Tristana

1970 Bunuel film

Rating: 18/20

Plot: A young woman is taken in by Don Lope following the death of her mother. Don Lope treats her as a father while falling in love with her. That causes some issues later.

This is a masterful glimpse at the complex lives of complex characters and what happens when their lives collide. Don Lope, a walking contradiction, wants to "defend the weak" while not doing much at all to defend anybody. I can't think of another character I've seen where our perception of him is so vastly different from the way he seems to see himself. The great Fernando Rey plays him perfectly. Catherine Deneuve is the titular character, one who starts the film with all this innocence but ends the film with something else. A lot of this movie is about choices or free will, and Deneuve's character is a feminist representation of that as she talks about choosing favorite pillars or chick peas. Or pinto beans.
I don't know my legumes. I write about movies all time and have had this stupid blog for over ten years and don't know a damn thing about movies. You expect me to know about legumes?

I'm in a bad mood now. I didn't appreciate your attitude.