an illness that could only be cured in a hospital in Australia. Problem is, neither she,nor her son & daughter in law has the money for the trip & operation. She decides to raise the money by becoming a sex worker at a Soho sex shop,where she services men by hand. Despite the rather grim & glum nature of the film, there is an underlying current of humour that's a welcome breath of fresh air. You may have to search this one out a bit, as it was originally produced in 2006, but has been getting rather scatter shot distribution. You could do a lot worse than Irina Palm (like anything with Adam Sandler,Pauley Shore or Rob Schneider).


First of all, I have to say, that I surf around IMDb.com a lot, but this is my first review here. The reason for that, is because I think that often the reviews for most movies on this page are pretty fair to the overall score of the movie. But this is not. And I feel like I should warn others from watching this, as nobody warned me. It is very bad, and I feel like people should know what "quality" they are about to see.

At the time I am writing this, "Irina Palms" has a score of 7.2 out of 10. In my opion, that is at least 4 stars too many.

Unfortunately this movie is horrible. The Idea behind the movie is okay though: the grandmother who feels forced to "jerk off" lots of men in the sexclub, in order to get the money it takes to save her ill grandson from dying. It could be OK, but it's not. Far, far from to be honest.

Even in the beginning, all the establishing scenes to introduce the characters feel rushed, as if the director just wants to get to "the wanking part" as soon as possible. And when we get there, it's an odd mix of comedy and drama - as if the director wants it to be both, but without any success. All he succeeds in, is the comedy part, which is not even that good. True, there are a pair of okay jokes, but that''s not hard to make, since it's all "toilet humour". Most of the funny scenes are just funny because "it's an elderly woman wanking off men for money", and to be honest, I think a lot of directors could have pulled it off just as good, because this kind of humour doesn't have to be extremely clever to make people laugh a bit. In fact, I was waiting for some more clever jokes than what were in the movie, but they didn't show up...

The dramatic parts of the movie are very bad as well: the acting is fair in some scenes, where Marianne Faithful (misspell..?) is on her own - that's OK some of the times. But pretty much everything else is rubbish - not only do most of the characters overact, they simply also act stupidly and in many cases with no logic at all. This seems to be more of a flaw from the director and/or scriptwriter though, and not the actors themselves. There are many times where you will guess EXACTLY what the actors will do because it is cliché, and other times where you will wonder how anyone could make a character act that way in certain situations, since it makes no sense at all.

I would not recommend this movie to anyone, as it is completely rubbish, unfortunately. I wasted 80 mins or so watcing this and I regret it. It might sound interesting plotwise, when someone tells you the story, but it's not interesting at all. In fact, the few fairly good jokes and funny sketches in awkward moments don't make up for the poor acting, bad editing, and very, very cliché situations throughout the movie. It fails at being a drama, and only succeeds a few percent in being a comedy.

But then again, I and people around me were literally (and I'm actually not exaggerating now, this is true) were laughing out loud in a handful of scenes from the horrible, horrible dialogue and embarrassing acting. So in that sense, I guess it kind of is a comedy...

All I can say is though... Avoid this movie for your own sake. I have warned you now.


DESPERATE PEOPLE DO DESPERATE THINGS: IRINA PALM.

Marianne Faithful plays Maggie, a middle-aged English widow whose young grandson is dying. His only hope is medical treatment in Melbourne but the family doesn't have the money to pay for the airfare. Unable to get a bank loan and not taken seriously by a job recruitment company, Maggie takes work at a sex parlour, stimulating men with her hands. Her soft touch and firm technique make her a surprise success and punters have to get in line to be serviced by "Irina Palm".

IRINA PALM asks an important question: How far would you go to help someone you love? But the film completely fails to explore this question satisfactorily.

The premise is flawed. Maggie makes little effort for a personal loan, visiting only one bank. With the abundance of credit card companies willing to hand out money to anyone these days, I'm surprised this isn't an option. And I would much prefer to have seen her look harder for a decent job. Granted, it's not easy being an older, unskilled worker but Maggie simply doesn't try.

While I'm not familiar with her line of work, I find it very hard to believe she could make anywhere near the amount of money she does at the sex parlour, especially with the glory hole being coin-operated. The premise is a construct.

IRINA PALM also has problems with genre. Is it a drama or a comedy? It certainly centres on a serious subject, a boy's life is at stake. But with its cavalier attitude towards sex, you can't help wondering if it's meant to be funny. If so, watching an unhappy, uncomfortable woman perform sickening sexual acts is the most base form of humour.

There are some moments that are amusing: Maggie's attempt to personalise her workspace, her silencing of a noisy couple making love in car outside her house and the playful manner in which she tells her disapproving friends about her new job. But the film is slow-paced and its constant fade-to-blacks make it feel very disjointed.

Maggie's intentions are noble but we don't feel for her, not even when her son becomes aggressive after learning of her new job. "I'm not a whore!" she insists. I can imagine Woody Allen's response to this: "No, only by the dictionary definition."

With its contrived premise, confusion of genre and slowness of pace, IRINA PALM is a poorly handled, mess of a film. No pun intended.


I rented this film because it had received great reviews by Norwegian newspapers and so on, 5 and 6 eyes of the dice. And further on I thought this film would be typical British in terms of showing how something "exciting" like a sex club could be funny and not exotic at all, like they did in Full Monthy.

The first sign that this wasn't the movie I expected came in the opening where there was a music so depressing that could kill all enthusiasm. And it continued all through the film. After half an hour where we had been shown how miserable this middle-aged lady was and what she was willing to go through to save her grandchild I thought that something was going to happen, that the film would turn around. But it never did. This story could be told in 15 minutes, there is no reason to make it longer than that. You might think that making it as long as it was was to show the depth of the characters and what they went through, but they weren't even close to give this any deeper meaning or emotion. I really think they went too far in describing the misery. For example the behavior of the people in the bank. Nobody in a bank talk to a customer like that, not even close.

And at the sex club they play the one song over and over again, and she's so good jerking them off that they stand in lines so long that they would probably had to wait an hour to be jerked off, and that hour had to be spent in between other horny males...come on, this was so exaggerated and stupid that I was embarrassed.

I could not recommend this movie. Normally I like different and odd films, but this was just dull and depressing without any deeper message.


When I saw the trailer of the movie I wanted to watch it. The idea, the setting sounded interesting. But when I watched it, it felt that there was not much more in it than I had already seen in the trailer. Probably a person who is more shocked by the idea that someone is working in the sex business can appreciate it more fully. The film has its moments, but it has much more lengths. To me the reaction of her son to what she had done to save the live of his own son was a bit over the top. The other characters are developed rather nicely. But there was not enough density for a full length feature movie. In the sex club where she is working they seem to have only one song playing over and over again. And that is systematic for the movie. There is not enough change in it to get me hooked.


A long but pleasantly sentimental journey. This delightfully odd-ball film is based on the real-life story of one Louise Randall Pierson, an eccentric free-spirited woman who was ahead of her time in her thinking and actions. This lady didn't need the assistance of women's liberation movement! The film opens in 1912 and ends during WWII. In between are many amusing episodes. Louise's first failed marriage, her daughter who suffered infantile paralysis and her introduction to her future second husband (Jack Carson) - in a fish pond while dressed up for a costume party linger in the memory. Rosalind Russell is superb as Ms Randall-Pierson, and although the film is a mite long at 117 minutes, it is expertly directed by Michael Curtiz, the dramatic and comical aspects being cleverly balanced. Highly recommended as a fine example of a forgotten fine movie to remember.


Louise Randall Pierson lived a wonderful life. Mrs. Pierson was a woman ahead of her times. Her biggest accomplishment was a total dedication to her family. The film, based on her own autobiography, clearly shows why this woman was so unique. Michael Curtiz directed with his usual flair.

Louise Randall Pierson went from a childhood of privilege to almost poverty after her father died when she was still a girl. Louise pursues a career as a typist and joins a firm where no women had been employed. Her friendship with Alice Abbott brings her to New Haven where she meets and marries a man that never amounts to anything, but who leaves her for another woman without any qualms, leaving Louise to do whatever she can with four small children.

At this point in her life, she meets Harold Pierson, a lovable man who had big visions, but who never was able to have the recognition he deserved. Louise and Harold were made for one another. Their love will get them through some rough patches, but they manage to keep their spirits and give all the children careers of their own.

Rosalind Russell makes this film come alive. Ms. Russell was such a lovable actress that no matter what she appeared in, she always managed to please us. Jack Carson, an underrated actor, was perfect as her second husband Harold Pierson. Mr. Carson and Ms. Russell seem to be having a great time while making the movie. Ann Doran is the loyal friend Alice and Ann Todd plays the young Louise.

"Roughly Speaking" is one of the most positive films that came out of Hollywood in the forties because it shows us a determined woman with a great heart who raises above of what life gave her.


Long after this movie's release, the term "Slice of Life" was coined to describe films such as this. I dislike labels, and I especially tend to dislike modern films for which this term was coined. However, it seems like an apt label for this movie which I paradoxically love. (This comment provides as much insight into film history as it does into my own character.) I admit to being a sentimentalist. Consequently Slice of Life films from the thirties to the late forties usually appeal to me far more than later films. A lot of Slice of Life movies since the late forties seem to me to be rather pointless, rather tragic - or worse - both! Like any art form, films express the ethos of the culture in which they are made. I sometimes lament the passing of the society that produced Slice of Life films from the thirties to the late forties...

Roughly Speaking is a film that is full of tragic events, but none seem pointless or even tragic. In that sense it is moralistic. As their dialog during the film's fadeout clearly indicates, Rosalind Russell and Jack Carson seem made for each other in their twin indomitable spirits. That spirit imbues this entire film with optimism. If the film seems at times to be overly sentimental (even maudlin to some), I think it is because today most people think of that kind of optimism, itself, as overly sentimental. Raised by parents who experienced the Great Depression and WWII, I can imagine a time when such optimism was not deemed overly sentimental or unbelievable. This film epitomizes that time and those people, and it speaks to my heart and soul. It inspires me and makes me yearn today for such a milieu, in a retrospective way that was not possible for audiences at the time of the film's release. So, for me this movie has grown in stature and improved with age.

Russell is one of those actresses who is capable of delivering a performance that evokes laughter and yet tugs at your heartstrings. Carson is not usually seen in roles that offer him the opportunity to portray such nuanced characters. Here he is, and he shines. He was one of the era's great "second bananas." When I see him in a film such as this or Mildred Pierce, I regret that he wasn't given more meaty, starring roles. In this movie Russell is the strength and Carson is the vision - they are a great team, and I enjoyed seeing them grow old together.

The ending does come rather abruptly. Yet for those who lived through WWII, there is enough foreshadowing for the rest of the story to be imagined in a general sense. Hardly any family that sent as many sons to the war was blessed to see them all return home. This family had seen plenty of hardship, and would, no doubt, see more. But it would overcome...

This doesn't seem overly sentimental to me - just optimistic.


Having lived throughout the depression and the Presidency of F D R, I was pleasantly surprised when I happened upon Roughly Speaking on T C M last week. Somehow,in all these years of movie going and viewing,I never had a clue about this moving film.

The author expertly weaves into the plot glimpses of those bygone days.. The early airplanes,the the struggle to ride out the lean times.

The staid mother's daughter having fought the same crippling disease as had the President,the stock market crash the early war years.

Her heart wrenching scene watching all three sons go off to war.

Although the movie depicted the triumph over adversity women of the thirties/forties achieved, the young women of today are the daughters and grand daughters of the multi taskers of my mother's day

I wholeheartedly recommend this movie to all American women. Edouarto.


Rosalind Russell was just right for this movie. Bette was a great actress, but I cannot imagine her as Auntie Mame. Same with the heroin of Roughly Speaking. Russell played it just right, with a touch of laughter and a touch of pathos. It is about a woman who lives through: Divorce, polio, the Depression, one monetary failure after another, and finally seeing her sons off to fight in WWII. However, you see that it makes her family stronger, they learn to fight thru their problems and come out better for it. It is this movie that made me fall in love with Jack Carson. Jack Carson never really made it as a top, top star. In fact in most of his movies he played a buffoon or a jerk. But in Rougly Speaking he plays the kind of man most women wish we were married to. It is my opinion that he pretty much played himself. I recommend it: It comes on TCM regularly, if you have not seen it you are in for a real treat. Watch out for Roughly Speaking you will love it.


A wonderful Rosalind Russell vehicle with Jack Carson in fine form as her 2nd husband.

It tells us of a woman's determination to survive this world-despite deaths in the family, a heel of a husband, (Donald Woods),illness, and the Great Depression.

Russell throws her usual zest for this type of commanding woman in the film and succeeds. Though out of his league as the usual grade B actor, Woods succeeds here in the part of the first husband, who walks out on Russell after 10 years of marriage, 4 children and a life of hard times.

The film is definitely a slice of Americana and the idea of hard work and accomplishment. It also very well deals with adversity just as things are going so well. Isn't that so true of life itself? That's why the film succeeds and is quite memorable.


"Solas" spends its 100 minute run digging deep into the character of Maria (Fernández), an attractive 35 year old brittle pessimist who bears the scars of childhood abuse at the hands of her father, drinks too much, and works as a janitor. A somber, plodding, plaintive character study, "Solas" fleshes out its small ensemble of characters well, illuminating the dark corners of Maria's hopelessness with an unlikely combination of her visiting mother's quiet courage and the friendship of an old man in a neighboring apartment. An award winning film hailed by the critics and an exemplar for American Indie makers, "Solas" will appeal most to more mature audiences into Europix. Those who enjoy this film may want to check out "El Abuelo" (1998). (B)


Unfortunately rather overlooked as this film came out the same year as Almodóvar's 'Todo Sobre mi Madre' which went on to reach fame and glory. However, if you liked Almodóvar's excellent drama you will also like 'Solas'. The two films have certain similarities inasmuch that also in 'Solas' the accent is very much on strong characterisation, profound human feelings, though perhaps a little less intense here than in Almodóvar's film.

Ana Fernández is magnificent, playing just right the rather confused, unlucky thirty-five year old young woman a bit given to alcohol, not overplaying her part; María Galiana as her mother shows even at her age that she has come from good theatre, as no less does Carlos Álvarez-Novoa as the lonely neighbour. Benito Zembrano - as Almodóvar - , not only directs his film but is also responsible for the script, which is truly magnificent, especially taking into account certain Andalucian styles of speech. The Andalucian accent may at times cause a bit of a problem if you know Spanish a fair amount and watch this film without any subtitles. Try it, anyway: it is well worth the effort.

An excellent piece of drama which certainly deserves more recognition than it has got. Curiously both films end with a remarkably similar dedication at the end: 'A mi madre; a todas las madres' - To my mother; To all mothers.


Solas is a Spanish story of the interrelationships between a hard drinking thirty five year old woman, her saintly mother, her wicked father and a lonely neighbour. The initial themes deal not only with motherly concepts, but with desperation, alienation and loss of happiness caused by an anonymous world. The tale seems stark and slow at first, and you think, O Lordy, this is a bit bloody grim! But at some indifinable point, you're hooked! Solas is one of the most moving films I've seen. The acting, characterisation and dialogue (as far as I could tell from the subtitles) is priceless. Solas is quietly masterful, a rewarding work of passion. Simply recalling how the characters started out and comparing that with how they ended up is awe inspiring. 10/10


Many thanks to Benito Zambrano for this beautiful delineation of human dilemmas humanely faced. Maria Galiana, as an elderly Spanish woman caught in the trap of a very bad marriage, but able to maintain her generosity and ability to love, is superb and inspiring. Her grown daughter, played with passion by Ana Fernandez, is more sophisticated and bitter. She has allowed herself to be used by a man, not unlike her unfeeling father, and her protrayal makes us sympathize with her, particularly when she finds she's pregnant and the man refuses to help her. And then there is the daughter's neighbor, played by Carlos Alvarez-Novia...a lonely old man with only his amazing dog for companionship. How he and the mother establish a tender, but "proper" relationship is a piece of rare and subtle film-making. I see no similarity between Zambrano's movie and the work of Mike Leigh (who apparently inspired him). Real people, yes, but the values demonstrated by Zambrano far surpass, in my estimation, those of Mike Leigh. My highest recommendation to anyone interested in a film that has soul, without sentimentality or grossness.


Nowadays it is not so easy to find a film that hits directly your heart and sentiments. Benito Zambrano gives an opportunity to recover all those sentiments that are well hidden in your subconscious.

Carmona is a small town too close to Seville to have a real identity and is the frame for a difficult and impossible relationship between a daughter, mother and father. Zambrano shows how difficult is to grow up in this outcast and bit farmer town with the leit-motiv of these three characters that join back together due to the father's illness. The father is marked rude and impolite, used to hit the wife or the daughter to show his total dominance and authority. The wife was totally subjected to this situation and the opportunity to find some understanding and heat with their neighbour is accepted with detachment by her. This side relationship with a lonely man brings back love to this sad and destroyed family. The daughter is even worse, alcoholic and in love with a truck driver who does not care of her pregnancy.

The loneliness of the void with a breach of optimism is well expressed in this simple but very effective and straight film.

Rating: 7/10


Writer/director Benito Zambrano has delivered a brilliant observation of real situations in the lives of a broken family and lonely people who only want to feel useful again.

It infuriates me that I cannot see this kind of film -- nothing even remotely approximating it -- from the Hollywood celluloid factory. Given over to LaLaLand, this would have been yet another throwaway melodrama drenched in its own soapiness. In Zambrano's hands, this low-budget gem eschews sentimentality and high-tech wizardry, digs deeply into characterization and shows us a view of the world we wouldn't know existed if we depended on Hollywood to show us. Zabrano's dialogue is just deadly accurate and very 'real'.

The acting is uniformly superb, but Maria Galiana as the long-suffering, illiterate, sturdy Earth Mother is astonishing. She ambles on and off the screen with a weary, brilliant light. She has sacrificed her entire life in the service of a husband who doesn't deserve to lick her shoes. She does it because, well, that's the way it is for women of her generation.

Carlos Alvarez-Novoa is equally brilliant as the the old neighbour who offers his considerable heart to the mother and to her pregnant-and-confused daughter Maria, beautifully played with passion and rage by Ana Fernandez.

Both Galiana and Alvarez-Novoa give us faces and gestures of old and tired people who know too well the unfairness of life for the poor. There is a wonderful scene between the two when Alvarez-Novoa has an attack of diarrhea and Galiana insists on helping him. He resists, telling her he reeks of excrement. Galiana handles the situation as casually as she would the copious body wastes of the pigs she keeps back home in her native village. This tiny touch of humanity is the kind of scene one sees frequently in European films (and rarely, if ever, in flicks from Hollywood).

Benito Zambrano has done a masterful job here. Like other politically conscious writers and directors working in Europe, he takes the reality of proletarian existence and makes it into something very real, all without sappiness. This is one terrific film.


"Solas" is a wonderful movie with a great plot and great actors.Maria Galiana as an old and rural woman that goes to the city to see her daughter and her illness husband made me cry.Is an special movie with a good screenplay.I'm an andalusian boy and movies always has been unfair with Andalusia.In all those movies,andalusian were funny and stereotyped people of the flolcorical Spain.This movie show us how is the life of very rural women in my country.Also,"Solas" is one of the best movies about the relationship between a mother and her daughter that i've ever seen.As loneliness' portrait ,"Solas" os powerful too.Is a movie that insinuate more than what show it,as all good movies.For all those whose dreams are not come true,this movie show us that the loneliness is not the best way to do.


When I saw this movie, nobody told me his plot. I just watched it and at the end, my heart was broke, but was too stunned. The story is so hard of tell, and Benito Zambrano, the director, does it slowly, showing all the sensitive possible, and making cry everybody.

But... what wants to show this movie? Only one thing: A mother's love. The performance of Maria Galiana is absolutely PERFECT. Ana Fernandez and Carlos Alvarez Novoa are correct, but Maria Galiana is better than they. I cried watching the movie because of the end, just look the scene when the mother's sleeping in front of the sunset. Just beautiful.

The powerful of the images and the impact of the performances make of SOLAS the best movie of 90s in Spain.


If you where run over by the Miramax foreign film juggernaut, then you missed this brilliant gem tucked away in one those twenty seats cinema theater.

A film is very much like a painting, meant to be seen not discussed or explained. So let us just leave it at 'see it'.

Benito Zambrano's talent on the other hand merits more than a discussion. A sensitive director and a poignant writer. In many ways 'Solas' reminded me of another gem in the dust 'Heavy'.

Benito managed to keep the movie so simple, that it hurts. His flare for observing and then relaying in his film the raw human angst, is inspiring.

The actors for there part, rose to the greatness of the moment.

BZ makes us cling to hope by our finger nails while steadily adding to our feet the weight of reality. But then, isn't that life!

To look for hope in 'Solas' is to look for simplicity in 'Guernica'. It's there, you just need to see it.

And like all good things in life this one is elusive too. No video or a DVD release yet.

Once again, it lives up to it's name.


A very touching movie. During the movie you almost start wondering if there are only sad people around. But even the saddest ones (and they now, because they have had a fight about who the saddest one was) can shift to a better life.


This film seems like a downer at first glance but there are some sublimely subtle comedic moments, despite the gravity of the situations. Maria Galiana is delightful in all her scenes. Too say more would be revealing too much. This film proves that "heartwarming" doesn't have to equal "schmaltzy." In fact, for some reason the melodrama reminded me of "Far From Heaven," only grittier. Ana Fernandez is like a Spanish Jennifer Jason Leigh, only with more conventional beauty (which she masks as best she can).

Warning: Have some tissues on hand! If you liked "Central Station." you'll like this. (Or if you like this, try "Central Station.") Grade : A+.

P.S. There's also a nice song over the end credits by late 80's/early 90's singer Neneh Cherry.


Funny how opinions can be different. I perfectly respect that many people found this movie a masterpiece, but I found it pretentious, dishonest, an external exhibition of "misery" full of stereotypes (and quite a conservative undertone). The fallen angel girl that goes through resurrection, the Madonna mother, bad (really really b a d) father, abusive and violent self-centered boyfriend, etc. All too calculated, staged for my taste - there are so many other films that I find more honest in their portray of poverty and misery (but with dignity). And then above all the fairy-tale end. It seemed so much like an imagined poverty by someone who has never experienced it.

The only thing that I really enjoyed of that film was the erotic electricity between two older characters that is a rare thing to see in a movie. In my opinion, that gives an extra start to this movie.


A masterpiece of international cinema that tranceeds all unnatural boundaries as it deals with human emotions which know no boundaries. Maria Galana who plays an old woman in the sixties from a village in South Spain. Her four sons have moved away as soon as they could to the north.

Her husband is admitted to one hospital in the city where she finds herself a bit out of place. Her daughter lives in the same city whom her husband hates as she has gone beyond the cultural limitations and has studied. The daughter played by Ana Fernandez is a character who wants to be rich and hates the way her mother has lived her life like one obidient wife.

The movie comes to its real essence when Ana becomes preganant and her boyfriend refuses to take up the responsibility and asks her to abortion. Parallely her monther meets Ana's neighbour-a man in his sixties as well who is as "solas" as Maria even after being married and Ana even after doin what she wanted. Ana's struggle with her identity and her crave to have the child with the fight for her self respect is very well carried by the script.

How the things turn up and how Ana realises the importance of her mother and her life, how her mother manages herself intelligebily between all those who hardly want to see each other, the old man wants to be with lady and the story itself which is itself a pillar in the movie are to be watched out for.

I say its a best movie when one cannot jus leave his/her seat, its when you feel every bit of the characters are going through, its when every node of the music makes your herat beats.... You can expect everything from it that you expect our of a classic!!


This movie reminds me of the themes in "One Hundred Years of Solitude." It deals with being isolated even though you have family. The movie has very touching themes and is focused on relationships between people. The ending is especially touching and poetic, as it shows how the ones we think of as lonely may be the only ones who can teach us to connect with others and have faith in humanity.

The acting was wonderful. The mother's eyes exuded such a deep sadness and yet so much love and patience. The old man was instantaneously lovable. Even the dog did a wonderful job. The woman's fiery personality was completely believable, and her lover was realistically a jerk. This movie has so much going for it, and it's refreshing to see a movie that touches on the distinctly human qualities, both good and bad, and carry them across so realistically. The movie never gets tiring, and I always felt I was personally invested in the lives of all the characters. Highly recommended.


Warning: this review contains spoilers.

My experience with foreign films has generally not been very good. What happens is that all the professional movie critics will absolutely rave about a certain foreign movie, and my more intellectual friends will convince me to go see it with them. Then, when I'm actually watching the film, it will turn out to be about physically unattractive middle-aged people smoking cigarettes and discussing abstractions. After about twenty minutes of reading subtitles that could have been taken from a philosophy textbook, I fall asleep for the rest of the film. This is not because I am an ugly American. I spent my childhood in Canada, and I have the same reaction to Canadian films. I just happen to think most foreign movies that make it to America (like most American movies that make it to America) are dull. The reason I keep going to these films, however, is that occasionally there will be a pleasant surprise. "Life is Beautiful" is a good example. So is this film.

This movie is about an old woman's first experience in the big city. Her abusive husband has fallen ill and has had to go to the big city hospital for treatment. The only other person in the city she knows is her daughter Maria.

Maria is an overly-cynical alcoholic who hates her father. She resents having to work as a cleaning lady and blames all her woes on being poor. She lashes out in hostility to anyone who is kind to her and she thinks her mother's ideas about doing unto others is woefully naive. Things get worse when she gets pregnant and her self-centered bully of a boyfriend refuses to take responsibility.

The real center of the movie, however, is not Maria, but her mother and her relationship with the kindly old man who lives in Maria's building. The old man lives alone with only a German shepherd named Achilles to keep him company. The mother and the old man strike up a friendship, and the old man falls in love with her. And when she visits her husband in the hospital, her husband sniffs her and tells her she stinks of other men.

I found this movie extremely engaging and engrossing. What I particularly liked was that although it didn't give in to Maria's cynicism, neither did it pull any punches as to the way the world really works. I rooted for the mother to leave her husband for the old man, but I knew it would never happen (despite the fact that she admits that the old man is a better human being than her husband). I wanted Maria's boyfriend (who isn't all bad) to be a good boyfriend and a good father, but I knew it wouldn't happen either.

This film is touching without being schlocky. It's heart-warming without being syrupy. The film's only real flaws were at the very start and the very end. At the start, I felt like I was just coming in at the middle since so much had apparently already happened that wasn't shown. And I thought the film's last twenty minutes could have been cut to ten without losing their impact.

My original stance on foreign films stays as is: they tend to be overrated by critics simply because they weren't made in a Hollywood movie factory. But occasionally one comes along like "Solas" where the praise is justified. 9 out of 10.


Before showing this film at the London Film Festival, the producer introduced it and thanked Mike Leigh for being an inspiration. Mike Leigh was in the audience and described it as 'profoundly moving'. I can add little more to this.


Excellent movie, I expected a good drama but it was much more than that,a pleasant surprise! It's not your typical Hollywood-tear-jerker but it's sensitive (and hard) in it's own European way. Go and see it,you won't be disappointed,unless you are mainstream,that is!


An elderly woman from the village brings his husband, a tyrannic drunkard, to hospital in Sevilla. While he is there she lives in the apartment of her daughter María.

María is not too pleased with her mother's presence because she has a lot of problems herself: She is not content with her life as a cleaning woman, she has a serious alcohol problem, and she is pregnant by a graceless truck-driver who refuses any responsibility and wants her to make an abortion.

María first refuses all help from her mother who has to spend her days alone in the city. She makes the acquaintance of her daughter's neighbour (Carlos Ávarez, absolutely brilliant), a widower who lives alone with his dog and falls in love with María's mother.

So, the two lonely (solas) women have to make their decisions: María if she wants to keep her baby (which she herself sees as the only possibility to change her sad life), her mother if she leaves her useless husband who had always treated her badly and who had chased away his children from his house...

I was very touched by this movie whilst I could not believe what the mother had borne in her life. But my Spanish girl-friend told me that this was absolutely usual for the older generation, especially in Andalusía.

The atmosphere of this movie is very gloomy, but it has its moments of hope. (Very interesting the changes of light in these scenes.) All in all, a very good movie, I gave it a 10.

As we see, Spain is not always what it seems to be: When we left the cinema, it rained.


The beginning of the film, is kind a slow, but is not annoying. It doesn't last so long, so you don't get tired. What the movie says is the hard side of life, and there aren't many movies that shows it the way Zambrano did. Is sad that Solas and Todo sobre mi madre had such a strong competition. For the Goyas, for the Oscar. Is sad Spain couldn't present both! They would probably leave the Shrine with an ex-aequo award!

The characters of Solas are very well written and definite. The huge heart of Rosa (the mother). And the also big heart but with more bad mood heart of María. A lady that seems to give up, until she understands that it could be even worse!

The movie makes you feel lucky in some ways! And is sad to think that many people are having such similar problems, and is so horrible to think that there are millions of people out there that wish at least have the house Maria had! So Benito Zambrano has shown us a hard side of life, but not the worst!