Arima

Arima is an enigmatic and thought-provoking 2019 movie directed by Jaione Camborda. It stars talented actors Melania Cruz, Tito Asorey, Rosa Puga Davila and beautifully infuses mystery, melancholy, and introspection into a jigsaw puzzle of narratives. The film is skillfully encrypted with symbolism and nuanced narratives that need to be deciphered using all senses. The experiential journey of Arima not just demands the viewers' intellectual engagement but also their emotional participation.

In this film, four women represent the primary characters, living in a small fishing village in Spain. They form the center stage of the story, each dealing with their distinct concerns and fears, and living in different backgrounds and everyday realities. Melania Cruz impeccably embodies a younger woman, struggling with her insecurities and emotional dilemmas. The character portrayed by Rosa Puga Davila is a middle-aged woman, wrestling with the complexities of isolation and domesticity. Rosa and Tito Asorey skilfully delve into the inner turmoils, desolation, and solitude of the elderly generation. Each of them confronts their existential fear, and how they maneuver their lives in the backdrop of this fear forms the soul of the story.

The movie portrays the women carrying their own stories, which are intricately interwoven, covertly connected, and are set against the backdrop of a seemingly serene village. The village itself appears to hold a deeper significance, often projecting a character of its own. It appears to live, breathe, and share the solitude of its inhabitants, silently narrating the disconnection and despair of contemporary life.

The film persistently navigates through reality and the supernatural world. It is not a ghost story, but the presence of the mystical world is irrefutable. The uncanny events, strange occurrences, and the mysterious disappearance of a woman create a spectral aura around the village, building a subtle yet effective suspense throughout the film. The supernatural and real-world seamlessly merge in Arima, leaving the audience engaged and bewitched.

Camborda’s brilliant direction and writing play pivotal roles in making the movie an immersive experience. The landscape is captured with a poetic charm where the natural elements, including the woods, the sea, and animals, are depicted as witnesses and participants in the unfolding human drama. The cinematography by Alberte Branco is mesmerizing and effectively resonates with the melancholic mood of the movie.

Arima provides little by means of dialogue, pivoting instead on the power of silence and the potential of visuals to tell a story. It gives room for the audience to delve into the layers of the plot and characters, encapsulating them in its enigmatic world. The soundscape is also a vital part of this film. The subtle sounds, along with the absence of it, act as a stirrer of feelings and enhance the movie's atmospheric attributes. The films' ability to communicate through silence augments its aesthetics, making it a testament to the controlling power of minimalism in storytelling.

The music score by Xavi Font creates a haunting yet soothing ambiance that blends perfectly with the overall visuals and storyline. The amalgamation of these elements crafts an environment shrouded in mystery and awe. Beyond elements of cinematography, the film’s storytelling prowess lies greatly in the actors’ commendable portrayal of multi-dimensional characters that seemingly transcend time and space.

Themes of isolation, despair, fear, and existential uncertainties abloom in the movie make it a poignant commentary on contemporary society's alienation. Rarely dialogued, yet remarkably voiced, Arima does not offer an easy watch but serves as an introspective journey into the human emotion realm.

In summary, Arima is a meditative exploration of human emotions, cleverly narrated through the lives of four women against the backdrop of a picturesque yet eerily quiet fishing village. The story’s innate prowess lies not only within the script but also in the phenomenal performances of its cast members, the encapsulating cinematography, and its perfect blend of reality and the supernatural. The film nudges its audiences to introspect and empathize with the characters, providing a unique cinematic experience that leaves an etching impression.