Os Amantes do Círculo Polar

"Lovers Of The Arctic Circle" When "Map Of The Human Heart" is one of my favorite movies, I can't fault this film for almost stealing the entire concept. A Spanish language film about two children who meet at school and fall in love with each other. Through the years, the two manage to carry out a sexual relationship even as their respective parents marry each other and outside forces try to separate them. The rest of the film is nearly a scene by scene recreation of 1993's "Map". But I stress that I liked this film. Cinematographer Gonzalo F. Berridi and Director Julio Medem make a very specific effort to make their film visually memorable. Some of the shots on display here are breathtaking. Leads Najwa Nimri and Fele Martinez do a wonderful job as the two lovers. Their scenes of courtship are fascinating to watch and Medem sharply chooses to show both sides of the story. By understanding the two perspectives on this plot, the film is that much more satisfying. I enjoyed this story. I applaud the effort the filmmakers made to not tell this story in any way I might have suspected. It's a slippery slope when it comes to melodramatic romance, yet the film is graceful and competent. ---------------- 8

And this one does. The names of the protagonists are palindromes, Otto and Ana.

Life may be a palindrome. There is much talk of circles. The beginning of the movie may be the end.

Coincidences abound. Missed chances, never more exemplified than by the two lovers sitting unaware of each other in a cafe and moving along on another path for a while.

Haunting images of caribou, planes crashing, red buses, accidents that may or may not be happening. Newspaper headlines that could cover many similar events.

Destiny. Can we create our own? Is there just one soulmate out there for each of us? How does this movie end? All unknowns.

I was challenged, uplifted and mystified. Technically, the subtitles were very poor in places - white on white, frustrating.

Musically, very sombre, rather unnecessary. Children Ana and Otto beautiful, understated.

7 out of 10.

Los Amantes del Círculo Polar is probably not a movie to everybody's taste. If you want to see a lot of action, great comedy or some astonishing special effects, you better don't even think about watching this one. In fact it hasn't much more to offer but some philosophical thinking. Thinking about destiny and how we can't escape from it, thinking about life and love, thinking about coincidences...

It starts with a young boy running through a forest because he wants to retrieve a soccer ball. A girl of about his age is running through the same forest. She's running because her mother told her that her father has died. He follows her and she falls on the ground. She sees him and immediately recognizes her father in him, he on the other hand immediately falls in love with her... Because of some coincidences his father and her mother start a relationship and they become "brother and sister". As they grow older their love for each other doesn't fade, but their lives separate. In the end they meet each other again, not in Spain, but in Lapland (Finland).

Los Amantes del Círculo Polar is shot in a very original way. First you get the scene from the point of view of one of the two characters, than you get the scene again, but this time from the other character's side. Even though the director has paid more attention to the story and the way it was told than to the performances of the actors, this still is a very impressive movie. I give it an 8.5/10

Your love's mother gets married to your father, she becomes your sister and you grow up together as brother and sister. What a story!!! And Julio Medem is a great director who made a very good film from this story. The movie is full of original ideas, this uncommon relationship requires an uncommon way of telling. The story builts up from mosaics so it keeps you interested in until the last minute because you have to put the pieces in order for yourself. It's a fantastic idea that we can only see the children (Otto and Ana) at the back seat of the parents' car going to school. They don't meet each other for years just at the car and they don't even talk to each other because their love is so deep and spiritual that words are unnecessary. Just secret touches, stolen moments. When the teenager Otto moves to his father's and stepmother's house because he wants to be next to Ana, they become real lovers. The first night together, when their spiritual love becomes physical, is a so gentle, innocent and discovering journey into the world of sexuality, that never been better put on screen before. The next scenes, where we can see them as secret lovers hiding from the parents are so beautiful that the last one hour, when Otto leaves Ana and works as a pilot and they don't meet for years, is one of the most sorrowful one hour in the film history. They are crossing each other's lines, but they never meet, and it causes a physical pain to the viewer. During these years they're getting to know more about themselves and their family, relationships, have some accidental meetings. Finally, years after they meet... The ending is as unusual as the whole movie, Julio Medem had enough talent to make a good ending which is the biggest risk of the movies - and he doesn't fail, leaves some doors open, because life doesn't finish, when curtain goes down. Full of surprises, one of the best film of the 90s. I highly recommend it to everyone who is tired of pink, unrealistic romantic films, and wants to see a really good, modern romantic film.

"Lovers of the Artic Circle (Los Amantes del Círculo Polar)" was basically "Next Stop Wonderland" crossed with "Map of the Human Heart" about a couple who fall in love as children and continue star-crossed throughout their lives.

The critics decried the theme of coincidence but it does in fact happen, so it was sweet here.

And yes they are both easy on the eyes and maybe that it's in Spanish makes them seem even more romantic.

I liked that the parents were real people who have problems and lives and grow and change.

The story line goes from each's perspective in flashbacks and current, illuminating thoughts and motivations, which seems to be a trend in movie-making.

Quite beautiful cinematography.

(originally written 5/2/1999)