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IMDb > La balsa de piedra (2002)

La balsa de piedra (2002) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
6.0/10   332 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Yvette Biro (writer)
José Saramago (novel)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Stone Raft on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
19 September 2002 (Netherlands) more
Genre:
Plot:
An inexplicable crack in the Pyrenees Mountains provokes excitement and scientific curiosity. As the geological fracture deepens and widens... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
3 wins & 5 nominations more
User Comments:
A Light Fable about Fault-Finding more (4 total)

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Federico Luppi ... Pedro

Icíar Bollaín ... Maria (as Iciar Bollain)
Gabino Diego ... Jose
Ana Padrão ... Joana (as Ana Padrao)
Diogo Infante ... Joaquim
Antonia San Juan ... Ministra Enriquez
Rebeca Tébar ... Chica Del Peaje (as Rebeca Tebar)
Simon Chandler ... Primer Ministro Ingles
Marques D'Arede ... Presidente de Portugal
Manuel Galiana ... Primer Ministro Espanol
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Francisco Algora ... Capataz Espana
Raul Cano ... Ayudante De Pedro
Luis Castro ... Cientifico 3
Jose Luis Chavarria Perez ... Sismologo
Sixto Cid ... Entrevistador
Maria d'Aires ... Cientifico 2
Carlos Da Silva ... Gerente Hotel Jorge
Antonio de la Fuente ... Policia 2
Bárbara de Lema ... Reportero de TV Espana (as Barbara de Lema)
Jacobo Dicenta ... Policia 1
Raúl Fraire ... Ingeniero (as Raul Freire)
André Gago ... Gerente Hotel XXI (as Andre Gago)
Gabriel Leite ... Voz Radio Portuguesa (voice)
Luis Maluenda ... Geologo
Juan Marquez ... Granjero
Cesar Martinez ... Saqueador 2
Marta Mateus ... Mujer De Servicio
Álvaro Moreno ... Reportero De La CNN (as Alvaro Moreno)
José Henrique Neto
Jose Nieto ... Medico
José Pires ... Reportera TV Lisboa (as Jose Pires)
Rui Pisco ... Experto
Fernando Ramallo ... Joven
Marta Revero ... Periodista De La CNN
Guillermo Rivas ... Cientifico 1
George Sluizer ... Portavoz U.E.
Joris Sluizer ... Saqueador 1
Eric Spaans ... Periodista Holandes
James Michael Taylor ... Capataz Texas
Julio Vélez ... Reportero De TV
Carlos Vieira de Almeida ... Dueno Del Bar
Manuel Wiborg ... Reportero Portugues (as Manuel Wilborg)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
A Jangada de Pedra (Netherlands) (Portugal)
Het stenen vlot (Netherlands)
La balsa de piedra (Spain)
The Stone Raft (International: English title)
more
Runtime:
Canada:103 min (Montréal World Film Festival) | Canada:117 min
Language:
Color:
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Company:

FAQ

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8 out of 13 people found the following comment useful.
A Light Fable about Fault-Finding, 16 October 2005
7/10
Author: strumsky from California, USA

Don't be put off from this one. I'll try not to mislead: First, this is a *fable*, an allegorical story — no, not pretentious myth, and not at all meant to be taken literally (or technically!). Also, I don't think it's meant to be an "art film." Don't take it so seriously... but then again, take it seriously in another way; it is a cautionary tale.

Also, it was meant primarily for a European audience. Don't ask it to be a brash and blunt American movie. (Compare and contrast it, as an exercise, with the satiric tone found in "Wag the Dog.") Its tone is more like that of "Life Is Beautiful" perhaps, if you need comparison, but not as hokey.

Okay, it's a disaster film, yes, but it's also a love story with a point. It's light but it uses satire, and I can even almost see it rolling its eyes at the "reviewers" who smirk at its "lack of continuity" and "technical errors" - they miss the point, and likely have missed the boat which has already departed. (Hence the film's title.) (Don't look now, but in some ways, the world's already begun splitting beneath our feet...) I also don't know where the IMDb page's film description comes from (about "...a group of god-like humans"); absurd. But as it is with all fables, myths, or symbols, our pronouncements say more about us than about the item we discuss.

Go to the "external reviews" link, at the left, and read the sensible review by Roger Ebert, or the Village Voice's description ("... strikes a delicate balance between magical realism and biting political satire in this engaging allegory of failed pan-European aspirations").

Like those reviewers, I found the film highly enjoyable, full of heart and sincere, and having a great European sense of humor. I found myself wondering, as Mr. Ebert did, about things it brought up: about fault-finding (pun intended), about chaos theory, about the EU, and about what really matters ... and about what happens when we drift apart.

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