Reviews

I think I can safely say now that 'Alive' is a classic. It is a family-oriented movie and at the same time true to the story. It is not a personal film or gory, as it would be if made today.

I was lucky to experience it when it hit the theatres in 1993, I have the book at home that my mother bought when it came out, so I was already familiar with the story.

We all have seen various plane crash sequences in movies, each time more elaborate, but there is not any that impressed me like this one and felt more realistic. I felt chills the first time the plane appeared, with the dark beginning of the interview setting just the right mood.

The rest of the movie is entertaining, we get to feel like the characters, and the snow and mountains looked so real on celluloid. I admit that some moments were made for tension, like the hanging from the rock, but it's all right. It explains the camaraderie, faith and hope that drives the story. I will never forget the take when they finally reach the green valley and the water with that camera panning.

It was one of the truly cinematic moments of the 90s, before the actual era where movies come just one more out of hundreds. When we all went to bed at night reliving the images and music that we saw at the theatres. Alive was one of them.

I had the chance to attend a screening of this movie within a municipal initiative 'Entepreneur Day' in my home town in Spain. I'd checked out some info on IMDb to have an idea beforehand. The premise is that of a teenage humor American comedy with an interesting idea to develop. But being it 'irreverent' in nature the story doesn't take itself very seriously and it goes where you expect: the cool nice guy, the funny gang, with the blonde love interest and the loyal friend, campus fiestas, a pool, and a favorable ending.

You can make an interesting reflexion about some ideas in the movie: the freedom of choice and the power of chance over rejection. Maybe the plot is unrealistic or with clichés, but if you give it a try or see it with a youngster mind, you get its message through. And the at the debate after the projection, there were interesting comments laid out by the attendees. And that's about the ultimate goal of making movies, isn't it?

This movie is not up to the level of standard Spanish cinema. Technically poor, the script is weak and the movie doesn't manage to settle or switch from one genre to another, drama or black comedy. You never get to believe or empathize with the characters, and the humor doesn't work for the most part. Sex clichés from this kind of movies don't work here either and just don't fit for the age of the characters. The situations on this movie don't work and the interest is lost before the finale which sounds cheesy. You don't enter in the game of this movie. Cinematography is low level and doesn't seem much effort has been put into it, you get tired of close-ups, and dark scenes. It seems like a past 80s movie and the acting is conveyed with a naive, good willing but unconvincing way. A missed chance, Spanish cinema can deliver a much better feature and production value.