La Llorona (2019)
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Duration: 96 minuten
Alternative title: The Weeping Woman
Country:
Guatemala / France
Directed by: Jayro Bustamante
Stars: María Mercedes Coroy, Margarita Kénefic and Sabrina De La Hoz
IMDb score:
6,6 (8.269)
Releasedate: 25 July 2019
La Llorona plot
"The past will haunt you."
Former dictator Enrique Monteverde is on trial for genocide, but the sentence is later overturned by the Supreme Court, much to the anger of the Guatemalan people. Monteverde, an old man who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, tries to get his life back at home with his family and the loyal maidservant. However, he hears and sees strange things.
Reviews & comments
Fisico (moderator films)
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- 9696 messages
- 5269 votes
Strong film by Bustamante who was present in the audience during the Ghent Film Festival. A film that stirs up the tragic civil war in Guatemala in the 1980s, which particularly hit the indigenous population hard. The film starts with the conviction of the fictional general Monteverde, based on the real person Efraín Ríos Montt. Due to health reasons, his conviction was overturned by the Court. What follows are vigils and protests in front of Monteverde's family home.
Monteverde has now become an old, declining man, suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He has no remorse, never had any, and his family also supports and cares for him. The focus of the film is on his family members, how they too suffer from the situation and have to bear the heavy moral legacy of the regime for which Monteverde was responsible. I sometimes thought of those elderly former Nazi executioners who still appear in the news every now and then.
Bustamante did not hesitate to release his film, he also indicated during his discussion. He gave his own twist by adding something mysterious - the myth of La Llorona - or a touch of “horror” to the film. The film therefore contains a certain tension. The background noise is oppressive and comes from the protests on the street, but the piercing eyes of the crowd also get through to you. Strong acting and excellent cinematography/editing. Great film and definitely recommended! Big 4.0*!
Translated from Dutch · View original
mrklm
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- 9601 messages
- 8936 votes
The very elderly Enrique [Julio Diaz] comes face to face with the demons from his war past in which he had many women and children executed. His aggression is mainly aimed at Alma [María Mercedes Coroy], a servant who may have a link to that past. Atmospheric horror thriller manages to evoke a certain intensity, but after an hour it falls into the pitfalls that are unfortunately so typical of the genre and therefore never lives up to the promise of the opening.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Arnie
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- 1080 messages
- 1850 votes
Very strong film by Bustamente. Perhaps not exactly innovative in terms of story, but the way in which he interweaves mystery and political drama is very well done. The angle makes a big difference here, by focusing on the family of the former dictator of Guatemala, locked up in their villa.
Processing the violent past of a tormented country, from the perspective of the perpetrator and his searching family. It is a bit reminiscent of Larraín and his always surprising perspectives on well-known characters. Bustamente very prominently adds a layer of local mysticism, which is especially stylistically very worthwhile. The chanting or silent crowd outside the house, Alma, the scenes in the swimming pool, and also the woman's dreams in which what her husband has done to others happens to herwere strong.
Not a high flyer, the story was a bit too small for my taste. The characters are also slightly less interesting than Larraín; the dictator's daughter in particular was a bit too 'real' and reminded a bit too much of a regular political drama to be able to rise above it. Bustamente could have opted for a clearer mystery, in addition to the court scenes than they were very good (that zooming out camera!) But it is a film that will stay with you as one of the best I saw about dealing with the revolutionary and violent past in Central and South America.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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