AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

T Y During my first viewing of this movie, I was rolling my eyes, but it was not easy to shake off afterwards. And in fairness, it may be because the feelings presented are so tender, and the hurts so raw that I was made uncomfortable. The movie is meritorious just for exposing a trio that I had no idea were influencing each other. (Dali, deLorca, Bunuel) This movie is almost to painful to watch as first Dali arrives at school, as a preening anxious fop and then as Delorca falls for Dali. You know it's going to end in pain and heartbreak. Even so, knowing as little about De Lorca that I do, I did not realize how much pain. If you know much about Dali's personal behavior, you already know he was a rather contemptible person. So when his despicable actions pile up in the story, it's being honest. The treachery of the insecure Bunuel is also not glossed over.The direction is often very good, assembling a narrative of major scenes connected by little throwaway snippets that don't always take you from point A to point B; that suggest a richness of life and experience. There is good acting to see too, Pattison while getting a few things wrong, still manages to feel like a Spaniard, and the Irish guy playing Luis Bunuel does some interesting stuff.I love any movie that suggests a rich, absurd vein runs throughout life. The movie manages to suggest beyond the gay love story, that Spain under Franco was a place where an urbane droll Spaniard could find a spot and ensconce himself; it may not be true but it's a nice place to occupy. I will have smart droll friends or I will have none.Some standout moments include the opening where a fey but nonetheless strikingly beautiful young Dali is driven to University, and any scene underscored by the Spanish guitar music written for the film. Magda is that rare female role in a gay film that isn't wallpaper. She's very charming.It reminds of Cabaret but the script is better. It makes me want to read about Garcia Lorca and go to Spain. Ultimately it has pants to say about art, but it says that very quickly. Try to sit through Modigliani, Klimt, Lust for Life, all of them equally trite on the subject, but with nothing else going on in those films.Some of the poor reception of this film, is assuredly owed to neurotic hetero male reviewers who piled on, for making them consider that the love lives of homosexuals are worthy of consideration. That's all machismo-baggage. The worst moments are an amateurish montage of Dali in Paris. And while Robert Pattinson does a good job with the Dali character (who really was this confused, unbalanced jackass), he never quite finds his center. (Dali never did either.)The movie is cast with pretty boys again, making the point that no one gay has ever been less than a male model (!?) I think what I really like about this movie is a touching, sensitive Spanish guitar score; that always strike the right tone (well, except for the cheery music under the end credits).

thianna8 This film came to my attention because Robert Pattinson is in it, but it is an amazing movie. It is a small film but I don't think that big budget films are always that good anyway. The strange live of Dali is explained and his love is shown. Robert Pattinson has done a amazing job with portraying Dali. Some people may find this film boring but i find it rather interesting. This movie is not a feel good movie, but a beautiful drama. The accents were a little annoying. It's to bad that this film does not get the attention it deserves. A great script, amazing acting, and a rare story is what makes this an amazing movie. I have enjoyed it and I hope more people will.

Rodrigo Amaro Trying to cover up the personalities, the minds and the artistic and historical period of Spain in the 1920's and 1930's is a huge and difficult task and no film could ever capture and portray that in a positive way in less than two hours. "Little Ashes" is a small but good film that shows us few moments of that era in something we might call of a summary of events, and that's what makes this movie good but this also is his Achilles tendon, it might kill the experience (and it did to some viewers) of watching it and understand what the movie was since the film is too short and deals with too many subjects. If you know the period you'll get easily, otherwise you're gonna need to make a research on icons like Salvador Dali, Federico Garcia Lorca and Luis Buñuel and their meaning to the arts."Little Ashes" follows the friendship between these three artists, from the time they were students until the beginning of their careers and some of its famous moments, pictures, films, poems and all. More than that, the film explores a love relationship between Dali and Lorca, played respectively by Robert Pattinson and Javier Beltrán; and their involvement in art and revolutionary acts during Franco dictatorship. The rest is history, mentions of "Un Chien Andalou" (Buñuel & Dali film partnership) and the famous image of the eye; poems by Lorca; and Dali's strange magnetism as a bizarre figure with his surrealistic art and way of living and style.The film is panned and harshly criticized by many people complaining that everything in this movie is wrong, its inaccuracy in everything, and most of all that Pattinson is a terrible actor and he shouldn't portray Dali and things like that. My observations to this nonsense is that the movie succeeds in its attempt to cover the artistic period and of being a strange and romantic love story that sounds original, almost without clichés. There are some innuendos, many artistic licenses and some awkward moments and unexplained things (such as Buñuel being presented as half homophobic who seems to approve Dali's homosexualism but on the other hand he doesn't approve that Lorca is too, to the point of beating up a guy who wanted to have sex with him and he looked for this guy, he wanted. A very silly moment and totally unbelievable). As for the performances they are very nice, especially Javier Beltrán, who has an unique dramatic talent, the actor you'll want to see more and more in the film thanks to his ability to display a poetic emotion that seems to reflect the character very well, not much of an acting, it's more like a embodiment of Lorca. But this review cannot be completed without the Pattinson controversy. "Little Ashes" gathered a lot of attention after his role as Edward Cullen in "Twilight" since many twilighters wanted to see more of his films, and along with that attention came some of the critical examinations saying that he wasn't a good choice for this film, and others even worst than this trashy comments that said that a movie about Dali with Pattinson starring is unwatchable. Well, they are all wrong! He has a good performance despite being too handsome for the role, although his Dali's mannerisms might look as a caricature of the important artist, but after a moment he gets very similar to the real figure (that "crazy" look in his eyes is very similar). And more difficult is the portrayal of a man who seemed to have a peculiar view on the world, and a strange care for his sexuality, and with all that in mind we can't judge the actor for his role in other films, but only for what he did here and he did a great job. If "Little Ashes" was directed and produced by the cinema of Spain with Spanish actors, and if they have a fantastic budget to spend in producing a film with more than three hours covering until the final days of Dali and Buñuel (sadly, the movie didn't followed him much), it would be a spectacular epic film. But for what it tries to accomplish this film is a good entrance door in the lives of some of the most interesting minds of the 20th Century. 9/10

blackberrybabe Little Ashes is a little-known film that was released last year. It stars Javier Beltran as Frederico Garcia Lorca and a pre-Twilight Robert Pattinson as Salvador Dali.Starting in 1922, we are introduced to Dali as he arrives at a university in Madrid to study art. He is already convinced of his genius and meets Lorca, a writer and poet. The two form an instant friendship and Lorca finds himself attracted to Dali. During this time, homosexuality was frowned on and even illegal, so he has to keep it a secret. There are shots of Lorca in prayer, no doubt trying to purge the 'impure thoughts' of Dali from his mind. At times he even seems like he wants to avoid his friend. This it proved futile and finally, Lorca gives in to his growing attraction.As the movie progresses, so does their relationship…until Dali decides he's had enough of Spain and goes to France, leaving Lorca in the dust. Although he is attracted to him, Lorca's obsession is too much and he feels he must leave. The two meet again a few years later with Dali sporting a moustache. After a passionate kiss, Dali tells his friend that he is attracted to a woman and will stop at nothing to have her. He later watches Lorca and his girlfriend, Magdalena, have sex, the whole time Lorca's eyes never leave his. Dali returns to France and eight years later contacts his friend to start a business deal. Dali realizes that he hurt him by leaving and wants to make amends.Lorca, by this time, is over him and his politics have changed. He speaks out against Franco and unwillingly signs his death warrant. He meets with Dali, married to a woman named Gala, and Dali promises to start things up again, including a romantic relationship. Lorca is unconvinced, realizing that this is not the same Dali as was at the university and leaves. That is the last time the two friends see each other. Lorca is captured and executed shortly after and Dali cries over his loss. Only towards the end of his life does Dali admit the attraction between himself and Lorca; he kept the memories of his friend quiet for years.Beltran and Pattinson are fabulous in these roles. Both sport Spanish accents and portray their attraction to one another perfectly. Pattinson captures Dali's craziness and uniqueness, giving him life like we've never seen. Beltran makes Lorca real; you can feel his pain when Dali leaves him without a goodbye. I was crying for him at the end of the film. Marina Gatell is absolutely beautiful as love-struck Magdalena. She knows that Lorca and Dali are close friends, but doesn't realize the extent of their closeness until after she and Lorca have sex. I suspect she saw that he was watching Dali and realized her heart would never belong to him. The two remain friends after that and her unrequited love never faltered. She cries with friends upon hearing of Lorca's death on the radio.The scenery of 1920s Spain is beautiful. We get to see a part of it when Lorca and Dali go for a bike ride through the country. Several times you see the men walking through the square and the scenery is perfect. There's also a beach where they spend some time talking and getting to know each other. The men also swim in the moonlight and that is when their friendship is taken to a new level. Pattinson is convincing as a confused and tortured Dali who is unsure of taking things farther. He finally does but cannot consummate the relationship. Because of that, he begins to pull away from Lorca and this ultimately causes the downfall of their friendship.I wanted to see this movie because I am a huge fan of Robert Pattinson. I was sick of people saying "he can't act," so I rented his early work. I must say, I'm glad I did. Pattinson CAN most certainly act and he captures Dali to a T. Every good actor does his or her homework when playing a biographical character and this is no exception. Pattinson's eyes convey Dali's emotions during the sex scene, when Lorca comes to visit him and when he hears of Lorca's death. Nothing has to be spoken during those scenes; his eyes tell us perfectly what he is trying to say. And for those of us who find him quite attractive (like me), there is a shot of Pattinson naked standing in front of a mirror near the start of the film. I almost fell out of my seat when I saw that. Gorgeous! This movie won a GLADD award for Outstanding Film in Limited Release. It is breathtaking, refreshing, funny and sad. If you enjoy Robert Pattinson's work as much as I do, see this film before judging his acting ability. This proved to me that he is more than a tortured vampire; he is an actor. And that is what it's all about.