Common Ground (2002 film) explained

Lugares comunes
Director:Adolfo Aristarain
Producer:Adolfo Aristarain
Joasean Gómez
Gerardo Herrero
Starring:Federico Luppi
Mercedes Sampietro
Arturo Puig
Distributor:Transmundo Films
Runtime:115 minutes
Country:Argentina
Spain
Uruguay
Language:Spanish

Common Ground (Spanish; Castilian: '''Lugares comunes''') (2002) is an Argentine and Spanish drama film co-written, co-produced and directed by Adolfo Aristarain. The film marks the seventh collaboration between Aristarain and actor Federico Luppi. It also stars Mercedes Sampietro and Arturo Puig.

Synopsis

After being forced to retire, literature professor Fernando Robles (Federico Luppi) and his wife Liliana (Mercedes Sampietro) are forced to reevaluate their lives and make major changes in them. These include setting the record straight with their son, exiled in Madrid and starting out a new life. They decide to buy a small lavender farm in Córdoba from a widowed man, Zacarías, and with the aid of their lawyer friend Carlos (Arturo Puig), attempt to start out their new business.

Along the way, Fernando, an aspiring writer himself, jots down notes and ideas for a novel in a book, which he frequently narrates in voice-overs. But this attempt at a new life is cut short when Fernando suddenly contracts pneumonia one cold night on the mountains. He is hospitalized and dies over a week, with enough time to bid farewell to his family and tell his wife all he never said out loud.

Liliana rejects the help of the sympathetic Carlos and the offer from her son Pedro to come live with his family in Spain. She opts to carry on her late husband's attempt of a new life, and stays in the farm Fernando helped rebuild.

Cast

Awards and nomination

AwardCategorySubjectResult
Argentinean Film Critics Association AwardsBest ActorFederico Luppi
Best ActressMercedes Sampietro
Best Art DirectionAbel Facello
Best DirectorAdolfo Aristarain
Best Film
Best ScreenplayAdolfo Aristarain, Kathy Saavedra
Best Supporting ActorClaudio Rissi
Butaca AwardsBest Film ActressMercedes Sampietro
Cartagena Film FestivalBest FilmAdolfo Aristarain
Cinema Writers Circle AwardsBest ActressMercedes Sampietro
Best ScreenplayKathy Saavedra
Fotogramas de PlataBest ActressMercedes Sampietro
Fribourg International Film FestivalAudience AwardAdolfo Aristarain
Grand Prix
Goya AwardsBest ActressMercedes Sampietro
Best ScreenplayKathy Saavedro
Gramado Film FestivalBest ActressMercedes Sampietro
Best Film
Havana Film FestivalGlauber Rocha AwardAdolfo Aristarain
OCIC Award
Vigia Award
San Sebastián International Film FestivalBest ScreenplayKathy Saavedra
Best ActressMercedes Sampietro
Golden SeashellAdolfo Aristarain
Sant Jordi AwardsBest Spanish ActressMercedes Sampietro
Spanish Actors UnionBest Lead Performance - FemaleMercedes Sampietro

See also