Llovizna

Many may think this is just another Venezuelan telenovela (soap opera) with all the car accidents, amnesia, and lost babies typical of telenovelas. THEY ARE NOT MISTAKEN! It has a very promising and magical story about a young girl named "Llovizna" (Drizzling Rain - Interesting name) who finds out that her mother was killed by the powerful owner of the steelmill where her grandfather worked and died after being burned. She sets out to destroy him and is caught in her own trap on the way, risking the lives of all the people she loves. She ignores a truth that is shocking (I wont spoil it!). The story has some typical elements of telenovelas but is refreshingly different. Unfortunately, the acting is quite amateurish and the setting is extremely cheap. The production company, Marte TV, has gone out of business and this was one of their last productions. The main problem with the telenovela is that it lacks great actors to give life to their complex characters. They make it extremely simple. Caridad Canelon's "Marhuanta" is the only commendable performance. The other either suck or are mediocre. The story is a bit tragic and mean spirited which may also turn off viewers. Overall, it is an interesting telenovela with an original story that ultimately ends up being mushy and typical. It is a decent production which would have been a masterpiece if well-performed and produced. Unfortunately, "Llovizna" lacks the elements necessary to make a great Soap Opera. This is only recommended for avid telenovela viewers who usually enjoy telenovelas from Venezuela like me.

Another viewer evidently missed the point of the production style and also translated too literally ... "Llovisna" ... or "Misty" not 'Drizzlily Rains".

Set in Venezuela in the late 1930's or 40's ... "Llovisna " romantically portrayed the transition of post-Gomez dictatorship Venezuela in the midst of greater post-oil discovery and industrialization in that country's Saar-Ruhr basin .. the Orinico basin; and metropolitan Caracas population explosion. The telenovela virtually made the career of "Ms.Hevci Scarlet Ortiz" -- establishing the former Miss Venezuela contestant as a fine actress ... and through the use of the cim=nematic style of 'verismo' & richly used location scenery and the occasional 'cinema verite' of the style (interlacing footage) to portray lives in the rising working and middle class of Venezuela. As a television production -- good stage craft were used to portray an intimate family - mother and her daughters sustaining a cafe-bar in an old hotel, a padrone like 'god-father' with his shadowy telepathic like influence .. his desire for the truth - for both 'he' and - of his daughter 'Llovisna'.

It has always been a favorite of mine for its verismo portrayal of themes of crime - crooked business or excessive economic power ... passion & love -- and the interlacing of urbanism (a 30's style boxing or sporting scene is remembered) -- and as a production especially breaching the excessive segregation appearance of some Colombian & Venezuelan exports from those mostly 'mixto' nations.

Adapted for the television from a good novel - set in the 30's .. because of its time period -- 'verismo' was a most appropriate style for this production.

[Seen on "Telemundo" Network - just then becoming a subsidiary of the part Italian invested Apollo Group]