It's hard to put a grade on a perfect day at the beach, just as it's difficult to assess exactly what a Guilty Pleasure might be. But this quirky film has become one of my favorites; each time I watch it, the stark sensuality of the sunlit beaches, the halcyon quality of the sea and sky and the community which exists simply in the midst of all this nature become part of my own consciousness, comfortably.
Respiro is not an entertaining film in the usual sense of the word, and it's insights come from an immersion in the atmosphere, from the insistence that life is to lived freely and for the moment, and this never stated nor preached. The children are totally natural and appealing presences, the adults often like spoiled children; the sound of the sea is everywhere. While one may read valid personal or social significance into the film, I see it as is a simple experience, an immersion in the life and morality of the town for a day or two and that's quite enough for me.
Respiro is not an entertaining film in the usual sense of the word, and it's insights come from an immersion in the atmosphere, from the insistence that life is to lived freely and for the moment, and this never stated nor preached. The children are totally natural and appealing presences, the adults often like spoiled children; the sound of the sea is everywhere. While one may read valid personal or social significance into the film, I see it as is a simple experience, an immersion in the life and morality of the town for a day or two and that's quite enough for me.