La spagnola

The plot is tenuous, the action is repetitive, the cinematography is gawky industrial, the obsession with cars is cute, the multiple languages is interesting, the performances are adequate, the overall effect is "if you are tired watching Hollywood stuff you may want to check it out but then maybe not, just curl up in bed with a good book".

And if you are male, you may want to see it just for the blatant pleasure of ogling Lola Marceli in glorious 35 mm color.

While the DB reviewers all seem to be unsure of what to make of this film, it does indeed have a growing tradition in style with other Australian quirky movies such as Strictly Ballroom, Priscilla, and the Baz Luhrmann Red Curtain series. The staging, cinematography, execution and editing of shots are quick, colourful and energetically paced.

This allows the bizarre story to unfold, and the characters to develop, with explanations for their motivations being revealed gradually. The genius lies in Anna Maria Monticelli's beautiful script which intelligently begins to unravel events that have already occurred without explanation, all in a comfortable linear format. Such imaginative exposition is rarely given without confusing flashbacks, and is the heart of this film. I found the structure elegantly clarified all of the initially obscure scenes.

The mother Lola never becomes sympathetic, however Lola Marceli's sterling debut convinces the viewer of a person becoming truly disturbed by her transplanted identity as Spanish woman amongst Italians, in an uncaring Australian society, deserted by her husband and scorned by her neglected daughter. Alice Ansara's Lucia cool-as-a-cucumber performance is understated and believable, and all the more commendable for her excellent language skills which define her character, and serve as some of the funniest bits of business as she gently toys with her clients' own lack of linguistics.

And of course Alex Dimitriades yet again demonstrates his smouldering leading man persona which we first saw in 1998's masterful "Head On".

Lourdes Bartolomé's turn as catty sister Manola chews the lush scenery and deftly steals the show, particularly in the dancing and cooking sequence! I might point out that she is most entranced by a courgette (zucchini), rather than a cucumber, as one reviewer has written...

There's a lot of negative reviews about this film on this site, but in fact I found it to be quite quirky, funny and engrossing. If you get a chance to see it, do so - you'll be pleasantly surprised by this funny, fiery dysfuctional Austalian film (also good if you're studying Spanish or Italian)

La Spagnola had a lot of potential but didn't live up to expectations. The plot just was not strong enough. Despite fine acting this was a missed opportunity. It has its heart in the right place but not a lot really happens. Alice Ansara is a real find and is a young actor we will here a lot more from in the future.

This is such a bleak and plotless film that unless you are looking for a reason to slit your wrists its probably best avoided. Through a series of brief vignettes in a surreal Australian landscape we are acquainted with Lola and her unfortunate daughter Alice both of whom are destined to be forever betrayed not only by the people they encounter but also by each other. The unrelenting grimness is even reflected in their sexual encounters with a succession of squalid and unsatisfying relationships.

I tried very hard to fall asleep during this movie so that the time would pass more quickly but failed miserably and had to endure it to the end.