Ana

There are some very bad movies out there and Ana or "The Guardian" is not one of them. The story is slight and the running time feels about 20 minutes over. It's not quite a comedy. The humour is spare and dark, playing more like drama for the most part with elements of South American magical realism.

Dafne Keen and Andy Garcia are cast perfectly, with an on-screen chemistry and individual performances that's are a real joy to watch. Garcia is perfectly sad, understated and beaten, while Keen is a chaotic bundle of innocence and guile. The movie rollicks along when the two of them are together in the same space (and begins to drag a little when they are not). The cinematography and shots of Puerto Rico are beautiful, from the broken slums to the lush jungle. There are several strands competing but this is, at heart, a road movie of sorts. At its best, it reminded me of Paper Moon.

This is so much more than a "5".

Rafa Rodriguez (Andy Garcia) runs a struggling used car lot in post-storm Puerto Rico. He finds Ana (Dafne Keen) had broken into one of his cars. With her mother in prison, Ana is alone. His cars get repo and he makes a bad bet. He needs to pay in 5 days. As he grows frustrated, he tries to leave Ana with Pastor Helen (Jeanne Tripplehorn).

I love the two leads and I love the locations. I'm eager to go on a road trip with them. I'm going with this movie until the car gets stolen. It would have been fun for them to steal it back. That's the best move. Then there is the church. I like her wheeling down the aisle. That's a fun scene but the repeated showings don't make sense. Wouldn't some parishioners keep coming back? And wouldn't those repeat customers notice that it's the same girl every time? There is always a performative aspect to the proceedings but one would expect that such trickery would be called out eventually. The money part is too muddled morally and the movie wraps it all up too neatly with a bow in the closing text. It's unsatisfying. I still like the chemistry between Garcia and the girl. I like the church much less.

One of the best things I've seen Andy Garcia do and it proves how versatile an actor he is. A great story about two people - one older and out of luck on many levels, and the other young and smarter than her years but alone and desperate for human contact. Each at odds with their circumstances, they come together thanks to the fearless young girl, and they bounce off each other like oil and vinegar. "Ana" (Dafne Keen) who's inexperienced view of life flips from one crazy notion to another makes you want to hug her and slap her in equal proportions. Rafa (Andy Garcia) suffering from bouts of Angina, does his best but his health is an issue and he keeps getting bested by the girl's erratic and irrepressible moods and actions. At times exasperating, her off the wall spontaneity throws him frequent curves. He goes from one sharp intake of breath to another as he tries to cope with her behaviour. He owes his bookie a deal of cash which puts extra stress on his dodgy heart adding pressure he can well do without! Sooner of later the issue must be faced with an outcome which could affect them both. There is an uneasy bond between them but for Rafa time is running out and his desperation to avoid his loan shark's threats is somewhat hopeless.....

Just like another user reviewed, it's a joy to see Andy Garcia and Dafne Keen acting, so, yeah, ignore the low score and watch it if you want to have a laugh. Some reviewers got a problem with humor here, but I am grateful another review made me watch this movie and I liked it a lot.

Other people have described the story enough if you decide to watch it. It'll be more enoyable if you know less about it. I'll just say this: there are a few minor plots hole, and some of the scenes aren't that well thought out, but overall it's a fun film, very intellegent and enjoyable. And it's well made and acted. I think I'll watch it again at the weekend when my girlfriend is around.