Boxoffice Reviews: Little Ashes
By Mikhail Saavedra
Little Ashes :
As it often happens with films about artists, Paul Morrison’s “Little Ashes” is quite the visual feast. A fairly revisionist story about the supposed nature of the relationship between one of the leading lights of Surrealism Salvador Dali (Robert Pattison) and one of the greatest Spanish poets of all time Federico Garcia Lorca (Javier Beltran).
The movie has certain moments of beauty, its art direction being one of its highlights. But a movie, at least from my perspective, is not something to merely look upon, but to feel, and this is where I have my biggest issue with the movie. Plus there is something decidedly irritating about seeing a movie that everyone knows would flow much better if it were in the original language of the historical protagonists (Can someone explain to me why it’s ok to have most of the film in English but with the liberal and unexplained use of Spanish here and there?)
There is some wit, but the movie lacks heart, we understand something very wrong is happening in Spain (Spanish Civil War brewing) but except for a couple of scenes, it is quite hard to understand the motivations of both Lorca and Dali (even if his profound selfishness is made quite clear).
There is at least one thing that did stand out for me: My profound dislike of Dali has a real basis! Viva Picasso!
mikhail@alternavox.net
Little Ashes: with Javier Beltrán, Robert Pattinson, Matthew McNulty, Marina Gatell, Arly Jover. Directed by Paul Morrison, from a screenplay by Philippa Goslett. 112 minutes. Playing at the Royal Cinema in Toronto, check your local listings for showtimes.
Author: 
Publisher-Creator Mikhail Saavedra began life down by the deepest tip of southern Latin America. He started life with a deep curiosity for all things, with music and books being at the forefront, a curious child by all accounts. As he grew and opened his eyes to the world, he developed a sense of justice and dignity in part as a reaction to growing up in a military dictatorship. Alas, this did not fill him with fear or cynicism but a more rebellious spirit, which led him to being incredibly popular at the principal’s office and the local riot police department….
Then came Canada and it was here that he was able to formulate his deep desire to learn about the world, with Toronto being the kind of multicultural soup that could engage his need to know and embrace. It started with writing, then moved on to what became Toronto’s first Latin Alternative radio show, followed by an all-English show in the same vein. It was this desire to find the true “crossover” among people, which led him to the concept of “Alternavox”
He is a lover of wine, good food, Neruda, Eduardo Galeano, rebel music, revolutionaries, dancing, family and beautiful people. Believes that kindness in this much too cynical world is revolutionary, that you are a better person when able to give a little without asking for the change and that on the same token you should laugh at yourself and the madness surrounding you as often as possible as you set out to change the world bit by bit. 