Patagonia (2010)

Very well executed

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

I agree with some other reviewers that the endings could have been perhaps better conceived, but then I've never seen the perfect film. What was so appealing about this film was the unique combination of Welsh and Latin American cultures, not seen very often. Being a Welshman in a civil partnership with a Paraguayan who has had to come to terms with my Welshness, and all that means, we both watched this film with fond admiration. I must confess, as a Welsh and Spanish speaker, seeing this on television with subtitles I couldn't switch off was confusing as I would rather not see any English in there at all, but I do appreciate for most people that will be necessary to understand one or both of the languages.I won't restate what's previously been said about the landscapes in both countries being shot very well. Essentially we were both left feeling very 'nostalgic' about both Wales and South America.Duffy was a very unexpected jewel in this already-lovely crown. Her Spanish wasn't at all bad, it has to be said, and the song she sings - Desearia - is absolutely gorgeous, we've played it non-stop since seeing the film. She only comes into major play quite late in the film, which is a pity, but it's definitely worth waiting for.This wasn't intended to be a full review of the film, as others have done that so eloquently before me. Instead, more to add my weight to the comments that if you have an attachment to Wales, to South America, or to both, then you WILL find something in this film to capture your heart. If you don't, perhaps it won't be your cup of tea, as the film does tend to capture your emotion rather than your imagination. For us, we'll be watching it again. And again.

Watched this on its Welsh TV premiere as I now live in Wales (although I am not a Welsh speaker). The film was a pleasure to watch compared to much of the Hollywood fare that is served up and is certainly worth watching.However, I have to agree with the previous reviewer that the film was ruined for my by the ridiculous endings to both stories particularly after the Grandmother died in Wales. It was completely ludicrous and ruined what could have been a much better film.On the positive side listen out for Duffy (who appears in the film) singing a Spanish version of Hope There's Someone the beautiful Antony and The Johnsons track at the very end of the film.

This film simply does not work. The two plot lines - unsympathetic Welsh couple travel to Patagonia and aged Argentinian lady and young chaperone travel to Wales to find the ancestral homestead - do not work in tandem at all. The Welsh couple are deeply unappealing individuals and the ending of their part of the story is both cheesy and unconvincing. Cerys, the aged lady, and her chaperone, Alejandro, are, however, attractive characters and there is some lovely gentle wit and humour that passes between them. The ending to their story is, however, equally implausible. The cinematography is good - not exceptional (the Patagonian scenery is far more interesting than the film makes out. Some of the Welsh scenery is, though, beautifully shot and captures the atmosphere of the place far better). However, this doesn't compensate at all for what is a very thin story. One can't help feeling that the Welsh IP Creative Fund, who provided funding for this, should be more rigorous. Welsh language alone really shouldn't be a justification for funding a film as disappointing as this. I wish I could be more positive, but I can't.

If you are sick and tired of contrived Hollywood productions with cliché plots and badly written lines, then Patagonia is the perfect antidote which will restore your faith in the power and beauty of cinema. The fact that this film was produced by S4C in collaboration with smaller independent production companies means that it has the freedom to explore the themes without using a stale Hollywood formula. We follow two different couples on their journey from Wales to Argentina and vice versa: the Welsh Gwen and Rhys who go to Patagonia and the odd couple Cerys and Alejandro who go in search of Cerys' mother's farm 'Nant Briallu' in Wales. I'm not sure if it is fair to classify this as a 'road trip' movie - but it is certainly the best road trip movie ever made. The theme about displacement and dislocation is beautifully executed in this film – the characters in Argentina speak only in Welsh and the characters in Wales speak mostly in Spanish. Even singer Duffy makes a valiant and commendable effort to speak Spanish as Sissy – the Spanish- speaking local love interest of Alejandro. This all relates to the fact that Cerys' mother sent in exile to Argentina to hide the face that she was an unwed mother. For those of you who are sick and tired of American films which are so afraid of any subtitles because the American audience doesn't like to read subtitles (which often results in the most unlikely characters speaking English with a ridiculous foreign accent) – you can breathe a sigh of relief when you come to see Patagonia. The Welsh people tend to speak Welsh and very little English and the English are forced to read the subtitles. The two couples never meet, their paths never cross - the way you'd expect things to be conveniently tied up at the end of a Hollywood movie; and the movie is better off for that. One is treated to amazing cinematography which benefits from Patagonia's amazing desolate landscape and Wales' green rolling hills. There is great humour in the movie - but most of all, the magic of the movie as carried by the odd couple Cerys and Alejandro who grow closer together as they journey through Wales and there is a genuine warmth to their relationship. Argentinian actress Marta Lubos stole the show as the somewhat batty but still utterly lovable Cerys - tough, resilient, stubborn yet charming all at the same time, she is the grandmother everyone would love to have. The film takes you on an emotional journey – but having said that, I think I ended up caring more about Cerys and Alejandro on their quest to find Nant Briallu; after all, it seemed pretty clear what was going to happen to Rhys and Gwen from the moment they landed in Patagonia. Nonetheless, what the Argentinian plot lacked in substance, it more than made up in sheer beauty. If you watch this film, you will leave the cinema wanting to improve your Spanish, learn Welsh (if you do not already speak Welsh) and most of all, you will desire to travel to Wales and Patagonia. Few films will leave you with such a strong yearning – and both the Welsh and Patagonian tourist boards own the makers of this film a big cheque for the amount of visitors as a direct result of this film. In short, go see this film – it'll probably be the best film you would see in 2011. No 3D glasses, no special effects, no Hollywood big stars – just an incredibly compelling and touching story of human emotion. This is what the magic of cinema is all about. Who needs 3D glasses?