.gif)
Monobloc (film)
Encyclopedia
Monobloc (2005
) is an Argentine
film, directed by Luis Ortega
, his second feature, and written by Ortega and Carolina Fal. The film stars Graciela Borges
, Rita Cortese, Carolina Fal, and others.
The film tells of three women who live a nondescript apartment block in a chaotic world.
Perla (Graciela Borges), her disabled daughter, Nena (Carolina Fal), and their next-door neighbor, Madrina (Rita Cortese) spend their days engaged in unrealistic conversations.
For example, Perla dreams of resuming her study of the French language although she is in constant need of blood transfusions to delay her imminent death.
The transfusions, are performed by a mysterious female staff member in a surreal stark-white hospital room, and provide rare glimpses of the world outside the block.
The film was shown at various film festivals, including: the Toronto Film Festival, Canada; the Indianapolis International Film Festival
, United States; the El Grito Sagrado Film Festival, Argentina and others.
Jonathan Holland, film critic at Variety
, gave the film a mixed review and wrote, "Pretentious, dreamlike Monobloc is a ponderous attempt by sophomore helmer Luis Ortega to achieve auteur status. Designed, by the helmer's own surprising admission, to be beyond total comprehensibility, the pic is love-it-or-hate-it fare featuring a strong cast and crew who have whipped up a sumptuous-looking and sometimes seductive piece that throws away the rulebook, but unlike David Lynch
's best work seems uninterested in supplying any rules of its own."
Nominations
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
) is an Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
film, directed by Luis Ortega
Luis Ortega
Luis Ortega is an award winning Argentine film director, and screenplay writer.He works in the cinema of Argentina.-Biography:Ortega attended film school at the Universidad del Cine in Buenos Aires....
, his second feature, and written by Ortega and Carolina Fal. The film stars Graciela Borges
Graciela Borges
Graciela Borges is an Argentine television and film actress.She has been working in the Argentine cinema and television since her first role in the film Zafra ....
, Rita Cortese, Carolina Fal, and others.
Plot
Perla (Graciela Borges), her disabled daughter, Nena (Carolina Fal), and their next-door neighbor, Madrina (Rita Cortese) spend their days engaged in unrealistic conversations.
For example, Perla dreams of resuming her study of the French language although she is in constant need of blood transfusions to delay her imminent death.
The transfusions, are performed by a mysterious female staff member in a surreal stark-white hospital room, and provide rare glimpses of the world outside the block.
Cast
- Graciela BorgesGraciela BorgesGraciela Borges is an Argentine television and film actress.She has been working in the Argentine cinema and television since her first role in the film Zafra ....
as Perla - Rita Cortese as Madrina
- Carolina Fal as Nena
- Evangelina Salazar
- Silvia Süller
Distribution
The film opened wide in Argentina on June 9, 2005.The film was shown at various film festivals, including: the Toronto Film Festival, Canada; the Indianapolis International Film Festival
Indianapolis International Film Festival
-Mission & General Information:Founded in 2004, the Indianapolis International Film Festival seeks to create a shared experience by championing films that entertain, challenge and expand perspectives in Indianapolis and beyond...
, United States; the El Grito Sagrado Film Festival, Argentina and others.
Critical reception
Critic Diana Sanchez liked Ortaga's direction, and wrote, "What I like best about Monobloc is that Ortega is not afraid to take risks; he creates an unknown environment using normally straightforward cinematographic elements like sound, camera movements and seemingly impossible locations. He aims to jar the audience from complacency and elicit a reaction. Although it portrays a universe very different from our own, the film asks: are not some of our preoccupations equally absurd? Does our world really make any sense? The ever-present tension that permeates the film hints at a bleak vision of a society that is hurtling towards self-destruction."Jonathan Holland, film critic at Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, gave the film a mixed review and wrote, "Pretentious, dreamlike Monobloc is a ponderous attempt by sophomore helmer Luis Ortega to achieve auteur status. Designed, by the helmer's own surprising admission, to be beyond total comprehensibility, the pic is love-it-or-hate-it fare featuring a strong cast and crew who have whipped up a sumptuous-looking and sometimes seductive piece that throws away the rulebook, but unlike David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
's best work seems uninterested in supplying any rules of its own."
Awards
Wins- Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent CinemaBuenos Aires International Festival of Independent CinemaThe Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente is an international festival of independent films organized each year in the month of April, in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.The festival is managed by the Ministerio de Cultura del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, it is not...
: Special Mention, Luis Ortega; 2005. - Havana Film FestivalHavana Film FestivalThe Havana Film Festival is a Cuban festival that focuses on the promotion of Spanish-language filmmakers. It is also known in Spanish as Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana, and in English as Festival of New Latinamerican Cinema of La Havana.The festival takes place...
: Best Art Direction, Mercedes Alfonsín; 2005. - San Sebastián International Film FestivalSan Sebastián International Film FestivalThe San Sebastián International Film Festival is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of San Sebastián .-History:The festival was founded in 1953...
: Horizons Award - Special Mention; Luis Ortega; 2005. - Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor, Best Art Direction, Mercedes Alfonsín; Best Supporting Actress, Evangelina Salazar; 2007.
Nominations
- Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor, Best Actress, Carolina Fal; Best Cinematography, Jorge Pastorino; Best Sound, Martín Porta and Catriel Vildosola; 2007.
External links
.- Monobloc at the cinenacional.comCinenacional.comCinenacional.com is a web portal and web-based database about Argentine cinema.The site provides a vast array of information, including: films, television programs, directors, actors, cinematographers, film editors, production designers, and other production professions in Argentina...
. - Monobloc film review at La Nación by Fernando López .