The central conceit of Alcarràs – a Catalan family that runs a peach orchard in rural Spain faces the existential threat of globalization when their owner wants to convert their land into a plot of solar panels – is ripe for drama. That writer-director Carla Simón turns this “little-guy-versus-the-system” logline into a story of familial infighting and assured self-destruction is even more interesting… on paper, anyway. The film is selectively compelling in its nuanced portrayal of a volatile, working class family. The patriarch (Jordi Pujol Dolcet) refuses to accept reality, preferring to harvest his way back to the old days. This causes friction with his family, who both seek his approval while disdaining his stubbornness. At large, Alcarràs is too unfocused to have legitimate dramatic effect, and while subtle grace moments between the characters prove that Simón has a talent for human storytelling, this one never quite hits its mark.

 

Directed by Carla Simón