i was thinking that maybe Antonio Banderas has spent a career in commercial movies to be able later on to develop his own projects. who knows maybe it's like this. yes, this movie was not made by an fine director, the pace is uneven, there are a lot of scene that could have been removed improving, not hurting , the movie. but the movie is not entirely pointless, it seems to have a sincere desire to say something to the viewer, especially with a very well mixed balance of music and images, those seem to be the most powerful moments of the movies. the plot , the story is to a certain degree irrelevant , this is a movie of powerful images, of details, of obsessions. The love scenes are a very small part of the movie, yet they are incredible details, nearly as in a soft porn movie, but this is not a limitation of this movie, but one of features. the bodies of the characters are explained in details, a flat stomach, a leg, a hand, a scar , eyes, aging hands. the movie is poetry and as poetry it refuses to be confined in the structures of novel, this is a movie of images and music, it's like the work of an Impressionist painter, maybe there are autobiographical elements, let's not forget that AB was born in Malaga in 1960, so he more or less would have been the age of the characters at the same time. All in all it's a good movie and it was worth watching it, I hope who reads this has enjoyed it already or will in the future.
14 Reviews
I could hardly not enjoy it
cvete_petkova8 September 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I was much surprised to find a topic-specific idea of filming.It seems that I have underestimated Mr. Bandéras involving the role of the lover exciting but unable to revive something deep.In this sense the film has a certain suggestion on the spectator and encouraged him to search for the key lost during the teen years and feel the uncertainty of the path to browse.Unfortunately the initial pleasure goes quickly because of the lack of a balance between the model of love style "porn" and the poetic love.
Indeed it is worth to see, there are times where everyone must realize that even the choice of being happy can be difficult.
Indeed it is worth to see, there are times where everyone must realize that even the choice of being happy can be difficult.
Pompous and boring
markus_ria13 December 2006
I tried really hard to like this film, I promise. I enjoyed Crazy in Alabama and I like Banderas as a person. He is an interesting character. However, this film is a failure. Either that or I didn't get the point at all. Two hours of movie that feel like four, a disjointed script, some supposedly poetic images without any meaning and a bunch of wasted talented actors. It begins decently but as the plot unfolds it drifts away into a hopeless nonsense. I used to think that if I didn't understand a film it was my fault and I had to watch it again making an effort to really comprehend what it meant. Nowadays, I simply believe that if I don't get the point of the movie is just because the director didn't explain it correctly. Sorry, Antonio, try harder next time.
I wanted to like this...
ArizWldcat24 January 2007
We were delighted to be able to see this at Sundance 2007. Antonio Banderas came to the screening and introduced the film, which was very nice. He was very gracious and we were happy to hear what he had to say about his film. However, the film itself was hard to follow. There were too many characters and it was hard to keep them straight. The main character has a serious illness, which added to the many plot devices. I had a hard time understanding why the title of the film was "Summer Rain" while the Spanish title was "The English Road". I guess maybe they both make sense, but "The English Road" seems to be a little more descriptive.Perhaps it doesn't translate well.This film was just all over the place and a bit too artsy for the "normal" film-goer. I can't see this film attracting a wide audience,sorry to say. The acting was top notch, however! Unfortunately, that wouldn't be enough to recommend this to anyone.
This movie take risks and as result commit mistakes
finitodistampare21 July 2007
Summer Rain , The English road or as the original title say "El camino de los ingleses " is a movie that takes artistic risks and of course that lead to mistakes . In the good part of things we have very good performances of the cast , great photography and a risky director . The screenplay is not conventional and the movie is almost experimental in parts but ... so what ? I agree with some reviews .Sometimes the narrator or voice over is used to much . But I think this movie don't try to fit in the conventional movie storytelling and it's not looking to be the mtv movie awards new sensation. But it's telling the story of young people in Malaga,Spain in the 70s trying to find their place in their world. I give it 7.
too pretentious for its own good
sakura108318 December 2006
The beginning was interesting and promising. Dreamy and surreal. Great. BUT as the story progressed, it became an endless free fall. The use of voice over is too extensive (Somebody should teach Mr. Banderas about the value of silence. Not everything has to be blatantly explained) and tiring (even corny sometimes) and the script is simply ridiculous. It pretends to be intense and dramatic but it goes overboard towards the end, stripping it off of any dramatic feeling. It's laughable when it's supposed to be sad and it's unbelievable when it's supposed to be serious. Too bad for the actors, who deliver a good performance, in spite of such awful script. The photography is well done. But these two factors alone won't add up to a decent movie. That's why I rate it 1-awful.
Malaga of my youth
jotix10027 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
An advice to many actors trying to go into directing would be: Stay in front of the camera! This could well be what one would wish Antonio Banderas, a performer that has enjoyed a good career both in his native Spain and in America. His directorial debut, "Crazy in Alabama" was not the success we are sure he expected. With his new film "El camino de los ingleses", or "Summer Rain", the English title, will not add anything for his resume. We could suggest that Mr. Banderas keeps his daytime job where he has done well.
Mr. Banderas working with the Antonio Soler novel, which we have not read, goes back to the not too distant past to Malaga, his birth place, with a story that is confusing, at best, because this story of coming of age does not go anywhere the way it is presented on the screen. One had all the intentions of enjoying it, but the story is simply too local to transcend into audiences of other countries.
The most interesting of the different friends that hang out together is Barbirusa, a confused young man that has to come to grips with reality when he visits his mother in London, only to realize she is a prostitute working the sex trade in an explicit way. Miguelito, the young man who falls for Luli, gets our attention, at times. He has an awakening to sex with an older teacher.
One can only hope Mr. Banderas finds better material when he decides to try his hand at directing again, and to keep it simple. A lot of would be directors like to go for an artistic look that frankly doesn't add anything to what they are trying to present. That seems to be what happened to Mr. Banderas with his second film.
Mr. Banderas working with the Antonio Soler novel, which we have not read, goes back to the not too distant past to Malaga, his birth place, with a story that is confusing, at best, because this story of coming of age does not go anywhere the way it is presented on the screen. One had all the intentions of enjoying it, but the story is simply too local to transcend into audiences of other countries.
The most interesting of the different friends that hang out together is Barbirusa, a confused young man that has to come to grips with reality when he visits his mother in London, only to realize she is a prostitute working the sex trade in an explicit way. Miguelito, the young man who falls for Luli, gets our attention, at times. He has an awakening to sex with an older teacher.
One can only hope Mr. Banderas finds better material when he decides to try his hand at directing again, and to keep it simple. A lot of would be directors like to go for an artistic look that frankly doesn't add anything to what they are trying to present. That seems to be what happened to Mr. Banderas with his second film.
Back to the drawing board, Antonio
rse6 November 2012
I am an avid film fan and when I saw this DVD I thought "Great. Banderas, director, loved Crazy in Alabama, should be good." Wrong.
I did stick it out to the end in some sort of masochistic exercise. The film rambles endlessly. And that combined with the almost unintelligible "acento Malagueño" plus all the gratuitous adolescent sex made it difficult for me for me to like.
I didn't get any kind of message and neither did the other three people watching it with me.
I then watched the interview with Banderas and my take is that he read the novel, loved it and decided to make a movie. He has the international clout to get incredible financial backing (the backing credits at the start read like a phone book) and made the huge mistake, in my opinion, of having the author do the screenplay. I think a third person could have stood back and taken a better, or at least cohesive, view of the content.
On the positive side, I thought the photography was sensational and the ambiance of Spain under Franco was pretty good. I am not too sure those kids could have gotten away with all the free-wheeling sex during that period of Spain's history but I have never lived in Malaga.
My end comment would be "don't bother".
I did stick it out to the end in some sort of masochistic exercise. The film rambles endlessly. And that combined with the almost unintelligible "acento Malagueño" plus all the gratuitous adolescent sex made it difficult for me for me to like.
I didn't get any kind of message and neither did the other three people watching it with me.
I then watched the interview with Banderas and my take is that he read the novel, loved it and decided to make a movie. He has the international clout to get incredible financial backing (the backing credits at the start read like a phone book) and made the huge mistake, in my opinion, of having the author do the screenplay. I think a third person could have stood back and taken a better, or at least cohesive, view of the content.
On the positive side, I thought the photography was sensational and the ambiance of Spain under Franco was pretty good. I am not too sure those kids could have gotten away with all the free-wheeling sex during that period of Spain's history but I have never lived in Malaga.
My end comment would be "don't bother".
A Complete Surprise
jaipur12 December 2007
I approached my viewing of this film with trepidation. The preview description I had read filled with me little confidence that I would enjoy it as I was expecting something quite sentimental. Also, films directed by actors often disappoint as their focus is usually on the acting performances and not the appearance of the film. But, to my surprise, what was most impressive about Summer Rain was the strong visual style of the director Antonio Banderas. His use of vibrant colours, striking vistas, dream scapes and powerful, haunting imagery made the film a true delight. Based on a prize winning Spanish novel and set in Banderas' home town, Malaga, it is apparent that the novel resonated deeply with Banderas. His passion for the work is evident in every scene. The cinematography is superb and the use of the widescreen aspect ratio contributes significantly to the rendering of what must have been rich source material. I now long for an English translation of the novel. Based on what I've seen Banderas attempt to do in this film, it seems that the book must have been a challenging adaptation. Voice-over is something I don't care for normally, but the elusive nature of the voice-over text in Summer Rain was a major factor in making this film such a pleasure. Rather than explain actions and motives, the periodic comments by the narrator (called Throat) heightened the atmospherics of the film. The choice of actors was excellent and all turn in performances that serve the themes of the film. Special mention has to go to Victoria Abril, who has played opposite Banderas before so many years ago. She is marvellous and lights up the screen with her evocation of the alluring older woman. I hope Antonio Banderas can find more projects to immerse himself in. His passionate rendering of Summer Rain suggests that he is a director to watch out for.
Suffering to grow
chocopoco9 December 2006
This movie tells the story of a group of young friends facing the end of their teen years during a fateful summer.Although it is a Spanish film set in the seventies, the topics and the way they are portrayed make it a whole universal experience (I am Spanish but I can't recall any localism of notice). You can tell that this movie has been made with all guts, heart and soul, or passion if you like, it sparkles all over the frame.The suffering and pain of teen years (and the joy of friendship, love and sex) are portrayed in a very poetical way.Both visual and acoustic poetry (the movie is narrated by the character "el garganta" as if reciting a somewhat complex yet beautiful poem). I've got only good things to say about this second directorial effort of Mr Banderas; lush cinematography, good music, nice pacing, and an ensemble cast whose performances shine like gold. This film is a true joy to your senses, brain and soul.
A Pleasant Surprise...Love it!!
indiemoviemaker15 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
First of all, this is the first Antonio Banderas film I've ever seen. It never crossed my mind that he could be a great director. I loved his vision; and he gained my respect for making such a beautiful film. I was blown-away, I really was.
The dialogue was sublime and 'clever'; and let's take into account that the screenwriter was Antonio Soler himself, author of the homonymous book, El Camino de los Ingleses. Never thought that the dialogue could be so strongly poetic and passionate and therefore I was touched by it. I think that the voice-over was absolutely necessary and never found it annoying. It didn't bother me, as opposed to others.
The acting was superb. They all were convincing and true to themselves and to the film. They all delivered a great performance; especially Raul Arevalo (Babirusa), which I must admit, he was my favourite of all. He managed to transmit a great feeling to the film. I believed him; **(here's the spoiler)** particularly when he's burning his magazines and he tells Miguelito that they're the type of people who don't forget, that they're the type who get their precious belongings and burn them.** You'll understand it better if you watch this film.
The photography was completely breath-taking and awe-inspiring; the landscape (Malaga--Bandera's place of birth), the use of vivid colors, angles, pretty much everything was magnificent. The music was great, too, and very inspirational. The score was composed by Antonio Melieveo, in case you needed to know.
I felt that El Camino de los Ingleses is, perhaps, the most honest work of the director. I could see that he delivered not only a great work, but passion and the best of intentions.
Hope you enjoy it, (and play close attention). Thanks!
(Uh, this is my first time posting a review for a film, so I hope you forgive me for not writing an exceptional one.)
The dialogue was sublime and 'clever'; and let's take into account that the screenwriter was Antonio Soler himself, author of the homonymous book, El Camino de los Ingleses. Never thought that the dialogue could be so strongly poetic and passionate and therefore I was touched by it. I think that the voice-over was absolutely necessary and never found it annoying. It didn't bother me, as opposed to others.
The acting was superb. They all were convincing and true to themselves and to the film. They all delivered a great performance; especially Raul Arevalo (Babirusa), which I must admit, he was my favourite of all. He managed to transmit a great feeling to the film. I believed him; **(here's the spoiler)** particularly when he's burning his magazines and he tells Miguelito that they're the type of people who don't forget, that they're the type who get their precious belongings and burn them.** You'll understand it better if you watch this film.
The photography was completely breath-taking and awe-inspiring; the landscape (Malaga--Bandera's place of birth), the use of vivid colors, angles, pretty much everything was magnificent. The music was great, too, and very inspirational. The score was composed by Antonio Melieveo, in case you needed to know.
I felt that El Camino de los Ingleses is, perhaps, the most honest work of the director. I could see that he delivered not only a great work, but passion and the best of intentions.
Hope you enjoy it, (and play close attention). Thanks!
(Uh, this is my first time posting a review for a film, so I hope you forgive me for not writing an exceptional one.)
Really liked this movie
gilidomany11 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The script is superb that follows a group of teenagers in Spain . One of the I did not like...
The Pictures taken in the film are Amazing in my opinion -and the love story between the main character and this beautiful girl was nice.
portrait of an unique age
Kirpianuscus1 February 2017
the music. the inspired delicacy to give honest, direct portrait of an unique age. poetry of a summer holiday of few teenagers. words, temptations, desires, gestures. and a surprising director who does more than a good adaptation but a touching message about the fragility of small things who become support of the next ages. this is the most important detail of this modest film. a film about ordinary aspects of the lives of teenagers. it is not a great film. only useful. for remind. for explore. for propose a way to self definition. characters. and the air of summer. and the dreams. and need to escape from a too small universe. from yourself. so, see it !
beautiful
Vincentiu2 April 2015
youth, sex,searches of life's sense, stories from the Franco's Spain, classic recipes about expectations, relation with family, love and need to escape. far to be a bad film, it seems have a specific public. the beauty of images, the atmosphere of Malaga, the references to American films about the same subject saves it to be only a movie by Antonio Banderas. because, more than an adaptation, it preserves and shows the spirit of a period. that is its basic virtue. and the remind of universal values. a beautiful film. not great, not impressive, only beautiful. and that could be enough. because it reminds more than presents.
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