You May Not Know His Name but You Should Hear His Story

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MOVIE REVIEW
Memories of My Father (El olvido que seremos)
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Genre: Drama, History
Year Released: 2022
Runtime: 2h 16m
Director(s): Fernando Trueba
Writer(s): David Trueba
Cast: Javier Càmara, Nicolàs Reyes Cano, Juan Pablo Urrego, Patricia Tamayo, María Teresa Barreto, Laura Londoño, Elizabeth Minotta, Kami Zea, Luciana Echeverry, Camila Zárate, Whit Stillman
Language: Spanish with English Subtitles
Where To Watch: Expanding to theaters across the US (including Chicago) Click here to see where. Arrives to rent/purchase nationwide on digital platforms on December 13, 2022

RAVING REVIEW: A beautiful film that oozes style in every scene, covered in visual metaphors from start to finish. They brought together a cast that feels every bit like the real family they are portraying.

Based on the memoir "Oblivion: A Memoir" by Héctor Abad Faciolince about his father, Héctor Abad Gómez, the most significant thing the film had going against it was its lengthy runtime. While there was plenty of information, I feel like director Fernando Trueba could’ve whittled down the story without losing any impact. I can’t speak on most of Trueba’s filmography, but I will never forget his beautifully animated film CHICO & RITA.

There’s no mistaking what the film's goal was; for that, it’s a loving tribute to the source material. So much of this film relies entirely on the sentiment and connections seen throughout; without that saving grace, I feel it would’ve failed to keep even the most adamant fans. This is where the film shines, though, and while I don’t know if it was intentional, it could’ve been an interesting testing of the waters.

I’m not one to point out cinematography often; it’s not that I don’t appreciate it, but it's because I think good cinematography should almost go unnoticed. The use of color and black & white filming was blatant but worked so well; without it, you may be questioning what you were watching, or more importantly when you were watching in their timeline. The cinematography was the focus here; without question, some of these scenes became almost hypnotic because you were drawn into the experience of the scene and the dialogue of the characters on screen.

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[photos courtesy of COHEN MEDIA GROUP]