Review of Little Ashes (2008) by Len L — 11 Sep 2009

One of the great things about living in a big city like Washington is that you get to see first run and limited release movies, some which never even make it to the theaters at good ol' Duke.

Movies like Little Ashes.

Little Ashes tells the real story of three friends studying at University in Madrid, who would go on to become a famed director, a beloved poet and an immortal painter. The movie is set in the backdrop of a revolution. I'm not entirely familiar with the events that transpired in Spain around that time, so I'll skip over these. Anyways, the bulk of the movie centers around the relationship between Salvador Dali and Frederico Lorca, a peculiar ''bromance' of sorts that blossoms into a oddly chaste but palpable affair. It is to the movie's credit that the audience can clearly sense that these two genuinely care for each other.

As Dali transforms from a shy awkward dandy to a confident megalomaniacal err... dandy, he grows increasingly distant from Frederico. Their lives take different paths. Dali (if I know my history) becomes a sybarite living in sheer opulence and who during the latter part of his life would be known more for his antics than his genuine and unquestionable talent. Lorca meanwhile pursues a more politically charged life, as he takes a stand against fascism.

The scenes at the beginning of the movie in particular resonated with me. As a student living and interacting with other students, I sometimes feel like we live in a sort of limbo-esque bubble of hedonism punctuated by 'deep' discussions into matters we barely understand. Irresolute about our futures, and yet seemingly entitled and full of conceit of our own abilities. But what will happen to us when we leave? What will happen to the friendships and romances formed here? Will we soar like Lorca? Or will we self-destruct like Dali? And then of course, there's always the chance that we will fade into oblivion, something that Dali himself was terrified of.

The film employs little black and white montages to confusing effect. Some are used to show the passage of time, some are dream sequences and one particularly disturbing one is apparently an actual movie directed by Bunuel.

My overall gripe with the movie is that it just never seems to know what it is or where it's going. Is it a love story? Is it a revolutionary tale? Is it a biopic? Personally, I think a more interesting movie might have explored Dali's work and delved deeper into his personality. "Frida" really soared here - often literally entering Kahlo's paintings. Imagine the possibilities with Dali's more grotesque works!

The characters all speak in thick Spanish (or French) accents, which I personally felt were distracting (and frankly annoying). It's almost a cheat when a movie employs this kind of technique. I'd much rather that they spoke Spanish and the film was subtitled.

The acting is solid throughout. The actor portraying Frederico is especially good as was the actress who played Margharita. Robert Pattison plays Dali and I've only ever seen him as Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter films (since I absolutely refuse to see Twilight). He does admirably here, even if he makes Dali a bit too emo for my taste. From the moment he enters, all ruffles and curls, a foppish pariah who readily finds acceptance amidst the artsy-minded graduates, he is Dali.

The movie really soars when it gives in to its whimsical side, like when Dali and Luca visit their hometowns, and the movie is plunged into bright and eerie color... It's almost as if you've entered one of Dali's surrealist paintings...