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SYNOPSIS: Tati,
25 is poor, unemployed and father of four. And Tati loves
Maradona. He's his hugest fan in all of Argentina. One day,
he finds a tree root that looks just like his idol. When Maradona
falls ill, Tati heads for Buenos Aires to give his hero the
root.
As the nation prays for Diego, Tati travels and makes friends
along the way as if touched by the grace of his mission. Director
Sorin brings us a warm road movie about a man following his
dream and takes an affectionate look at Argentina, its people
and above all, their undying devotion to their beloved hero,
Diego "Hand Of God" Maradona.
MOVIE
REVIEW:
Somewhere in the lands of Far Far Away, we
have idols we look up to. We know we may probably never have
the chance to see them in person, but dreaming is always good
for the soul, isn’t it? For this reviewer, he hopes
to see Asian superstar Faye Wong in person one day, and tell
her how her songs have shaped his life. Yes, that remains
a dream, but a dream he hopes to materialise one day. And
that is also why, the male protagonist of this 2006 Argentinean
film speaks to him so much.
Tati is a 25 year old young man who finds
out that soccer superstar Diego Maradona has been admitted
to a hospital in Buenos Aires, and is determined to bring
him a tree root which he found in the woods. A tree root?
Yes, one that apparently looks like the famous soccer player.
The 98 minute film follows the idealistic Taiti on his road
trip from the rural countryside to the bustling cities as
he edges towards of seeing his idol in person.
What stands out in this charming production
is the authenticity of the story. We can be sure there are
people like Taiti out there, who believe in a dream so much
that they are willing to go the extra mile to make the dream
come true. It saddens us then, that living in this realistic
and cynical society, we are often bounded by what is practical
and pragmatic to pursue what we truly believe in. Before this
becomes a skeptical commentary of what it means to conform,
we shall proceed with the fascinating charisma of this sincere
piece of work.
A road trip story can be conveniently easy
to tell, piecing together the various characters and incidents
experienced by the protagonist along the way, but this Carlos
Sorin directed film does more – it gives viewers a glimpse
of the social landscape of Argentina. Be it the religious
group of travelers or the illegal salesmen along the dusty
roads, viewers feel like they are part of the journey, getting
a piece of life from these everyday folks who put their time
to more constructive use than to complain about the state
of affairs in the country.
Taiti himself is an appealing character who
is likeable in every way. From how he tries to hunt down a
roll of film for his pink camera (so he can snap a picture
with Maradona) to how he hitches rides from different people,
you want him to succeed in his quest by the time the end credits
roll.
Without
giving too much away, we celebrate Taiti’s spirit, and
thanks to this good natured film, we are convinced that as
long as you believe in you your cause, there is no distance
too far to realise your dream.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
There
is nothing to complain about the movie’s visual transfer.
It can be viewed in its original Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0
audio track.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
Posted on 15 November 2010
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