by Gloria Daniels-Moss
Destiny, unexplained happenings and big dreams all combine together resulting in a unique and quite frankly bizarre post-apocalyptic love tale from Spanish director Miguel Llanso. One’s initial thoughts after viewing this rather weird and wonderful piece of cinema will most definitely be thoughts of confusion and bewilderment; in the best way possible.
Destiny, unexplained happenings and big dreams all combine together resulting in a unique and quite frankly bizarre post-apocalyptic love tale from Spanish director Miguel Llanso. One’s initial thoughts after viewing this rather weird and wonderful piece of cinema will most definitely be thoughts of confusion and bewilderment; in the best way possible.
As we are taken on a fantasy journey riddled with emotion, a distinct sense of inspiration surfaces. The use of the vast, spacious deserted Ethiopian landscape makes for serene imagery that brings a unique opportunity for a photohraph in virtually every frame. Tortured, happy, sad and angry characters rule the screen providing a very enthralling narrative. Our determined lead character Candy (Daniel Tadesse) resides in an abandoned bowling alley with his quirky lover Birdy (Selam Tesfaye). Obsessed with finding out a way to break into a mysterious space craft that has been hovering, dormant in the sky for years. As this eerie spaceship suddenly awakes an unexplained force travels through our characters as strange things start happening.
Here there are so many genres being mashed together resulting in a hybrid reminiscent of the famous Coen Brother’s off the wall The Big Lebowski, alongside tropes present in the drug induced Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, minus the gigantic lizards. Ordinarily with such an independent film exploiting Nazism and destroying children’s fantasies, this isn’t a film that everyone will immediately take to. The epicness of Candy’s aspirations drives this narrative. After being pushed out into the real world, he has to adapt and by doing so and that’s where his over-sized dreams come into play. After all, what sort of place would this world be if we couldn’t conjure up something entirely different from reality in our minds?
Here there are so many genres being mashed together resulting in a hybrid reminiscent of the famous Coen Brother’s off the wall The Big Lebowski, alongside tropes present in the drug induced Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, minus the gigantic lizards. Ordinarily with such an independent film exploiting Nazism and destroying children’s fantasies, this isn’t a film that everyone will immediately take to. The epicness of Candy’s aspirations drives this narrative. After being pushed out into the real world, he has to adapt and by doing so and that’s where his over-sized dreams come into play. After all, what sort of place would this world be if we couldn’t conjure up something entirely different from reality in our minds?
Llanso manages to neatly compact so many different themes, genres and side-plots into this just over an hour feature film. Short when it comes to the now near three hour summer blockbusters we have to endure time and time again; however Crumbs is a refreshing indie flick that makes it seem as if anything is possible. The historical link of past civilizations and fairy-tales is at the forefront of this narrative, just as it is buried deep within today’s society. The human race is constantly picking up the crumbs and making up for the mistakes we have made throughout the years and perhaps dreaming of a better world is the only way to deal with what we have previously done. Just as Candy does, traipsing through places and in and out of old wives tales, he sees the mistakes and uses the power of his own mind to create a better world to live in, despite his immediate surroundings.
Spaceships, Father Christmas, Witches and horse riding Nazi’s usually wouldn’t gel on screen, yet somehow it does. The clichéd reminder that love conquers all is unavoidable, yet not completely consumed by Hollywood’s sickening representation. A delightful, little piece of world cinema that captures a reassuring images despite being in such a chaotic world.
Spaceships, Father Christmas, Witches and horse riding Nazi’s usually wouldn’t gel on screen, yet somehow it does. The clichéd reminder that love conquers all is unavoidable, yet not completely consumed by Hollywood’s sickening representation. A delightful, little piece of world cinema that captures a reassuring images despite being in such a chaotic world.
RSS Feed
