Magical Girl

(No spoilers in this review, but a couple of ideas who try to illustrate why I've liked this film) Well, despite the fact that many scenes on this film are quite disturbing, viewers could enjoy a demanding and appealing work from Carlos Vermut.

And this is the kind of movie who would let you quite astonished for many reasons. One of these is revealed when you check how violent a scene could be not showing any graphic violence at all, thanks to a wonderful script who works very, very well throughout all the film: this is, indeed, a basic part in Magical Girl, a script designed as a precise swiss machinery. It even works great on many parts who requires a little suspension of disbelief from the part of the viewer. But once you're inside, you remain there.

Magical Girl's power reside on the high complex (but also extremely fluid) multi-layered and interconnected scenes. Quite similar as in Pulp Fiction film (by the way... it would be great to know Tarantino's opinion about Magical Girl).

Also, as it happens on real life, you could witness the huge impact that a "butterfly effect" could provoke. This is very well shown on the film, and it would remain long time on many viewers thoughts.

I really want to know what would be next director's projects, I'm sure that he's going to tune his skills, offering us an interesting filmography.

Go watch it, Magical girl is a well crafted artifact. But beware, as it's NOT intended for young audiences, but adult ones.

Obsession and desperation lead disparate characters to commit heinous acts in this dark, thrilling, quirky and Almodovorish tale. A father infatuated with purchasing a $15,000 "magical girl" dress for his cancer stricken daughter, a rigid, forceful teacher with a secret and simplistic weakness at being mocked, and a rich, sensitive, impulsive and unstable young woman who takes almost any kind of pain so long as she maintains her facade and knows of someone more miserable than herself, are each transformed by their obsessions into abusive creatures incapable of empathy.

Passions and fears float like ghosts in the recesses of each character's mind until delusions become more real to them than a simple fact or equation like "two plus two equals four." It is as if each character reaches a magical realm or gains a super power of their own choosing, where they may stay insulated from the world and those around them. Their isolation and avarice is emblematic of what is happening in Spain. Simple acts of kindness, fairness and empathy that could do a world of good for people are withheld for fear of some contagion. This thriller is, as I love, loaded with depth, metaphors and significance. The story line, acting and orchestration are exceptional for such a minimal budget. I only wish it had more support and funding. Four and a half of five stars. Seen at the Miami International Film Festival.

The plot is, a father trying to fulfill his daughter with terminal cancer's last wish of a "Magical Girl" costume crashes into the lives of a disturbed girl and a retired professor.

Magical Girl is written and directed by Carlos Vermut and (in a Pulp Fiction style) focuses on three stories and characters that are all equally understandable and fascinating. The story is definitely the core of Magical Girl. It is one that subverts expectation. It can make you laugh, cry, or feel disturbed, and all while being a perfect whole. It is also one that makes for an equally great rewatch. There are dozens of details scattered in the movie that can only make sense on a second viewing. Sometimes, these details can even change the context of a previous scene.

The acting and camera-work are good without being too exceptional, but the way they work with the unfolding events can make them much more effective. And the movie never feels constrained by its budget in any way. The song choices are not only great and incredibly memorable, but they also have an important role in the story.

Magical Girl is one of the most unappreciated gems of 2014. It is entertaining, emotionally powerful, unique, and intelligent at the same time. It takes very little to get invested, and you will be on the edge of your seat. I adore this film and would highly recommend Magical Girl, it is a must-see.

This film begins as a fairly common story, a story that in times of crisis anyone can feel absolutely identified. Luis is an unemployed literature professor who is barely able to make his end meet. He wants to fulfill the last wish of his 12-year-old daughter Alicia, patient of terminal cancer. Alicia wants an expensive dress of Japanese cartoon series "Magical Girl Yukiko". On the other hand, the film introduces us to Barbara, a young woman who suffers from mental disorders and Damian a retired teacher doing time in jail.

Three people in extreme conditions seem to move in a parallel universe where violence and pain dominate, but in a poetic way. In the universe of Vermouth, everyone is guilty and everyone is innocent. Magical Girl talks about violence and sadness using the rules of a film noir, with many subtle references of Japanese cinema.

It would be easy to fill pages and pages about the virtues of "Magical Girl", but it is a little complicated to do without uncovering some of the many surprises of the film. Because in reality, it is much more than a story where lives intersect and the storm broke. It is a framework where the details are taken care to detail. The music appears only when it is needed.

Jose Sacristan, Barbara Lennie and Luis Bermejo not need more than one scene to explain the most accurate descriptions of screenplay. Lucia Pollan, a revelation, it is amazing to see her purity and innocence overshadowed by the situation.

What is bad, however, is that all these mixed ingredients in the same bowl can roll back to a kind of niche audience more accustomed to these kinds of films. As for the end, it is open to many interpretations, which can leave the viewer confused, but will give us the opportunity to look, to find our own explanation to what is happening.

Magical Girl talks about violence and sadness using the rules of a film noir, with many subtle references of Japanese cinema.

It's hard to know where this entire film will lead to, but where it does is ultimately dark and disturbing. It's a psychological ride.