Inconscientes

UNCONSCIOUS (Inconscientes) is a stylish little Spanish film form the minds of writers Dominic Harari and Joaquín Oristrell, a tongue in cheek look at the influence of Sigmund Freud on social behavior at the fin de siecle in Spain. Not only is the story highly entertaining as a comedy, the production values and creative direction by Joaquín Oristrell make this a must-see for lovers of European art films.

The story is a bit convoluted, but then the title suggests that in the first place! If there is a line of continuity it is the effect of Freud as the one who peeped into the privacy of our lives and the strange findings he discovered. Very pregnant Alma (the always beguiling Leonor Watling) is missing her psychiatrist husband and engages the aid of her brother-in-law Salvador (Luis Tosar) to find him. Alma's sister Olivia (Núria Prims) suspects a tryst between Alma and Salvador, adding a bit more mystery to the story. The discoveries made about each of the highly assorted groups of players in the drama are made in the oddest of places - a men's steam room/gym, a transvestite ball (in which many of the characters' form the outside world are found to have very special needs!), and in places throughout the picturesque Barcelona. There is no particular resolution to this quasi-plot: the joy is in the telling of the story, and that is a total pleasure to watch.

The very large cast is uniformly exceptional and the creative aspects of the shifting of the various components of this storybook tale are as fine as have been seen in recent cinema. This is comedy border but not becoming slapstick and it is served up delectably! In Spanish and German with English subtitles. Grady Harp, November 07

I've just seen "Unconscious" on DVD. Wonderful! I picked it up at the video store just by chance, and I am gratefully surprised. The look is awesome and the story catches you up to the end. The modernist settings in Barcelona are so beautiful, and so the movie has an original look.

The sound, though, was not very good. In part because of the actors (many of them, the young ones, don't vocalize and it gets hard to understand their speeches) or maybe t'was the copy. Don't know.

The only thing I dind't like was the obvious and tiring sex references during all the movie. It's supposed to be 1913, I don't think people would talk about this stuff so naturally in those days in Spain.

Anyhow, very good story, funny gags, a nice look, and suggestive music. Eigth out of ten, to me.

I saw this at Sundance and enjoyed it very much. It is a clever farce involving physical comedy as well as satire. The main target of the movie appears to be Freud, but there are other psychoanalysis jokes as well. For me, the performances of Luis Tosar and Leonor Watling made the movie sparkle. The two of them have chemistry that transcends language. The dialog was fast paced and the script was smart and crisp. The two leads find themselves in increasingly goofy situations until the final climax where the mystery is solved. I think that this was the best of the 12 films I saw at Sundance this year, and I am hoping that the DVD comes out soon so I can see it again! (This is not a movie for kids; perhaps older teens will enjoy it. It is in Spanish with subtitles, so those who do not like to read subtitles be warned)

An excellent screenplay by Joaquín Oristrell, Teresa Pelegri, and Dominic Harari; that combines comedy with Holmesian detective work, brilliant direction by Joaquín Oristrell that keeps the story moving along, and a great performance by Juanjo Puigcorbé as Alma's (Leonor Watling) father.

Watling (Chronicas, Talk to Her) was magnificent, and it is a shame her performance was in the same year as Aitana Sánchez-Gijón's in The Machinist, or it would have been more recognized.

This period piece was characterized by great costuming and an excellent score. Fine performances were also turned in by Luis Tosar (Mondays in the Sun, Miami Vice) as Alma's brother-in-law and partner in solving the mystery, and Mercedes Sampietro (Silencio Roto).

Hilarious throughout with some really great lines.

I normally reserve 10 out of 10 to films that really mark me. Films that make one think or learn something new. Yet I think this film deserves a 10 for being an excellent comedy, excellent script and having excellent dialogs. Rarely have I seen such a well rounded film. It lacks nothing and delivers much.

I loved the main female character "Alma" and she sweeps us into the story with her unlikely companion, a very stiff and uptight brother in law. One also gets a feel for the time period when many new theories and thinkers were coming of age... of the new revolutions to be, conservative Spain and sexuality of the period. Even if in a comic way.

I highly recommend this film. Have a good laugh at psychology, passion and self analysis.