Home > Drama >

Flowers From Another World

Flowers From Another World (1999)

May. 28,1999
|
6.8
| Drama

Patricia, a woman from Dominican Republic, needs a home and an economic security that her illegal status in Madrid does not provide her. Milady, twenty, born in Havana and dying to travel the world. Marirosi has a job, a home, and the most complete solitude... just like Alfonso, Damián and Carmelo, men from the St. Eulalia, a village lacking both marrying women and future. A bachelors' party forces the encounter between them and the beginning of this bittersweet story of sharing a living.

...

Watch Trailer

Cast

Similar titles

Reviews

Hellen
1999/05/28

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

More
VividSimon
1999/05/29

Simply Perfect

More
Guillelmina
1999/05/30

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

More
Bob
1999/05/31

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

More
FilmCriticLalitRao
1999/06/01

If aging population and decline in birth rate are any indication of a troublesome European identity which will continue to haunt all Europe by year 2020,European subcontinent is in desperate need of a poetic film which talks about issues related to population.It is really a wonder that "Flores De Otro Mundo" has not been criticized by feminists.This is primarily because Spanish actress turned director Iciar Bollain has ensured that the female protagonists of her film "Flowers from another world" are not treated as mere objects as the title of her film makes allusion to the word "flowers"."Flores De Otro Mundo" is a supreme example of a work of entertaining art with a serious message which one can take home and share with family members. It is amazing to experience how there is plenty of dignified humor in scenes of match making exercises involving lonely,middle aged Spanish men from farming community and desperate Latino women.By watching this film one can have a first hand idea of why there is dearth of brides in some communities.This is something which is not related to Spain only. This phenomenon can be felt in many countries all over the world.

More
jeanmaru
1999/06/02

This film addresses serious issues without being heavy-handed or pedantic. The characters are complex individuals, the setting is authentic, the dialog is realistic, often tinged with humor. Some of the film's most charming moments are silent, with only a child's face filling the screen. The humor comes from the characters' personalities, not from contrived situations. There is not a single false note of melodrama or farce in this film. Luis Tosar gives such an understated performance that he disappears into his character. Lissete Mejia and Marilyn Torres anchor the film with nuanced, memorable performances. They are the reason to watch this film.

More
Gordon-11
1999/06/03

This is a film about women from third world countries hoping to get a better life by marrying to a developed country. These women from South America married Spanish men in a singles party, and they thought that they would become rich and happy. However, things are not what they hoped to be. They had to live in rural villages, their husbands were middle aged farmers.The film concentrated on two couples. One couple were truly in love, they got along well but the woman got kicked away by the husband because she lied that she already got a divorce from her ex-husband. Another couple were not in love, the woman had another boyfriend in Italy and she constantly wanted to leave her husband to go to her boyfriend. In the end she left her husband by fleeing away to Italy without any notice.This is an interesting film. I never thought that this problem was a worldwide problem before. I know that there are a lot of women from Mainland China who wants to get rich this way by marrying a Hong Kong men, but I did not know this phenomenon occurs in other countries too. When I watched this film, it made me think about this phenomenon. Why are there so many women who want to do this, when there are so many failure stories already? Marriages like these often do not result in happiness. The women have unrealistic expectations and dreams, that they would become disappointed after finding out the truth.The pace of the film was quite fast. Although the story seemed simple, there were a lot going on in the film that the viewers are kept busy with different events continuously. I liked the leading actress, the woman who loved her husband but got kicked out. Her acting was good, because she showed her emotions without being too exaggerated. Another actor who played well was the apprentice of the carpenter. He tried to have a relationship with the woman who did not love her husband. When he approached her, he was nervous and shy. I think he played his role well.Another aspect of this film that is worthy of comment is that, when the woman who left her husband first appeared, she was wearing a pair of tights with the pattern of the American flag. I think that this symbolises the fact that she wants to be rich and happy, like the American Dream. We can tell from the start that she married only for money, and she would leave and marry another man if she could not become satisfied.I would recommend people to watch this film, not just for enjoyment, but for educational purposes too.

More
Keith F. Hatcher
1999/06/04

There are films for holding sticky hands in the back row, looking into each other's eyes; there are films for getting all excited with tons of special effects to bedazzle eyes and minds of onlookers; there are films for filling up the useless hours of television when only insomniacs are available; there are films hyped up to smash shattering box-office record sales with all those glorious glamorous Hollywood stars; there are films to put on at Christmas and Easter every year, supposedly to remind us what the heck we are celebrating; there are films for just dozing off; there are films for Saturday afternoon so that the kids won't go out.And then there are cinematographic works of art that remain in your memory forever, that reach down into your soul, that quietly leave a tremendous feeling of immeasurable satisfaction. There are not many and as a rule they do not get to Hollywood and do not get any Oscars, though they may make their mark in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, San Sebastián……….`El Sur'(1982)(qv) directed by Víctor Érice is one such exquisite gem; and in this film we have playing the part of Estrella, aged 15, Icíar Bollaín. Because of this I await anything she might now be doing, twenty years later. At last I have my reward: it has been worth waiting. Srta. Icíar has matured and is indeed herself a `flower from another world'. In this film we have proof of this. Ms. Bollaín, in common with a few other European directors, has chosen to make films of socialogical import, and this is well achieved in `Flores de Otro Mundo'.The script was co-written by herself and Julio Llamazares. This writer is well-known in Spain through hundreds of newspaper articles, letters, several books and so on. He is an ardent defender of rural Spanish life, which, over the last 30-40 years, has been declining, and indeed he lives in or spends large parts of his time in such places as the mountainous `Ancares' in the province of León, north-western Spain, or in the pre-Pyrenean areas of Huesca in the north of Aragón. Ms. Bollaín could hardly have found a better person for helping her with this film in the greatly depopulated central province of Guadalajara, north-east of Madrid.In the 30s, 40s and 50s Spain emigrated to Argentina, Chile, Mexico, France, etc. However, today the boats are turned – literally – and the country is now a receiver of immigrants. Indeed, rural areas of Spain have even been advertising for people to go to their villages with children so as to keep their schools open, or just simply advertising for women to be future wives for the unmarried men who remain working the land. Against this sociological background, Icíar Bollaín sets her film `Flores de Otro Mundo' – in this case Cuban and Dominican women – who arrive at a village lost in the sierras of Guadalajara. The film narrates the experiences of a group of these women, as all concerned, villagers and new-arrivals alike, suffer problems in differences in culture, opposing mentalities and concepts of life, especially over the issue of rural and urban life.Well-conceived and well-acted, the film is an excellent vehicle for conveying real human issues. The leading actors – such as the well-known Chete Lera and the Cuban actress Marylin Torres – are ably supported by the whole cast, as well as the real local people in the village of Cantalojas – baptized Santa Eulalia for the film – in the extreme north-west of the province, and where the film was given its first public showing! Some intensely dramatic moments are carefully combined with warmer human issues, such that the film achieves an endearing credibility. Take note of the scenes with `Janay' for example. Recommended film, though people learning Spanish might find some of the accents a little difficult at times. Well, the worst you have to do is bear with the subtitles; it's well worth your while.

More