The Old Man Who Read Love Stories (2001) Poster

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7/10
Spanish/Dutch/French co-production filmed in Guyane with magnificent acting , fabulous scenarios and colorful cinematography
ma-cortes4 November 2014
Brooding and provoking movie mainly dealing with a merciless , relentless chase to a jaguar and many other things . An old man called Antonio Bolívar (Richard Dreyfuss , though director originally envisaged Morgan Freeman in the lead role) lives in a small village in the wild jungle . Antonio is a thoughtful veteran who has been living with Jivaro Indians who reduce human heads and has learned a lot of things from them such as hunting by means of blowpipe . Meanwhile , he reads loving novels such as ¨To love and to be loved¨ and ¨Lovers of the forgotten garden¨ and falls in love for a beautiful village girl (Cathy Tyson) , Mayor's girlfriend . There governs a corrupt as well as stiff-upper-lip Mayor (Timothy Spall) in charge of Town Hall Mayoral Office . The grumpy Mayor is a ¨Cacique¨ who coerces the natives to vote to him , giving them liquors and privileges . When a savage jaguar kills people , the Mayor organizes a posse to track down the animal . The motley group is formed by Bolívar , the itinerant dentist Rubicondo (Hugo Weaving) , villagers (Guillermo Toledo , Luis Hostalot) and natives . Antonio is forced to confront a dangerous female jaguar and his own past through the sacrificial killing of the beast he has grown to love. In the jungle, the one who survives is the one that moves.

This jungle adventure yarn is full of interesting dialogs , moving scenes , thrills , and results to be slow-moving but entertaining . The film is pretty well with a nice sense of pace but also some holes in the screenplay . During this exciting tale we share the old man's memories , scenes of a past existence , records and relationships with his deceased wife and the Amazon tribe who healed him . The yarn has a complex narration , including intelligently inserted flashbacks along with some well-paced hunting scenes through of the capture of wildlife by the hunters and being based on a novel by Luis Sepúlveda . Filmmaker Rolf De Heer wrote and shot this exciting as well as thoughtful jungle story and Richard Dreyfuss , Timothy Spall , Hugo Weaving star in it , which should guarantee a high quality excitement and entertainment . Nice support cast , many of them Spanish players such as Luis Hostalot and Guillermo Toledo . All of them , contribute towards compensating for the flaws and gaps in the plot .

Sensitive and lively soundtrack by Fernando Sancho and Graham Tardif . Luxurious and glamorous color photograph by cameraman Denis Lenoir filmed on location in Guyane, Départements d'Outre-Mer, France , though the film was originally going to be filmed in Venezuela, South America. The flick was compellingly produced by Michelle De Boca and the Spanish producer Iñaqui Nuñez, the latter has financed good films such as Poniente , Sabotage , Marujas Asesinas and The ninth gate . The motion picture was well directed by Rolf De Heer . In the early stages of development, the director asked for final cut thinking that he would not get it, but he did . Rolf de Heer was born on May 4, 1951 in Heemskerk, Noord-Holland, Netherlands . He is a director , writer and producer, known for Dingo (1991) , Dance Me to My Song (1998) , Bad Boy Bubby (1993), Alexandra's Project (2003) The tracker (2002) , Ten Canoes (2006) and this one his best movie ¨The Old Man Who Read Love Stories¨ (2001) . Rating : Better than average . Well worth watching .
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5/10
Subtlety of a freight train
warrener30 July 2001
Watching this movie I tried my best to experience the subtext, only - everything was so spelled out and manipulative, there was nothing for me to do. De Heer obviously doesn't trust an audience when it comes to interpreting characters. Every single one was simply in the film for the sake of highlighting Dreyfuss' character. Nothing more. This is the type of movie where the director's arm leaps out of the screen and clenches your face, telling you where to look, what to feel and how exactly to react. Give us some credit, Rolf!
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10/10
It will join my list of all time favourites
MEG-408 April 2004
The strange thing about the reviews and comments that I've read about this movie was that they were all bordering on the negative. It is a wonderful film, so different just because it is about an old man who remembers that he can read and how the only books that he can get are love stories which help him put his world into a new perspective. Not quite alone in the Amazonian jungle for years, we are told a bit of his history in cleverly inserted flashbacks. The roles of the slovenly village Mayor (Timothy Spall), the itinerant dentist (Hugo Weaving)and the beautiful village girl (Cathy Tyson) are all so well played that the viewer is drawn in as part of the the story like a voyeur. When the film had ended I just wished to see more. Being a fan of Richard Dreyfuss was a definite plus but overall this gentle film was very enjoyable and I'd see it again and again.
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Literature has a place even in the jungle
Philby-320 March 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Caution; SPOILER

Although Rolf de Heer has made some oddball movies (Bad Boy Bubby for example) he has got more conventional of late (The Tracker) yet is still preoccupied by people on the margins of life. His protagonist here, Antonio Bolivar (Richard Dreyfuss), bearer of a famous South American surname, came from a poor village in the Andes to settle in a remote part of the Amazon region 40 years ago. He lived most of the intervening time with an Indian band after the early death of his wife from Malaria but has now moved into 'town', a wretched tiny village clinging to the side of the river.

There's one steamer every two months with a travelling dentist (Hugo Weaving) who does his extractions in public. The town is presided over by the bullying 'democratically elected' Mayor Agallo (Timothy Spall) with whom Antonio has an uneasy relationship, especially after his girl Josefina (Cathy Tyson) leaves him for Antonio . Rather late in life Antonio has commenced learning to read, though he has only pulp romantic fiction (provided by the dentist to practice on.)

Although he is well geared to life in the jungle Antonio is a troubled man, and when he becomes involved with hunting down a Jaguar which has taken to killing people the ghosts of his past come near to overwhelming him. But Antonio is a man of character and you just know he is going to make it.

Richard Dreyfuss is wholly convincing as Antonio, a man who does not expect a lot from life, but is sunny and genial nonetheless. It's one of those remarkable performances that puts out of your mind other roles the actor has played. Hugo Weaving and Timothy Spall give good support and there is almost a hypnotic performance by Victor Bottenbley as Nushino the Indian chief. The Jaguars were pretty good too.

The film was made in French Guiana, which must not have been easy, since it rains there about 11 months of the year, and the locales look authentic even if it's not exactly Amazonia. For some reason it has taken three years for this film to be released (apart from some film festival outings). In fact it hasn't been released in the US yet which is odd, with Dreyfuss in the lead role, Hugo Weaving in support and an almost mainstream story. There's no reason why it shouldn't do OK on the Art-house circuit at least – it's not 'Fitzcarraldo'.

This movie put me in mind of the final part of 'A Handful of Dust' when distracted English aristocrat Tony Last is captured and held by an illiterate hermit in Guiana who lives with the Indians. The hermit (Alec Guinness in the film) gets him to read out loud Dickens every night. Perhaps literature is seen to best advantage in remote places. I don't know if the original author here, Luis Sepulveda, has ever read Evelyn Waugh, but there is a strange resonance here. Now, I suppose our hermits can have solar powered CD players which obviate the need for capturing unfortunate readers.
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10/10
Richard Dreyfuss doing a Spanish accent
Boromir2820 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The Old Man who Read Love Stories is one of those rare experiences you as a film audience will ever receive. It is a wonderful movie with excellent acting with Richard Dreyfuss as the all dominating force. Hugo Weaving shows why he is one of the worlds greatest character actors with his portrayal as the very loving and slightly lazy dentist. The story is really not important as it is the acting that really puts this film on the map. I don't mean this in a negative way, mind you!The plot is simply not that important once you hear the rusty voice of Dreyfuss doing a marvelous Spanish accent. The same goes for Weaving.

All in all! You're in for a treat.

You'll laugh and cry and be left with a feeling that life is all about the little things. Such as reading love stories.
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A thoughtful and thought-provoking film.
hendem21 March 2004
A leisurely and beautifully filmed movie which concerns an old man (Dreyfus) living in a remote backwater of the Amazon River. Late in life he has learned to read, and he has taken to reading love stories, savouring each word as if it were a morsel of a feast.

The narrative concerns the hunt for a jaguar which has apparently acquired a taste for human flesh. During this adventure we share the old man's reflections, reveries and regrets, fragments of a past life. In the unfolding of the story he is able to make reparation for at least one of his regrets.

The film could be criticised for being slow and uneven at times. I have not read the novel, but I'm sure that it was multi-layered and textured, with underlying themes of missed opportunities, loss of innocence, the environment and the egregious impact of civilisation. The movie only hints at these things and sometimes were are left a little puzzled. But the eloquence is in the mood, which is perfectly captured.

Highly recommended.
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10/10
Mesmeric, perfectly paced and utterly beautiful
thisroughmag6 June 2003
This film won the Adelaide International Film Festival's Audience Choice Award, and for good reason.

This is beautiful story-telling; it's subtle, beautifully paced and visually magnificent. And if whoever wrote comment number one couldn't find subtext then he must have been watching a different film.

I'm hoping against hope for an Australian release in the near future.
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10/10
Spectacular film making!
Alllwork15 January 2012
A great story told with heart and skill. It took a while to recognize Mr. Dreyfuss. Engaging, evocative . Saw it at a festival where Mr. de Heer shared his copy. Need to see it again - I hope it gets some kind of release. I can still smell the moist jungle atmosphere, the exquisite emotion of the pacing of events. The dentist is a character to remember! Rolf de Heer outdid himself this time. If you loved "Bubby" and " Ten Canoes" , "The Old Man Who Read Loved Sories" is a must-see. The camera is your narrator, and creates a visual feast revealing a tale of passion and perseverance. My strongest memories of the film are visceral. Its physicality,sensuality, spice, hot, wet, fragrant, wet, green, dark, wet - did I say "wet" yet? texture has stayed with me for years.
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Wonderful movie
carb-58 April 2007
Well maybe it can be said that this movie is sometime slow but not so much. The performances are very good , specially Hugo Weaving and Richard Dreyfuss are excellent and the movie have a poetic sense and fine dialog . The art designer is Gil Parrondo, who have won 2 academy awards with "Patton" and "Nicholas and Alexandra".This is an adaptation of a novel , a complex one. The screenplay is beautiful and the movie really flows, it's not contrived . This is not a cliché film or a conventional movie and does not disappoint . I really like this movie and I think it's one of the best Dreyfuss's performances ever, creating a subtle, intelligent , simple and wise old man.
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10/10
A wonderfully constructed hidden gem
eddie_baggins20 February 2014
An under-seen and under-rated gem of a movie, I had the great pleasure of seeing The Old Man Who Read Love Stories when I was but a young boy and it's a film that stuck with me for many years thanks to subtle power, striking imagery and a performance from Richard Dreyfuss that surely must be the most fully formed of his career. I had an even greater pleasure recently where I was able to attend a screening of The Old Man and a Q and A with its legendary Australian director Rolf de Heer that reaffirmed to me what a classic film this is.

The making and release of The Old Man was one fraught with many different challenges both in a crew sense and also a release sense. Sitting on the shelf unjustly for more than 3 years The Old Man once available to the public was a film that divided the critics and audiences alike but for those willing to be swept up in the tale of journeyman Antonio Bolivar it was an absolute joy to be a part of. The Old Man is in no way a typical point A to point B movie and the structure of the films flashbacks (going hand in hand with our lead's fractured life and memories) are in no way done in the usual movie-making fashion. These elements of originality and decision making by director De Heer are just some of the reasons though that make the film just a diamond in the rough.

The Old Man Who Read Love Stories - post As mentioned in the opening paragraph Richard Dreyfuss has never been better than he is here. In a role that was originally intended for Sir Ian McKellan and down the line Morgan Freeman and Sir Ben Kingsley, Dreyfuss is captivating and heartbreaking as our wounded soul. It's a character that is filled to the brim with hidden mysteries that slowly begin to unravel as the movie progresses and although the town folk he deals with (including the "slimy toad" mayor played by the ever creepy Timothy Spall and the roguish dentist played by Hugo Weaving) treat him perhaps as a man that knows little, he is in fact a man that has loved, lost and lived like the best of them. The journey Antonio takes to track a vengeful jaguar is a journey that is not only a physical trek but an emotional trek and one where the film's softly spoken power comes from as Antonio internally deals with his past triumphs and past losses.

Filmed beautifully, scored thoughtfully and acted wonderfully by its cast, The Old Man is a film that is worthy to be tracked down and to be taken away by. With the right marketing and proper treatment one gets the feeling that the film would have been a major player at awards seasons the world over but sometimes a film is more than physical awards and plaudits and the Old Man's true gift is the one it gives to us the watchers and admirers.

5 dentist related bets out of 5

For more movie reviews and opinions check out -

www.jordanandeddie.wordpress.com
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10/10
Great movie
Swiderek20 June 2001
Richard dreyfuss is great in this movie. In all movies he make. I've seen this movie in my country, and i'm specting for the dvd because i like to see this movie in english because in spain the movies are dubbeds, and i have not a lot of opportunities for hear his real voice, and i hate it. I love the movies in original version(english of course)
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An extraordinary film, brought lovingly to life by both director and actors
chauvesouris8 March 2004
It is worth noting that Luís Sepulveda (the author of the novel upon which the film was based), upon meeting Rolf De Heer, grabbed him by the shoulders and thanked him for having brought the spirit of his novel alive onscreen. The nuanced performances of Hugo Weaving, Timothy Spall, Cathy Tyson and

Victor Bottenbley are as memorable as that of Richard Dreyfus, whose deeply-felt and brilliant portrayal of the old man of the title ('Antonio Bolivar') must be a late- career defining moment. It could so easily have degenerated into yet another bit of macho chest-thumpin' hunt-in-the-jungle fluff. However, the beautifully evocative cinematography and sensitive direction save it from such triteness. Highlights include the Mr De Heer's intimate close-ups of the characters, giving the audience a window into their personal space; and the scenes of Antonio Bolivar reading his beloved books by lamplight as he relishes each painstakingly spelt-out word and ruminates on the meaning of each hard-won sentence before moving on

to the next. It's the picture of a man for whom the mere act of reading is still a joyous miracle to be savoured. A nice little bit of synchronicity: Victor Bottenbley, the Dutch actor who plays Nushino, was indeed born in Surinam, which he left as a small child. When he

arrived in French Guiana to begin the shoot, he discovered that some of the other actors were of the tribe of his mother's people. A wonderful homecoming indeed. This year saw the first two preview screenings in Australia.
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10/10
My favorite movie!
p-e10 March 2005
I really love this movie! I think it's so gentle and sweet, and there's a lot of humor all through the film. I caught myself smiling most of the film, the humor is so gentle and subtle.

However, I'd really love to buy a DVD of this movie, but I cannot find it for sale anywhere. I've been looking for more than a year and all I can find is the book - which I've bought of course.

Can anyone help me to find a place where I can buy a DVD version of this wonderful movie?

As I live in Norway the market is kinda limited, but I've checked out all the possibilities I'm familiar with. I need to go international for sure.

Grateful for any help!
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10/10
Obscure, Brilliant Film
magicalbearchild27 November 2019
Richard Dreyfus is an iconic actor but to me, he completely disappeared into the role. Amazing film deserves a wider audience.
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9/10
this needs a re-release at the cinema
bartman69122 February 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I hired this movie because of the cover. It displayed a picture of a jaguar ( I love cats) and Richard Dreyfuss. Wasn't expecting much, seeing he is a great actor and I hadn't heard of the title. From the start of the movie I was hooked! I didn't care about seeing the Jaguar, I just wanted to know what was coming next. Antonio's reading of the book and the quote about "the impassioned kiss" was just.....hook-able. Scenery....unbelievable.....I would love to go there! I don't think it was slow. You certainly don't want to be in the mood for action when watching this. All actors were superb. Can't remember it being at the cinemas! Why? Maybe a re-release is in order:)
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8/10
A favorite novel comes to life.. Well done.
sarafinata16 October 2023
For those who never read the book, this movie is enjoyable and thought-provoking on a human and environmental level. Even though there are "love stories" involved, there is also murder and a leopard hunt. I was very pleased with this version of Luis Supulveda's thoughtful, beautifully written story. Richard Dreyfuss really brought his character's personality to life. The Mayor was just as awful as expected, and enough of the story was brought forward to make it cohesive while maintaining poignancy and point. Thoroughly enjoyable.

The scenes are gritty, beautiful. It has humor in the right places. You may feel horror, sadness, and contentment.
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10/10
Cool beans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
stephenchase-635049 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The greatest bilingual movie ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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