n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The story of a young officer, who fall in sizzling love with a tobacco factory worker told so distant and leisurely cinematic language that comes to mind: perhaps the matter is the advanced age of the director, that did not allow him to make the main theme of the movie what was considered his numerous predecessors - passion, jealousy, lust.Senor Aranda actually deprived the most "Spanish" story in the history of the passions with which "Carmen" always associated. Despite the stunning views of Andalusia, Granada and Cordoba, against which the action is played out, watch what is happening on the screen simply uninteresting.The plot, which became the basis for operas, ballets and numerous adaptations, turns into a specific, interesting mainly with the cultural and visual perspectives movie. Atmosphere of the time recreated with care. In particular, to work on the costumes was invited "Oscar"-winner Yvon Blake. Obviously, the film with a similar scale, certainly deserves more serious cast. And if Paz Vega can be represented as Carmen, Antonio Deschamps is frankly not cope with the role, the duo looks extremely unconvincing. In general, the picture may be addressed to lovers of costume movies, hopeless romantics and those for whom the "Carmen" - is just a bouncy tune of Bizet's opera of the same name.+ Costume adaptation of classicThe lack of decent actors in the lead roles

There have been approximately 60 different films & Television plays,besides the classic Opera of this tale of a sex mad girl and her hapless soldier lover. This story has been done so many times, in various ways.Vicente Aranda directs Joaquin Jorda's screenplay adaptation of Prosper Merimee's classic novel & play.This is the story ONLY of Bizet's opera CarmenPas Vega is an exciting Carmen,full of passion & the ability to drive simple men to do terrible tragic things. Leonardo Sbaraglio is the hapless soldier who is ensnared into Carmen's poisonous web & led to doing bad things.Jay Benedict is the author Prosper who tells this tale.There is not much action, BUT there are some very hot sex scenes.In fact this is almost an NC-17 film.since I have seen this tale so often in so many guises I was not overly impressed.It is a very well made film & will be of interest to those that may not know of it,My not overly enthusiastic review also could be that I miss the fantastic Opera score by Bizet.See this as you may like it more than I did.Ratings *** (out of 4) 82 points (out of 100) IMDb 7 (out of 10)

Ok I admit,this is not the best movie of european cinema...But even the worst could never reach the crappy level of the american one...Just go watch it cause it's european... Paz Vega is horrible but beautiful,you can never forget that...

Excellent movie in many aspects. Vicente Aranda has succeeded in depicting the time (1830) with meticulous care. The light, the places, the feeling, are perfectly perceived from the very start of the movie. And along with it -in opposite to what happened to "Mad Love" (Juana la Loca), a rather episodic historical movie- all of this beautiful photography/ music/ clothes is wrapping a very fluid screenplay that reaches its climax in the only possible way.Concerning the actors, Paz Vega as Carmen is outstanding: liar, seductive, agressive, totally sexual, so beautiful Carmen. Sbaraglia is a little less convincing the audience about his instant mad love for Carmen, but he succeeds in conveying the proper tragic mood to the whole movie. I recommend it to everyone: the best spanish movie of the year.