Review of Goya's Ghosts (2006) by Miona J — 14 Jan 2013

This is an odd one. The performances from Javier Bardem and Natalie Portman are excellent, and the epic historical settings lend the film a certain amount of gravitas, but its let down somewhat by a lumbering fictional story that uncomfortably tries to fit itself around the real-life Spanish painter Francisco Goya.

This element doesn't really work and Goya doesn't come out of it too favourably as a result, but because he isn't the central character the film manages to survive this significant flaw to still be an interesting and poignant piece.