Carmen is a 2021 drama film written and directed by Valerie Buhagiar.[1] Inspired in part by the real experiences of Buhagiar's own aunt Rita, the film stars Natascha McElhone as Carmen, a Maltese spinster who has spent her adult life serving as a caretaker for her brother, who is a Roman Catholic priest, but who finds herself feeling free to explore her own desires and goals in life as she nears age 50.[1] The cast also includes Steven Love, Michaela Farrugia, Peter Galea, Mikhail Basmadjian, Henry Zammit Cordina, and Richard Clarkin.
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.png) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Valerie Buhagiar |
| Written by | Valerie Buhagiar |
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| Cinematography | Diego Guijarro |
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| Distributed by | Vortex Media |
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Shot in Malta in 2019,[2] the film was screened for distributors in the Industry Selects program at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, but was not made available to the general public.[3] It had its public premiere at the 2021 Whistler Film Festival,[4] where Diego Guijarro won the award for Best Cinematography in a Borsos Competition film.[5] In 2022, it was screened at the Canadian Film Festival in Toronto, where it won the award for Best Film.[6] The film was released by Vortex Media in Canada in select theatres on August 19, 2022, and on video on demand on September 23, 2022.[7][8][9] In Malta, it was released theatrically on September 21, 2022.[10] In the United States, it was released theatrically in major cities and on video on demand on September 23, 2022, by Good Deed Entertainment.[9][11]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on reviews from 25 critics, with an average rating of 7/10.[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13]
References
edit- ^ a b Gee, Dana (December 14, 2021). "Family member's sheltered life of servitude inspires filmmaker to shade the patriarchy". Vancouver Sun.
- ^ Dalton, Ben (July 19, 2019). "Natascha McElhone signs to star in Valerie Buhagiar's 'Carmen', now shooting in Malta". Screen Daily.
- ^ "Toronto Film Festival Unveils Conversations, Industry Selects, Special Event Lineups". Shoot. August 24, 2021.
- ^ Smith, Charlie (December 13, 2021). "Whistler Film Festival movies, including The Pink Cloud and Drinkwater, are available online across Canada". The Georgia Straight.
- ^ Smith, Charlie (December 20, 2021). "Cinema of Sleep wins Borsos award for best Canadian feature at Whistler Film Festival". The Georgia Straight.
- ^ "Maltese film Carmen gets best feature award in Canadian Film Fest". Times of Malta. April 5, 2022.
- ^ "TFCA Friday: Week of August 19". Toronto Film Critics Association. August 19, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
- ^ "Carmen". Edmonton Movie Guide. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
- ^ a b "CARMEN Trailer. Natascha McElhone Stars as a 50-year-old Woman Finding a New Start in Life". VIMooZ. August 17, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ Magri, Giulia (September 21, 2022). "Award-winning Maltese-Canadian film Carmen released locally". Times of Malta. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Kraft, Tim (September 20, 2022). "Exclusive: Valerie Buhagiar and Natascha McElhone Discuss Carmen". MovieWeb. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ "Carmen". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
- ^ "Carmen Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
External links
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