Gaudi Afternoon (2001) Reviews

• DESPARATELY SEEKING "GAUDI"

  jjw82003-04-26

  Somebody will have to explain to me why this movie hasn't gotten more recognition. It is an absolutely delightful, wacky comedy, easily the best thing Susan Seidelman has done since "Desparately Seeking Susan". Judy Davis is great as usual as the people-avoiding translator who gets involved in a very unique domestic squabble and Marcia Gay Harden, Lili Taylor and Juliette Lewis are wonderful as the dramatis personae in said squabble (which turns out to be much weirder than it first seems). Harden's curvy, campy Frankie is especially memorable. It's a great film that makes strong points about the unpredictable nature of love without preaching and setting it in the Gaudi-designed wonderland of Barcelona makes it even more special. If anybody in America had seen this movie, it would have gotten raves from a lot of film critics. Certainly it's funnier and warmer than 99% of the well-known romantic comedies that have played in the States lately.

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• A REAL GEM OF A MOVIE

  flimbuff2002-11-05

  Wonderfully, funny satire of gender bending with only a few slow parts when the screenwriter forgets we don't really need any serious moralizing in this kind of film. Our plot has Judy Davis, as Cassandra, a sort of almost middle aged, expatriot writer living in Spain trying to finish her novel. She is hired by Frankie, a very sexy deserted wife, to track down her missing daughter because of her bilingual skills. Things aren't exactly what they seem and we find that Frankie is actually the transsexual father of the missing child who is now living with her natural mother Ben, a lesbian, who is engaged in a 'menage a trois' with her bisexual lover Hamilton and 'their lover' April, wonderfully played by Juliette Lewis. The confusion makes for some very funny lines that are so well played that the situation seems almost natural. The screenwriter goes somewhat adrift later on with some totally unnecessary reflections by Cassandra, who apparently has sexual identity problems of her own, but the film as a whole is just wonderfully refreshing when compared to most of today's "statement" films. Good soundtrack too.

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• Extremely Enjoyable film!

  etherdog2003-02-17

  From the opening credits, a marvelous montage of organic elements rendered in a very Gaudi-esque style, I had a sense that this would be a quirky and fun film. I was not disappointed. If you have ever lived as an expatriate, you will immediately identify with the Judy Davis character. The terrific soundtrack captures the lure of Catalonia, especially the signature tune, "Sway (Quien Sera)" written by Norman Gimbel and Pablo Beltran Ruiz and sung by Dean Martin. There is no nudity or sex in this film and the fact that the characters aren't hetero is only a plot device and is not otherwise significant. Surprisingly, Juliette Lewis is the weakest performer of the entire cast. Extremely enjoyable!

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• charming, funny

  cherold2003-12-31

  I was surprised to see how much some people here disliked this movie. It's a nice little comedy with good performances, an engaging storyline and a nice pace. I notice a lot of the criticisms are from people who have a very definite idea of how such a movie should be made. Many are comparing it favorably or unfavorably with Almodovar's films, none of which I've seen, and some with the book, which I haven't read. Taken on its own, it's excellent, and Judy Davis is, as always, terrific (I feel in the same way critics want this movie to be a different movie, they want Davis to be a different character - one complained her hair was always a mess, which was sort of the point - but Davis is perfect for the character that the movie is portraying, even if she's not perfect for that movie some people feel should have been made instead). It's also nice to enjoy something by Seidelman. She started so great and then got so awful that I gave up on her years ago and haven't even seen anything she's done in years except for one or two TV series episodes, but while this is no Smithereens (I don't think she's capable of ever doing that again) it's nearly as good as Desperately Seeking Susan. Perhaps success destroys Seidelman, and she can only make good movies when she's obscure.

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• Gender Bender

  jotix1002004-08-26

  Susan Seidelman showed such promise as a film director in her first feature film. It's a wonder Ms Seidelman hasn't been given more opportunities to show her talent, especially directing films about women, which seem to be her specialty. Spoilers herein**** Having read Barbara Wilson's novel before seeing this film on cable, I couldn't help noticing that Cassandra has been made an American for the cinematic treatment, when in reality she was not. She is not a writer, but a well known translator of Spanish literature. She doesn't rent an apartment from anyone, as she is the guest of her Spanish friend who lets her stay with her when Cassandra is working. The casting of Judy Davis as Cassandra was perfect. She plays the part as though she's in a daze. She is the center of the story and the one that is drawn into a situation that offers her the role of a private investigator trying to sort out the main conflict. Marcia Gay Harden as Frankie is perfect. She plays a campy role and makes it her own. The scene at the disco where her real identity is discovered by Cassandra is hysterical. Ms Harden shows her versatility playing the complex character with a lot of panache. Equally effective is Lili Taylor, as Ben, the former partner of Frankie and a protective mother who is trying to keep Delilah, her young daughter, hidden from the natural father. Juliette Lewis, playing the flighty New Ager April is a delight to watch. This film deserves a wider audience and Ms Seidelman should direct more often.

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