BootDigest
Such a frustrating disappointment
Listonixio
Fresh and Exciting
Jenna Walter
The film may be flawed, but its message is not.
KissEnglishPasto
............................................................from Pasto,Colombia...Via: L.A. CA., CALI, COLOMBIA and ORLANDO, FL In English, when we say, "He was DISAPPEARED", we are using a term that came into English from Spanish. Over the past decades, countless thousands have suffered this fate in many South and Central American countries. Cautiva offers us a genuinely fresh take on this somber subject. We see the problem from the perspective of a teenage girl, Cristina Quadri, who one day, without the slightest warning, is yanked out of her class at school and taken to the office of a federal judge. He then proceeds to unravel her world by informing her that her real name is Sofia Lombardi and that her parents were "disappeared" by the dictatorship in power at the time of her birth in 1978. Furthermore, the people who she has called "Mom and Dad" her whole life, are, in reality, her abductors. At first, she is completely incredulous. In a most demanding role, Barbara Lombardo delivers an extremely intense and nuanced performance that is nothing short of awesome. To watch her gradually, step by step, come to terms with the stark and utter tragedy of her reality, is something very few actors could have done so convincingly! Cautiva leaves us contemplating just how profoundly life altering the truth can be. The film, of course, is in Spanish, and as to the quality or speed of the subtitles, I'm sorry, but I don't need them, so I can't offer an opinion.9*.....ENJOY/DISFRUTELA!Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!.....KissEnglishPasto@Yahoo.com
Samuel-Maldonado
The 'Dirty War' in Argentina, and the disappearances of radicals that plagued that era, had long and lasting effects on the Argentinean people. In the tradition of 'La Historia Oficial', Cautiva follows one of the affected – in this case, a teenage girl who learns that she is not her parents' child, but in fact one of the disappeared children who was forcefully taken from her parents. The emotional trauma and the process of understanding, accepting, and internalizing this kind of massive shock is convincingly transmitted by the actors and the shooting style. The powerful emotional scenes are handled wonderfully by the Bárbara Lombardo in her debut role. This movie really knocks you for a loop, then knocks the wind out of you – really an emotional roller coaster. Excellent film, overall.
lastliberal
We take our heritage for granted. But, what is we are slapped in the face and told that the "parents" we have known for 15 years were not real, and our real parents were "disappeared" by a dictatorial regime? Of course, the film reminds us of the shame of our complicity in these regimes by showing Henry Kissinger snuggling up to the dictators.Bárbara Lombardo (The Motorcycle Diaries) in her first feature film, captivates us as the teen faced with this harsh reality in Argentina. The pain she feels is obvious and she is torn from the only family she has ever known and learns to live with strangers, who are, in fact, her real relatives.Television actress, Mercedes Funes, also was great as her new friend, who parents were also "disappeared." A really oustanding film by Gaston Biraben; a shameful part of Argentine and US history that cries out for justice that will never come.
bajitabutterfly
If anyone has seen La Historia Oficial, the description makes this film sound like it could basically be a sequel with regard to the issues it deals with. In that film, set during the period immediately following Argentina's dirty war, a mother must deal with the prospect that her 5-year-old adopted daughter's biological mother might have been a prisoner who did not consent to giving away her baby. In Cautiva, the daughter is 15 and must deal with the consequences of being such a child. Fascinating idea to show of the human repercussions of corruption and military government. Does anyone know if it will be released on DVD/video in the US? Please email me at uncute1585@aol.com if you have any information, it would be much appreciated.
