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Released by: Film Movement
Released on: 8/9/2010
Director: Carlos Soran
Cast: Antonio Larreta
Year: 2008
The Movie:
Argentinean filmmaker Carlos Sorin writes and directs The Window, a story of an older man named Antonio (Antonio Larreta) who will be reuniting with his son, Pablo (Jorge Diaz), a touring concert pianist, after decades of distance and not having any contact with him. He's obviously and understandably nervous about the impending visit and does what he can to make sure that things will go as smoothly as possible. He prepares the house, has the piano tuned, unearths a bottle of vintage champagne from his cellar and organizes a celebration in his honor all in hopes of repairing their damaged relationship. Antonio's not in the best of shape, however, and his doctor is insistent on getting him into a hospital as soon as possible.
As Antonio lies in his bed and waits for his son's arrival, he looks out the window of his modest home and reflects on his life and ponders his future. He sneaks out of the house, unbeknownst to those charged with caring for him, to get outside and enjoy his surroundings before his advanced age dictates that he can't enjoy those simple pleasures anymore.
Ripe with allegory and symbolism (the aged champagne serving as an interesting metaphor for the so called 'golden years' of human life), this beautifully shot film lensed by renowned cinematographer Julian Apezteguia is a very soft film in many ways. There isn't much in the way of heavy melodrama or conflict, rather, it's a study of feelings and of emotional repair. Channeling Ingmar Bergman at times, Sorin has crafted a fairly delicate picture that relies less on long winded dialogue or contrived conversations to tell its story than on believable and subtle performances from its principal cast. It works much more effectively than it probably sounds on paper, and it's hard not to walk away from this picture without feeling something.
Narrow in its focus, the film doesn't bother with a heavy handed score to force the audience to relate to its characters or to toy with their emotions, instead it allows its story, which takes place over a single day, to unfold like real life. Lots of great lighting play the natural light of the sun off of the shadows and dark spots that populate Antonio's home while his remembrances stimulate him along this one, last calming journey of self discovery and realization. It probably all sounds rather pompous and pretentious but it's such a simple story that nothing could be further from the truth.
While it moves along at a fairly relaxed pace, it's really a rather beautifully made picture from a technical stand point and from an aesthetic stand point as well. It's arthouse fare to be sure, and as such, will probably never enjoy more than limited appeal, but it's a classy and rather unique little character study that's well worth seeking out for fans of foreign cinema.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The film is presented in its original 1.78.1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio but unfortunately the transfer is interlaced. Mild compression artifacts are visible if you want to look for them but they're not overpowering and there aren't really any heavy edge enhancement issues to note. Color reproduction looks good though keep in mind that the film makes use of a rather odd color scheme so sometimes things look a little on the hot side. Aside from the combing and mild motion blurring, however, the movie looks okay, even if it could and should have looked better
The Spanish language Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track comes with optional English subtitles and generally it sounds quite good. Some surround usage might have made some scenes a bit more active and a bit more interesting but this stereo track definitely gets the job done without any problems. It's clean, clear and atmospheric.
Film Movement has included two unrelated short films - Alex Morante's Seventy (3:21) and The Race (1:00). Neither has anything to do with The Window but they're both interesting little diversions none the less and worth a quick watch. Aside from that, look for trailers for a couple of other Film Movement titles, a trailer for the feature, a brief text biography of Carlos Soran, a promotional spot for Stella Artois (the Belgian brewery that sponsors Film Movement), animated menus and chapter selection.
The Final Word:
A reflective, poignant and unusually gentile piece of international cinema, The Window is a beautifully made picture that doesn't move at a particularly rapid pace but manages to be interesting enough that you probably won't even notice. Film Movement's release could have used more TLC in the transfer department but is otherwise decent enough.
Want more information? Check out the Film Movement website by clicking here!