Overdone

aharmas

A few years ago I had the pleasure of seeing a wonderful film called "Cinema Paradiso". It showed the portrayal of life from a child's point of view, with an ease of narrative, a glorious music score, one of the most amazing portrayals by a child actors ever, and a delicate balance that kept its pathos intact. Just recently, I saw the preview for this film and was looking forward to seeing. The preview was poetical and hinted at a topic that is rarely seen in American cinemas. The preview included mentions of it having won some international prizes, so when I finally caught the film, I couldn't help but say, "what a pity".

"Voces Inocentes" contains all the ingredients that should have been made the film an important and compelling movie. Instead, we're giving a production that benefits greatly from a very talented young actor but is derailed by the heavy handed direction of Mandoki, who seems to believe that everything must be thrown on the audiences' faces, with no regard for subtlety or any confidence on the work of his actors.

I couldn't help but wonder why...

The dialog between the children is so ridiculous, not innocent, but plain "cutesy" and always full of references to things that are banal and vulgar. Children are smarter than that.

Scenes run longer than they need, as if they need to shout the point across. A tear would suffice... many times I almost reached for a life jacket, and whereas I would like to recommend audiences to bring a box of Kleenex, I would instead advice to just bring a couple of earplugs.

We know bullets do kill... do we need to lose our ability to hear? Where did good all narrative sense go? Do all towns have a fool? There were no airplanes or helicopters in this war? Very convenient for that scene on the roofs...

I have to admit, I loved the scenes where there was no dialog. One of the most effective reminders of what good cinema should have occurs when the driver sees his "employee" for a second time and reminds him of the freedom of their relationship. Here was the spirit of childhood at his purest, without the padding, the manipulation, the overdone direction and screenplay. Someone should have told Mr. Mandoki to check what the Greeks did by not showing us everything. Respect the audience and their sensitivities. Allow them to connect to the universality of emotions and let compassion filter through. Have pity on the audience.

By the way, not all was lost. The production values are remarkable, and the make up was outstanding. I'm familiar with the song used in one of the few moving scenes in the film, "Casas de Carton". How dare he put some poetry in the middle of this mess? It only highlighted the flaws and proved that even though this might have a been a real story, the work was neither faithful to the spirit of the source, or unable to convey the anguish that lives in the hearts of those who are tortured physically and emotionally by class differences.

Finally, it's important to state that audiences who are hungry for specific themes should allow themselves to realize there is a big difference in what is served to them. A fine novel manages to bring forth a clear message, with style, cohesion, and the ability to connect to the soul of the reader. When Shakespeare wrote his plays, he never forgot the essence of the basis for his work. It remained real, throughout the artistry. "Voces Inocentes" is NOT a film, but a crude parody of what the video game version of a great idea could be.

score 4/10

aharmas 13 October 2005

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1193068/