Princesas
(2006/IFC)
Picture:
C+ Sound: B- Extras: C Film: B-
Candela
Pena and Micaela Nevarez play prostitutes who swiftly become friends and each
other support in Fernando Leon de Aranoa’s Princesas
(2006) whose title refers to their fantasies of somehow escaping their trap of
commodifcation and the happier life out there.
In the 1960s and 1970s, we saw many such films, from road movies to
buddy films, but de Aranoa thinks that only by endless dialogue can you have a
serious film with some humor and any character study.
The
actresses are good in their roles and can be compelling, but the film has
troubles escaping the “hooker with a heart of gold” cliché and even with some
bittersweet humor, de Aranoa’s screenplay hits the additional problem that he
is a male trying to tell a female tale.
Feminists have had troubles with explicit nudity and prostitution since
Godard made them explicit during his first films from the French New Wave and
though there is not as much nudity, the objectification still lingers here no
matter how personal or honest the film tries to be. That makes for an odd film and produces
inconclusiveness.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is a little soft and color is not great,
but it is not gutted or desaturated either.
Ramiro Civita uses too much shaky camerawork to the disadvantage of the
piece, but it is professional otherwise.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is dialogue-based and not the strongest in
surrounds, though I wondered if DTS would have helped. Manu Chao’s score is never intrusive and the
mix is balanced for what is there.
Extras include a Music Video to plug the film, the original theatrical
trailer, a making of featurette and two deleted scenes that are not bad.
Overall,
this works on its own terms, but never really takes off. I do not doubt the film’s ambition or
sincerity, but if you are still uncertain after reading this, you can now see
it for yourself.
- Nicholas Sheffo
