Carmen & Lola (2018)
7/10
This enjoyable picture gives a very interesting and essential perspective on gypsy communities
21 April 2022
An interesting and relevant tale of love between two young women : 17-year-old Carmen (Rosy Rodríguez) lives in a gypsy community in the suburbs of Madrid , Vallecas , and works with her family in a street market . Like every other woman she has ever met, she is destined to live a life that is repeated generation after generation : getting married and raising as many children as possible . She gets engaged to Rafa (Juan José Jiménez) . But one day she meets 16-year-old Lola (Zaira Romero) , an uncommon gypsy girl who dreams about going to university , draws bird graffiti and likes girls . She also helps her family in the street market . Then , little by little , both of whom fall in love . Along the way they are overcoming obstacles that may be stronger than their peculiar romance . The love story of two gypsy girls ¡

An agreeable movie that shows life of the peculiar Romanian race by exposing cultures and communities with the necessary example of the Gypsy community in Spain dealing with the intense love story of two roma women , as they quickly develop a complicity with each other and discover a new world that , inevitably , leads them to be rejected and isolated by their respective families . It includes traditions , repression caused by ancient beliefs , religious fanatism , old habits , dancing of this gypsy ethnic and giving a charming sight-point , though at times falling in the well-worn , cliched and trite , providing an engaging vision of this race . Lovely , attractive and very languid in its style , and regarding thought-provoking and thorny issues , such as : sexism , machism , conservatism and racism . It is good reflection on gypsy life along with the beauty of the people themselves, it captures the Romanian life with a very precise and unique cinematography style . Stars Zaira Romero and Rosy Rodriguez who are pretty good , giving adequate interpretations in in spite of being newcomers and their short age.

This engaging and brilliant account was well directed by Arantxa Echevarría at her film debut , though accasionally over-dramatized in terms of filmmaking and performances . She previously made shorts as Don Enrique de Guzmán, De noche y de pronto , Yo Presidenta , El ultimo bus , Panchito , 7 from Etheria and a documentary : Cuestión de Pelotas. Being her second film La familia perfecta 2021 and following TV series as Días mejores (2 episodes) and El Cid . Rating : 6.5/10 . It got several Awards , Goya Awards , and other prizes as well as nominations in various national and international festivals . And even it received the ministerial applause , being especially recommended to promote gender equality . Decent and acceptable film.
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