Miserias
Miserias

Movie spotlight

Miserias

2009
Movie
80 min
Spanish

A former librarian plunged into misery settles in a shanty town, where he will discover love and witness -and to a large extent the protagonist- of extremely dramatic situations, before leaving in a new direction.

Insights

IMDb6.0/10
Director: Arturo RipsteinGenres: Drama, Horror

Plot Summary

In a dilapidated apartment building in Mexico City, a former actress and her son, who suffers from a debilitating illness, struggle to survive amidst extreme poverty and despair. Their lives become increasingly entangled with their equally desperate neighbors, leading to a descent into a disturbing reality where the lines between sanity and madness blur. The film explores themes of decay, isolation, and the human capacity for both cruelty and resilience in the face of overwhelming hardship.

Critical Reception

Miserias was met with mixed to positive reviews, with many critics praising Arturo Ripstein's distinctive and uncompromising directorial style. While some found the film to be overly bleak and challenging, others lauded its raw portrayal of poverty and human suffering, highlighting its powerful performances and atmospheric cinematography. The film is considered a significant, albeit grim, entry in Ripstein's body of work.

What Reviewers Say

  • A grim and unflinching look at extreme poverty and despair.

  • Arturo Ripstein's signature style of dark humanism is on full display.

  • Features strong performances that convey the weight of the characters' suffering.

Google audience: Information regarding specific Google user reviews and their sentiments for 'Miserias' is not readily available in public databases.

Fun Fact

Arturo Ripstein, known for his dark and often disturbing cinematic style, is the son of the legendary producer Alfredo Ripstein Jr., who produced many of Luis Buñuel's films in Mexico.

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