Movie: Yulene Olaizola's 'Paraisos Artificiales' Rachel Saltz - New York Times
go to original March 30, 2012

Salomón Hernández and Luisa Pardo in "Paraísos Artificiales."

Slow, deliberate and art house ready, “Paraísos Artificiales” (“Artificial Paradises”), the first feature by the Mexican director Yulene Olaizola, teeters between the dreamy and the soporific. The dreamy part makes sense. The title comes from Baudelaire’s book about the effects of intoxicants (hashish, opium, wine) on the mind, and drugs are the artificial paradises indulged in by Luisa and Salomón, the main characters in Ms. Olaizola’s film. The soporific part is a problem.

The movie is set in a natural paradise, the coast of Veracruz, Mexico, a place of mist-enshrouded hills and rolling gray surf. Luisa (Luisa Pardo) has taken up residence in a down-at-the-heels resort where she seems to be the only guest. (Is it off season, or is the business a bust?) She doesn’t have much to do besides brood, smoke cigarettes, gaze at the water and use heroin. She also manages to make a friend: Salomón (Salomón Hernández), an older man who works in the fields (doing what isn’t quite clear) and smokes a lot of pot.

The minimalist narrative dovetails with the minimalist filmmaking, with its long-held shots and meticulously composed frames. Ms. Olaizola, though, is more interested in atmosphere than in character or story. Her Veracruz has an overcast, melancholic beauty that comes across far more vividly than Luisa or Salomón. Ms. Olaizola observes them as if hoping they’ll reveal themselves, but they don’t. Luisa in particular remains a blank, an addict with no back story and little front story. When a small drama sputters to life at the end, it’s too late. You’ve already been lulled into dreamland.

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!