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.

This film sums up what's good about small cinema. They spend millions of dollars on rubbish movies and then this classic is produced on a shoestring. I thought the use of the football and boxing footage worked well, and overall it is a fantastic film from start to finish. Having just watched Crash, it is interesting to contrast the clichéd approach to racial tension in that film to the delicate yet ultimately more powerful way this film deals with the same theme. What a shame that, judging by the lack of response to this film, not very many people have seen it. Can anyone recommend films of this type that might be worth watching.

Freddie is a Bolivian in Buenos Aires, working as a cook in a small bar/restaurant. His contact with the owner, the working-class customers, and his co-workers tells a story of poverty, intolerance, violence, and despair in contemporary Argentina. This brief (75-minute) film is well worth the effort you may have to make to seek it out. First rate.