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6

GreatMartinMar 8, 2019

The studio synopsis says "EVERYBODY KNOWS (TODOS LO SABEN) follows Laura (Cruz) on her travels from Argentina to her small home town in Spain for her sister's wedding, bringing her two children along for the occasion. Amid the joyful reunionThe studio synopsis says "EVERYBODY KNOWS (TODOS LO SABEN) follows Laura (Cruz) on her travels from Argentina to her small home town in Spain for her sister's wedding, bringing her two children along for the occasion. Amid the joyful reunion and festivities, the eldest daughter is abducted. In the tense days that follow, various family and community tensions surface and deeply hidden secrets are revealed."
Ah, if only the story was that simple but when you are dealing with 10 plus family manners, an ex-boyfriend, a kidnapping, money problems, alcoholics, estates, a winery not to forget such red herrings as a young boy wearing bright red glasses you can understand why the movie is 132 minutes long. It takes about twenty minutes to get the story going with some characters dismissed quickly and others getting more time than necessary.

To be honest I could just watch Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem alone on screen just talking but the fact that they were sweethearts when younger is referred to as a plot point and then sort of forgotten though they spend more time on screen than any other actor.

At times the movie is a telenovela, other times a mystery thriller but most times jumps all over the place that it doesn't quite make sense. With the kindness of a lady sitting nearby, reminding us of something that happened at the beginning of the movie, the explanation of the mystery sort of made sense.

"Everybody Knows" isn't a must-see movie but if you are a fan of Cruz and/or Bardem, and I am, plus like scenic movies, you might not get involved with the convoluted story but you will enjoy the movie… Expand

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7

GinaKFeb 26, 2019

A very enjoyable film with some flaws. Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz are fun to watch, and the entire cast is very strong and personable. The setting is exotic (to Americans) and watching an entirely different culture is interesting too.A very enjoyable film with some flaws. Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz are fun to watch, and the entire cast is very strong and personable. The setting is exotic (to Americans) and watching an entirely different culture is interesting too. The problem was none of these. It was the script, which did a good job with characters, culture, and dialogue, but was weak in making the “suspense” aspects of the plot work. I still enjoyed the film and spending time with these fine actors, but I wish the film had been stronger in its plotting.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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6

Bertaut1Mar 23, 2019

Aesthetically flawless, but too melodramatic and generic for me

Rarely has a filmmaker been so intimately tied to place as writer/director Asghar Farhadi is to his native Iran. Since his 2003 directorial debut, six of his eight films haveAesthetically flawless, but too melodramatic and generic for me

Rarely has a filmmaker been so intimately tied to place as writer/director Asghar Farhadi is to his native Iran. Since his 2003 directorial debut, six of his eight films have been set there, examining such topics as divorce, crime, secrets and lies, and the themes for which he's best known; class and the importance of the past in the present. Todos lo saben [lit. trans. Everybody Knows It] is his second film set outside Iran, taking place in Spain, and although it finds him working for the first time within a relatively conventional genre template, it remains very much a Farhadi film; examining what can happen when intense pressure causes long-buried secrets to rise to the surface. However, although beautifully shot, Todos is easily the weakest film in his oeuvre, and whereas his previous work is elegant, nuanced, and perfectly formed, Todos clumsily falls back on clichéd genre tropes and heavy-handed melodramatic plotting.

Laura (Penélope Cruz) is a Spanish woman living in Buenos Aires who returns to her hometown outside Madrid with her teenage daughter Irene (Carla Campra) and young son Diego (Ivan Chavero) for her sister's wedding. She is particularly looking forward to seeing Paco (Javier Bardem), the son of the family maid, with whom she grew up and was in love for many years. Now married to local girl Bea (Bárbara Lennie), Paco co-owns a local vineyard, which he bought from Laura at a low rate. However, when Irene is kidnapped, it doesn't take long until the families are at one another's throats, with old animosities resurfacing, and distrust spreading between them. To make matters worse, Irene is ill, and without her medication, she will soon die.

As one would expect from Farhadi, Todos is aesthetically flawless, with José Luis Alcaine's photography capturing the sun-kissed Spanish countryside beautifully, with a gorgeous palette of rich browns, golds, and reds. Drawing the audience's attention to the importance of time, the film inside a cathedral clock. However, the scene also strikes a more ominous note - the bell tower features a hole through which smaller birds can come and go, but it is too small for the pigeon who also flits around the clock, trapping him inside.

A major theme is the weight of the past on the present - seen most clearly in how Laura's father, Antonio (Ramon Barea), resents Paco's purchase of Laura's land, and how Bea believes that Paco is still in love with Laura. More specifically, the film looks at secrets, examining the importance of who knows what, and the more complex issue that much of what we do in any given situation is based on what we assume other people do and do not know.

However, it's in relation to secrets where the narrative begins to fall down. The film builds tension reasonably well until about two-thirds of the way through, when it unveils the biggest secret. However, it's a revelation so telegraphed, when the scene came, I literally had to remind myself that the character involved was unaware of the information being shared. The actors play the hell out of the scene, but Farhadi is so self-serious about the profundity of the moment that it almost has a comic effect.

The film also strays into melodrama far more than in any of Farhadi's previous work, and the longer the film goes on, the more clumsy the script becomes, with the heavy-handed deterministic plotting lacking the grace and light-handedness of his previous work. The fact that Irene needs medication or will soon die is a particularly egregious example of this; a detail shoehorned into the narrative to arbitrarily create extra tension. It's a clichéd genre trope, that is, quite frankly, beneath an auteur of Farhadi's calibre. Another issue is that the central conflicts aren't as well grounded in the milieu as in his Iran-set work, where the issues explored arise directly from the immediate environment.

Farhadi is on his game aesthetically, and, once again dealing with issues of class and the destructive power of the past, so too thematically. The problem is the narrative. He piles so much on that I just stopped caring, as the plot lurched from secret to twist to secret. There's nothing wrong with grafting one's thematic preoccupations onto a genre framework, of course; filmmakers as varied as Michael Mann, David Fincher, and Christopher Nolan work within genre conventions, but are very much auteurs. However, when doing so, one must pay attention to the genre elements of one's film or they will be overwhelmed, grinding against the themes rather than organically co-existing with them. That's exactly what happens in Todos. Beautiful to look at, and thematically interesting, it's let down by a disappointing narrative.… Expand

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2

hnestlyontheslyOct 7, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. For all of its high powered stars and its talented director, Everybody Knows is kind of a snooze. The whodunit keeps you guessing, not about who’s pulling the strings, but more so about how much longer the story can meander before it reaches its inevitable end. One of the twists is not surprising for its creativity as it is for how mature and responsible everyone is about the situation. And once the villain is revealed, it sucks all of the tension out of the room and makes you notice how little you really cared about the outcome anyway.

Seeing the trailer for this film and even now, it seems like this must be the future of American film making, or at least a sizeable portion of the market: bankable Hollywood stars making Spanish language films with wide appeal for non-native speakers. So too, with earlier iterations like Will Ferrell’s Casa De Mi Padre, starring Gael Garcia Bernal (Rosewater) and Diego Luna (Star Wars: Rogue One), or Pan’s Labyrinth, which introduced the Spanish horror director Guillermo del Toro, with only Hellboy on his record in terms of big budget English-language films, to a wider audience. That being said, no one asked for a derivative kidnapping narrative driven primarily by ominous texts and a bunch of catty relatives. One of the silver linings of this film is Bárbara Lennie’s character Bea who is impossibly beautiful, to the point of confusion. How could Paco feel any residual regret for Laura when he’s married to Bea?

It’s little weird things like this that will stay with you long after you have left the theater after Everybody Knows, sitting in your stomach like half-digested spring rolls. We deserve better.… Expand

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7

TVJerryMar 4, 2019

Oscar Award-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has expanded his experience to include this Spanish speaking import. Penelope Cruz comes home to her village outside Madrid for a wedding, but an unfortunate event upsets everything. EvenOscar Award-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has expanded his experience to include this Spanish speaking import. Penelope Cruz comes home to her village outside Madrid for a wedding, but an unfortunate event upsets everything. Even though this could have been a crime caper, Farhadi has focused on the impact this has on the family (including the good friend played by Javier Bardem). There's no suspense or much effort put into solving the crime. That's secondary to the intense interactions that develop. Like his other films, there's lots of talking and examining the complexity of the relationships. Thanks to Farhadi's direction and the performances, this is an intelligently written and always compelling drama. In Spanish with subtitles.… Expand

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7

netflicMar 8, 2019

It is the latest film by a famous Iranian-born director Farhadi (known for Separation and others) made in Spain with an ensemble of famous actors.
A woman (Penelope Cruz) comes from Argentine to Spain to join her big family and to attend herIt is the latest film by a famous Iranian-born director Farhadi (known for Separation and others) made in Spain with an ensemble of famous actors.
A woman (Penelope Cruz) comes from Argentine to Spain to join her big family and to attend her younger sister's wedding. During the celebration her teenage daughter was abducted. Many clues tell that it was an inside job. Relationships and trust are being questioned. And it is at this time that old secrets become obvious, old grudges are suddenly remembered and talked about, old accusations are thrown around.

The first part of the movie is not very engaging. It is a big family, and introduction takes time. Thankfully that changes to the better, and you do not notice that the movie is long.

In a way, it is a very European small town drama, and Farhadi demonstrates his master skills once again. Performances are great: already mentioned Cruz plus two excellent actors Javier Bardem and Ricardo Darin. Open ending of the movie was quite appealing to me.

Overall, not the best Farhadi’s film but still quite a good one.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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7

amheretojudgeFeb 8, 2019

She Knew. He Did Not.

Todos Lo Saben Farhadi's captivating vision is challenging in its own exotic milieu. This who-done-it case is far away from being a mystery- as it claims the title to be known and familiar to everyone- and yet so closeShe Knew. He Did Not.

Todos Lo Saben

Farhadi's captivating vision is challenging in its own exotic milieu. This who-done-it case is far away from being a mystery- as it claims the title to be known and familiar to everyone- and yet so close to the thrills that you can practically hear the heart pumping faster. His meticulous script and observational humor in early stages spreads the myth around the village stories like you have been here before, you have lived your whole life here and are now about to visit those places once again. This big hash of memory refreshment adapts an apt environment for a marriage, with few bitter equations, sweet memories, humorous locals, a sad untouched and inadequate case that hangs low and above all the old uncomfortable chemistry reincarnated by new easy ones.

Farhadi makes sure that these old testaments are iterated at the most vulnerable state in order to keep the emotions at brisk and audience lost in its malleable characters. And just like people surrounding us, each of them comes with their own baggage, enough to not be easily neglected, but these Sherlock-like vibes of the film gets lost in an eerily beautiful love story.

To pull that out of the bag, after we sink in so deep into it, ought to Farhadi's greatest triumph, the humility among the lead cast that supports them at critical stage is what we want to hold onto. But Farhadi changes the tone once again, and clearly has some other plans for us, this mellow and poignant act shifts completely into a thrilling crime drama without a notice. This is where the film gets juicier when Cruz's husband comes home and silent pitches in the room replaces the petty arguments and even pettier suggestions.

The crisp tension created in those dinner table conversations cuts through all your accusations and questions like never before, once again those big bold question tags pops up as you start to blame each other. Farhadi is clearly fiddling with you subconsciously at this stage where half knowledge does grow dangerous. Cruz as the sobbing, panting victim is much more firm in her voice than she appears, her most of the screen time might be to portray a scattered protective guardian but her background tales are powerful enough to keep her husband shut for the rest of the conversation.

But this has always been Bardem's film, the underdog and the topic of all the gossips, he gets much more wider range to portray, from being suspected to suspecting, from a loser to a winner, his peace will be the only reason to leave us happy after the reel ends. Personally, I prefer them when they are tangling with other characters as they share the screen, those quick glances across the room and a notions to lean towards each other at a point of crisis, speaks enough volume for their characters. Todos Lo Saben is the aftermath of love story, unlike any other equations, this one still hasn't worn down as it pulsates vividly and paints a clean crime on screen.… Expand

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8

JackusBlackusMar 10, 2019

Who? Why? How? The mystery unfolds and a secret is revealed as relationships between family members and between families are explored.

There are many characters and many relationships to establish, so it takes a while for the story to getWho? Why? How? The mystery unfolds and a secret is revealed as relationships between family members and between families are explored.

There are many characters and many relationships to establish, so it takes a while for the story to get started. But once the plot gets going you listening to every word and analyzing every action.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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8

Dr-HooshangDec 1, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What's the fact which everybody knows and you don't? this is the most interesting element in this movie. The screenplay let you or in better word make you to investigate truth and to suspect anybody in the story.
But after you know truth story is no more interesting. It could be more exciting if the story had a complex ending.
At the end Bardem did his best as always.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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7

John935May 11, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have mixed feelings about this movie. Story about teen girl who disappears but it's way more interested in how her family reacts. It's over 2 hours. To the extent that I liked it, it was for the wrong reasons: How bad can it be to watch Penelope Cruz & Javier Bardem (married to each other in real life) for 2 hours? Answer: Ok, not bad, really. Did I end up caring about the story? Well, no. So, mixed feelings....… Expand