The Old Man Who Read Love Stories

It is worth noting that Luís Sepulveda (the author of the novel upon which the film was based), upon meeting Rolf De Heer, grabbed him by the shoulders and thanked him for having brought the spirit of his novel alive onscreen. The nuanced performances of Hugo Weaving, Timothy Spall, Cathy Tyson and

Victor Bottenbley are as memorable as that of Richard Dreyfus, whose deeply-felt and brilliant portrayal of the old man of the title ('Antonio Bolivar') must be a late- career defining moment. It could so easily have degenerated into yet another bit of macho chest-thumpin' hunt-in-the-jungle fluff. However, the beautifully evocative cinematography and sensitive direction save it from such triteness. Highlights include the Mr De Heer's intimate close-ups of the characters, giving the audience a window into their personal space; and the scenes of Antonio Bolivar reading his beloved books by lamplight as he relishes each painstakingly spelt-out word and ruminates on the meaning of each hard-won sentence before moving on

to the next. It's the picture of a man for whom the mere act of reading is still a joyous miracle to be savoured. A nice little bit of synchronicity: Victor Bottenbley, the Dutch actor who plays Nushino, was indeed born in Surinam, which he left as a small child. When he

arrived in French Guiana to begin the shoot, he discovered that some of the other actors were of the tribe of his mother's people. A wonderful homecoming indeed. This year saw the first two preview screenings in Australia.

Brooding and provoking movie mainly dealing with a merciless , relentless chase to a jaguar and many other things . An old man called Antonio Bolívar (Richard Dreyfuss , though director originally envisaged Morgan Freeman in the lead role) lives in a small village in the wild jungle . Antonio is a thoughtful veteran who has been living with Jivaro Indians who reduce human heads and has learned a lot of things from them such as hunting by means of blowpipe . Meanwhile , he reads loving novels such as ¨To love and to be loved¨ and ¨Lovers of the forgotten garden¨ and falls in love for a beautiful village girl (Cathy Tyson) , Mayor's girlfriend . There governs a corrupt as well as stiff-upper-lip Mayor (Timothy Spall) in charge of Town Hall Mayoral Office . The grumpy Mayor is a ¨Cacique¨ who coerces the natives to vote to him , giving them liquors and privileges . When a savage jaguar kills people , the Mayor organizes a posse to track down the animal . The motley group is formed by Bolívar , the itinerant dentist Rubicondo (Hugo Weaving) , villagers (Guillermo Toledo , Luis Hostalot) and natives . Antonio is forced to confront a dangerous female jaguar and his own past through the sacrificial killing of the beast he has grown to love. In the jungle, the one who survives is the one that moves.

This jungle adventure yarn is full of interesting dialogs , moving scenes , thrills , and results to be slow-moving but entertaining . The film is pretty well with a nice sense of pace but also some holes in the screenplay . During this exciting tale we share the old man's memories , scenes of a past existence , records and relationships with his deceased wife and the Amazon tribe who healed him . The yarn has a complex narration , including intelligently inserted flashbacks along with some well-paced hunting scenes through of the capture of wildlife by the hunters and being based on a novel by Luis Sepúlveda . Filmmaker Rolf De Heer wrote and shot this exciting as well as thoughtful jungle story and Richard Dreyfuss , Timothy Spall , Hugo Weaving star in it , which should guarantee a high quality excitement and entertainment . Nice support cast , many of them Spanish players such as Luis Hostalot and Guillermo Toledo . All of them , contribute towards compensating for the flaws and gaps in the plot .

Sensitive and lively soundtrack by Fernando Sancho and Graham Tardif . Luxurious and glamorous color photograph by cameraman Denis Lenoir filmed on location in Guyane, Départements d'Outre-Mer, France , though the film was originally going to be filmed in Venezuela, South America. The flick was compellingly produced by Michelle De Boca and the Spanish producer Iñaqui Nuñez, the latter has financed good films such as Poniente , Sabotage , Marujas Asesinas and The ninth gate . The motion picture was well directed by Rolf De Heer . In the early stages of development, the director asked for final cut thinking that he would not get it, but he did . Rolf de Heer was born on May 4, 1951 in Heemskerk, Noord-Holland, Netherlands . He is a director , writer and producer, known for Dingo (1991) , Dance Me to My Song (1998) , Bad Boy Bubby (1993), Alexandra's Project (2003) The tracker (2002) , Ten Canoes (2006) and this one his best movie ¨The Old Man Who Read Love Stories¨ (2001) . Rating : Better than average . Well worth watching .

Watching this movie I tried my best to experience the subtext, only - everything was so spelled out and manipulative, there was nothing for me to do. De Heer obviously doesn't trust an audience when it comes to interpreting characters. Every single one was simply in the film for the sake of highlighting Dreyfuss' character. Nothing more. This is the type of movie where the director's arm leaps out of the screen and clenches your face, telling you where to look, what to feel and how exactly to react. Give us some credit, Rolf!

The strange thing about the reviews and comments that I've read about this movie was that they were all bordering on the negative. It is a wonderful film, so different just because it is about an old man who remembers that he can read and how the only books that he can get are love stories which help him put his world into a new perspective. Not quite alone in the Amazonian jungle for years, we are told a bit of his history in cleverly inserted flashbacks. The roles of the slovenly village Mayor (Timothy Spall), the itinerant dentist (Hugo Weaving)and the beautiful village girl (Cathy Tyson) are all so well played that the viewer is drawn in as part of the the story like a voyeur. When the film had ended I just wished to see more. Being a fan of Richard Dreyfuss was a definite plus but overall this gentle film was very enjoyable and I'd see it again and again.

A leisurely and beautifully filmed movie which concerns an old man (Dreyfus) living in a remote backwater of the Amazon River. Late in life he has learned to read, and he has taken to reading love stories, savouring each word as if it were a morsel of a feast.

The narrative concerns the hunt for a jaguar which has apparently acquired a taste for human flesh. During this adventure we share the old man's reflections, reveries and regrets, fragments of a past life. In the unfolding of the story he is able to make reparation for at least one of his regrets.

The film could be criticised for being slow and uneven at times. I have not read the novel, but I'm sure that it was multi-layered and textured, with underlying themes of missed opportunities, loss of innocence, the environment and the egregious impact of civilisation. The movie only hints at these things and sometimes were are left a little puzzled. But the eloquence is in the mood, which is perfectly captured.

Highly recommended.