Rating: 
Summary: Gender Bending fun
Review: I had the opportunity to watch Gaudi Afternoon on DVD and wondered why such a terrific, entertaining and colorful film had not yet been released theatrically. The mostly female cast is excellent, particularly Judy Davis and Marcia Gay Harden. The plot twists are clever and the Barcalona locations made me yearn for my favorite tapas bar. I also though that the timely theme of "alternative families" was dealt with in a light-hearted, but touching manner.
If you are tired of predictable movies with predictable characters -- check this one out!
Rating:
Summary: It's Judy Davis....of course this is good!!
Review: I loved this film. It was a sweet little surprise when I happned on to it. Of course I love Judy Davis...she can do no wrong. Beyond that the film has a great story line. All the actors give great performances. Check it out!!
Rating: 
Summary: A Delectable Diversion
Review: If you are familiar with the wacky but gloriously fun architecture of Gaudi, with all the monuments to his gifts collected in Barcelona, then you will have an inkling of the pleasures in store for you in this little treasure of a film GAUDI AFTERNOON. Almost as a metaphor for the way life imitates Gaudi's art, this well written, photographed and acted film is so off the beaten track that that it slipped by the major theaters who search for the Big Movies, often neglecting these fine ornaments. In short, this is a story of an expatriated American, at odds with her own life and family, who settles temporarily in Barcelona to translate a South American novel from Spanish into English. In the midst of her tedious ad frustrating life pops what appears to be a glamourous femme fatale who hires our bored translator to find her estranged husband. And that is all the plot you get. All of the characters she encounters in her tidbit of detective work are uniquely different from what they appear. In the end all turns out well, but it is the getting there that is so much fun! With actessses such as Judy Davis, Marcia Gay Harden, Lily Taylor, and Juliette Lewis expect the best of work. These women are gifted comediennes and the director and cinematographer use them as embellishments visually and emotionally and sarcastically to the wondrously photographed architecture of Gaudi. This movie is rich in color, in imagination, in acting, and in joy. Treat yourself!
Rating: 
Summary: NOT WORTH EVEN THE PRICE OF THE RENTAL!
Review: Not even a few meager glimpses of the brilliant architecture of Antonio Gaudi makes it worth watching this tedious, disconnected story. It is a waste of acting talent. I could not find any sympathy for a single character in this film. The description on the jacket made it sound very intriguing, but what a bore! It is not worth the price of the rental, let alone the price of the VHS version.
Rating:
Summary: beautiful scenery, interesting story
Review: This movie shows some beautiful shots of Barcelona, where translator Cassandra (Judy Davis) is currently living. She moves around the globe for three months at a time, and that's how she likes it. Around this time, Frankie (played by Marcia Gay Harden), a friend of a friend, finds her and asks her to find out if someone lives in a certain building. She's not a private eye, but the offer of US$3000 is pretty good. Soon, Cassandra -- who only wants to be left alone -- gets caught up in a web of a weird thrown-together "family" with a whole lot of issues. She wants out, but she wants the money more. I liked that Cassandra (Davis) was mercenary -- why shouldn't a woman want money without getting emotionally involved? She also refused to be drawn into everyone's self-made drama. She was smart and ironic. See this film for her, as well as Harden playing a man playing a woman.
Rating:
Summary: Original, fresh, fun Friday night fare
Review: Though Barbara Wilson's novel by the same name casts the characters a bit differently than the film does, this cinematic exploration of gender and sexuality is really entertainting. When I try to explain it to my hip and theory-wise friends they roll their eyes at all of the plot twists, but they don't seem so hokey as you watch. And the opening credit sequence of this film is stunning--absolutely stunning. There are all of these gorgeous stained-glass-like images which fold and melt into one another; almost the way the identity of some of the characters evolves and shifts during the course of the film. We have the usual independent film suspects in the cast--notably Marcia Gay Harden and Lili Taylor--but oddly it doesn't just feel like yet another little indie film that could. The actors do a wonderful job of seducing us as much as each other, and Judy Davis' performance is much more nuanced than perhaps the film even asks for--which makes it especially delicious. And the landscape of Barcelona is truly fabulous. From the first frame to the last frame, you'll be entranced and engaged and surprised.
Rating:
Summary: Mystery in Barcelona
Review: Traveller Cassandra Reilly wants nothing more than to be left alone to finish writing her book. But since she makes money as a translator, peace and quiet isn't always abundant. One day, Cassandra gets a call from a woman named Frankie Stevens (Marcia Gay Harden) who is in Barcelona looking for her husband "Ben". Giving Cassandra little information to go on, Frankie promises Cassandra enough money that she can't turn the job down. But all is not as it seems with Frankie (in more ways than one), and Cassandra finds herself in over her head. Then she locates "Ben", who's actually a lesbian (played by Lili Taylor) claiming to be "visiting" Spain with her earthy girlfriend April (Juliette Lewis). But it seems Ben has run of with her and Frankie's daughter Delilah, and Frankie wants her back. Cassandra clearly despises these people, but as she explains to her friend and landlady Carmen, "It's not just the money...I'm intrigued."
Judy Davis always scores with a great performance, and with a fab ensemble like Lewis, Taylor and Harden, how can you lose? Great flick, based on the Cassandra Reilly mystery series by Barbara Wilson. No real DVD extras to consider, but a fun movie non the less.
Rating:
Summary: A Pleasant Surprise
Review: What a pleasant surprise. An extra star for the surprise. Shame on the studio for tossing this film away. And why they ever decided to market this as a Lesbian film I'll never know. Anyway, I smiled through the whole thing, and laughed loudly over many little moments. It's all about the actors looking like they are having a really good time making a silly yet thoughtful film. And what a great cast. It's a small little piece of entertainment with lots to offer without hitting you over the head with typical Hollywood grossness. Best not to know a lot about the slim plot- just watch it and enjoy.
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