Carmen (R21)
Opens July 29
Running Time: 119min

Cast: Paz Vega, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Jay Benedict
Director: Vicente Aranda

Get Seduced By Carmen

By Han Wei Chou • UrbanWire
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Carmen unfolds its tale in lurid detail under the backdrop of Spain, 1830. A French author and explorer Próspero Mérimée (Jay Benedict) has a chance encounter with Spanish soldier-turned-outlaw José (Leonardo Sbaraglia). Soon after, Mérimée meets a spirited gypsy girl named Carmen (Paz Vega), who seduces him, luring him into her home on the pretext of telling his fortune. She intends to kill him for his money; however, her plan is foiled when José suddenly bursts through the door and orders Mérimée to leave.

Later, the 2 men meet for the last time in José's prison cell where he awaits his execution for murder. There, José recounts the events that led him to abandon his duty and beliefs. He tells Mérimée the story of his inexorable descent into a life of despair and murder, the story of his love and destructive obsession with Carmen.

Interestingly, the author of the original novel, Frenchman Prosper Mérimée, becomes a character in the movie. Other than that, Carmen 's plot remains largely true to the original novel published in 1845 on which it is based. José is still the upright gentleman, who becomes a puppet on a string after being seduced by the wild and fiery Carmen. However, Vicente Aranda 's version of Carmen tends to overlook the whys and hows of the story. In its place, the Spanish director focuses mostly on the emotional aspects of the tale, such as the feelings of Carmen and José. The film glosses over the reasons why José is so enamoured with Carmen, and doesn't explore the factors that have made Carmen who she is. Instead, it emphasises the passionate and sometimes violent relationship that José and Carmen share.

A good example is the scene where José flares up and hits Carmen after she seduces Prospero. It showed the jealousy and rage within José but doesn't quite explain why he feels that way for Carmen. Furthermore, other than what the old brothel owner tells José, the movie tells us too little about Carmen's past for you to truly understand and identify with her character

Spanish hottie Paz Vega (Novo, Sex and Lucia) who won the Goya Award for Best New Actress in 2001, (for Sex and Lucia, a film which unfortunately didn't make it to our shores) turns in a credible, charismatic performance as the enigmatic Carmen. With her seductive eyes and killer body, she is perfect as the temptress. In fact, when she invites José to “count the moles on my body”, I was seduced as well.

Goya Award-winning Argentinean actor Leonardo Sbaraglia (Utopia, Deseo) also fits the role of the possessive José. He exudes a certain charisma that fleshes out José's character, giving it emotional depth. When he says powerful lines like “Take pity on me Carmen! I have killed for you Carmen, and I will kill again!” you believe him – you pity him and you feel his torment.

On the whole, Carmen is well-paced and really interesting to watch, especially if you haven't read the novel or watched the operatic version. The relationship between José and Carmen is meant to mirror the state of Spanish society in the early 19th century, which was at the crossroads between Freedom (symbolic in Carmen) and Order (embodied by José), according to the press release.

Furthermore, Paco Femenia's beautiful cinematography and José Nieto's haunting musical scoreare already worth the price of admission. Add to that the sterling performances and a classic storyline crackling with sexual tension, Carmen is sure to seduce you.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars