By: Samantha Brown
El Bola, a Spanish film, depicts a twelve year old boy named Pablo who carries a ball bearing as a good luck charm. Pablo keeps to himself at school until Alfredo who is a confident and more sophisticated schoolmate befriends him. Pablo looks up to Alfredo as a role model and begins to spend time with Alfredo's family since Pablo's family is not a loving and caring family. Pablo's home life is filled with abuse and constant disapproval from his father. The loss of Pablo's older brother a few year earlier leads the father, Mariano, to always believe his youngest son will never measure up. Mariana is a hardware store owner who is bored with life and takes his anger out on his son and wife. When Pablo is not in school for several days Alfredo begins to worry and figures out that Pablo is not attending school because his father forbids him to see Alfredo's family again and gives Pablo a beating that leaves him with a black eye. Pablo can take the beating no longer and runs away begging to stay with Alfredo's family. Alfredo's family tries to help Pablo, but they must choose between facing kidnapping charges and sending Pablo back home for possible death by his father's hand. This movie is enjoyable, but is not recommended by this writer as a children's film. There are a few scenes with moderate violence and a few words that would not be suitable for anyone under the age of 18 to view. This movie is not rated and listed as a child's foreign film on Netflix, but is not recommend as a family appropriate film.
Wow this seams like a rough movie kinda. Did the film do a good job of preparing you that it was like this? Was this film considered a childminders film? What happens in the end? is there a happy ending? What made this film enjoyable for you?
ReplyDeleteThis film while although most likely fictious seems to commonly echo the true severity of broken families world wide. Do you believe that any parts in this film could be used instructionally for parents as learning acceptable methods for dealing with assisting from removing children from their homes?
ReplyDeleteWow, yes i agree with the other comments, seems like a very rough movie to watch. I don't think i would advise any children watching this movie not even children who understand spanish in other countries. Well at least it sounds like you enjoyed the movie and learned something from it.
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