Vientos de agua (2006) User Reviews

Simply phenomenal! Better that 99% of any movie or TV series I have ever seen

[jeff-milton · 10/10 · 11 August 2014]

This miniseries is epically profound! Ostensibly about immigrants to, and from, Argentina (which makes this move a must-see for anyone interested in, or planning to visit, Argentina), but in fact it is one of the most insightful looks into the drama of the human condition.

I am 60 years old, and lived an adventurous life. It takes a lot to impress me... yet this series affected me profoundly! I can honestly say that watching this series was far more productive and meaningful than months of therapy. It quite literally changed my life! This is a very unknown series because it was aired on Public TV (Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales), and they kept changing the times and put it on at very odd times, and never reran it. Even in Argentina is is barely known of.

Juan Campanella is best known (internationally) for directing "El secreto de sus ojos" (2009), for which he won Best Foreign Film. It was a brilliant film, but this, IMHO, surpasses that movie! Especially in light of the fact that Campanella was also the creator and writer (p.s. other directed and wrote some episodes as well, so credit to them)

Just Great

[yanisfile · 10/10 · 17 September 2006]

This series is great!!! I love it! it's highly recommended. Don't judge it for its first episode, if you see at least 3 and you don't like thats OK, but don't don't judge for the first one 'cos it kinda boring, but then it gets better and better, and you want to keep watching and you think "why there are only 13 episodeees?!?! Please Campanella!! make more!!!" There is a parallelism of a Spaniard that had to emigrate to Argentina because of the war, and on 2001 his son has to emigrate to Spain because of financial issues, what it is cool about this show is that this two stories are shown simultaneously, the inside stories are very good too. Just Great

A history who needs to be told

[milanhosdedolor · 10/10 · 26 February 2007]

Vientos de Agua talks about emigration, a frequently history on our diary life. Who is not happy to told, but is necessary. It represents the past, present and future of the people.

Emigration is the idea over the history, who talk about relationships (of love, father-son, between different cultures...) about politic (anarchism, totalitarism...), the change of the way of live... Vientos de Agua spokes about life, in all of it sense.

All the actors rise an excellent level, one to one, no exceptions... Well, unless Hector Alterio; he rises more than perfect, his expresions, the look, the movement, he have the humanity in his soul.

Concluding, for me, is the best series i have never seen in my life; because when a history need to be told... it is shown with all the feeling.

Simply the best audiovisual product I've ever seen

[nico-201 · 10/10 · 17 December 2006]

What can I say about "Vientos de Agua"? It's simply the most amazing and enjoyable TV series I've ever seen. The selected cast fits very well with the story, which is very interesting and catches you from the very beginning. The art direction and the photography are really awesome. Both creates wonderful atmospheres while the tale goes by. Another interesting point view is the music, that is very powerful and contributes to feel the story. Juan José Campanella deserves my great admiration. I've seen all his previous movies and arrived to a conclusion: he is the only one that can touch my heart with his nice and peculiar way of telling moving tales.

Masterpiece

[aguirrecita · 10/10 · 20 April 2020]

This is probably one of the best series I have ever watched. It is deep, human, complex... it is life, with its highs and lows written and played beautifully. The main story is about immigration, but the deeper story, its about the complexities of life and love... and about the fact that nobody is 100% good or bad... . Acting is spectacular, production quality is great, dialogues are smart, passionate, deep and the story is crafted masterfully. Do not miss it. Its on Netflix.

Amazing!!!

[eugeniapagano · 10/10 · 30 July 2020]

Thank you, Campanella, for this awesome story! Incredible actors, and so well done!

My father's story

[rotrel · 9/10 · 9 February 2017]

Campanella's masterpiece, a great story, which happens to have a lot in common with my father's, who left Asturias in 1925 to avoid the draft and landed in Argentina. My dad also lived in a Jewish neighborhood in Buenos Aires, where I was born later. Just like Andres, he was an Anarchist who became a Peronist, as did most of his union friends. And he was fortunate to return to Asturias before his death. He kept a lot of secrets about his life, something I respect. The life of emigrants is faithfully described in this saga. Interlaced with some of the most relevant events in Spain and Argentina during the twentieth century. Great cast, wonderful music, a must see...

Masterpiece.

[patopm · 9/10 · 22 October 2020]

Don't judge before you've watched at least 3 episodes. Totaly worth it. Slightly reminds to Cinema Paradiso. Emotive and intense. Definitely a masterpiece.

Even better the second time

[mark_l_nicholson · 10/10 · 9 March 2021]

I'm watching this for the second time because I enjoyed it so much the first and I'm liking it even better because I understand more of the dialogue and it's easier to follow knowing the plot already. But on the second viewing I can see even more the brilliant story writing and the weaving of the two tales. I would rank it in my top ten list of TV series. My only criticism is I've never seen such unattractive goofy guys get so many beautiful women!

Masterpiece is an understatement

[pazcur · 10/10 · 31 January 2022]

The story, the history, the birth of Argentine culture, the demise of Argentine culture, the immigration experience, the acting, the amazing actors, the cinematography, the phenomenal writing, the evolving accents, it's a true masterpiece. I agree, someone said it reminded them of cinema paradiso.

I cried, I laughed, I learned...

An Amazing Body of Work

[carloswilliamhughes · 10/10 · 7 March 2023]

This must be the masterpiece in the career of Juan Jose Campanella. A superb historical drama of Spanish emigration to Argentina intertwined with the journey back to the motherland of an Argentine facing the effects of the 2001 economic crash leaving his family and trying to make it work in Spain - which is what a lot of Latin Americans did.

I watched this series on Netflix in Peru, I don't think I would have caught it otherwise if I had been in the UK but I am glad I did and devoured it over three or four days. There are thirteen episodes and each one is lovingly crafted and directed and brilliantly acted and when I read later that the show wasn't a massive success in Spain, it surprised me somewhat - I don't know how that wasn't a massive success but there we have it - the choices people make.

As an emigrant to far away lands myself, I saw a lot of myself in both of the main characters and the journey comes full circle for both of them as it does for me, the viewer, this is a wonderful series, well worth your time in watching it to the end. Brilliant, one of the best things I have ever seen.

Sometimes brilliant, sometimes chaotic and unfocused.

[hof-4 · 5/10 · 24 July 2020]

The first objection is, as in most series there is a lot of repetition and redundancy and the action slows down considerably at times. The second: the tale sometimes meanders along subsidiary and contrived plots that don't add much to the whole such as those involving Marta Etura and Angie Cepeda, both excellent actresses whose talents are not fully used. Some characters (such as Andrés' sister and Vidal's son) are built of clichés and take up screen time for no good reason. And, some episodes are confusing and clumsily narrated.

There are positives, however. The plot evolves in two time frames in Spain and Argentina and the reconstruction of time and place is flawless in each case. Example: the cars shown in Buenos Aires of the thirties and forties have the wheel on the right side; driving in Argentina was on the left side of the road until 1945.

Good acting from the principals Héctor and Ernesto Alterio and Eduardo Blanco, although the latter is miscast. The rest of the actors do well with special mention for Pablo Rago, who hits all the right notes all the time. The script has flashes of brilliancy. One is the depiction of the relationship between Andrés, Juliusz and the young Gemma in an intensely moving way but without excess sentimentality. Among many other examples is a short speech by a cabinetmaking worker where he explains with striking clarity why he supports Colonel Perón, a populist leader that would become President of Argentina in 1946.

The final evaluation of the series is: somewhat unsatisfactory. It is frequently rambling and unfocused, at times confusing, contains unnecessary subplots and characters and is way too long for its subject matter.

Viento de Agua (in local spelling Viento d'Agua) is a small town in Asturias at the bottom of one of the typical rías (vast indentations of the coast caused by ancient flooding of river valleys). Vientos de agua means "winds announcing rain."

Slow and sleep inducing.

[hwc-60878 · 3/10 · 30 August 2020]

Barely made it through the first episode. Very slow and dull. The constant switching between time periods doesn't work.

A communist socialist series

[magui-93752 · 1/10 · 18 August 2020]

Excellent cast but very disappointed. The series is based on communist ideas, defending and accepting murders like Fidel Castro and Ernesto Guevara. A tremendous waste of time.