Tuvalu

Released Nov 19, 1999

1h 41m

Comedy

Drama

List

73%

26 Reviews

Tomatometer

89%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A poetic fairy-tale told only with images and international dialogue. The characters revolve around an old public swimming pool in a building which looks more like a cathedral in the middle of a wasteland. Three people live there: the blind father who hankers after times past, the mother who charges buttons for admission, and a son (Denis Lavant) who has never ventured outside. A young woman (Chulpan Hamatova) brings a breath of life from the outside but the cathedral-swimming pool is condemned.

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Critics Consensus

Though a challenging watch, Tuvalu is visually striking and intriguingly quirky.

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Patrick Z. McGavin

Chicago Tribune

A fascinating work that never quite coalesces, Tuvalu finally becomes oppressively repetitive.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jul 20, 2002

Full Review

Janice Page

Boston Globe

Tuvalu is astounding. It is also bizarre, challenging, and, at times, admirably overreaching.

Rated: 3.5/4

May 31, 2002

Full Review

Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Recommended for its singular vision -- a concept executed with bravura style, intelligent curiosity, and playful wit.

Rated: 4.5/5

Mar 3, 2002

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

Andrea Chase

Killer Movie Reviews

Rated: 4/5

Apr 5, 2003

Full Review

Scott Weinberg

eFilmCritic.com

Tuvalu is like watching a Dali painting brought to life...and who wouldn't want to see that?

Rated: 4/5

Jan 7, 2003

Full Review

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Fran Z

Awesome. Unfortunately it did not receive as much attention as it should. Great movie. It works great in any language...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/04/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Ik vind het heel raar

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A strange supernatural TV drama. Set in northern England during the 60s, two young religious boys put their talents to create their own version of the fabled golem. There is a bully in town who has already commented several murders by pushing other boys into a watery clay pit. The same pit the main characters gather their clay from and the bully is already their target for when their golem is ready... But the alliance between the boys isn't as strong as it sounds. One of the boys can't be trusted. He dabbles in strange reclusive activities and seems to have strange powers. For the most part of the film the viewers are kept in the dark about what exactly is happening. Whether the supernatural events one is seeing are actually happening or a trick of illusion or hypnosis are unknown up until the near the end of the film. The film has a slow paced and mournful feel to it not much in the way of action and absolutely nothing of sex. The setting is an original idea, poverty ridden northern England in the last century. It's a bit like Billy Elliot with a monster in it. (Which of course means it's better than Billy Elliot.) It's also nice to see a film about a golem. All the golem films I know are from the silent era. And it's also interesting that the word "golem" is never mentioned in the film but is in the film descriptions I read. Straying from the original fable though, this golem is of a rather somber and sympathetic nature. The CG animation of the monster is obvious but not at all bad considering it's for such an obscure film. So you wont find any cheesy action in this movie but it is an original, nice atmospheric piece with some good acting and intriguing story.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A Fun and Bizarre Slapstick Fantasy--A genre bending film!!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Weird is an understatement.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

One of the most amazing, charming and wonderful movies of all time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

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Veit Helmer

Director

Denis Lavant

Anton

Chulpan Khamatova

Eva

Philippe Clay

Karl

Terrence Gillespie

Gregor

E.J. Callahan

Inspector

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Synopsis

A poetic fairy-tale told only with images and international dialogue. The characters revolve around an old public swimming pool in a building which looks more like a cathedral in the middle of a wasteland. Three people live there: the blind father who hankers after times past, the mother who charges buttons for admission, and a son (Denis Lavant) who has never ventured outside. A young woman (Chulpan Hamatova) brings a breath of life from the outside but the cathedral-swimming pool is condemned.

Director: Veit Helmer
Screenwriter: Veit Helmer, Michaela Beck
Distributor: Indican Releasing, Buena Vista International [us]
Production Co: Veit Helmer Filmproduktron
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 19, 1999, Original
Release Date (DVD): Mar 1, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA): $411.7K
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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