Anita (2009)

A different way of telling a story

In truth, any opportunity to see the film on the big screen is welcome.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Every so often I watch an old Argentinian movie on You tube. For reasons unknown to me, most of those copies are in such rotten condition that most of the time they deflate your desire to watch the movie.Specially those from the 20s, 30s, 40s and fifties.What happened, they don't care about the preservation of our historical patrimony? From the 60s to the present there seems to be no problem with audio and visuals.I mentioned that historical period of Argentinian movie making because the transition from that bland, amateurish, mediocre industry to what became later in the XXth century is something to be seen to believe it - I place the dividing line with "La historia oficial"- "Official Story", 1985, a movie that was a sort of an earthquake (at least for me) a jaw dropping jewel of a movie that defined a new standard of excellency for the Argentinian cinema.More expert critics with our industry will certainly place that dividing line somewhere else.And since then, many jewels adorn our cinema. Like this one, "Anita". Wow, what an excellent movie!! Every thing about it is top drawer, from the director down to the last extra. And same thing can be said about the cinematography. Peerless. The girl playing Anita -Alejandra Manzo- fitted the perfect casting like a glove fits a hand, a dream of any director when having to convey Down syndrome with that awesome understanding and delicacy respecting the sensibilities of actors and audiences alike. Very moving film in most scenes, without being wimpy. Something utterly difficult to hold back in this case, where the director could have gone overboard with emotions creating a tsunami of tears. I assume the girl playing Anita is not, in real life, as incapacitated as the character in the film, otherwise it must have been a miracle to have her saying her lines as she did.To me, Anita's character is the most pathetic I've seen since "Precious", 2009, with Gabourey Sidibe, and of course Gelsomina, in "La Strada", 1954, that unforgettable Fellini's masterpiece.

Anita, a girl born with Down syndrome, is lovingly cared by her mother Dora. They live in a small department in the heart of the Jewish quarter of Buenos Aires. Dora has a small shop where she has Anita help her with menial jobs. One day, Dora must go to the Jewish Center, leaving Anita alone, but making sure the girl knows she will be back when the big hand of the clock is standing at the top. Anita, who is perhaps in her twenties, can function normally, under Dora's supervision.Unfortunately, there is a terrorist car bomb that had targeted the Jewish Center. Anita, alone in the store, sees the shop and its contents get damaged, although nothing serious happened to her. The girl decides to venture out among the confusion and chaos in the streets. No one notices her; the girl begins to roam the streets looking for Dora. What follows is a tale of horrors Anita goes through in her quest to find her missing mother."Anita" directed by Marcos Carnevale, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Marcela Guerty and Lily Ann Martin. The film is a tender story about human survival for a young woman who has to fend for herself in any way she can. It is also a document about how people can see a situation such as what the girl is experiencing and not have enough sense to turn the matter into authorities, or institutions that can be of help. Anita roams the streets not being able to find the home comforts only her mother could give her. The three individuals she becomes in contact with may be adults, but show no feelings about a terrorized girl whose mind does not allow her to express the information needed to reunite her with relatives. To the creator's credit, the film, although sentimental, does not play with the viewer's emotions in a mawkish way. Anita's journey from a well kept home to places she does not know, shows that in spite of her handicap, she is able to survive using resources no one could have guessed she had.Mr. Carnevale has done wonders with Alejandra Manzo, who is seen as Anita. She shows a resiliency seldom seen in individuals suffering from her condition. Anita is more intelligent than what a typical person afflicted with the syndrome is likely to do. Norma Aleandro is Dora, but she only appears at the beginning of the story. The excellent Luis Luque plays Felix, the unemployed photographer with marital problems. Leonor Manso appears as Nora, the only person who got to understand the girl in spite of a shaky first impression. The film speaks volumes about human nature as a helpless soul deals with what a cruel destiny had in store for her.

So tender yet so sad. Impossible not to cry watching this movie. We should learn from Anita. Her innocence didn't let her know what was happening towards her, and she remained happy. Such an awful tragedy told in such a sweet story. Norma Aleandro, (Dora, Anita's mum) plays a tiny role in this movie, but the necessary enough to know who Anita is, and what does she feel and thinks. Dora dies in the AMIA, and then, the story begins and it is all Anita. Entirely Anita. Alejandra Manzo, the actress who plays her is great.Awesome movie. You'll cry, I assure you that. But you won't regret of watching it. Believe me :)

Anita (2009) was co-written and directed by Marcos Carnevale. In this unusual Argentinian film, we follow the odyssey of a young woman with Down syndrome. Anita, played by Alejandra Manzo, lives contentedly with her mother, Dora. (Dora is played by the wonderful actor Norma Aleandro.) A tragic event sends Anita wandering the streets of Buenos Aires, armed with little more than a smile, a few words, and a loving and trusting nature.People with Down syndrome have a range of intelligence that allows some to function fully and independently in society. (I assume this is true of Ms. Manzo, who is a professional actor.) However, Anita is clearly not in the higher range, so that her survival skills are pretty meager, and they are tested to the full when she is lost.She survives from day to day because people feel sorry for her, and want to help her, although not always in a way that brings them much credit. (People help her, but they help her sporadically and unwillingly.)What keeps this film from being just a feel-good movie is that the people Anita meets aren't overly kind or effusive, and they certainly aren't saintly. The good news is that no one tries to harm or harass her--they just would rather not be bothered.We really enjoyed this film, partly because of its interesting plot. Better yet, the movie never succumbed to the temptation to make Anita perfect, or able to mystically discern things that others cannot. She's a young woman with developmental disabilities who, like the rest of us, is doing the best she can to survive and to enjoy life.We saw this movie at the truly outstanding Rochester Jewish Film Festival. It will work well on DVD as well. This is a must-see film for those who work in the field of developmental disabilities, but I can recommend it to everyone who wants to see a unusual and thought-provoking movie.