In the words of the immortal Johnny Mac, "You cannot be serious!" This snoozer is the most lackluster thing I've had the misfortune of subjecting myself to in a good while. You know, you read these reviews (the ones from the Voice and the Times) and you get conned into thinking there's something there. It must be the Tabula Rasa thing; they project all manner of hidden meaning onto these blank canvasses (oh, it's all so very symbolic). Sure it is. Less is not always more. Minimalism in this case means minimal plot, acting chops and scriptwriting. Want to make big splash at Cannes? Say nothing and the emperor's new clothes syndrome will take over from there. This thing is as tedious as "Uncle Boonme who's ancestors were as turgid and dull as he was", another Cannes con.

Bolivia is a relatively short and simple movie which contains many cinematographic techniques which transmit different messages and themes to the audience. The plot of the film revolves around an immigrant from Bolivia who finds a job in Argentina as a cook at a restaurant-bar. The director uses several different camera shots as a means of revealing the main setting, in the restaurant, and providing insights on the new life of the newcomer. Moreover, through the use of high angles at certain points and the black and white coloring of the whole movie, the author lets the audience know that there is a bigger issue which drives the whole movie… racism. This issue is hinted at by the angles and color of the filming, but then it is made evident by the dialogue which is exchanged by people at the bar and the actions which follow up. The movie is certainly worth watching with an artistic and appreciative eye.

There are movies that shows you how hard can life be for people considered different or out of place. We know that Adrian Caetano is quite an expert in such films. "Bolivia" is not an exception. Really good, makes you think about facts that seems quite normal in our countries.In Argentina the Bolivian or Paraguayan people are generally unwanted immigrants, as Argentinians are unwanted in other places like USA, Italy or Spain. This movie shows clearly how can individual tragedies be part of social discrimination. Considered as "Nuevo Cine Argentino", Caetano's filmography should be watched carefully, being a good director that tells simple but deep stories.

The life of illegal immigrants, in Buenos Aires or in another place in the world, is a black & white life, the colors are off. For telling the routine of a Bolivian cook, alone, sleeping in a bar, with his wife and children living 1500 miles away, disturbed everyday by police asking for his papers, white and black are enough. You won't find here famous actors or great special effects. Almost the whole movie occurs in a cheap neighbourhood bar. But the story is universal, it could be a Turkey in Munich, a Tunisian in Marsella or a Mexican in Los Angeles.Hector Kesselman, Buenos Aires, Argentina