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Pattinson dominates the screen in Salvador Dalí inspired film "Little Ashes"
The 1920s were a time of change in Europe as American jazz and the avant-garde movement gathered steam, but these influences ran counter to the growing darkness that was fascism. It was in Spain where the first confrontation between these two philosophies collided.
The 1920s were a time of change in Europe as American jazz and the avant-garde movement gathered steam, but these influences ran counter to the growing darkness that was fascism. It was in Spain where the first confrontation between these two philosophies collided. This is portrayed with great effect in Little Ashes, a tale inspired by events that occurred during the formative years of famed Spanish artist Salvador Dalí.
Little Ashes begins in 1922 with an 18-year-old Dalí (played magnificently by Robert Pattinson of Twilight and Harry Potter fame) arriving at the Academia de San Fernando (School of Fine Arts). Already the personal eccentricities that would become Dalí's trademark are displayed as Pattinson walks into the school with long hair, stockings and knee breeches.
Dalí is initially shy and withdrawn but this changes to certain degree once he becomes friends with outgoing filmmaker Luis Buñuel (Matthew McNulty) and poet/playwright Federico García Lorca (Javier Beltrán). He soon becomes entrenched in their elitist debates about modern art and late night drinking binges at local nightclubs.
As the weeks pass, Dalí finds himself drawn deeper into a risky relationship with Lorca who struggles mightily between his romantic feelings towards Dalí and his Catholic faith. Their relationship changes forever when an increasingly arrogant Dalí moves to Paris where in 1929 he meets his lifelong inspiration and wife, Gala - and a film he makes with Buñuel that Lorca interprets is an attack on him. The split between the two becomes even more pronounced as Lorca actively speaks out against fascism while Dalí remains apolitical even though he does give lip service to the potential positives of a "cleansing" of society.
What truly stands out in Little Ashes is Pattinson's simply brilliant portrayal of Dalí as he changes from a young, experimental artist, socially shy yet daring with his surrealist work, to the often bizarre yet genius artist that the world comes to appreciate by the time of his death in 1989. Not only is Pattinson able to make us forget that he's British, but also that he's Robert Pattinson.
The rest of the cast delivers solid performances as well, including Beltrán as Lorca who in real life continued to struggle with his homosexuality until his death in 1936. Also of note is Spanish actress Marina Gatell as a mutual friend of Dalí and Lorca whose romantic desires for Lorca only serves to break her heart.
Credit to everyone involved in this film for making Little Ashes feel authentic. This includes from their believable accents to Beltrán reciting Lorca's poetry in Spanish to the costumes to the troubling political backdrop that's always lurking in the shadows. Its greatest achivement and complimnet is that it will reawaken interest in Dalí's work for anyone who sees it.
On a letter grade scale from A being excellent to F for failing, Little Ashes receives a B.
Little Ashes is rated R and has a running time of 106 minutes.
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Indie Film Editor
Michael D. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri followed by a Master of Arts in history at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Inspired by such critics as Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, Michael started reviewing films in 1992 for College of the Ozarks's student-run newspaper. After returning to the Kansas City area in 1994, he continued film reviewing by writing for the Cass County Democrat Missourian in Harrisonville.
In 2000 Michael joined Sun Publications in Overland Park, Kansas where he served as its film critic and Arts and Entertainment Editor. During his tenure there, he was also the film critic for the "Fine Arts Radio Hour" and "Celebrity Scoop" radio shows on KXTR. After leaving the Sun in late 2002, he became the A&E writer for the Olathe News in Olathe, Kansas. He also worked as a freelance writer for The Squire in Leawood, Showcase Publishing in Lake Ozark, Missouri and the Kansas City Star.
Michael is currently a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, a professional film critic organization established in 1966 by the late Dr. James Loutzenhiser.
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