I thoroughly enjoyed this film simply because it was different, and because it wasn't possible to tell what would happen next. Not being able to guess the outcome or the next scene made it lots of fun, stimulating, shall I say challenging (?) to watch. One drawback of this, however, was that I never had any feeling for when the film was going to end, which made it seem long at times.
It was fun to pretend it was filmed in Panama, even if parts of it were filmed elsewhere. As I watched with a native-born Panamanian, he kept saying he "almost" recognized certain scenery from when he was growing up. Although I did visit about six years ago, I was never certain of recognizing anything specific.
For a non-native speaker of Spanish, the language was quite clear. Characters enunciated well, making it easy to understand, even without subtitles (though I did use them).
I would like to ask for input from anyone who reads this: What do you think the ending "meant"? Is one supposed to draw a specific conclusion, or are there multiple possibilities of interpretation? Did the writer/director intend for the viewers to learn any particular life lessons from the story? It's because I have been thinking of the film since I watched it that I chose to type an entry here today. Though I have seen several films in the interim, "Ilona" remains with me in images and feelings.
Thank you for reading.
p.s. This is the very first time I am posting a response to a film on the IMDb, though I have often visited the site to read reviews.
It was fun to pretend it was filmed in Panama, even if parts of it were filmed elsewhere. As I watched with a native-born Panamanian, he kept saying he "almost" recognized certain scenery from when he was growing up. Although I did visit about six years ago, I was never certain of recognizing anything specific.
For a non-native speaker of Spanish, the language was quite clear. Characters enunciated well, making it easy to understand, even without subtitles (though I did use them).
I would like to ask for input from anyone who reads this: What do you think the ending "meant"? Is one supposed to draw a specific conclusion, or are there multiple possibilities of interpretation? Did the writer/director intend for the viewers to learn any particular life lessons from the story? It's because I have been thinking of the film since I watched it that I chose to type an entry here today. Though I have seen several films in the interim, "Ilona" remains with me in images and feelings.
Thank you for reading.
p.s. This is the very first time I am posting a response to a film on the IMDb, though I have often visited the site to read reviews.