Up Among the Stars (2018)

Victor is a washed-up film director, gone to seed since the death of his wife, struggling to support his son Ingmar (named after Ingmar Bergman) with no income and no work. His only friends... See full summary »

Director:

Zoe Berriatúa

Writer:

Zoe Berriatúa

Stars:

Luis Callejo, Jorge Andreu, Macarena Gómez

3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Luis Callejo	...	Víctor
Jorge Andreu	...	Ingmar
Macarena Gómez	...	Ángela
Magüi Mira	...	Alicia
Álvaro Roig	...	Morris
María Morales	...	Rita
José Luis García Pérez	...	Armando
Kiti Mánver	...	Directora
Ingrid García Jonsson	...	Laura
Liz Lobato	...	Lola
Cristian Méndez	...	Raúl
Maia Dunne	...	Niña Guapa
Ricardo Mas	...	Niño Curioso
Adrián Checa	...	Niño Macarra
Ariadna Polanco	...	Anita

Storyline

Victor is a washed-up film director, gone to seed since the death of his wife, struggling to support his son Ingmar (named after Ingmar Bergman) with no income and no work. His only friends are a family who manage a run-down cinema with a stockroom full of celluloid classics that nobody pays to see. Victor revels in dreams of past glories, when 'the Americans' sought him for his expertise in special effects, although his recent CV comprises a hamfisted documentary and a silent film about Ancient Greeks, so bad that the only thing people (mis)remember is the Romans and that nobody wants to watch silent films anymore. Ingmar, uninterested in cinematic greats, is happy to watch monster films while his father drinks. Victor keeps busy making films that he never completes, using Ingmar as his cast and crew, while trying to secure funding for his magnum opus, dodging a social worker with concerns about the child, and chasing an inheritance controlled by his estranged sister and debts owed ...

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Luis Callejo was a last minute replacement of Karra Elejalde due to scheduling conflicts.

User Reviews

Close Enough That You Can Almost Smell The Love

I had no idea what to expect from this Spanish film when I found it on Netflix, but I am delighted to have done so. After a shaky start it slowly, gradually reels the viewer in and rewards us with a story of lost romance and father-son love. Victor, the filmmaker father, is one of life's likeable losers. His glory days are behind him but he clings to the dream of a final masterwork to seal his creative career. Ingmar, the son, idolises his father while simultaneously disliking his descent into drink and melancholy. The deceased Angela holds enduring power over both their lives. We are carried along with the Quixotic quest for the film classic that will change everything, despite seeing bleak hopelessness closing in on them.

There are elements of other great works here: some sets are reminiscent of Dogville; the sci-fi is a homage to First Men in the Moon, or even A Grand Day Out; the reverence for early cinema recalls Spirit of the Beehive or Cinema Paradiso. There are fun tricks with perspective, a joke about a diary in robot language "which, of course, the writer could read", and gentle slapstick in wordplay between Victor and a street homeless man, Victor and his sister, Victor and the truth. Ingmar hits on a novel means to escape school, and is spellbinding in a way few child actors can be. Some of the animation feels as if it was borrowed from a much bigger budget production.

For all its good points, Up Among The Stars falls just short of true greatness, although only in small ways. Maybe it won't change your life, but it will certainly make your day.

Details

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

31 August 2018 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Blant stjernene

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bestia Produce, Film Factory, Nadie es Perfecto

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1