disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

ALCARRÀS -- Family Vs. Farm

1/6/2023

0 Comments

 
Review by Joseph Fayed​
Picture
Alcarràs, Spain's official entry for Best International film at this year's Academy Awards, is a film that has already received lots of praise on the film festival circuit. Given its themes of family and resilience, I'm sure it can resonate with all sorts of audiences. It pulls at the heartstrings while bringing you through every emotion of this multi-generational family who all have different ways of trying to cope with their new reality of the land they live on being sold. 

The film follows a family of Catalan peach farmers who discover that the land they live on will soon be sold, putting their way of living in Jeopardy. From there, we see how each member of this family spends the next few months coming to terms with this. Each generation has its own outlook. The younger generations seem more focused on what is next for them, while the older generations must accept that this is likely the end of the road for them. 

The family is dealing with a life-changing crisis with disparities amongst each generation. However, these disparities are only briefly highlighted for each member of the family. In turn, the film follows each family member equally as they embrace their way of life on the far. This makes it feel that the setting itself is a supporting character, and the farm provides much-needed depth to this story. Since the farm is what has held this family together for ages, its impacts on them, whether physically or socially, are the main focus of the story. ​
Picture
Visually, the film is gorgeous. The cinematography and color grading truly reflect the beauty of the Spanish countryside. In this sense, it is the anti-Roma, the highly acclaimed 2018 film shot in black and white. Seeing and hearing what becomes of the land under new ownership is particularly devastating. What the film showcases the best is how home can no longer feel like a home when the feeling of community no longer exists. The film can be relatable for those who feel they were wrongfully kicked to the curb and are expected to adapt on their own. 

Alcarràs will certainly please awards voters who are against the commercialization of farming and those who can root for those who fall prey to it. What this film says from its first moments to its last is that family is the most crucial aspect of building a home and community for yourselves. That set against the backdrop of Spain makes for a visually and emotionally impressive international film.

Alcarràs is now playing in theaters.

Rating: 3/5
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Allison Brown
    Borja Izuzquiz
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Daniel Lima
    Dan Skip Allen
    Erin M. Brady
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About