2014-12-25

Los Últimos Días (The Last Days)

Written & Directed by Alex Pastor, David Pastor (2013) 
Starring Quim Gutiérrez, José Coronado & Marta Etura. 

If you like Sci-Fi, add this movie to your "watch list".

The opening shot alone was so beautiful, I had to continue watching it.
The film took home several Gaudí Awards. (Catalonia's main film awards)


At first I thought the story is something we've been hearing about since the
 first rumor of the Mayan calendar, crazy infection pandemic outbreaks, and the
day to end all days... an apocalypse.

But this event is a different type... come in the form of a phobia. 
Agoraphobia (ag-uh-ruh-FOE-be-uh) is a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and often avoid places or situations that might cause you to panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed. With agoraphobia, you fear an actual or anticipated situation, such as using public transportation, being in open or enclosed spaces, standing in line or being in a crowd.

Cool huh? 


This creates new obstacles for the people and they try to find ways around it.
Slopping through the sewers and tunnels of Barcelona is what they do.


Some don't leave their homes. 


Those who are "infected" (quotations because... can a phobia really be something that infects? It is something neurological to the extreme sense it creates physical issues, so assumably yea, sure why not?) and forced to go outside, inevitably panic and seize their way to deaths door. 



The movie is carried not only by the STUNNING cinematography but the love that bonds the main character to his spouse/girlfriend, Julia. Their last interaction leaving on a disagreement/fight fuels the characters need to find her even more. 




The picture that is painted in this film–living indoors... building communities inside closed walls–is wonderfully done. I do enjoy to see the strength humans have to adjust and survive wherever need be.

  

Also, the ingenuity! haha, bucket on a pole may not seem that great but in this film, it's pretty awesome. 




Can't stress enough the beautiful cinematography. Daniel Aranyó won Best Cinematography in the 2014 Gaudí Awards for f's sake. Also, Best Visual Effects went to various recipients for this film as well. 




The way the panic attack is crafted makes me, as a viewer, very anxious. I almost feel as if I'm the one having the attack! I think the use of strange noises and sounds, mixed with the dizziness of the camera, bright lights and dynamic angles all play into that. It's borderline scary–I wanted to call 911 for just watching this poor guy! 



Fan-fucking-tastic. Overall, a great watch–on a budget of 5.5 mil euros too.

Many scenes were left unmentioned and un-shown because I really hope you will go watch this for yourself and give it your own opinion. 

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