[yasr_overall_rating]
Life and events of the man who realized one of the most important discoveries of the 19th century: Altamira’s caves.
This is a great role for Antonio Banderas who with his strong sense of presence can carry any major role well on his statuesque build and undeniably good looks alone. To add an unrelenting depth of character only capitalizes on the Brain vs Brawn balance that makes the character respectable and admired. In the role of Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola, Banderas is a Spanish Archaeologist and a simple husband and father trying to make an honest living for his family in Santander, Spain in 1878. In the midst of recovering from the recent death of a child, Marcelino takes on a more serious fatherly role by sharing life experiences accompanied by noble teachings with his young daughter Maria (Allegra Allen) who thrives on his every word and seems to be primed for following in his inquisitive footsteps.
On a discovery outing with her dad, Maria wanders deeper into a cave and discovers a wealth of artistic drawings that have seemingly remained intact over a great number of years. Overwhelmed by the discovery, Marcelino researches the findings and shares them with his wife Conchita (Golshifteh Farahani) and local Monsignor (Rupert Everett) hoping to gain support for what appeared to be a ten-thousand year old archaeological find referred to as Altamira. Nine-year old Maria’s life changes for the worse when Marcelino travels to Paris to present his findings to world re-nowned French Prehistorian Emile Cartailhac (Clement Sibony) at the International Archaeologist’s Convention. Unconvinced that the discovery could be authentic, Cartailhac not only refuses to visit the cave to verify the findings, but he also publicly accuses Marcelino of fraud and causes his family to endure years of humiliation due to the injustice.
Upon returning to his home, Marcelino’s day to day living is disrupted by his wife’s refusal to support his unmerited beliefs and Maria’s reoccurring dreams of the bison that decorated the walls of the cave, gradually turn their simple lifestyle upside down. The marriage all but falls apart and their spiritual relationship is forever changed. Twenty years later and thirteen years after his death, Cartailhac pays a visit to apologize for not giving proper credit for Marcelino’s authentic discovery and to pay his first visit to the cave to witness the 35,000 year-old Altimara findings. Hugh Hudson directs this film with the utmost passion and a vast view of the countryside that makes for a wonderful backdrop, in spite of unsettling circumstances that forces a community to cast out one of its own in favor of self-gratifying indifference.
In theaters & On Demand September 16th and on DVD & Digital September 27th
