A Janela

"La ventana," Carlos Sorin's beautiful film from Argentina deserves a wider audience than is evidenced by the responses at IMDb. This is a very sensitive and beautiful look at the coming of death. Nothing is overly stated, overly done. It reminds me of "Mother and Son" by Sokurov in it's beauty, quiet, and lack of the need for narrative. The cinematography is beautiful. There are many characters who greatly add to the authenticity of the story yet the film does not get distracted by trying to do more than is necessary to tell a universal truth about the human condition. This film has an audience but it is probably very limited. I highly recommend "La ventana."

LA VENTANA (THE WINDOW) is a gentle masterpiece of cinema written and directed by Carlos Sorin. It is about living and dying and how, hopefully, we all can approach that last day on earth. Filmed in Argentina's Patagonia by cinematographer Julian Apezteguia with an emphasis on sunshine and landscape this little film humbly presents the final day of living of 80-year-old writer Antonio (Antonio Larreta) who has been confined to bed in his home after a heart attack (his warmly caring doctor advises him to be hospitalized, but Antonio seems to appreciate the futility of that move). He is attended by two women - María del Carmen (María del Carmen Jiménez) and Emilse (Emilse Roldán) - who prepare his meals and his medications and cut his hair and keep his old home clean. Antonio is frisky and more than anything wants to walk in his vegetable garden he watches through his bedside window. He calls upon a piano tuner to tune his ancient piano in preparation for the visit of his son Pablo (Jorge Díez), a famous concert pianist, who is due to arrive with his girlfriend Claudia (Carla Peterson) after a very long absence. Antonio finally decides to take a walk in his garden and his land, longing to once again feel a part of nature. He stumbles, is unable to get up, and is found by neighbors who bring him home. After seeing his son, and after recalling a repeated dream of the lovely woman who served as his nanny, Antonio simply goes to sleep, happy and serene.

There is no story to this beautiful film, Instead it is just a day in the life of a man who has lived a good life and accepts his dying with great dignity and happiness. Each of the actors in this elegy is perfect for the simple roles. But it is the performance by Antonio Larreta under Carlos Sorin's direction that makes this film soar, quietly and with profound respect for the art of living and of dying. It is a little masterpiece.

Grady Harp

The film is slow paced in the starting but it definitely takes you to a great ride and you will feel good when you are in the middle of the film. Although I do feel that the ending might have been better but then thinking what I would think of the ending, I cannot come to any idea. So probably this was the best ending after all. I would point out that there is no specific soundtrack for most of the time and just the sound of the ticking of the clock when they are inside the room. And you would not even notice it because the acting of the lead is so gripping that I have seen in recent times. There is simplicity in the film. No rush in anything, the director has chosen to approach the idea slowly and effectively. And then also the length of the film is short. This film is like a creative art and like those paintings whose worth everyone cannot understand.

"A definite onetime watch for all film lovers."

Argentina's favorite theme is presented here: Déclassé Fairytale. With emphasis on that golden prewar era.

In this rendition an 80 year old man who himself would have been a child in that golden era is dying he is looking forward to the visit of his son an international pianist (of course). The 80 year old father is an author with signed first editions of Borges (of course).

The whole story is a day in his life.

Still it is an accurate look at rural life in Argentina as well as death and dying even if it does involve an estancia and other icons of these pseudo intellectual déclassé fairy tales.

It is short pretty good if somewhat depressing.

RECOMMEND

My local library was showing this film for movie night, but I decided to rent it for myself and view it at home. Glad I did. La Ventana is a mellow film, very relaxing to watch, but melancholy just the same. The facial expressions of the actors made them mesmerizing to watch. The landscape shots were beautiful. At one point I stopped the movie to see where it was filmed (Argentina). Even my husband and son, who prefer mindless shooting movies, were walking by and just sat on the sofa with me and watched. It's not a fast moving or an action film, it's poignant in that it depicts an infirm elderly man at the end of his life, what's going through his mind, and those around him. Very captivating film that draws you in. It starts off slow, but progresses nicely.