Karlovy Vary Review: ‘Ramona’

Anna Smith
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

A woman and a man meet in a bar: it’s the start of many a good story, and writer-director Andrea Bagney takes it in an amusing direction in Ramona, her feature debut. The black-and-white Spanish comedy-drama is an enjoyable work that world premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, benefitting from a sparky central turn from Lourdes Hernández, best known in Spain as the singer Russian Red.

She’s the titular Ramona, sometimes known as ‘Ona,’ who strikes up a conversation with an older guy (Bruno Lastra) over coffee. Coffee quickly turns into shots, and beers, and the rest…

More from Deadline

Watching these two drunkenly put the world to rights about everything from social media to recycling is a joy; so it’s a bit of a pang when the mood shifts to slightly more dramatic territory. It transpires that the man, Bruno, is the director of a film that Ramona is auditioning for – and she’s got a long term boyfriend, a chef called Nico (Francesco Carril). Her uncertain life is about to become more so, as Nico encourages her to take a job with the man who’s fallen in love with her.

Much of the ensuing film centers around this romantic challenge, and while it’s not as engaging as the film’s opening, the characters ring true and swerve away from stereotype. While he can be distant and forgetful, Nico is no villain, and Bruno is charismatic, egocentric and — as Ramona points out — sometimes downright annoying. It is a love triangle that audiences may take different views on.

On this note, it’s easy to make a favorable comparison to The Worst Person In The World: Ramona is a fun, creative, indecisive character and events are shown from her point of view: she’s not objectified as a ‘manic pixie dream girl.’
 
Bagney is open about her cinematic references. A hispanic A Bout De Souffle springs to mind as this stylish couple banter through the Madrid streets, shot in black and white. In her choice of audition monologues, Ramona is inspired by Annie Hall and the Before Sunrise series. A score swelling with Tchaikovsky adds to the classic feel.

In an intriguing move, the picture becomes full color when Ramona is being filmed, either in preparation for Bruno’s movie, or during its production. It’s a startling contrast that pays tribute to the power of the medium, without adding a great deal to the story. But Ramona remains a sharp, urban character portrait with a relationship that may or may not be romantic, yet engages to the end. And it marks both Bagney and Hernández as cinematic talents to watch.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.