Elisa, vida mía

(1977) Elise, My Life/ Elisa, vida mía (In Spanish with English subtitles) PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA/ ART HOUSE

Written and directed by Carlos Saura that has adult sisters Elise (Geraldine Chaplin) and Isabel (Isabel Mestres) along with her husband, Julián (Joaquin Hinojosa) and their two children Jacobo and Arantxa arriving to visit their father, Luis (Fernando Rey) to celebrate his birthday at his isolated cottage. And while both Julián and his wife, Isabel need to go back to the city the following day for the purpose of work, Elise decides to stay behind and spend time with her father. And at this point, we find out more about Elise and her relationship with her current husband, Antonio (Norman Briski) to which she found out he was cheating on her with her best friend, Sofia. One of the reasons, she is not too keen on returning. We also see, what Luis does whenever he does go back to the city which is to teach a group of young school girls at a religious nursery. This time he takes his daughter with him as they are rehearsing a play.

The first time I saw this film on TCM, I was baffled that I dozed off a little as a result of so much dialogue. But after the second attempt, it is up for interpretation as viewers are unable to determine what is true and what isn't. This is the seventh of nine movies Geraldine Chaplin collaborated with writer/ director Carlos Saura.

The fact that this is the very first commentary here shows that we don't deal with one of the most famous movies of the great Spanish master, and this fact is really stunning. Even if not set in the dance medium, especially flamenco and tango, with which Saura is generally linked, this movie is highly personal. Saura is one of the very few directors who succeed to be very national in its cinematographic language."Elisa" is no exception: the outdoor images, looking like De Greco and Goya paintings, the stunning performance of the actors remembering sometimes flamenco intensity, give to this movie a glorious cinematographic presence. The issue which stands in the center of this movie is a universally and uneasy one: the relation between father and daughter. Saura knows to avoid a tabloid depiction of this relation, although it doesn't avoid the border-line oedipal tensions. Throughout settled mostly in a chamber-music like duet, it doesn't have the claustrophobic Bergman character. The movie is a love duet, with its aggressive and passionate outcome. Awesome experience. .

Basically, I'd rather be watching "Bonjour Tristesse". In other words, if you're gonna make a dysfunctional father/daughter film how about at least making it fun and/or interesting to watch, Carlos ol pal, with a bit more humor (there is virtually none) and a lot less art house symbolism, like the decomposing body of Geraldine Chaplin's spouse's lover, trembling chandeliers or bloody fish heads? And while you're at it, Carlos, how about letting loose your death grip on willful obscurity and allowing this rather distasteful tale to be told reliably and straightforwardly? Makes for a much less enervating experience, trust me. Give it a generous C plus for the fine work (as always) of Fernando Rey.

PS...Not content to make a boring Father's Day movie, five years later Saura helmed an even duller Mother's Day film, "Dulces Horas".

Elisa (Geraldine Chaplin) has not seen her father Luis (Fernando Rey) for nine years, but she receives a telegram from her sister Isabel (Isabel Mestres) in a moment of crisis of her marriage with Antonio (Norman Briski) telling that her father is ill and she decides to travel to the countryside of Madrid with Isabel and her brother-in-law Julián (Joaquín Hinojosa) and their two children to visit Luis for his birthday. Elisa decides to stay with his father when her sister returns to Madrid with her family and she gets closer to Luis, understanding why he left her mother years ago. Later she tells him that Antonio cheated her with her best friend Sophie and their relationship has ended. When Antonio unexpectedly arrives in the house, Elisa takes a decision about her life.

"Elisa, Vida Mía" is a beautiful movie about father and daughter relationship. The performances of Fernando Rey and Geraldine Chaplin are awesome and full of feelings. There are moments that I found confused to be understood, like the incestuous scene, but in general this drama is very nice. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Elisa Vida Mia"

Fascinating though overlong tale plenty of good feeling , haunting mood-pieces , enticing images and attractive ending . This weird flick contains symbolism , emotion , drama and an almost diabolic spell . Well directed film by Carlos Saura , including his own story and screenplay , who tried to create a charming flick plenty of symbolist scenes , flashbacks and metaphors by tackling a description about a particular father-daughter relation . The picture is set in a village called Melque De Cercas , Segovia . Elisa has not seen her father Luis for long time ago , but she receives a message from her sister Isabel (Isabel Mestres) telling their dad is ill and wants to visit him for his birthday . The daddy called Luis (Fernando Rey) is an old retired teacher who occasionally teaches at a girls school , and lives at a rural mansion in Segovia countryside . Elisa , then decides to travel from Madrid , along with Isabel , her brother-in-law Julián (Joaquin Hinojosa) and their two children to visit Luis . There Elisa gets closer to Luis , her estranged daddy , understanding why he abandoned her mummy years ago . Elisa tells Luis that her relation to husband (Norman Briski) has terminated because she was deceived . When Antonio unexpectedly arrives at home , things go awry .

Agreeable film filled with excessive dialogue , haunting mood-pieces , marvelous frames , and portentous interpretations . However , it turns out to be slow-moving , dull and little bit boring ; being mostly filmed in Segovia . This extraordinary flick spells through intricate patterns of frames , sets , sound and color . This film along with others as ¨Cria Cuervos¨ , ¨Peppermint Frappé¨ were notorious in the years of the Franco's downfall dictatorship including provoking and polemic issues and played by known and prestigious actors as Geraldine Chaplin , Fernando Rey , Jose Luis Lopez Vazquez , Monica Randall and Hector Alterio . ¨Elisa Vida Mia¨ stars Geraldine Chaplin who displays a nice acting as a woman in a moment of crisis of her marriage and decides to stay with his father , taking place a complex relationship . Fernando Rey also gives an awesome interpretation as an old teacher with dark secrets . And Norman Briski as her hubby Antonio who cheated her with her best friend as well as Isabel Mestres as her sister . His style is pretty much dry in the atmosphere as in the fresh dialog , as well as realistic , and including fantastic elements as when appears some strange images , dreams and nightmares . ¨Elisa Vida Mia¨ is one of Saura's 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 . Interesting screenplay by the same director based on a original story . Moving and emotive musical score composed by piano . This touching picture will appeal to Spanish films buffs .

The motion picture perfectly produced by magnificent 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) , considered to be his undisputed masterpiece , that also won numerous prizes in International Festivals and in which four characters facing each other and terminating into a jarring burst of violence . 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 ¨Io , Don Giovanni