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Historias lamentables

Historias lamentables

2021

Director

Javier Fesser

Runtime

129 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

This satirical anthology tells the surreal stories of a gift for Don Horacio, a trip to the beach for Bermejo, a life-changing relationship between Tina and the young immigrant Ayoub, and a new client for a company that specializes in excuses.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

5.0/10

Fair


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Limited

The anthology focuses on surrealist vignettes rather than explicit explorations of sexual orientation. There is no prominent evidence of LGBTQ+ characters or narratives that critique heteronormativity.

Gender Representation

Fair

The film disrupts the traditional male-centric gaze by centering the perspective of a young female protagonist, María. This shift in viewpoint provides a moderate boost to the score.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Fair

The inclusion of Ayoub, a young immigrant, introduces an intersectional element to the Spanish setting. However, the film lacks high-agency roles for characters of color across the entire anthology.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

The narrative uses postmodernist techniques to deconstruct reality and critique traditional social structures. It portrays childhood as a space of surrealist rebellion against adult logic.

Disability Representation

Fair

The film utilizes the grotesque and the absurd, which often overlap with depictions of eccentricity. There is insufficient evidence that these characters are handled as meaningful representations of disability.

Strengths

  • The film disrupts the male-centric gaze by centering the perspective of a young female protagonist.
  • The inclusion of Ayoub, a young immigrant, introduces important intersectional and ethnic diversity.
  • The surrealist structure allows for a critique of traditional social structures and adult logic.

Areas for Improvement

  • The film lacks prominent LGBTQ+ characters or narratives that address sexual orientation.
  • There is a lack of high-agency roles for characters of color throughout the anthology.
  • The use of the grotesque leaves disability representation feeling ambiguous rather than meaningful.

AI Analysis

Javier Fesser’s anthology uses surrealism and the grotesque to subvert traditional storytelling. While the film avoids many conventional tropes through its absurd lens, it lacks the concentrated, high-agency intersectional character arcs necessary for a higher score. The film finds strength in its perspective shifts, particularly through a female child's viewpoint and the inclusion of immigrant themes. These elements provide a layer of diversity that challenges a purely homogeneous cast. However, the representation remains moderate. The lack of visible LGBTQ+ narratives and the ambiguity regarding how eccentric characters are portrayed leave significant gaps in the film's progressive impact.

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