Historias extraordinarias

It's hard to describe, but very pleasant to watch. Only a couple of times the stories get a bit too extraordinary.

this was... not very good

One could easily argue that there is something sort of inherently uncinematic about a film that relies so heavily on constant voice-over narration to the point where the visuals serve as barely more than a perfunctory illustration of the spoken text, but that said this still deserves a lot of credit for the sheer ambitiousness of even attempting what is essentially a Hysterical Realist systems novel on film (I can understand the Pynchon comparisons, but to me it feels closer to Paul Auster).

Three things spring to mind when viewing this. 1) This is the closest equivalent to Thomas Pychon's novels in cinematic form I have seen yet. 2) Where the hell is the DVD release in any English speaking country? 3) That this is an incredible, fun and thoughtful gem, about mysteries and the unrevealing of them, that stands out as unique and an accomplishment.

"The craft of storytelling is both the subject and the source of the exquisite pleasures on display in Argentinean director Mariano Llinás's film." - Andrew Schenker