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El Deseo
Miss Wasabi
Not part of a collection.
What you are… is what you leave behind.
A fatally ill mother with only two months to live creates a list of things she wants to do before she dies without telling her family of her illness.
badelf
Sep 16, 2023 · via TMDB
As a narrative, it's a bit weak. But on other levels, this film is fascinating. The cast, especially Sarah Polley, does a bang up job. Every character real and believable - even the kids. First and foremost, the film is a strong advocate for "viva la vida" (Frida Kahlo before Cold Play!). There is an old Buddhist parable about a man running from a tiger and suddenly faced with a cliff. In one direction, the tiger; in the other, the cliff. He looks down and sees a branch growing out of the rock. Somehow, he casts himself down and grabs that branch. The tiger looks over the edge at him. He doesn't think either he or the branch can hold on too long. Then he spies a wild strawberry near the branch. He grabs it and eats it. It is the very best strawberry he ever ate in his soon-to-be-over life. And so it is with our protagonist. Having the harshness of mortality shoved in her face at a young age, she begins to live each day with full attention. Something humans hardly ever practice. Second, the interesting, but perhaps unrealistic, decision to withhold her diagnosis and prognosis from everyone, creates an entirely unexpected space. She takes her cue from Dr. Thompson (Julian Richings), who can't look someone in the eye and tell them they're going to die. From there, she decides not to put anyone else in Dr. Thompson's situation. This frees us from the overly maudlin watching someone die thread.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Amazon Video
Amazon Video
Sarah Polley
Ann
Amanda Plummer
Laurie
Scott Speedman
Don
Mark Ruffalo
Lee
Leonor Watling
Neighbor Ann
Debbie Harry
Ann's Mother
Maria de Medeiros
Hairdresser
Julian Richings
Dr. Thompson
Jessica Amlee
Penny
Alfred Molina
Ann's Father
Esther García
Woman who does nails
Isabel Coixet
Camera Operator
Jean-Claude Larrieu
Director of Photography
Isabel Coixet
Director
Heidi Levitt
Casting
Monika Mikkelsen
Casting
Agustín Almodóvar
Executive Producer
Ogden Gavanski
Executive Producer
Pedro Almodóvar
Executive Producer
Esther García
Producer
Alfonso Vilallonga
Original Music Composer
Manuel Corrales
Sound Designer
Albert Manera
Sound Editor
Fabiola Ordoyo
Sound Editor
Patrick Ghislain
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Albert Manera
Sound Supervisor
Fabiola Ordoyo
Sound Supervisor
Pablo Urrutia
CG Artist
Isabel Coixet
Writer
Ambrogio
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Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
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2008 · 14 wins
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1978 · 13 wins
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2000 · 12 wins
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1981 · 11 wins
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