Fantasma (2006) User Reviews

curious film, not for everyone

[birthdaynoodle · 7/10 · 22 May 2007]

This is the third installment of Lisandro Alonso's trilogy: La Libertad, Los Muertos and Fantasma -- which literally translate to The Freedom, The Dead and Phantom. All three films are very original, although in my opinion, the first two take us much farther than this latest effort. Los Muertos, in particular, completely blew me away; and La Libertad is simply beautiful and unforgettable. Fantasma has its very own charm, though, and is also worth watching.

Throughout the trilogy, the director tries to do a lot with very little. Judging from the wide contrast of ratings that the three films have received on this site, the degree to which they are successful clearly depends on whom you ask. If you enjoyed either of the first two films, you're likely to find Fantasma intriguing as well (although the first two do share more similarities with each other than with this one). My guess is that anyone who didn't like either of the first two films is probably going to hate this one, as Fantasma is the one that takes minimalism to the most extreme and is therefore the most challenging one. If you haven't watched any of them yet, I'd personally suggest to leave this one for last, since it might all make more sense that way.

Without wanting too give much more away, I'll add this: La Libertad and Los Muertos take place mostly outdoors, in the wilderness, while Fantasma takes place indoors, in a concrete jungle of sorts. But the same organic quality that made the other two installments successful is present here: we continue to see people behaving instinctively, like wild animals or aimless ghosts roaming inside a large cage.

More is implied than shown

[hof-4 · 6/10 · 24 October 2011]

Argentino Vargas, a nonprofessional actor protagonist of Los Muertos (another Lisandro Alonso movie) arrives in the Teatro San Martin (a theater complex in the center of Buenos Aires). A poster in the lobby informs us that Los Muertos will be shown that day in one of the movie theaters in the complex. Vargas is obviously early, and makes time by visiting various parts of the almost deserted building, in the process attracting the discreet attention of a security guard, who shadows him at times.

The movie is shown. The public consists of Vargas, a woman that works in one of the offices in the theater and (for a while) the security guard. At the end of the projection the woman congratulates Vargas, who thanks her politely. Vargas leaves the theater.

In a parallel plot, another nonprofessional actor, Misael Saavedra (protagonist of La Libertad, another Alonso movie) is seen wandering in another part the theater complex (he an Vargas never meet, neither does he attend the projection of Los Muertos). Saavedra finds a deserted paint workshop; he opens a refrigerator there and finds sandwiches and champagne (a small Christmas tree points to the holiday season). He consumes the food and drink and watches television.

As in other Alonso films, much is implied and left to the viewer. This movie is in fact a comedy. The wordless interchanges between Vargas and the security guard consist of oblique looks and are extremely funny (Vargas is not dressed as the sophisticated patrons of the Teatro San Martin and thus attracts attention automatically). The theater shows only movies of artistic interest, usually with a film critic or a member of the crew giving a talk and fielding questions from the audience; not only the critic is missing here but the audience itself. Vargas, the epitome of cool, doesn't seem to be very interested in his own movie; he appears to be fulfilling an agreement. Saavedra's presence is not explained (was he invited to the projection?) and the nonchalance with which he makes himself at home in the paint workshop is funny also. Last but not least, the labyrinthine corridors and basements of the Theater San Martin, dimly lit and deserted, are fascinating by themselves.

Phantom Removed from Phantasm to Realist Phantasma

[Polaris_DiB · 6/10 · 22 July 2010]

Phantasmagoria is the projection on smoke, the pre-cinematic origins of moving photography in an almost 3-dimensionality. Thus, we have Lisandro Alonso's Fantasma, which is none of those things--simply a reveal of the machinations of them. Single characters traipse around a cinema and rarely come into contact or acknowledge each other--when these things happen, the conversation is quite brief. The action is very far away from fantasy and sticks to a dragging and literalist realism, and the characters are mostly waiting for something--or somebody--to happen. Within the frame are a few slight tricks: doors moving in the background, pornographic imagery never shown in close-up, a fluid and delicate camera, regarding selves in mirrors. Two of the actors are from previous Alonso films and return in similar format. Everything is held hesitantly between audience expectation and acknowledgement of the metacinematic devices.

Then it gets into the movie itself, or the movie within the movie, which is much less interesting. At least before the show starts and the characters are abroad, there's a certain open-endedness to what they're doing whereas their focus on the movie itself centers the attention, unfortunately, too closely to director Alonso himself. Before the movie starts and the characters watch it, there is expectation contrasted by things "calling"--an elevator, an Internet connection, a couple of phones, a landscape, a skeezy look into a woman's apartment--all of these things invitations and distractions away from the core of the building that provoke an invitation to some other plot or narrative to unfold, but then Alonso just looks back at his own previous work and redefines it. This is fine if you've SEEN his previous work. If not, then this movie does not stand so easily alone.

Thus, unfortunately, despite the skillful blocking and constant resetting of characters in the first half of the movie, the entire movie itself half requires previous knowledge of the director's own work, which, come on, is a tad annoying to those not previously introduced. Luckily for Alonso, I'm a habitual follower-up who will pretty much track down his previous work on principle. However, other people looking for an introduction to his work WILL want to look sooner in his career and build a relationship before reappropriating it for the purposes of a later self-centered movie.

--PolarisDiB

exquisite and ecstatic

[albys · 9/10 · 14 August 2006]

I had to add something to counter Jerry and tristan, who also saw this in the Melbourne Film Festival. OK, they got nothing from it. But for me, out of the 25 films I saw in the fest, this stands out in my mind as the highlight, the one film that left me stoned with bliss for some time afterwards.

My simple tip: listen. While I found the visual set-ups beautiful as well, it's the ears to which Alonso really directs us. When these people sit, stand, wander and wait, what is actually happening? Everything. Nothing "occurs" but the world is always loudly alive.

And with this inward direction, we go into the characters' minds. They drift and they think and they live. Only by stripping away so much can we come to this realisation. So pure and so beautiful. If you are ready for a rich, meditative experience, please check it out.

Pointless

[tristan_271 · 1/10 · 7 August 2006]

I saw this at MIFF recently and can say with all certainty that Fantasma is one of the most utterly pointless and boring films I have ever seen. I am a big fan of films that challenge the nature of cinema, and have always loved films that give you time to think and explore the frame. Fantasma, however, has absolutely nothing to offer the viewer, and the harder you look, the more frustrated you become.

It's like having a "Where's Waldo" book of page after page of people standing still and doing nothing, none of whom are Waldo. It's not Antonioni, Angelopoulos or even Warhol. There's nothing going on in this film, textually or subtextually, and has no creative or technical merit beyond the fact that Alsonso was somehow able to dupe you into watching it.

Argentino walks through San Martin theater like a kid who sees the world for the first time

[a20010880 · 9/10 · 11 August 2006]

Fantasma is a great experience. The film shows us different characters doing different things at the San Martin theater of Buenos Aires. What is important about this is that 2 of those characters are the actors from Lisandro Alonso previous films, Mizael and Argentino. Both live in the middle of the forest and the jungle but now they seem to be lost in this theater in the middle of a big city. The experience of just watching them, specially Argentino, is simple unique. There's no plot because what's really important is what we ask ourself while watching this characters. We wonder what they feel like, we try to feel like them. Argentino is at the theater for the screening of Los muertos. He watches himself. ¿Did he understand the film? ¿Did the spectators around him understand what they saw? There are questions without answers. It's our job, as viewers, to answer them or simply feel them.

One of the best movies I ever saw

[ortequitafan · 10/10 · 12 February 2009]

I am very lucky to own the Argentine DVD box featuring Lisandro Alonsos 3 movies La Libertad, Los Muertos and Fantasma. I love all 3 of them, but I have watched Fantasma the most, cause to me it is a fascinating story. I really love the way it has been filmed, I don't agree with the comments here from the people who say nothing happens, cause it is not true. I have been fascinated for the entire movie and all scenes I saw are truly authentic. It is very striking to see 2 people that never saw a venue like this before find their way in such a big complex as the San Martin Theatre, impressed by all little details. Also because at some times you expect something to happen and it does not happen. For example I expected Misael and Argentino to meet, but they don't. Also I love the alternative scene that did not make it into the movie where the whole crew is watching Los Muertos. My favorite scene is when Misael finds a firehose in the basement, and plays with it like it is a gun. And all details, like showers that don't stop and elevators that are open all the time! I really really loved it and I will watch Fantasma many more times, it is a true masterpiece.