Kamtschatka

This movie exudes the finesse and maturity of Latin American cinema of the new millenium. Long gone is the exploitation of magical realism and the cult of the exotic. The noble savage gives way to universal characters with very complex feelings.

I'm so glad this old baggage of the victim's complex has been checked at the door. The result is a beautiful movie about a family on the run during the 1970's Argentine military junta crack down. Kamchatka is free of the cliches and over-acting of Latin American movies of yesteryear. National identity is no longer the main story line, but rather a subtle backdrop that brings about one of the best stories about political crisis anywhere, the dismembering of a family.

Kamchatka has one of the most arresting final scenes that I have ever seen. This is a grand achievement of Argentine film.

This film leaves you all possibilities to form your own impressions. From the beginning till the end there are no data which supply you information about the the characters, what was their fault, what did they do and what would happen after. Still, all these questions are automatically answered when one knows and realizes what was happening in Argentina. The close harmony in which the family lives, the game the father is playing with his son has a educational life value. He will learn how to manipulate and stand in the world when he has grown up. The decision to bring their children to their grandfather,the running after a leaving car, gives you all the reason to use a handkerchief. Who wants to leave his children behind? What will happen to the parents? It is amazing that still today, there are people like Mr Zorrequita who deny that this ever happened. They simply did not know??? Where have we heard this before? A beautiful film. TOP

A dictatorship starts in Argentina, and Harry's family is against nowadays dictator, so, to avoid being killed, they have to hidden in a isolated place. How is this for a typical ten-year-old boy? how can cope with all the things that he is not yet unable to understand? This is the main point of the film, which is moving and interesting. Harry is the main character and he told us the story as he remembers it, so everything is from his point of view, the point of view of a kid that only wants to play and enjoy himself, but he can't due to his situation. The actors (all!) are perfect, with very specially emotive acting of Darin and Roth, how everything is going hell but they don't feel hopeless in any moment, they'll continue fighting until the end. as they take cover in Kamchatka, not the physical place, meaning and spiritual fortress, which is the place to resist, if you are there, anything can destroy you, because you will be free... The history is very interesting and it catches you from the beginning with a very great visual force that makes you to enter in the film and think what you'd do in their situation. As a bad aspects two thing to comment: You are not told what is happening in the world while the film starts, so you must know what happens in Argentina in 1978 in order to understand why are they hiding. In addition, and this is usual in Argentinian films, the rhythm is very very slow, which can bore some people. This time, however, the action demands to be slow, so it is not as bad as some other films. Tu sum up, a precious touching and interesting film of characters and great actors. Recommend to see it with something the dry your tears, they maybe came at some moments of the film.

I've just seen this move, and I think it's wonderful. The performance of Ricardo Darin and Cecilia Roth is superb. The movie show us how life was in Argentina for dissident people, in the seventies, under the military government. I am not an Argentinian, so I don't know much of its history. If you are like me, I recommend you to read the summary of the movie that is in the Extras section of the DVD, to be acquainted of the political situation in this years. If you are in your late thirties, or even if you are older, you'll also enjoy remembering those old beautiful songs. I thought "Son of the bride" was the best movie of Ricardo Darin, but I was wrong. This movie is as good or better.

An Argentine couple move into hiding with their two sons. Hiding from whom? Why? The movie will not tell us the answer to those questions because that is not what this movie is about. I have to say, though, that I could not stop wondering that through the whole movie.

This movie is the story of how this family fights to overcome obstacles (whatever they might be). The effort parents have to make to provide a happy family live for their kids even when their own personal life is plagued with difficulties. Explained with the simplicity of a nine years old boy's perspective the movie is just beautiful and well done.

Winner of a "Ciguapa de Oro" at the Santo Domingo 5th International Film Festival I highly recommend it to everybody. 8.5 out 10