Friday 13th October, 2017
107 mins.
Dir: Pablo Larraín
Chile 2016
Cert 15
Starring: Luis Gnecco, Gael García Bernal, Mercedes Morán
“Neruda”, described by its director as an “anti-biopic”, deals with the life of the famous Chilean poet and politician Pablo Neruda in an ambivalent and impressionistic manner, deftly fusing fact and fiction. The film is set in 1948 when the Chilean government moves to outlaw the communist party. As a communist senator and nationally respected poet and hero of the under-privileged, Neruda is in danger of his life. His eventual flight into Argentina, pursued by a dogged young detective, is both real and the stuff of the classic adventure yarn. We witness Neruda’s interaction with friends and foes alike; a charismatic presence, yet prone to selfishness and hypocrisy. The final scenes, set against the backdrop of the Andes, provide a spectacular and suitably enigmatic ending.
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