Little Ashes [DVD] [2008]

Firstly, this movie, like most `historical' or `biographical' movies, puts entertainment first and fact second; it is full of misrepresentations and re-imaginings and can be best enjoyed if you do not approach it expecting a 107 minute history lesson. What it is is a fictionalised, romanticised tale of Salvador Dali and Federico Lorca's turbulent relationship throughout the 1920s, and this is something which it more than adequately portrays.

Having personally never seen any of these actors in anything before I did not know what to expect, but the acting is great, Javier Beltran and Robert Pattinson in particular are very committed to their characters. Pattinson ably parades a conflicted Dali who hides his fear and vulnerability behind a mask of eccentricity which he only lets slip around Beltran's passionate and sensitive Lorca. Javier is incredible in his role and consequently it is impossible not to be drawn to his depiction of the poet and his own confliction in a world where he is revered for his creativity but forced to hide his sexuality.

With its focus firmly on the unravelling relationship between Dali and Lorca, the movie does unfortunately limit the purpose of Luis Bunuel, and Mathew McNulty who is excellent in the role, to no more than a background character; a catalyst for some inopportune tension. It does somewhat of an injustice to his legacy as a genius filmmaker by only really portraying his brutal, homophobic side.

Though the actors are very believable in their roles, I do generally find it a slight irritation when English is portrayed as the general language of non-English speaking countries; but this is a fairly minor annoyance. I found it questionable however that when Lorca does read his poetry aloud in his native language, a spoken English translation is imposed over the top, obscuring the beauty of Javier's Spanish tongue which the use of subtitles could have avoided.

Also, the ending, which follows an 8 year time jump, in some ways seems a little tacked on. It does however, prove to be a necessary finish to the story, wrapping up Lorca's journey, which seems to be the ultimate focus of the movie, in a fantastically unsatisfying climax, while revisiting Dali sporting a wonderfully fake moustache, in the surreal and superficial world he has since created for himself.

The significant context of political tensions and civil war is amply omnipresent throughout what is quite an emotional and moving story of a desire which can never fully be realised. The musical accompaniment is particularly striking and visually the film is quite stunning; dramatically lit sets, cool 1920s costumes, pretty scenery and pretty boys. It is quirky, funny, beautiful, heart breaking and occasionally a little disturbing. It has its faults but I would suggest these are significantly outweighed by the positives.

For most of his life, Salvador Dali denied that he had ever been lovers with the tragic poet Federico García Lorca -- until the end of his life.

So, writer Philippa Goslett and director Paul Morrison explore what may have been in "Little Ashes," in which two young men become close friends, more-than-friends, only to have their relationship splinter apart. It's a powerful little story with astonishing acting by Robert Pattinson and Javier Beltran, but it tends to meander and shake way too much.

In the Madrid of 1922, a shy and awkward art student named Salvador Dali (Pattinson) is drawn into a circle of vibrant, iconoclastic young artists, including filmmaker Luis Buñuel (Matthew McNulty) and poet Federico García Lorca (Javier Beltran). Lorca in particular is intrigued by Dali, who is just discovering his unique melty surrealist style -- and it's not a platonic crush. And though initially he fights against the attraction, a trip to the seaside reveals Lorca's feelings to Dali.

But as their attraction grows, Buñuel feels shut out and tries to pull Dali out of Lorca's orbit -- and after an unsuccessful attempt to consummate their affair, Dali vanishes to Paris without a word. A possibly insulting movie and many years widen the split between them, until Lorca meets Dali, now world famous and in love with the "witch" Gala (Arly Jover). Dali has changed, and so has Spain -- with terrible results.

I know relatively little of either Dali or Lorca's lives, but it seems that "Little Ashes" is less about what happened than about what MIGHT have happened. Unfortunately it also falls prey to a common flaw in biographical movies, even if they're semi-fictionalized accounts -- it meanders randomly much of the time, and has awkward jumps between the different phases in the two men's lives. And what is up with Beltran suddenly reciting poetry in Spanish?

But if it meanders, it's a picturesque meander -- sunny streets of Madrid, shadowy apartments, rocky beaches, weird surrealist visions of Paris, and fun nightclubs where bright young artists congregate. Paul Morrison has a straightforward directorial style with few ups or downs, but there are some beautiful moments sprinkled throughout it -- such as a balletic swim in a moonlit blue sea, or the bittersweet final scenes for Lorca (interspersed with Dali frantically smearing black paint all over).

But this movie would be utterly forgettable if it weren't for the leads. Both are painfully magnificent, both in their chemistry and in their attempts to embody their characters. Beltran is a tragic figure who brims over with passion, sorrow and integrity, and somehow you know that things never end happily for this poor man. Marina Gatell has a small but well-acted role as a young woman passionately in love with Lorca, but obviously she can be nothing more than his friend (and once, a sexual proxy for Dali).

And Pattinson exudes almost Johnny-Depplike skill in almost becoming Dali. This is no glamorous "Twilight" role -- at first Pattinson plays him as a twitchy, painfully awkward and shy young man, but as Dali grows in confidence he also becomes more insistently eccentric and flamboyant, to the point where Lorca no longer recognizes him as a person. Mad laughter, insane grief, and all the time we're never quite sure what he's truly thinking about anything -- except, at the end, about Lorca himself.

"Little Ashes" is a flawed portrait covered in jewel-like paint -- the actors are truly astonishing in their skill, but the direction is a straightforward and spotty affair. And it's all the more tragic because at least some of it is true.

I went to see this movie two days ago and utterly enjoyed it, it was very moving and the acting is superb.
Robert Pattinson's performance is compelling, his portrayal of Salvador Dali is so good, you don't even realise that it's Rob acting..
Javier's Lorca was so moving that I found myself in tears feeling his pain and anguish..in fact all the actors were excellent.
The music was fantastic and is definatley worth buying for the beautiful score.
Go and see it, not just because it's got hot actors but because it's a wonderful movie.