The film maps out their relationships, shows us the people that matter to them, and slowly ties their lives together. With a camera as still and observant as Ozu’s tatami angle, Jaime Rosales creates a disarmingly naturalistic, nonjudgmental tapestry of people struggling with ordinary challenges. The result is a fascinating ecosphere of human behavior. Petty arguments, procrastinated plans, quiet sacrifices, acts of compassion, and conciliatory gestures – these momentary interruptions seem cursory, but they are exactly what make life “life”. Winner of Best Film and Best Director at the 2008 Goya Awards, Spain’s equivalent to the Oscar.
