Tras la puerta

A few times in ones lifetime they have the great fortune to discover a Jewel of a film. This movie is a Rare Gem. Few films are made with such passion and beauty. You must watch this movie. However you do not watch it as much as you savor it as you would a fine wine.

The synopsis for this movie states, "This is a story of a special relationship between two women, a writer and her maid." I was curious as to why it was so minimized a synopsis. Upon viewing the movie after only 25 minutes it was so clear to me why. There are not words precious enough to describe the synopsis/plot of this story.

Relationships as complex, beautiful and enduring as that which exist between these two women are beyond explanation. Starring Helen Mirren and Martina Gedeck.

The more I think about it, the more I think this film serves as a metaphor for many things. Everyone has suffered pain and loss. Everyone has something to hide.

Emerence was not an easy person to get to know. Some people probably thought she was mean. Yet when she got to know about and care about someone, she was fiercely loyal and devoted, in spite of her past pain and loss.

Yet by contrast, there are plenty of people who are friendly and pleasant to all, easy to talk to about nothing substantial, and these people will smile in your face while they don't really give a Damn about you and could white possibly stab you in the back.

After the first few minutes of The Door, I was thinking, will I be able to watch this all the way through? This was because it had the hallmarks of an arty, experimental film that usually winds up too boring to watch. Happily, this turned out not to be the case.

I started out watching The Door thinking that if Helen Mirren was in it it couldn't be too weird or pretentious. And, it wasn't. But it was different, creative, engrossing and interesting. The film's Tag Line indicates that it's about a relationship between two women with the focus on the relationship. This was true however I would amend that to say that the focus was really on Mirren's character who was the oddity in it. She was the pivot around which everyone and everything revolved.

The film was written, directed and photographed well enough that it wasn't boring. And, the acting, especially of Mirren, helped immensely. Someone without her skill and talent wouldn't have pulled it off. The character she played was unpleasant, bossy, critical, and lived by her own rules. At the same time there was enough about her that was positive to allow the film to work.

This is the kind of film you don't want to miss if you like to watch those that are not only entertaining but are something of a phenomenon, causing you to think.

First of all this is a Hungarian made film and using Hungarian actors with the exception of Britains Helen Mirren - and it is entirely in English.

You might wonder why Helen Mirren appears in this film and compare her role in 'the Queen' and 'The Tempest". If it was not for Helen Mirren, I doubt this film would have any publicity or marketing potential at all.

Helen Mirren plays an eccentric maid called Emerinc who basically works for a family across the street. She has had an interesting life but lives somewhat reclusive and nobody ever enters her house, hence the title of 'The Door'.

The film is essentially about Emerinc and her relationship with her employers. The story in a sense is very ordinary but this is a very interesting drama because it gives an insight into Hungarian folk life and provides a terrific acting platform for the great talents of Helen Mirren.

I liked the film very much. It is not a thriller in the normal sense but a slow slow drama which tells a story about a lonely woman and her relationship with her villagers.

While there is a definite dearth in good movies around at the moment, this one stands out as different and very watchable. Enjoy!

This is an interesting movie. I've seen where many gave the movie bad marks. But, I think it is the artsy nature that causes misunderstanding. I found It unique, entertaining and sad.