robobobotic-31291 Magical Girl is a very well shot movie. The cinematography is brilliant and overall nothing of the visuals is a problem.The biggest problem with this movie is how convenient everything is. I get that Louis as a father would actually fulfill the wish of his daughter, Its not that dis-believable. But the lengths he goes to achieve it. can be questionable. But that's not really the problem I have with this movie.Barbara's illness for which she takes medications for was never explored. While you can try to make the excuse that "It's left for interpretation" (which YMS did on youtube), Its not really an excuse because you are literally implying that I should guess what's wrong with her. This is not how you make me care for a character. Why does she have these scars on her body? Never explained. While I find it convincing that she would help Luise once, I find it hard to believe that she will go to such lengths, in his second "favour" with the 20k euros (which I honestly find It too convenient that just an accessory would be that much more than the costume itself). It doesn't make sense. Like she's literally risking her life and screwing it up as a whole, just so she can remain with her husband. It just doesn't make sense to me. It seems like a complete convenience for this edgy plot that this movie Is going with. Not to mention "THE DOOR" ritual thing (which just literally came out of no where.). Now for the 3d act. After Barbara is completely screwed up and her life destroyed, due to her own ridiculous decisions (lets remember that she decided to sleep with Luis. Lets not pretend that didn't happen.). She all of a sudden wants revenge now.OK, the part that really made me mad and just seriously made me hate this movie is the scene in the cafe with Damian and Luis. So you are telling me, that when Damian threatened Luis with the gun, Luis will just decide to respond with "Bitch"? Are you serious? Like, they literally had the whole time in the world in that cafe to discuss what exactly happened. This is what really made me really angry. He presented that whole phone blackmailing, in really the most conveniently horrible way possible. It doesn't make sense for me, that this would happen, when the guy is clearly smart enough to not throw his life like this.So, this is how I feel about this movie. For me Its a really "edgy" and It hides its convenient plot in its "deepness".

GelatinousJoe The plot is, a father trying to fulfill his daughter with terminal cancer's last wish of a "Magical Girl" costume crashes into the lives of a disturbed girl and a retired professor.Magical Girl is written and directed by Carlos Vermut and (in a Pulp Fiction style) focuses on three stories and characters that are all equally understandable and fascinating. The story is definitely the core of Magical Girl. It is one that subverts expectation. It can make you laugh, cry, or feel disturbed, and all while being a perfect whole. It is also one that makes for an equally great rewatch. There are dozens of details scattered in the movie that can only make sense on a second viewing. Sometimes, these details can even change the context of a previous scene.The acting and camera-work are good without being too exceptional, but the way they work with the unfolding events can make them much more effective. And the movie never feels constrained by its budget in any way. The song choices are not only great and incredibly memorable, but they also have an important role in the story.Magical Girl is one of the most unappreciated gems of 2014. It is entertaining, emotionally powerful, unique, and intelligent at the same time. It takes very little to get invested, and you will be on the edge of your seat. I adore this film and would highly recommend Magical Girl, it is a must-see.

ma-cortes This San Sebastian winner Magical Girl was well played and compellingly directed by Carlos Vermut . It's not hard to recognize tales that have been reverse-engineered , those that fashion individual roles and contrive to bring those disparate souls together in the most convenient way possible . Far more weird is the story that begins from a center and organically evolves , unwittingly capturing its ancillary players . Carlos Vermut's "Magical Girl" certainly feels like the latter , developing sad events by means of an intriguing as well as thought-provoking atmosphere . It stars with Luis Bermejo and Barbara Lennie ; star Jose Sacristan also top-lines . The impetus for all of this intrigue is a sudden hospital visit for Alicia (Alicia Pollan) , a 12-year-old girl living with leukemia and she dreams to have a dress of a famous Japanese series : Magical Girl , Yukiro . Her father Luis (Luis Bermejo) learns that Alicia is terminal (a detail never explicitly stated but delivered in the first clear example that Vermut is in complete control of his story) . After Alicia is released , he stumbles across Alicia's diary, discovering her wish to own a dress identical to one worn by her favorite anime star . When the price tag results out to be far beyond his dwindling savings , the daddy attempts to get it at whatever means . Because of this last wish he will meet a disturbed girl (Barbara Lennie) and a retired school professor (Jose Sacristan) . 'Magical Girl' is a razor-sharp flick of unintended consequences . This is an interesting film , it is both an asset and a weakness of Spanish director Carlos Vermut's sophomore feature , an elaborately contrived, imagination-dependent dark comedy/drama that operates through sleight of hand , misleading into following a preteen leukemia patient's dying wish while it assembles another , far more sinister secondary narrative deep in its viewers' collective subconscious . The picture relies heavily between relation between an obstinate dad and his daughter with terminal cancer , both of whom weaving their troubled lives together with ample sorrow . Rare flick , its has a few gaps and is slow moving , but anyway, it is compensated with the great performances . Good acting from Luis Bermejo as unfortunate father of an ill girl tries to obtain her daughter last wish , to get the dress of the main character of a Japanese TV series and Barbara Lennie gives a splendid portrayal of a emotionally affecting young woman . Special mention for Jose Sacristan , a veteran actor who was born in 1937 , Chinchón, Madrid . He is an magnificent actor and occasionally director, especially known for Un Lugar en Mundo (1992), Éste Es Mi barrio (1996) and El Viaje a Ninguna Parte (1986). He is married to also actress Leonor Benedetto. Other important films he performed are the followings : Un Hombre Llamado Flor de Otoño , Niñas.. Al Salón , Reina Zanahoria , Acto Posesión , Asignatura Pendiente , Hasta Matrimonio Nos Separe and Parranda . In addition , Sacristan directed three acceptable films : 1977 Yo Bajo en la Próxima, ¿y Usted? , 1987 Cara Acelga and 1983 Soldados De Plomo . Confirming the emergence of an original voice able to reflect on the impact of Spain's crisis while constructing scenes of a near Tarantino-esque tension, "Magical Girl" nabbed seven Goya Noms . However , Alberto Rodriguez's thriller Marshland was the clear winner at the 29th Goya Awards, Daniel Monzon's El Nino, which had been nominated in 16 categories, won four technical awards, while Carlos Vermut's Magical Girl only landed the top actress for Barbara Lennie's portrayal of a emotionally fragile woman . Besides , this deliberately "wrong" cult offering (which won prizes for best film and director at San Sebastian . The motion picture was originally directed by Carlos Vermut . Vermut comes to cinema from a background in comic-book illustration, and though he brings a strong visual sense to his big screen work , including his low-budget debut, "Diamond Flash" , though he previously made some successful Shorts .

JvH48 Saw this at the Rotterdam film festival 2015 (IFFR). In short: Unbalanced and illogical all over. Apparently hoping that the feel-good aspects of the story let us overlook all its faults. Anyway, It did not jerk any of my tears.The narrative left more than a few uncharted fields, and focused on other things that I deem mere side-ways. Important aspects of the underlying drama are not revealed to us, like why Barbara's past is so scary for Damian, and what her "psychological" issues exactly were (quote from IFFR website) or why she is a "disturbed girl" (quote from IMDb). The magical trick we see in school, in one of the openings scenes, is not enough to connect the dots later on. Similarly unclarified, we see how Damian reacts on Barbara's phone call, but leaving his defiant attitude devoid of any explanation. He seems just scared for unknown reasons. And near the finale, after learning how Barbara and the girl's father met and (!) that he stayed overnight, he freaks out, even to the extent that his attitude towards the father turns 180 degrees, all of that still for reasons unknown.That the father goes at any length to fulfill his ailing daughter's last wish, may be understandable as this is what parents do. But what we see happening here is certainly over-the-top. He does not even make an attempt to verify whether her wish still exists, as this could have been a short-lived dream from years ago. I admit that I'm trying to be rational here, but I never was a father, so what do I know.Finally, I am prepared to overlook how very coincidental our three protagonists meet each other. It is convoluted, but it could have happened this way, including the loose piece of the jigsaw puzzle lying on the street. On the other hand, the time devoted to all these side-ways would have been better spent on extra background information on the three. The synopsis on the festival website was a required read, yet insufficient to grasp all of the drama that enfolds in two hours time. We are withheld from being pulled in by the story, and also are being prevented from identifying ourselves with either one of the main characters, not even with the father who would be the obvious candidate for our sympathy.