Carmen

Carmen is a film that's difficult to pigeonhole. It skillfully combines genres, including a captivating love story, a mythical narrative, a musical extravaganza, and a modern interpretation of a timeless opera. Under the guidance of Benjamin Millepied, a dancer and choreographer, we are taken on a journey to the rugged landscapes of the U. S.-Mexico border, where passion, violence and beauty intersect and intertwine.

The central character, played by Melissa Barrera, infuses Carmen with life. After witnessing her mother's demise at the hands of a drug cartel in Mexico, Carmen manages to escape. Along her journey, she encounters Aidan (portrayed by Paul Mescal), a former Marine who has become a vigilante patrolling the border. Despite their backgrounds, they discover love amidst the chaos and uncertainty. On their quest to evade capture and stay ahead of the cartel and the authorities, they cross paths with individuals like Masilda (brought to life by Rossy de Palma), a friend of Carmen's mother who runs a dance club in Los Angeles.

Carmen doesn't adhere to Bizet's opera; it deviates from its songs and music. Nicholas Britell has crafted a score that seamlessly blends flamenco and pop influences. The dance sequences are mesmerising, showcasing Millepied's choreography and Barrera's talent as a dancer.

One aspect that stands out in the movie is its cinematography, skillfully executed by Jörg Widmer. He magnificently captures the essence of the desert, the city, and the night sky, creating visuals that possess a dreamlike mythical quality with a touch of reality. The film delves into thought-provoking themes such as immigration, identity and freedom, handling them subtly without preaching or oversimplification.

Some areas could be improved - moments of confusion in the plot, elements that stretch believability in the third act, and the characters could have been fully developed and their motivations clearer. Some of the dialogue occasionally leans towards clichés and melodrama making it challenging for the film to find its tone as it shifts between romance, action, comedy and tragedy.

Carmen ambitiously tackles a range of subjects. But it doesn't always succeed in doing so. Nevertheless, it remains a beautiful film that captivated me despite its shortcomings. However, others may not connect with it on such a level. Regardless Carmen deserves recognition for its originality and vision despite some flaws in execution and overall coherence.

I liked watching it, although I didn't fall in love with it.

Yes once again the "history" misused .. well sort of. So no pun intended - we get Carmen - but maybe not as we imagine her. Maybe not even how she imagines herself - kidding again. Great cast - Melissa may have become too political for some (agree or disagree with her stance, I think she is on the right side of history), she is a really good actress and I hope she can continue showcasing her craft - on a bigger scale.

That said, I am not sure if this is based on a novel that deconstructs our image of Carmen ... but it is well told and you get more than a picture of someone doing everything for art ... (not the clown - sorry couldn't resist, if you didn't get that, don't worry: an inside horror movie joke) and she succeeds in a way too - well you be the judge of that of course.

Drama baby - and well edited and choreographed one as well ... good sound design too.

So the director who choreographed Black Swan, gives us a reimagining on Carmen. It's a musical, it's a dance spectacular.its drama filled study of the border issue in the USA. It's an arthouse study of all of the aforementioned. To summarise, someone has tried to get a quart into a pint pot and ended up with a hot mess. An interesting hot mess. But a hot mess nonetheless.

You can a movie about all of the above but not all at once.

That said, the movie is very well made. There is religious symbolism in the washing of feet, allusions to PTSD, slow motion action scenes, nice cinematography, the director is not without talent and the acting by the leads is very good. It is slow but somehow never boring and worth a watch if you consider yourself a cinephile.

Predictable and quite basic storyline. Yet, the movie is beautifully done!

If you are into action movies, or dramas - you will find yourself scratching your head a little.. but take it as a new type of presentation.. After all, aren't you already tired of the same gangster, mob stories with racing cars and heavy shootings? (I am! All of the action movies are the same: no real plot line just chasings and gory images.. )

For me, Carmen was like a realistic play that we watch on stages: dialogues are mingled with dance and music to express feelings more than mere images, at times alternating the past and the present, the cause and the effect, the reality and the imaginary..

It's 'almost' an art movie because the image was not spectacular.. Instead, the soundtrack was. Among others, Paul Mescal (I had no idea who he was) sang a song amazingly, reminding me I wanted to learn how to play the guitar..

Carmen is a movie that tries to be too many different things at once. It wants to be a musical, a modern dance recital, a drama about ptsd and romance, and an art house forward film. The end result as you can imagine is a slow, bloated mess.

The positives are the performances from Melissa and Paul. This isn't an easy film to act in due to the nature of the story, but they both commit to their roles and deserved a better director.

Outside of the cinematography which accurately captured the mood of the story, there's nothing else to praise. Benjamin Millepied's cinematic vision is pretentious and dreadful. His eye for directing is better suited for the stage, not film.