Sirât

So intense you’ll want to scarper but so riveting you can’t leave, Sirāt is an assault on the senses, mind and emotions. If only all movies took swings this bold.

It’s a narratively simple film that has been interpreted differently by dozens of critics since its Cannes premiere last May, but it’s one that is impossible for this critic to shake, a reminder of what movies can do when they loosen the restraints of traditional narrative and remember that images are meant to evoke as much as they are to explain.

Much will depend on how far you’re willing to go with the wild swings the film takes in its second half, but if you’re down for a trip, Sirat is The Wages of Fear meets The Vanishing on shrooms; startlingly original, jarringly hilarious and deeply disturbing.

An unforgettable portrait of the search for unity at the edge, and end, of the world.

Sirāt...is not for everyone. But it is the sort of overwhelming cinematic experience and undeniable work of sound and vision that could be life-changing for those ready to receive it.

When the real shock occurs, it doesn’t feel cosmic so much as deliberate manipulation by a filmmaker’s hand. The rhythm feels off.

Sirât is a film of impression and feeling, not logic or plot.

Raves are gatherings that have played – and still do - a required taste in music, dipping its bare, ringed toes in the likes of techno and EDM (Electronic **** they are still extremely popular, as those that recently attended the three day festival Electronic Daisy Carnival in Mexico can testify to.This Oscar-nominated film does its best to recreate the audible essence of such an event, before taking it in a darker direction... FULL REVIEW HERE: ****/sirat.html

Ambitious and sensory-driven, Laxe’s latest film prioritizes experience over narrative. The journey of a father and son searching for a missing daughter begins as a contemplative road movie and gradually shifts into a survival drama marked by two powerful, striking scenes. The problem lies in the path leading to them. The slow pacing, repetition, and lack of sustained emotional depth weaken the overall impact. While the sound design is impeccable and the desert looms as an overwhelming presence, the film favors atmosphere over genuine engagement, resulting in an uneven experience. It impresses in isolated moments but fails to maintain its strength throughout the entire journey.

'Sirāt' is definitely an experience, though not for the best reasons. With his new film, Óliver Laxe asks the viewer to accompany his characters on an emotional, psychological, and sensory journey where music, dust, and desolation are the main protagonists. But just like the vast and spectacular deserts it portrays, his work proves to be completely devoid of any relevant message. Despite a remarkable technical display and Laxe's skill in creating immersion, the film falters from beginning to end due to a lack of character development and a geopolitical and social myopia that is extremely problematic.

When will these trends end? The first thing that stands out in 'Sirāt' is its commitment to contemplative cinema, which I personally enjoy. Long, slow shots aim to hypnotize the viewer. This visual style is combined with a soundtrack that conveys the atmosphere of a rave, which may feel dissonant to those unfamiliar with this world, yet still maintains the established aesthetic. The cinematography is an appealing element. Composition, natural light, and settings are all strong. However, the color grading is what puts me off here. The film is set in an arid, desert-like environment, bathed in intense sunlight, yet the colorists choose a muted, almost desaturated palette compared to what could have been achieved given the spatial context. This current trend of toning down colors is completely questionable. A more striking visual personality could have been deployed. Editing takes a back seat to the irregular visual impact overall. It’s not bad, but it won’t linger in my memory. The character portrayal is precise and correct. It is particularly striking for audiences unaccustomed to these styles. The cast, mostly newcomers, delivers natural performances. Even so, I can’t fully connect with Sergi López, despite the emotional solidity he conveys. Bruno Núñez supports him, but he doesn’t fully convince me either. The story itself is not the main attraction of 'Sirāt'. The cinematography carries the script, giving much of the projection a sense of flatness and emptiness. At least there is structure, which includes plot turning points; even when predictable, they still manage to provide minimal surprise and some emotional depth. However, the main conflict—and the worst one—arises when comparing the film’s approach with various articles, texts, comments, and other sources about the real geopolitical context that inspired it. The director’s decision to distort historical facts becomes problematic from the perspective of narrative fidelity. I’ll be honest: I had no prior knowledge of the real history depicted in the plot. After reading articles to assess the film’s accuracy, I realized that Laxe takes creative liberties with the original events. If I haven’t read incorrect or false information, there is an exaggerated distance between what the film portrays and what actually occurs in real life. This frustrates me greatly because I cannot stand inaccuracy in cinema. I understand the point of view of those who accept adaptations with the screenwriter’s or director’s personal vision, but I cannot. I would rather watch a faithful film—even if it displeased me immensely—than something satisfying but not true. Of course, this is a matter of personal perspective. Even with its deviations from reality, the film manages a human portrayal by exploring issues like fragility, humanity itself, destiny, and randomness. All this is told through the harsh journey of people migrating in search of a desired future, highlighting the horrific obstacles they encounter. Yet at times, I feel Laxe uses these elements more for dramatization than to show a raw reality, which annoys me somewhat. 'Sirāt' has uneven strengths, as well as major flaws. The result is not entirely unpleasant, but it leaves one parched, unsure of what to think. There may be much technical effort, but the narrative is what fails me.

An existentiel film that does not deliver. Was looking forward to seeing this Oscar nominee for Best International Film and was very disappointed. The film is two stories that do not connect or maybe they did but it does not matter.