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Play trailer Japan R 2002 2h 27m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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79% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
A young painter (Alejandro Ferretis), beleaguered by life, sets off in search of a place to kill himself. When he rumbles into a remote village deep in rural Mexico, he is quick to tell Ascen (Magdalena Flores), the kindly older widow who takes him in, that he intends to commit suicide. Yet, as days roll by, he finds himself drawn out of his depression and into Ascen's life by her surprising allure. Before long, her compassion and fortitude inspire the young man to give life a second chance.

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Critics Consensus

A slow-moving, visually impressive debut.

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Critics Reviews

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Empire Magazine Rated: 4/5 Dec 30, 2006 Full Review Nick Schager Lessons of Darkness Nothing shy of enthralling. Rated: A- Apr 19, 2006 Full Review Jeff Shannon Seattle Times If you're in synch with its heartbeat, and with Reygadas' tendency to pursue visual detours that intensify the film's sensual impact, this is a remarkable first effort that is equal parts disturbing, bold, mysterious and primal. Rated: 3/4 Nov 7, 2003 Full Review David Walsh World Socialist Web Site The filmmaker wants to be forceful, bold, enigmatic, but his conceptions about life are limited, so much of the work has the feeling of something done largely for effect. Feb 16, 2021 Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com While its narrative arc couldn't be simpler, Reygadas' first film maintains a mystical, otherworldly ambience, paralleling primal urges and mother nature as its human characters waffle about on Maslow's hierarchy. Rated: 4/5 Aug 14, 2020 Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row Has a lingering, dreamlike quality, a sense of mystery and portent that infuses every moment with a kind of otherworldly beauty. Rated: 3.5/4 May 18, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member With almost anthropological overtones, Reygada makes in this, his debut, a poetic and phantasmagorical journey to the bowels of Mexico that not only shows the vulnerability in rural areas, but also shows the desolation and loneliness in the external and internal landscape of the character. Or something like that, at least, the truth is that nobody seem to know. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review dave s A man escapes the urban nightmare of Mexico City to roam the arid Mexican countryside in search of a place to kill himself. Japon is a film that will cause a significant number of its audience to recoil and this is perfectly understandable. The subject matter is, for the most part, unrelentingly grim. There are some images of animal cruelty and a sex scene between the two lead actors that many will find distasteful. Stylistically, Carlos Reygadas may have been inspired by the works of Bela Tarr and Andrei Tarkovsky as many of the scenes consist of long takes and carefully choreographed camera movement which may be off-putting to many. However, for those willing to give it a chance, it is a beautifully crafted film about one man's attempt to find a reason to live in a world that appears, at least on the surface, not to care. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Full of confronting images that seem to declare "this is real life, don't look away" but also gentle meditative and scenic - it is hard to know what to make of Carlos Reygadas' debut feature (now 15 years old). A man travels to a remote canyon telling those that take him there that he aims to kill himself (evoking a Mexican version of Kiarostami's A Taste of Cherry). He rents space in a barn from an old woman who lives high up above the town. Reygados uses widescreen 16mm which gives a strange faded texture to the image which the light often bleaches out; the images are beautifully composed or startlingly odd (in form and content). One can't help thinking about the choices that the director is making. Although slow, the film casts a hypnotic spell as the story unfolds and grand themes (eros, thanatos) jostle with the rough and simple life of the Mexican peasants (nonprofessionals, all), occasionally to the strains of opera heard on the protagonist's headphones (there are many point-of-view or subjective shots). We wait to see what the man will do, wondering what has driven him to this faraway location, but he slowly begins to feel concern for his landlady, Ascen (for Ascension), and the issues she faces in her community. Perhaps his subsequent "intervention" into her life amounts to despoiling or tainting, resulting in the final tracking shot (which I only gradually understood). However, other interpretations may be possible; this is definitely a film where viewers are left to draw their own conclusions. Personally, I couldn't shake the feeling that the natural world portrayed here is a harsh one and that we humans must do what we can to cope with it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Poor Tarkovskij is turning in his grave Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member A very slow film where we follow a man walking around in a canyon of some sort. Gis destination is unknown, but his own suicide is certain. It's got an semi-artsy vibe with little dialogue and few real happenings. This makes it flat, naturally. It's not very interesting, but it got some nice features and details that makes it watchable the first hour or so. We get some great moments with rain and nature shots and that is a highlight for the first half of the film. The rain stuff reminds me of the directors amazing "Stellet Licht" actually. It keeps going, but it never get especially interesting. It's a film to observe and it probably need some time to sink in since it's hard to rate this film directly after seeing it. The director have some usage of original or special nude scenes, and I know that Reygadas has done that before. Honest, deep, sad and sometimes dreamlike film. It's Dogme-like and artsy, pretty weird and an open mind is needed while watching this film. It felt long, and it's best discribed at boring, but it will stay with me as a whole. The closing shot is amazing and lift the film a whole lot as a total experience. 6 out of 10 pulque drinks. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member The PC police are at work here. I was led astray by AO Scott (NY Times) and Manohla Dargis (LA Times). These two reviewers usually are very accurate in their movie reviews. This time I think the emperor wore no clothes. This is one of those Art Films that has very little story and leaves more questions than it answers. I found very little to recommend. Our nameless hero travels to a remote Mexican village to shoot himself. We have no idea why. He stays a few days with an elderly widow. There are some vague references to Catholic Christianity. The widow has a name/nickname that references the figure of Christ. Our hero finds occasion to lay upon his bed in a Christ on the cross posture. The mountain scenery that was purported to be strikingly beautiful; was mostly dry and rocky. There were some distant valleys that appeared to be green farm fields. The story moves at a glacial pace. Events take place. And, we have a not surprising ending. This movie might appeal to Catholics, people with a fondness for Mexico, or those with an existential bent of mind. It was not for me. I do not recommend it. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis A young painter (Alejandro Ferretis), beleaguered by life, sets off in search of a place to kill himself. When he rumbles into a remote village deep in rural Mexico, he is quick to tell Ascen (Magdalena Flores), the kindly older widow who takes him in, that he intends to commit suicide. Yet, as days roll by, he finds himself drawn out of his depression and into Ascen's life by her surprising allure. Before long, her compassion and fortitude inspire the young man to give life a second chance.
Director
Carlos Reygadas
Producer
Carlos Reygadas
Screenwriter
Carlos Reygadas
Production Co
Solaris Film, No Dream Cinema, Hubert Bals Fund, Mantarraya Producciones, Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía (IMCINE)
Rating
R (Language|Strong Sexuality|Nudity)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Spanish
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 24, 2019
Runtime
2h 27m
Sound Mix
Surround
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