Anita no perd el tren (2001) watch online HD

April finishes, and movies continue to appear; European movies that I'm watching. This movie, whether Spanish, because they sometimes talk in Spanish and the actors and directors are from Spain; or from Italy, because of the title and most of the dialogs: It's Europe. I watched this movie, again, to see something different, like I have seen in others; I haven't been disappointed yet.

"Anita no perd el tren" or "Anita no pierde el tren" is a warm and charming story about relationships, age and incredible situations. It's Anita's (Rosa Maria Sardà) story; about Anita's situations, age and relationships. We get the change (because Ventura Pons gives it to us) to get inside Anita's life. She likes to talk very much, and the film makes sure she looks at the audience to tell everything she's telling about her life.

She will not tell her whole life; she's fifty. She will start from the day she got "fired" after lots of working years as an attendant in a cinema. Her boss told her to take some vacations. When she's back, a new cinema is being built. Now we see Anita and follow her during her routine and loneliness. She has an only friend, much younger than her; Natalia (María Barranco). Natalia listens to Anita and advices her because of the experience she has, mostly with younger people. When Natalia asks why Anita got fired: "I'm old", Anita answers. "Old is not good for the new cinema". But is old good for other things. Apparently for love, it is. The friendship between Anita and Natalia is real; we sense the truth in their words.

Now we get to see Anita dealing with a love relationship in her fifties. She has and odd way of dealing with things. She talks to anyone, asking for advice, and repeats the things she'll forget to every person that crosses her. When she meets Antonio (José Coronado) and his machine, she feels safe. Then, when Antonio leaves her a photograph in a café, her heart wakes up. A dinner with Natalia, and talks about the "relationship rules" come soon, but are worth it. Anita doesn't exactly know what Antonio sees in her, and why he wants to be with her when he tells her he's married; but it's not important when she's waking up to life again (she suddenly feels proud to be Antonio's lover). There's a bond between them and we can't guess if it's lust or love; but we sense something while they're having sex and he talks about important things and so does she.

Anita will come to find out many things during the film, and she will tell us. Things that will amaze her and us; profound thoughts about life when you're fifty and more. These feelings are transmitted through Sardà's face. She makes her character so sympathetic, that if you're fourteen years old, you'll see her as a girl of your age, who's falling in love for the first time. Recognized actress María Barroco steals the best parts as the "party woman" who feels young and beautiful. She captures us wit her unique voice as she explains that "the best sex is in the mind, not in the body". "I 'm looking for intellectual men", she explains Anita. "When I meet a guy, I ask him what is the last book he has read and if he says something vaguely literal, I open my heart for him". José Coronado is outstanding in his Antonio. He gives the correct amount of passion to the character, desperate for something without knowing probably why, although not eliminating the shyness; which limits him and his approaches with women.

The characters make the film, which has so much to say and show…It's all effective in a comedy that works without even generating laughs. In the end, we don't ask ourselves anything, because we know Anita could live another day, and talk to us about it; but then the movie would last forever.

Anita, the central character of Ventura Pons' film is fighter. When her job is eliminated, she continues to go to the place she once knew and was a part of. As interpreted by the magnificent Rosa Maria Sarda, she has a lot going for her, even if at the beginning, she doesn't see herself as a winner. Her interaction with her neighbor, the worldly Natalia, proves a step in the right direction in gaining her lost confidence and in doing so, discovering she's a winner in her own right. As directed by Ventura Pons, the catalan director, Anita is a winner. The film is entertaining and light after the last films from this director where he has tackled other, more difficult themes. The Anita of Ms Sarda is full of doubts since most of her bad luck comes at a point in her life where she's settled into a very quiet and peaceful life. She is like another female heroine, Cabiria, a real survivor once she gains her strength and finally is able to cope with the situation life has given her. Jose Coronado is very effective as Antoni, the new love interest in Anita's life, as is Ms. Barranco, who plays Natalia. Very enjoyable and pleasant experience.

"Anita..." deals with the issues of an aging 50-something woman in a Latin European city. It is the latest film by Ventura Pons, the Spanish director well-known for Catalan language dramas. Like his other films "Amic Amat" & "Caricies", this one is also set in Barcelona. And also like another couple of Catalan films, the movie stars Rosa Maria Sarda, one of Spain's best and most veteran actresses, whether in Spanish or in Catalan.

Other than the language issue, the film is not all that unique. But, the film excels through subtle details by Ventura Pons, through Rosa Maria Sarda's poignant (perhaps quite personal) performance, and with the comic-relief provided by the reliable Maria Barranco. I highly recommend it if you enjoy this genre of films, or are curious to see a Catalan film.

I do not generally appreciate light-weight attempts at creating humourous stories, which means that "Anita no perd el Tren" cannot score very high for me. The story is good: a middle-aged but still good-looking woman finds a new love. But the attempts at making this film as a romantic comedy only managed at times to be somewhat comical.

Rosa María Sardà has ably demonstrated that she can be a serious actress in such productions as "Amic/Amat" (qv), "Todo Sobre mi Madre" (qv), "Las Amargas Lágrimas de Petra von Kant" (qv) and "El Embrujo de Shanghai" (qv). However the powers that be have over the years dished her out a lot of trivial stuff, for the cinema and for TV. Something similar could be said of José Coronado: perfectly able to produce serious performances. María Barranco belongs safely in this grouping.

Such that, in the end, I was left with the feeling that I would be real pleased to see a new making of this film, in a serious tone, which would allow the actors to really show their performing skills. And the curious thing is that it should be done with exactly the same leading actors. Wasted talent on a rather silly film that could have been very promising indeed.

The wonderful Rosa Maria Sardà plays the title role in this charming, often whimsical comedy/drama directed by Ventura Pons.

Anita, a fifty-year-old film buff who has led a predictable and unadventurous life as a box-office clerk, takes a chance on love when she's pursued by a hunky construction worker. It's not your typical romantic comedy, but it's a lovely film.

Set in Barcelona, the film was shot in a mix of Catalan and European Spanish (mostly Catalan), although it's often shown in Spanish-dubbed versions. The European dub is much more carefully done than the American Spanish dub I'm watching right now on Univisión television. I have to admit, however, that the lead actress in the American dub is a remarkable match for Sardà's voice.

If you watch it on DVD, I recommend watching the original Catalan/Spanish multilingual version, since it gives a good feel for the reality of conversations in that part of Spain.

"Anita" is my favorite Ventura Pons film (as the director usually goes in for much more depressing scripts). Apparently it's the only one of his films that's unavailable in the U.S.