MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND
US, 2017, 80 minutes, Colour.
Ana Asensio, Natasha Romanova, David Little, Nicholas Tucci, Larry Fessenden, Caprice Benedetti.
Directed by Ana Asensio.
This is a brief film about life and disillusionment in New York City. It is the work of Ana Asensio who stars in the central role but who also wrote and directed the film.
There is an irony in the title about the island of Manhattan and a slogan is seen �The Big Apple: Big Dreams� ironical, of course.
During the opening credits, there are a number of women walking around the busy streets of Manhattan. The focus eventually comes on Luciana who has come to New York after the accidental death of her child, her still being blamed by her mother for the child’s death. She shares an apartment with a young woman from Eastern Europe.
There are glimpses of Luciana trying to make ends meet, various jobs including minding two rather obnoxious children who want to get her into trouble. Also there are continual difficulties with money, her going to a shop and stealing a dress after tearing it and offering $20 for a damaged goods.
However, the central action of the film takes place, first of all, in a Chinese restaurant where Luciana is given directions to go to a mysterious venue. She joins a number of girls in black dresses who are controlled by various equivalent of bouncers. She does not know why she is there and what is to happen. Her roommate is rather sullen, not giving her any information. A well-dressed woman emerges from closed doors at times to take each of the women into a room with a group of wealthy and very well-dressed men and women, rather leering and decadent.
The group make bets at risks to the women who undergo trials, keeping still while spiders walk over them, deadly spiders who might kill them…
The film does not offer any complete ending, any happy ending. The question is what effect it has on Luciana, her being patronised favourably by the woman, the group applauding her survival – and her continuing in this work, taking the risks, for a highly paid fee.
1. The title? New York? Manhattan? “The Big Apple: Big Dreams�? Irony?
2. The director and writer, from Spain, her acting career, writing and directing this film? Based on actual events? The dedication to her parents?
3. The picture of migrants, the difficulties, possibilities for work, unregistered? The need for money, fending for themselves? Reliance on sex, parties, the effect on the women? The different countries and backgrounds? The credit sequence – and the collage of women and the focus in New York City?
4. A portrait of Luciana, in New York, wandering, having left home, the phone call to her mother, the background of the death of the little girl, the accident and acquittal, memories with the toys? Luciana staying with Olga, issues of payment, ownership of goods in the refrigerator, the arguments with Olga?
5. The part-time jobs, the babysitting, the petulant children, her being late, their wanting the ice cream, the carry on, the little girl running away, her being found? Luciana desperate?
6. Issues of money, getting somebody to mind the children, wanting to buy the dress, going to the shop, tearing it, offering $20?
7. Olga and the information about the party, going to the address, the Asian contacts, the orders, not taking her bag, the taxi and her not being able to pay, the venue for the party, getting in? Her fears, the other women and their black dresses? Olga present and her silence? The male supervisors? The woman in charge and her poise? The girls, some silent, some reassured, the one trying to get away? Luciana and her fear, going to the toilet, trying to escape, the clash with the guard and his molesting her?
8. The girls lined up, the clients coming in, their wealth, men and women, degenerate behaviour?
9. The girls coming out, hearing the screams? Luciana going in, with Olga? The games, the bets, the focus on the faces of the clients, their watching the girls and the spiders, coming in the explanation of the spiders, the girls naked with the spiders on them, the hourglass and two minutes, the threats? Luciana succeeding? Olga and her fears? The money? The discussion with the woman in charge, the invitation to come back?
10. Luciana, getting the ice cream, recovering from her experience – but what about her future?
