Summer Clouds (2004) Poster

(2004)

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7/10
Summer clouds
jotix10024 December 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Felipe Vega, the director of this film, loves to do the kind of movies favored by French directors: dialog is everything. It appears he was influenced by Eric Rohmer because this movie feels like a conversation piece, instead of a film.

The story is about a couple, Ana and Daniel, upwardly mobile people that always go to the same area in Spain's Catalonia region. The director uses Castilian and Catalan, which can be distracting for those trying to practice their school Spanish.

Robert, a local lothario, makes a bet with his cousin Beatriz that he will seduce Ana by the end of their stay, and Beatriz, who started the whole thing suggesting that she likes Daniel, Ana's husband, goes along with him because she fancies the man.

Whereas Beatriz thinks the whole thing a joke, for lecherous Robert, it is a challenge to prove his point. We watch him as he insinuates himself on the unsuspecting Ana. At first, she rejects him, then, she is curious about the whole thing, but the director leaves things for the viewer to decide what really happened between the two of them.

The final scene tells it all. Daniel goes to buy things for the trip home and Beatriz hands him a small package Robert has given her to give to Ana. He opens it and the secret is revealed, or is it? The director doesn't tell, so your conclusion will be probably different from mine.

The four actors in the film are good. David Selvas has been seen in other films. He plays the evil Robert with great panache. Natalia Millan is Ana. At first she is a woman who appears to be sure of herself, or of what she wants, but little by little she becomes something else. Roberto Enriquez is Daniel. Finally, Irene Montala plays Beatriz, the girl who quits the game when she realizes the harm she is causing to innocent people.

While the film is too chatty, it has good moments for all the principals. Felipe Vega directs with an eye for detail as he gives us his own take about what goes on during summer vacations. with people on vacation.
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7/10
Not a bad film
JCBar13 March 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This is a film that grows on you. Initially you are put off by the four principle players - Ana and Daniel, a happily married couple on vacation, and Robert and Beatriz - cousins living in the resort town. And while you never really warm to the sleazy Robert, the other three actors are very affecting, and effective.

Like most Spanish films I view, it is dialog driven. And like most, you start to like the melodic sounds of Spanish more and more. The plot hinges on whether or not Robert and his cousin will be able to bed the couple (separately of course), and they promise to help one another in this quest.

After awhile, Beatriz abandons the plan out of decency, but Robert continues on. What happens eventually is open to some kind of interpretation, but I think the majority will opt for what appears the most convenient one.

As mentioned in the other review (and I find it hard to believe that there is only one other review of this fine film), the final scene does tell it all. But it doesn't quite spell it out for you.

The area the film is made in is beautiful, the females involved are seductive, and the music is quite endearing. The one thing I found to criticize was the scene where Robert is accosted by one of his cousin's admirers – it was unbelievable, with somewhat puzzling an aftermath. Robert looks like he could have handled himself much better with the slightly built actor playing the friend, and the 'beating' wasn't as bad as a grandmother might have done to a purse snatcher… but like I said, not much to criticize in this small likable film.
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7/10
Good
manitobaman816 September 2014
This was so-so, one of those films that could have been a lot better had the editing been tighter. I just saw this one. Though it was corny and I see why many disliked it, I couldn't stop laughing. Quality work that draws you in and doesn't let you go. The content isn't for everyone. I guess if I was in a bad mood, this movie wouldn't be half as good, but I thought it to be enjoyable and would recommend it to enjoy. This is another level of film. Granted, everything in it is historically incorrect but that's the fun part. If you enjoyed the old Austrian movies about adultery, you'll probably like this one. You've got to be a die-hard fan to embrace this one.
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6/10
Manipulate Me!
pembekeci19 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
It is good to remember movies with their some dense scenes. There are a few in this movie too.

First of all, did Ana and Robert get intimate? Yes they did. After the incident of Robert and Tomas, Ana confessed it to Marta when Marta said that she and Robert set her up. So, after that confess, it was way more interesting to remember how Ana tried to explain that nothing has happened between Robert and herself to Daniel. She was so self-confident, agitated, enthusiastic like she was absolutely right, crying as if being treated unfairly... so it made her more and more pathetic and embrassing. I don't know if it's directing or acting abilities but at that scene the actor playing Ana was so succesfull to transfer those hypocritical feelings. How can you say an actor to act like she is right but knowing that she isn't? :))) Very tricky! It's absolutely well done.

Another scene is the last one when Daniel gives Ana the packet Robert sent to her. Ana opens the packet up, it's just a hair band which she has left at Robert's house in that day she claims nothing has happened between them. But... a while later she understands the drill and starts crying knowing that everyone knows she slept with Robert... It was not just the hair band she left but also her underwears... Robert, who she called misogynist earlier, would, of course, send them to Daniel... But, he didn't give those underwears to Ana. It was not something what Daniel would do to his wife in front of her son. Aside from the fact that Ana was cheating on her husband with someone she called a misogynist, Daniel certainly deserved to be treated honestly and he showed that kindly. Beautiful scripting with almost no conversation!

And the last one, which I couldn't get correctly, is when Ana's son sees his missing dog running next to the car but says nothing to his mother. Why? Why he didn't even bother to tell about the dog to his mother? Because she never liked the dog? Or it was a metaphor between the stray dog and Ana? I don't know...

Then what's the message? As Ana stated at some point; "having to suffer to realize what you've got is not fair". Yes she suffered, her husband suffered but now they have a way more strong relationship and they didn't lose what they have. It was just a blip on the radar which would happen sooner or later. Is it?

Naaaah! Only thing which is screaming through the screen is "Be Robert! Be Ana" :))) Enjoy the life! Enjoy whoever you want to taste! You suffer a few days then it will be ok or even better! In today's society, everybody is looking for their happiness at any cost, rightly. Happiness for a fe minutes with the ones like Robert or happiness for a lifetime with the ones like Daniel and both of them together! So what about keeping a family together? Don't worry it'll be ok. Or being loyal to your spouse? Stop it, you're the one he/she really loves. Isn't it important not hurting the ones who love you? Don't get hurt then :)))

Bang Roberts, live with Daniels

Nice script, nice acting. Watch it. 6/10.
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1/10
VÓMITOS DE VISIONADO - Post-watch puking
SqueakyLovesGeorgeSpahn18 November 2020
This film is so bad, that actually feel watching till the end I found myself heroic, like after finishing a Marathon or finish a run at 6am. Where do I begin? characters with 0 chemistry, actors so poorly directed that you will want to kick your screen and crush it to bits-don't do, they are too dear. The editing seems randomly done, as if they forgot the order of each cut, the plot, well, a 5 year old would have come up with something smarter, the ending, I just ended up with suicide ideation -metaphorically- for putting up with shuch CRAP. The only positive, worth the 1 rating is the actress playing Marta , she is REALLY fit, but not worth 2 hours of my life. An absolute load of garbage.
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