Pfefferminz Frappe

Enjoyable film that dispenses a brooding plot written and directed by Carlos Saura , considered to be one of the best Spanish filmmakers , in fact was voted one of the best Spaniard directors by professional and critics . This is a typical Carlos Saura film , as there is a lot of symbolism , social critique , dark relationships , being influenced by the Spanish maestro of surrealism , the great Luis Buñuel ,especially when appears sounds of Calanda drummers . The dramatic action takes place in Cuenca , there lives the very religious and very conservative Julian (Jose Luis Lopez Vaquez) , he is a mature single radiologist . He meets his boyhood friend Pablo (Alfredo Mayo) again . The latter is back from Africa and has just wedded a marvelous woman called Elena (Geraldine Chaplin) . Offbeat doctor Julian is infatuated and falls in love for her and he attempts to seduce her, besieged emotionally and sexually to make it her lover but she mockingly pushes him away which gives rise to a complex situation . He drifts into her own fantasy world and he then finds that melancholic as well as fragile Ana (Geraldine Chaplin , magnificent in a double role) , his helper , bears a remarkable resemblance to blonde young Elena . Obsessed for her , he then decides to gradually transform Ana into Elena.

Fascinating tale plenty of good feeling , haunting mood-pieces , enticing images and attractive ending . This weird flick contains symbolism , emotion , drama , a twisted love story and an almost diabolic spell . Well directed film by Carlos Saura , including his own story and screenplay , who tried to create an agreeable flick plenty of symbolist scenes , flashbacks and metaphors by tackling a description about a particular trio , a single radiologist , his nurse and a married woman . The film relies heavily on the relationship between them , though it doesn't boring . This slow-moving and intelligent picture is well set in Spain of the 60s , in Cuenca , where takes place the complex relationship among some characters and including a surprising finale . However , it turns out to be some claustrophobic , being mostly filmed at Cuenca interiors and brief outdoor scenes . The movie in the fresh dialog , as well as wonderful interpretations , and including expressionist elements . Nice acting by Jose Luis Lopez Vazquez as a mature G.P. who falls for a married girl , to the point of result to be perhaps the best performance of his long career . In addition , a magnificent support cast such as Emiliano Redondo , Fernando Sanchez Polack and special mention for veteran Alfredo Mayo. ¨Peppermint Frappe¨ is one of Saura's undisputed masterpieces and fundamental in his filmography where shows efficiently some peculiar characters and shot at the height of his creativity, in a period cultural difficult, where the enormous censorship of the political regime exacerbated the ingenuity and imagination of the scriptwriters . Splendid , luxurious photography with juicy atmosphere by Teo Escamilla who along with Luis Cuadrado are considered to be two of the best Spanish cameramen , both of whom worked for Saura . Being impressively filmed on location in Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha , Museo de Arte Abstracto Español, Calanda, Teruel, Aragón . Interesting screenplay by the same director along with Angelino Fons and the usual Rafael Azcona based on a original story . Moving and emotive musical score by Luis De Pablo and a catching song by Teddy Bautista when the protagonists are dancing . This touching picture will appeal to Spanish films buffs ; being deservedly prized in several Festivals such as Silver Berlin Bear to Best Director Carlos Saura ; Cinema Writers Circle Awards, 1968 Won Award Best Film , Best Actor : José Luis López Vázquez , Best Screenplay and Sant Jordi Awards Won Sant Jordi Best Film : Carlos Saura . Rating : Better than average and , worthwhile seeing .

This thoughtful motion picture perfectly produced by top-notch producer Elias Querejeta was compellingly directed by Carlos Saura , a good Spanish movies director . He began working in cinema in 1959 when he filmed ¨Los Golfos ¨(1962) dealing with juvenile delinquency from a sociological point of view . He subsequently made LLanto por Un Bandido (1964) starred by an European all-star-cast . Saura is a well recognized filmmaker both nationally and internationally, and in proof of it he won many prizes among which there are the following ones : Silver Bear in Festival of Berlin for ¨Peppermint Frappé¨ (1967) and the successful ¨La Caza¨ (1966) that also won numerous prizes in International Festivals and in which four characters facing each other and terminating into a jarring burst of violence . His films were notorious in the years of the Franco's regime including provoking and polemic issues , describing a repressive society and usually played by known and prestigious actors such as Geraldine Chaplin , Geraldine Chaplin , Hector Alterio or Alfredo Mayo . Saura achieved Special Jury Awards in Cannes for ¨La Prima Angélica¨ (1974), in 1973, and for ¨Cría Cuervos¨ (1976), in 1975 . Also, the film ¨Mamá Cumple Cien Años¨ (1979) got an Oscar nomination in 1979 as the best foreign film, and it also won the Special Jury Award at the San Sebastian Festival. He subsequently made ¨Deprisa , Deprisa¨ based on facts about juvenile delinquency in Spain since the 80s , as he tried to take a position in favour of outcast people and he got to make a both lyric and documentary-style cinema . In 1990, he won two Goya , The Spanish Oscar , as best adapted screenplay writer and best director . Saura became an expert on Iberian musical adaptations as ¨Carmen¨ , ¨Amor Brujo , ¨Bodas De Sangre¨ , ¨Sevillanas¨ , ¨Iberia¨ , ¨Salome¨ , ¨Fado¨, ¨Flamenco ¨ and even recently Opera as ¨Don Giovanni¨ .

Anyone familiar with Bunuel will find a treat of similar proportions in Peppermint Frappe's fascinating study of a fetishistic mind. This film is so carefully gripping that its mild-manneredness hides its thriller nature; instead, the film favours a meticulous reconstruction of a man's past desire projected into a vertiginous present he now creates. For all the layered desire and sexual tension, however, it is the subtle power of sublimation that works best. Consider the long, breath-taking seduction scene of the radiologist, the nurse & the rowing machine. The art direction is excellent and the opening credit music is great. Where the film loses its edge is in the direction, which is not as skilled as that of the dedicatee. This is more noticeable at the end, where the camera movement gives way to freeform and has a very dated late 60's look. A pivotal song in the film is likewise hard to take seriously. Still, the film is mesmerizing & scenic, & Jose of the 4 names- the radiologist, gives a tremendously controlled performance. It's his film and he carries it brilliantly. Ana, the nurse, is excellently portrayed as well. Overall, fascinating but not sharp enough

I enjoyed the film, although I never took Saura to be a great director (as the film's dedicatee Bunuel was sometimes). Geraldine Chaplin is an actress I haven't noticed much in the past: she's very fluent here in her two roles, one staid and one swinging. The real revelation for me is Lopez Vasquez in a stunning performance as the obsessed doctor. I thought of other sad, obsessed characters: Trintignant as the fascist in The Conformist, and Bogart as the scriptwriter in In A Lonely Place. Just to watch him as Chaplin dances around the room with her husband, so free and easy, and he cannot respond to the gaiety in any way, it's awful.

Jose Luis Lopez Vazquez plays the doctor who takes a shine to his school chum's new young wife. Bit more than a shine, he becomes obsessed a la Bunuel and decides his young assistant could be moulded in her fashion a la Vertigo. And there you have it with Geraldine Chaplin in the performances of her life. The film's date will give you a good idea as to the tone that this freewheeling film will take even if the good doctor's obsession never wavers. The direction could have been more steely, more assured and not given the viewer a chance for their thoughts to wander but Carlos Saura does well enough and there are some wonderful moments and great scenes, the seduction of the doctor's assistant, the wondrous bike ride and of course both dance sequences (but then Mr Saura is no stranger to dance). Very good indeed.

Intense psychological drama tells a slightly surreal, but also fascinating and creepy tale with a hint of both Bunuel and Hitchcock influence to it; Geraldine Chaplin is mesmerizing in a triple role.