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PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Camino (2008)

Camino (2008)

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Released 4-May-2010

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Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Drama Theatrical Trailer-(2.18)
Rating Rated M
Year Of Production 2008
Running Time 137:59 (Case: 143)
RSDL / Flipper Dual Layered Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 4 Directed By Javier Fesser
Studio
Distributor

Madman Entertainment
Starring Nerea Camacho
Carme Elias
Mariano Venancio
Manuela Vellés
Lola Casamayor
Ana Gracia
Pepe Ocio
Jordi Dauder
Emilio Gavira
Lucas Manzano
Claudia Otero
Miriam Raya
Case Amaray-Transparent
RPI $34.95 Music Rafael Arnau


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame None Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s)
Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio 2.35:1
16x9 Enhancement
16x9 Enhanced
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 2.35:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles English Smoking No
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits No

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

     Camino is a film that will divide audiences and prompt debate about the age old issues of faith. The winner of a truckload of Goya Awards, the Spanish Oscars, it is based on a true story of a young girl in Pamplona, Spain who is in line for beatification. The film presents a dark view of those around her, men and women of extreme faith, who want to use her failing health as a tool to promote their religion.

     When we first meet Camino (brilliant newcomer Nerea Camacho) she is at death’s door, surrounded by a room full of family, doctors, nurses and the clergy. She whispers meaningful phrases to her mother, redolent with the scent of the afterlife. That may be why the DVD case has the words "An angel lives among us" plastered, somewhat misleadingly on the front. Who is this girl and how did she come to be in this predicament?

     A year earlier she is a bright and bubbly 13 year old happy despite an unusual home life. Her mother is a devout follower of Opus Dei, the fanatical wing of the church recently pilloried in The Da Vinci Code. For her mother Gloria (Carme Elias) our time on Earth is but for one reason - to serve our Lord and creator. All else is frippery. Her depth of devotion has estranged her from her husband (Mariano Venancio). He is no heretic but the core of his religion is moderacy. He has seen his eldest daughter (Manuela Velles) become a servant to the Opus Dei, locked away in a house full of ritual and observance. He sees his daughter Camino (named after the foundational book of Opus Dei) as a young girl in need of fun as much as religious duty.

     When Camino begins experiencing back and neck pains the doctors put it off as a trifle. That's good for Camino as a school friend suggests she joins a youth theatre troupe. Attending with her disapproving mother Camino spies the handsome Jesus, nicknamed Coco, and theatre is all she wants to do. Dramatic ill-health intervenes and Camino is taken in for the first of what is to be a number of serious operations that will drain her strength and her very life. Her father is devastated when a tumour on the spine is discovered, her mother deals with it in her own way. This must be God's will? As Camino sickens her devotion to the Lord does not go unnoticed and the forces of Opus Dei see her as a rallying cry to the young. If a young girl like her can remain devout through horrendous cancer treatment then there is hope for the future of the sect and the religion itself.

     Camino is a challenging film on a basic level of faith. Director Javier Fesser creates a devastating portrait of faith turned dark as the poor girl is deprived the simple joys and her desires for the quest for absolution. Gloria is perhaps one of the most complex villains (?) in modern cinema. Clenched fists seem the desired response as she takes active steps to keep her girl on the path to righteousness without ever, it would seem, considering what she wants. Father Jose is a man with far greater heart yet he is so browbeaten by his wife's zealotry that ultimately he is powerless to take a stand.

     When the torment gets too bad for the suffering Camino she retreats into a dream world much like the afterlife from The Lovely Bones. In cheeky fashion director Fesser creates a possible scenario other than faith for Camino's remarkable final utterances. The film is long and some will find that they simply cannot bear another moment in the sanctity of the Opus Dei. The film has moments of incredible beauty and joy and the performances are often remarkable, particularly from Nerea Camacho as Camino and Carme Elias as her mother. Her character is so entirely hateable yet understandable. The best compliment that can be given to it is that despite the rabid attack on the Church it is a film that will stay with you, causing a rethink on situations to assess the role of Gloria and the church in the demise of this brave little girl.

     Tough but worthy.

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Transfer Quality

Video

     Camino was shot on 35mm film and projected at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. That ratio has been preserved for the DVD release. It is 16x9 enhanced.

     This is an excellent DVD transfer. The colours are bright and stable and the flesh tones are accurate.

     This is a fairly long film but the dual layered DVD handles the film without a hint of compression.

     There are no artefacts or technical defects with the print. The film uses fantastical characters and locations to good effect and these are well handled with bright colours and crisp detail.

     There are subtitles in English. These are yellow and easy to read. The subtitler has gone out of their way to include slang - when was the last time you saw a character in a Spanish film say they would be "back in a jiff"?

     A really pleasing transfer.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     The sound for Camino is Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 running at 448 Kb/s and a 2.0 track running at 224Kb/s.

     Both tracks do justice to the film. The surround track is useful in the dream sequences to give greater ambience to the film and the sub-woofer is a subtle presence. Otherwise this is a film where the centre channel dominates. The dialogue can be heard clearly. It appears to be in audio sync. There are no technical problems with the sound.

     The soundtrack to Camino is curious. The film uses music from various sources including Tchaikovsky's music from Sleeping Beauty , liberal helpings of the Disney Cinderella and some original tracks. The effect is dramatic but not always consistent.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

Theatrical Trailer

The only extra is the theatrical trailer.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    This film has been released in Region 2 Spain but as yet not elsewhere. It is Spanish subtitled so for English speakers Region 4 is the way to go.

Summary

    Camino is a powerful film that may outstay its welcome but does provoke questions in this day and age where religious fanaticism always seems to be attributed to non-Christian cultures. The film has endured its own criticism in Spain where family members of the real "Camino" dispute some key moments. Fans of drama will want to take the plunge and will be rewarded.

     The DVD is excellent both in sound and vision. I would have loved a documentary about the real girl but I suspect that this might have been difficult to pull off.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Trevor Darge (read my bio)
Friday, July 09, 2010
Review Equipment
DVDPioneer BDP-LX70A Blu-ray Player, using HDMI output
DisplayPioneer PDP-5000EX. This display device has not been calibrated. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 1080p.
Audio DecoderBuilt in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with Ultimate DVD Platinum.
AmplificationOnkyo TX-SR605
SpeakersJBL 5.1 Surround and Subwoofer

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