Rughe

Basically it's a movie about the rather harsh and brisk final period of lucidity for a man (Antonio) sent into an elder care home after being a burden to his family for a long time.

Although there's really not much light at the end of the tunnel, and although the subject matter is not very pleasant, it somehow manages to be a comedy, and not a black comedy. Rather it has its pleasant comedic and happy moments, much like reflections of the elderly residents of this home. Things go from bad to worse, but that doesn't mean there weren't a few laughs and rays of joy along the way.

Much of the comedy comes from Miguel, an Argentine who serves as a sort of older and less mobile version of McMurphy from Cuckoo's nest. He's tricky and vulgar, like some sort of street-smart comedic relief. He dreams of greater things and talks a big game; with revolutionary zeal he utters truths about the system and how sordid it is. Yet at the end of the day he's still frail and stiff and can't do much at all other than grumble wistfully.

Miguel ends up coming to certain realisations. Antonio does not.

The characters are compelling and the scenes are effectively sometimes sad, sometimes funny, sometimes touching. It's a film that holds your attention from beginning to end, effectively considers a social problem, and comes to the sober conclusion that all that one can do is come to terms with it.

Perhaps the only weaknesses are that sometimes the audio is not well done, with the characters talking over each other and Miguel's transformation is a little rushed. Still, one of the heavy hitters among animated movies.

Probably my favourite acknowledgements page of any book or movie, too: "For the elders of today and the elders of tomorrow."

Honourable Mentions: The Thing (1982): "why don't we just sit here for a while and see what happens?" No two ways about it, and it's really the same for everyone - at some point the only thing that one will be able to do is to accept that the end has arrived.

A Spanish animated drama telling the story of Emilio, a retired bank manager who is developing early signs of Alzheimer. His son makes the difficult decision to put him in a care home, much to his father's disappointment. There, he slowly strikes up a friendship with his roommate Miguel who has all his marbles and spends his time making money out of his confused neighbours. The two find ways of relieving the boredom of the home but Emilio is seemingly fighting a losing battle as his memory begins to fade.

I thought this was an interesting little drama with a balanced mix of pathos and humour. For someone who works with older people, often in a care capacity, much of this rang true with me, particularly the boredom and loneliness that many experience when they move into a home. It never threatens to be anything truly groundbreaking and the animation is pretty basic but nonetheless it is a worthy film with some lovely scenes and will strike a chord with anyone who has had to deal with this terrible disease.

"...a cast of eccentric characters who rebel against authority in this wonderfully animated and poignant comedy about life in an old folks home."

A very well done movie, but what a deceptive description. It is truly heartbreaking... you've been warned.

A must watch for everyone.

So elegant and beautifully depicted.

Because it really shows the problem with the elderly and shows what it's like with a man or anyone with Alzheimer's and living in a retirement home. Friendship can change the View on a man who believed that you live your whole life and That's How It Ends. And it looked so it shows the lives of old people of today and old people of tomorrow. I like this movie and I like how it shows what for dedication to this movie that's why I give an 8 out of 10.