Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 2012
White Elephant (2012 film)
Buy White Elephant (2012 film) now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
{{Infobox film
| name = White Elephant
| image = Elefante Blanco (2012 film).jpg
| caption = Film poster
| director = Pablo Trapero
| producer = Pablo Trapero
| writer = Pablo Trapero
Alejandro Fadel
Martn Mauregui
Santiago Mitre
| starring = Ricardo Darn
Jrmie Renier
Martina Gusman
| studio = Patagonik Film Group
Buena Vista International
| cinematography = Guillermo Nieto
| editing =
| distributor =
| released =
| runtime = 120 minutes
| country = Argentina
Spain
France
| language = Spanish
}}
'White Elephant' is a 2012 Argentine drama film directed by Pablo Trapero. The film competed in the 'Un Certain Regard' section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.
Plot
Two priests, the old veteran Father Julin and his new younger Belgian colleague, Father Nicols, and the social worker Luciana, work in a villa miseria in Buenos Aires, Argentina known as Ciudad Oculta. Together they fight to resolve the issues of the neighborhood's society. Their work will have them face the clerical hierarchy, the organized crime and the repression, risking their lives defending their commitment and loyalty towards the people of the neighbourhood.
The film's title comes from the gigantic abandoned hospital that dominates the area, described by Peter Bradshaw in 'The Guardian' as, "a deserted wreck and cathedral of poverty known as the 'white elephant' where the homeless camp and drug-dealers ply their trade."[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/apr/25/white-elephant-review The Guardian, 25 April 2013: 'White Elephant review'] Linked 13 January 2014
Cast
* Ricardo Darn as Julin
* Jrmie Renier as Nicolas
* Martina Gusman as Luciana
Release
After its premiere at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2012, the film went on general release in Argentina three days later. It saw a very limited release (just 1 screen) in the United States on 29 March 2013,[https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekly&id=whiteelephant.htm Box Office Mojo: 'White Elephant'] Linked 13 January 2014 and a more general release in the United Kingdom on 26 April 2013.[https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/elefante-blanco-white-elephant-2012 BBFC: 'Elefante blanco - White Elephant (2012)'] Linked 13 January 2014
The views of the British critics were mixed. Peter Bradshaw in 'The Guardian' found it "a flawed drama, but one with emotional power", while Philip French in the sister paper 'The Observer' found it to be a "hard-hitting tale of Catholic priests working in the slums of Argentina [which] thrills from start to finish",[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/apr/28/white-elephant-review-elefante-blanco The Observer, 28 April 2013: 'White Elephant review'] Linked 13 January 2014 and Geoffrey Macnab in 'The Independent' found it uneven: "The problem is the melodramatic and solemn screenplay. The action sequences have an energy reminiscent of 'City of God' but the scenes in which the priests deal with housing problems or struggle with ill health or the temptations of the flesh soon begin to drag."[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/film-review-white-elephant-15-8588871.html The Independent, 25 April 2013: 'Film review: White Elephant (15)'] Linked 13 January 2014 Tim Robey in 'The Daily Telegraph' was more enthusiastic, calling it a "potent drama about the lawless slums of Buenos Aires it feels like 'The Mission' with all exoticism firmly excised."[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10018726/White-Elephant-review.html The Daily Telegraph, 25 April 2013: 'White Elephant, review'] Linked 13 January 2014
References
Buy White Elephant (2012 film) now from Amazon
<-- Return to movies from 2012