As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

The superficiality of this poor film is its main failing. The Spanish Civil War was not explained at all, much less its byzantine structure, and the whole thing looked to me like an early Disney movie in Technicolor.The music was loud, overbearing, and trite. The bullfight stuff was sanitized, romanticized, and looked like some grade-schooler's idea of what a bullfight might be like. The commentary on the part of all the actors was juvenile and to me insufferable in its naiveté.The romantic stuff was wooden, rote, and simply ghastly, as Maggie Smith might observe.I know a lot about the SCW and Spain and this movie represented none of it. I have no idea what caused others here to think it good.

This was a very boring movie for me, I have to say. There was no excitement, no real emotions, no passion... Just a fake dramatic romance, set on purpose during a political turmoil (any kind will do...), like so many movies are, without anything political to say (...fascist or royal regimes are mostly preferred). So what we get is a typical romance, with old-fashioned, TV-style direction and over-dramatic performances with extra schmaltz. Yes, exactly like a Mexican soap opera. (Mexicans, don't take it personal, but in Greece a lot of Mexican, Brazilian etc. soap operas are on TV every day). So, if we get so many soap from our TV sets, why should we watch one on the big screen?

This movie was a good effort and passable but it wasn't great. There should've been clearer evidence of why Maria went to Spain, why she needed to flee her fiance. I thought Franco Nero, the great actor that he is, should have been given a meatier role. Vincent Perez could've done so much more if only he was given the chance.The love story was rather subtle and I liked that they didn't overdo it like many other movies do. There was only one kissing scene and it wasn't shown if or not they ever consummated their love. It made you hungry for more! They didn't need a reason to fall in love, they just did. SPOILER! I thought the ending was perfect - for once, you don't see the lovers running into each other's arms for the ultimate cliched ending.The political unrest in Spain was well reflected. There was enough of it but to the oblivious like me, who never knew anything about the Franco era in Spain, maybe it would have helped if there was some clarification why there was a civil war, at least a little bit.Watch this movie for a chance to see Penelope Cruz pre-Tom Cruise days.

I was impressed by this movie. The acting by Vincent Perez was truly exquisite, he'll surely be taking the world by storm. (not to mention he's something to look at) I thought that the plot was great. Though the end is kinda funky. (I won't give it away)I only truly felt a tad let down in Polly Walker. Her accent was wobbly and her emotion was only 80% their. But she manages to pull through.I know barely anything about the Spanish Civil War but was quite taken by how that didn't really matter. They seemed to explain it without it sounding like a History lesson.Which is why I suggest that everyone should go out and rent this movie right now. It was truly enjoyable.