El Estudiante (2009) Reviews

• Values and beauty

  horacioreyes2009-09-27

  This is a very nice and refreshing film. I like it because there is no need to talk about the wrong things to attract the public. Mexico is a wonderful place to live, plenty of values. The main attraction in this film is the everyday life which can be enjoyed if only you can see from certain perspective. Love, solidarity, hope are great values This film changes a little bit the parameters: in this case when the freshman at the University is an old man who follows his dreams and get into the University. He learns and teaches at the same time. Don Quixote and Guanajuato. Love and hopes seems not to be a coincidence to be blended in this film, is how it is in real life. This is a Universal film that I think will be remembered and awarded. Nice photograph, music, script, acting, message, a round film, perhaps little bit exaggerated. Last but not the least the location. It was filmed at the beloved city of Guanajuato. I lived there for several years and the colonial and world heritage city, is a silent and beautiful actress of the film where a lot of details are captured, so as the beautiful jacaranda flowers. In brief, it's a beautiful and highly recommended film. ---------------------------------------------------- Message to the Mexican film makers: No need to deploy our mistakes there is a lot of chances in our virtues. Congratulations for this novel director for doing so.

• Really good!

  adolfo-172009-09-06

  First of all, this movie is amazing! From the trailer, I didn't really know what to expect. I was sort of expecting one of you typical 5/10 star Mexican medium budget film. Boy, was I surprised. The acting was top notch, the jokes were perfectly executed and I could really identify with various characters. The DP work was amazing and I fell in love even more with the beautiful city of Guanajuato. The only problem I had (which also prevented me from giving this movie a 10) was that this movie tried to deal with too many stories for its 90 min length. I sometimes felt like the subplots were a little bit rushed and that some scenes were missing back story or were even a little bit pointless. Aside from that, (I won't give away spoilers) but I was crying and going through the same emotions as the characters towards the end (and I sincerely almost never experience that nowadays). Final Verdict: You have gotta see this movie!

• You have gotta see this movie!

  mdltorre2009-09-20

  This must be one of the best Mexican movies I have ever seen. Actors are top-notch, specially the performance of Jorge Lavat. There were many young actors and actresses that really have done a great job. I really don't know what I liked more, the movie or the music. All the songs were composed or selected perfectly to transmit the correct emotion. The official theme for the movie is Mirame_Bien performed by Sofia Maqueo. The direction was done flawlessly, incredible for a first time director. I was crying and going through the same emotions as the characters towards the end (and I sincerely almost never experience that nowadays). You have gotta see this movie!

• A masterpiece

  icorella2009-11-16

  Regardless of its country of origin, a movie that promotes values, life, and respect the way "El Estudiante" does, is truly hard to find these days. The film is truly remarkable and a hard departure from today's mostly trash-filled films. A film you can see with all the family without worries. An uncompromised masterpiece. I am to see a better-made, better-acted, heartfelt piece of art. My best wishes to Gaston Pavlovich, its creator, and may this movie be seen and rewarded for all years to come. Specially remarkable is the work of Mr. Lavat, whose artistic origins and past work are well known to most Mexicans. The new crop of your actors, their fresh if ordinary looks are worth of representing a new cinema wave for people tired of cheap acting roles of would be's like Gael Garcia's or the like who act based on foulness and cheapness. Good Job!

• Worst use of film, since my wedding video !!!

  pacmanmty2010-01-23

  Highly recommended by some people I really respect I went to see this movie. The main argument behind the recommendation was "the message" this movie delivers. After 90 minutes of excruciating pain, I can tell you: the message are bad news. This movie takes back Mexican Cinema more than 40 years - at least- and it looks like the movie was made right in the 60's, along with some Mexican Marga Lopez' classics such as La Edad de la Inocencia or La sombra de los hijos. With a cast of unknown actors -just three recognizable faces - and a generic soapy theme, it is pretty hard to expect great deliverance and quality in acting, yet the amateurish use of cameras and obvious lack of direction results in a total fiasco. However, the main problem here is the screenplay that reduces Don Quixote novel to mere phrases or quotes recited with childish style by the actors. The interaction between the old character and his much younger counterparts is never truly developed and ends up being totally unreal and not believable - not to mention the lack of modern language that clearly sets this movie as an anachronism. Trust me there is no college educated Mexican young person who speaks like the characters or who does not know Jose Alfredo Jimenez - for Christ sake , being Mexican and not knowing him is a blasphemy !! Probably the decision of not including crude language has to do with the intention of creating a "family movie with high values", well if that was the intention, the result is a pamphlet or a brochure ...mere propaganda, and as you know...propaganda is no good. On the other hand if the goal was to make a movie about bonding, friendship and the continuous learning despite the generations gap, they may had take some lessons from other sources. Grand Torino or UP rings a bell, don't they ???