Alcarràs

What a beautiful film! The choice to use non-actors was brilliant, as this film feels entirely real and true. I was absolutely engrossed by this simple story filled with immense complexity, dealing with family politics, gender, the working class, tradition, the encroachment of the new, among many others. Beautifully shot as well, the film had many frames that looked like paintings. Beautiful and quietly devastating, yet hopeful. 9/10.

See the emotional perspectives of a family owned apple farm and realize the absolute beauty of mundanity and ordinarity in such lives. The work, play, tradition and love being portrayed is done masterfully through calm and strong integrity. It is not often one stumbles across a film so well-crafted with a clear sense of motivation and devotion. I personally really liked this one.

Each character is represented as they are, in regard to themselves, their environment and who they represent. The subtility of the distractions one faces as uncertainty slowly corrupts parts of their lives and how they live as a result.

The one rave scene was tastefully portrayed and I'm happy to see some hakken.

The only positives were the amazing performances of children, teenagers, and the very old in the film. It deserved an acting ensemble prize at best. Carla Simon deserves praise for extracting realistic performances. Little else. The script was predictable on change in values that are influenced by pecuniary factors. The crane removing an old car which later removes fruit trees was too contrived for the script. Was it, as the ultimate Golden Bear winner, more deserving than the Grand Prize of the Jury winner, from Korea, Hong Sang Soo's film "The Novelist's Film"? I don't think so. M. Night Shyamalan and his jury that he headed got it wrong, in my view.

Alcarràs. I can say it in two ways: very good film and I really liked it.

It's a sad but especially tender movie.

For me, as I am from Barcelona, this movie is clearly a western in which the family, the land and work are the same thing. And fruit, and love.

And It is also a beautiful movie, natty, warm and pleasant which portrays in a soft manner the strength that rural life requires.

Its language is fresh, direct and very honest.

Full of things simply explained without becoming sentimental, it speaks of something that is lost, that has been snapped up.

I like the children's role in it. It doesn't become burdensome, as is usually the case with children's performances, it is nice and funny but without going overboard.

A balsamic drama very sweet in form but bitter in content.

It is frankly fair the existance of such a good fictional film set in that rural reality.

Reallistic depiction of rural life that shows both the heartwarming and the harsh living conditions of farmers. Weren't it actually scripted, it would have totally worked as a documentary piece.

The movie can get long at times. It seems to lose focus and detour from the main plot at times, bringing smaller scenes, that help you empathise with the family, but contribute few or nothing to the actual development of the story.

The movie brings some food for thought as you see a way of life that is threatened by modern technology, and the push from the rural life to urban life.

The work of the non professional actors is excellent, and shows how much effort was put in making this film work and strive for excellence.

While the movie is a few steps away from being a masterpiece, it is still a mandatory watch.