This post is part of my movie-a-day challenge in which I will watch a film every day for 365 days. Today is Day 65. You can see all the posts for this challenge HERE. To see the original Movie-a-Day Challenge post, click HERE.
Little Ashes’: Art, Drama, and… Meh Moments”
Hey there, fellow couch critics!
So, I finally got around to watching ‘Little Ashes ,’ that 2008 flick directed by Paul Morrison. You know, the one about Salvador Dalí, Federico García Lorca, and Luis Buñuel? Yeah, that one. And let me get this out in the open right off the bat – it was kind of a mixed bag for me. 🤷
First up, the plot. It’s set in the roaring 20s in Madrid, buzzing with artistic energy and political tension. We’ve got young, eccentric Dalí, played by Robert Pattinson (before he became the brooding Batman). He arrives at university, mustache and all, ready to shake things up. There’s also the soulful poet Lorca, portrayed by Javier Beltrán, and the cynical filmmaker Buñuel, brought to life by Matthew McNulty. Their lives intertwine in this kaleidoscope of art, politics, and personal discovery.
The actors? Pattinson as Dalí is… well, it’s a sight, guys. He dives headfirst into the role, mustache twirling and all. It’s like watching a peacock strut around in a henhouse – eye-catching, sure, but sometimes it feels a bit much. We watch as a young Dalí, all brooding and floppy-haired struts onto the scene at Madrid’s Residencia de Estudiantes, ready to blow minds with his eccentric ways. He’s like a peacock dipped in Dali’s own melting-cheese paint, all pointy mustaches and flamboyant pronouncements about “amorphous desires.”
Enter Federico García Lorca, the handsome poet with a twinkle in his eye and a voice smooth enough to melt butter (played by the dreamy Beltran). Sparks fly faster than you can say “Oedipus complex,” and soon the two are entangled in a passionate, forbidden romance that would make Shakespeare do a triple take. Don’t worry, it’s not all hearts and flowers – there’s plenty of angst, jealousy, and metaphorical bullfighting to keep things spicy.
Okay, so the acting is decent, the cinematography is moody and atmospheric, and the score is appropriately dramatic. But here’s the rub, my friends: despite all the artistic fireworks, “Little Ashes” left me feeling like I’d wandered into a particularly pretentious art gallery without a clue what any of the exhibits meant. The pacing is glacial at time and the dialogue meanders like a lost sheep in a fog.
I think the film tries to juggle so much – friendship, rivalry, political undertones, and some complex emotional stuff. Sometimes it hits the mark, like when it explores the tension between personal and artistic identity. But at other times, it feels like it’s trying too hard to be deep and ends up skimming the surface. You know what I mean?
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the attempt to capture the madness that was Dalí’s early life. But somewhere between the melting clocks and the existential angst, I lost the emotional connection. It’s like watching a beautiful sunset through a dirty window – all the potential for awe is there, but something just feels…off.
While ‘Little Ashes‘ has its moments of brilliance, overall, it feels a bit… meh. It’s not bad, but it didn’t blow my mind.
Reflecting on it, I guess ‘Little Ashes’ left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. It had the potential to be a vivid canvas of emotion and art, but it ended up being more like a well-intended sketch. It’s worth a watch if you’re into historical dramas or want to see Pattinson sporting a wild mustache. But don’t expect to be wowed.
Peace out, ✌️
Roger