agmtw logo
search

Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles (2018)

Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles (2018)

7.4

A stunning and surreal portrait of an iconic Spanish filmmaker

Movie

Germany, Netherlands
French, Spanish
Animation, Drama, History
2018

What it's about

Paris, 1930. Luis Buñuel is penniless after the scandal surrounding the release of his last movie. Sculptor Ramón Acín, a good friend, buys a lottery ticket and promises Buñuel that he will pay for his next movie if he wins the prize.

The take

Incorporating traditional animation, Surrealist art style, and scenes from Luis Buñuel’s own films, Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles is a portrait of a brilliant yet eccentric artist who is stubborn in his ideals. The film is a series of dreams—visions from a life often disrupted by war and ideology—but is more structured and coherent than its inspirations, and striking in the commentary it makes on art. Within the film's story, Buñuel's character initially takes on a documentary project through a more dramatic and staged approach that separates him from his crew and his producer Acín. However, his nightmares stemming from childhood trauma eventually lead him to focus on the people he’s filming and advocating for. Historical yet surreal, highly political yet personal, this film is an apt celebration of a divisive artist.

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

I Lost My Body (2019)

The Oscar-nominated unconventional animation

8.2

The Intouchables (2012)

An all-arounder French comedy-drama based on a true story

9.6

The Man Who Sold His Skin (2020)

A Syrian man becomes artwork in this fascinating drama based on a true story

8.0

The African Doctor (2016)

A feel-good story of one French village’s first African family

7.2

Open Your Eyes (1997)

The startlingly surreal Spanish psychothriller that inspired modern cult classic Vanilla Sky

8.0

Borg vs. McEnroe (2017)

An uplifting sports drama about one of the greatest tennis matches in history

8.0

Nowhere (2023)

A riveting Spanish Netflix survival thriller brought to life in Anna Castillo’s performance

7.8

By the Grace of God (2018)

A damning account of a cover-up by the Catholic church in France

7.8

The Sea Inside (2004)

Javier Bardem delivers a stellar performance as a quadriplegic struggling for the right to end his life.

9.0

Girl (2019)

A humane illustration of the trans teenage experience

7.6

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.