Parfum de violettes

Almost a new generation Italian neo-realist film minus the political commitment, plus a sense that there is more to suffering than poverty alone: decades of social fragmentation and of "me" ideology have left us all as closed as Leibnitzian windowless monads: packed everywhere, but incapable of any elementary form of communication.

The Italian neo-realists, more or less close to various forms of socialism, had here and there glimpse of (naive, as it was to be seen) hope into the "new man." No such feeling is present here. The sky has closed upon us and is not going to open anytime soon.

All in all, a superb, if terribly dramatic film. The final scene is an absolute masterpiece, hinting at unspeakable horrors directed towards the already beaten, raped, and victimized protagonist, with the exquisite restrain not to show them at all.

A great film, which takes on important themes (sexual violence among teenagers, the dissolution of family and social bonds, the apathy of society towards "inconvenient" realities) without puritan restrain but without unnecessary gore. Highly recommended.

It was shocking to see how nobody is able or willing to help in a critical abuse situation. The main character is abused by family, teachers and classmates in different ways, being ignorance the origin of this kind of abuse. When this girl suffers a sexual attack, things just get worse. The only reason she has to smile is friendship, which she finally destroys because of her distorted values and social skills.

I think "Perfume de Violetas" is a crude reality of what happens in the life of many young girls, not only in Mexico City, but in many big cities among Latin America. This type of films are very under estimated in today's film industry. I think that like in many other occasion is a form of showing the authorities what the society is afraid to demand. I'm proud as a Mexican of what the Mexican writers and film makers are doing now, by far the best work that new generations had seen lately. I wonder why sponsors don't support films that doesn't show pretty, well known artist or doesn't have nudity scenes. I hope I didn't waste this space that could be for somebody else's opinion..

This is one of those Mexican movies that really deserve to be exposed all over the world. Today's Mexican Cinema is dedicated to show the the Mexican culture and its daily life and this movie just does that perfectly without falling within the Mexican movie clichè of unnecessary violence, sex and drug scenes.

The movie is crude, that's true, but at the same time its also very realistic and you commonly see all those same situations within the daily life of the urban poor circles back in Mexico City, although some of those practices are repressed and therefore not openly done.

This movie completely features the not-so-nice side of Mexican society and its practices and common life.

"Perfume de violetas" is, by far, one of the best and most underrated Mexican films in years. The story is shocking and touching, the direction by Sistatch is marvelous and the acting is superb (just watch the two girls, they're wonderful). No more words. Just see this film. Four stars out of four.