Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Good concept, poorly executed.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Watched this film time ago, and at the time like everyone else got confounded with the mish mash of imagery and bare bones plot. However a recent viewing revealed some clear connections between the scenes and images in the film, bear with me, this isn´t a full fledged analysis but more of a series of observations. First this is a deeply mexican film, it touches on some ideas that have been long discussed regarding Mexico´s status as a developing country and the mentality and behaviour of its people in comparison with first world people/countries, hence the aparently disconnected rugby game and sauna sequences. -The first scene with the little girl is more of a pure image rather than a idea: if you know Mexico you might notice that the warm and tender are right next to the raw and savage. -The devil in the house is obviously an alusion to the personal demons of the characters, right next to this scene we see Juan brutally beating his dog, and going to a help group to confess his porn addiction, there he mets "Siete" (Seven) an all around despicable individual on his supposed path to righting his life. And from there we see the the warm-up to a rugby match in an English school, that is a group of kids in a first world institution are learning to channel and shape their aggression. -The sauna sequence could very well be located in other place than Mexico, in it, we see a sort of orgy, that is, sexuality here is organized and ritualized. Compare with Juan and "Siete" ´s afflictions. Appropiately most of this happens in the countryside, nature untamed and all that. These are some of the things that made me see the movie in a much more connected and coherent manner, the obvious signal with these movies is to see if the images and sequences we are seeing resonate and rebound between them and why and how, and that may be part of the Reygadas plan.

Contains Spoilers! Many people found this film to be confusing, lacking a plot, art- house nonsense. Perhaps they were right and perhaps I'm just an art nut but I was all but awestruck by the piece. In Post Tenebras Lux, (Light After Darkness in Latin) Carlos Reygadas gives a beautiful and insightful look into the lives of a family living in rural Mexico. It may seem confusing and heady at first but to me, that is an over- complication. What I got out of this film was a simple and unique portrayal of the ordinary and mundane which can even sometimes seem shocking to us because realism is not a frequently employed style in film. Another thing, is although it may appear to be meandering and slow at times, (and perhaps ultimately is) the long scenes of a family just waking up, a reunion, an argument in the kitchen, a conversation at a bar- they all give us a deep and insightful look at the members of this family so that we can really connect to them on an emotional level which is something every film must do so as not to simply be a bunch of images flashing across the screen, and this one does so very well. Although it is ultimately realist it employs many techniques of impressionism (the 'looking through glass' effects) and even surrealism (a man ripping off his own head, the devil walking through the house). I really enjoyed this tender look into the lives of one family and look forward to watching more of Reygadas' work.

Mexican film-maker Carlos Reygadas returns with his most ambitious film yet with 'Post Tenebras Lux', in the most part using a self-made beer-glass camera lens which refracts his figures, doubles the image and leaves the screen's borders blurred.The opening sequence sums up the dreamlike drama of this film, where a young child is surrounded by a pack of dogs and horses from daylight to darkness. Your mind starts to panic as you assume the worst will happen, questions go through your mind about the wellbeing of the child. Its an unnerving scene. Things get stranger still, with a series of seemingly unconnected stories; where English children play rugby in a school; a red Lucifer/goat-like figure making housecalls with a toolbox; and a bathhouse where orgies take place in rooms named after Hegel and Duchamp. Inbetween the many short stories, a couple called Juan (Adolfo Jiménez Castro) and Natalia (Nathalia Acevedo) live in a big house with their children in the mountains somewhere in Mexico. Their lives and the people that work for them are the only concentrated narrative strands running through this film.These disparate short stories seem to be used to map out the different aspects of Reygadas's home country. The rugby match is the one scene that doesn't fit into this film, I assume its used as a unifying concept for Mexico's people who shouldn't be fighting amongst themselves but working as a team for the greater good, regardless of their backgrounds and beliefs.'Post Tenebras Lux' is a sketchy film that flits between the real and unreal. By taking so many different snapshots of life, the message is often lost. These broad brushstrokes are occasionally impressive in situations you least expect, such as in the forest and the headless man. Beautifully filmed, Reygadas's vision and imagination unlocks images you may not have seen otherwise, or unsuspecting thoughts and feelings. There's a lot to ponder in 'Post Tenebras Lux' but a lot that you may cast aside just as quickly, what's left may be all you need from this film.

Post Tenebras Lux (2012) is a Mexican film written and directed by Carlos Reygadas. It stars Adolfo Jiménez Castro as Juan, a sophisticated and wealthy man who lives with his wife Natalia (Nathalia Acevedo) and children is a rural area of Mexico. The movie contains bizarre elements. Many bizarre elements. Bizarre elements are not necessarily out of place in a movie, but none of these elements made sense to me. I couldn't see how they fit into any cohesive directorial vision. For example, every so often the movie cuts to a scene of English schoolboys playing rugby. This must be highly symbolic. My question is, Symbolic of what?At one point Juan watches while Natalia has sex with a stranger in a steam bath. Ms. Acevedo is very beautiful. (In fact, an older woman who is facilitating the event keeps telling her how beautiful she is.) So, the scene has its merits in the visual sense. However, in terms of plot, the scene makes no sense, especially because at that point everyone is speaking French. (There is one really positive aspect to this part of the movie. It allows the reviewer to point out that this was a truly steamy sex scene.)Director Reygadas won the Best Director Award at Cannes for this movie. The jury must still be laughing.