I had heard that this film was very good, and certainly my expectations were too high. The director, although she's Spaniard, manages to produce still very "North-American" film, she seems to be confused about liking or disliking some aspects of western lifestyle. This impression makes film contradictory in my opinion. She criticizes the superficiality of today's western society (for example when she ridicules Ann's obsessed with losing weight friend, or the hairdresser which cares only about "Milli Vanilli", or the waitress who would like to be like Cher) But she doesn't criticize more complexes matters, about the emptiness which the lost of values and principles has left, actually she shows sympathy about them. To make clear this point I'd like to bring up Ann's wish list to think about it:
1. TELL MY DAUGHTERS I LOVE THEM SEVERAL TIMES - This is not a bad wish I think, but what does it mean to say "I love you", I think words should always be backed with actions to be convincing. She says "I love you" at the same time she weakens the family by having an affair, and instead spending her last days with her daughters, she prefers to go with the lover and leave the children to the care of strangers. Does it make sense?
2. FIND DON A NEW WIFE WHO THE GIRLS LIKE - This seems to be a noble wish but I think it is not. How much time does a husband need to recover from the death of his beloved wife? Is it that easy to fall in love again and get a "brand new mother" for his daughters? Who will take such step and make the decision? If she wants to show her unconditional love for him while she still lives, why doesn't she better try to make their last days together wonderful and honor their marriage and him, who seem to be deep in love with her?
3. RECORD BIRTHDAY MESSAGES FOR THE GIRLS FOR EVERY YEAR UNTIL THEY'RE 18 - This one is fine; I think it is a nice detail and a part of the movie's structure, I think the authors try to use this "recording sessions" to display some emotional content... not a bad idea.
4. GO TO WHALEBAY BEACH TOGETHER AND HAVE A BIG PICNIC - This is also fine, but I don't remember her accomplishing this wish, or at least not with her children.
5. SMOKE AND DRINK AS MUCH AS I WANT - Why does she normally doesn't smoke and drink as much as she wants? Does getting drunk and stoned will help her to make her last days more beautiful? Anyway, I don't remember her getting wasted, not even drinking.
6. SAY WHAT I AM THINKING - Is this really a nice wish? It is good to express our thinking sometimes but not always. We are not always right and words can harm the feelings of others, one's freedom ends when the freedom of someone else's begins. I think this is a very imprudent wish.
7. MAKE LOVE WITH ANOTHER MAN TO SEE WHAT IT IS LIKE - Maybe the most controversial wish. Is this simple curiosity or a display of hedonism? What is she throwing away? She is breaking her marriage promises, she is also using her last breath to dishonor her marriage, her husband and her family Nice girl no!? But I know that honor, loyalty and honesty are not so significant for many now-a-days. I just wouldn't like to be on her husband's shoes Poor guy!
8. MAKE SOMEONE FALL IN LOVE WITH ME - As if no one ever fell in love with her, but they show us a loving husband in the back... what the hell? This is a quiet perverse wish that they want to show as "neat". Doesn't she love her husband? Doesn't she think about the pain that she'll leave in the heart of the people involved? Or if there's no pain, then how deep is the love they talk about?
9. GO AND SEE DAD IN JAIL - This could have been transcendental wish, because involves not only her but also her father; an opportunity for her to help him. Anyway, the scene runs really fast, and nothing seem to happen. This was a good chance to include a meaningful dialog between father and daughter, what a pity they didn't use the chance, no wonder why.
10. GET FALSE NAILS AND DO SOMETHING WITH THE HAIR. Well, it is quiet obvious that this is mostly humorous, but is there place for such humor in the last 10 wishes of a dying person submerged in a sad story?
Is it coherent? How is it possible a girl with so many problems in her life is so happy? Suddenly a completely unexpected thing happens: "she will die soon." This element is supposed to make her "extraordinary", because every extraordinary story requires an extraordinary character right? But without the fact that she will die soon, then the movie leaves only a happy girl in a world of boredom. Her lack of determination, conformism, selfishness, her weak character and principles keep me from feeling sympathy from her.
At the end I think it is not a very good story, but since it brings up interesting points for discussion is not so bad either. Anyway I think the film is much overestimated and although it could have been a good criticism about the emptiness of western lifestyle and values, it falls into trying to create sympathy about the same emptiness but in another deeper level.
ps. By the way, I agree with the one who pointed out before that Homer Simpson's list of things to do before dying is much sensible and meaningful that the one in this film... One Hurra to Homer Simpson!
1. TELL MY DAUGHTERS I LOVE THEM SEVERAL TIMES - This is not a bad wish I think, but what does it mean to say "I love you", I think words should always be backed with actions to be convincing. She says "I love you" at the same time she weakens the family by having an affair, and instead spending her last days with her daughters, she prefers to go with the lover and leave the children to the care of strangers. Does it make sense?
2. FIND DON A NEW WIFE WHO THE GIRLS LIKE - This seems to be a noble wish but I think it is not. How much time does a husband need to recover from the death of his beloved wife? Is it that easy to fall in love again and get a "brand new mother" for his daughters? Who will take such step and make the decision? If she wants to show her unconditional love for him while she still lives, why doesn't she better try to make their last days together wonderful and honor their marriage and him, who seem to be deep in love with her?
3. RECORD BIRTHDAY MESSAGES FOR THE GIRLS FOR EVERY YEAR UNTIL THEY'RE 18 - This one is fine; I think it is a nice detail and a part of the movie's structure, I think the authors try to use this "recording sessions" to display some emotional content... not a bad idea.
4. GO TO WHALEBAY BEACH TOGETHER AND HAVE A BIG PICNIC - This is also fine, but I don't remember her accomplishing this wish, or at least not with her children.
5. SMOKE AND DRINK AS MUCH AS I WANT - Why does she normally doesn't smoke and drink as much as she wants? Does getting drunk and stoned will help her to make her last days more beautiful? Anyway, I don't remember her getting wasted, not even drinking.
6. SAY WHAT I AM THINKING - Is this really a nice wish? It is good to express our thinking sometimes but not always. We are not always right and words can harm the feelings of others, one's freedom ends when the freedom of someone else's begins. I think this is a very imprudent wish.
7. MAKE LOVE WITH ANOTHER MAN TO SEE WHAT IT IS LIKE - Maybe the most controversial wish. Is this simple curiosity or a display of hedonism? What is she throwing away? She is breaking her marriage promises, she is also using her last breath to dishonor her marriage, her husband and her family Nice girl no!? But I know that honor, loyalty and honesty are not so significant for many now-a-days. I just wouldn't like to be on her husband's shoes Poor guy!
8. MAKE SOMEONE FALL IN LOVE WITH ME - As if no one ever fell in love with her, but they show us a loving husband in the back... what the hell? This is a quiet perverse wish that they want to show as "neat". Doesn't she love her husband? Doesn't she think about the pain that she'll leave in the heart of the people involved? Or if there's no pain, then how deep is the love they talk about?
9. GO AND SEE DAD IN JAIL - This could have been transcendental wish, because involves not only her but also her father; an opportunity for her to help him. Anyway, the scene runs really fast, and nothing seem to happen. This was a good chance to include a meaningful dialog between father and daughter, what a pity they didn't use the chance, no wonder why.
10. GET FALSE NAILS AND DO SOMETHING WITH THE HAIR. Well, it is quiet obvious that this is mostly humorous, but is there place for such humor in the last 10 wishes of a dying person submerged in a sad story?
Is it coherent? How is it possible a girl with so many problems in her life is so happy? Suddenly a completely unexpected thing happens: "she will die soon." This element is supposed to make her "extraordinary", because every extraordinary story requires an extraordinary character right? But without the fact that she will die soon, then the movie leaves only a happy girl in a world of boredom. Her lack of determination, conformism, selfishness, her weak character and principles keep me from feeling sympathy from her.
At the end I think it is not a very good story, but since it brings up interesting points for discussion is not so bad either. Anyway I think the film is much overestimated and although it could have been a good criticism about the emptiness of western lifestyle and values, it falls into trying to create sympathy about the same emptiness but in another deeper level.
ps. By the way, I agree with the one who pointed out before that Homer Simpson's list of things to do before dying is much sensible and meaningful that the one in this film... One Hurra to Homer Simpson!