THREE REBELS WILLING TO TAKE ON THE WORLD.  TWO LOVERS RISKING IT ALL.  ONE STORY, UNTOLD UNTIL NOW

Director:  Paul Morrison

Screenplay: Philippa Goslett

Release date: 6 May  2009 (USA / UK – limited release)

Rating: R (USA)

Role:  Salvador Dali

Costars: Javier Beltran (Lorca), Matthew McNulty (Bunuel), Marina Gatell (Magdalena) and Arly Jover (Gala).

TRAILER:

SYNOPSIS:

From Official Site – Madrid in 1922 is a city wavering on the edge of change as traditional values are challenged by the dangerous new influences of jazz, Freud and the avant-garde. Salvador Dalí arrives at university at the age of 18 years old, determined to become a great artist. His bizarre blend of shyness and rampant exhibitionism attracts the attention of two of the university’s social elite — Federico García Lorca and Luis Buñuel.

Salvador is absorbed into their decadent group and for a time he, Luis and Federico become a formidable trio, the most ultra-modern group in Madrid. However, as time passes, Salvador feels an increasingly strong pull toward the charismatic Federico — who is oblivious to the attention he is getting from his beautiful writer friend, Magdalena. Finally, in the face of his friends’ preoccupations — and Federico’s growing renown as a poet — Luis sets off for Paris in search of his own artistic success.

Alone in Madrid, Federico struggles against his psyche, tortured by the damning implications of his own religious beliefs and the undeniable voice of his flesh. He is haunted by news of Salvador, who is collaborating on a Surrealist film with Luis and has embarked on an affair with Gala, a married woman.

By 1936 Spain is teetering on the precipice of civil war, and Federico, now a highly acclaimed and controversial playwright, receives an invitation to dinner from Salvador and Gala. But the hosts have a rather unusual agenda and the evening is a disaster. A week later, Salvador is hosting a party when he discovers that Federico has been assassinated in the outbreak of war. The walls of self-denial that surround the artist come crashing down as he realizes, too late, the depth of his love for Federico.

Robert on playing Dali

“The story of the movie is basically what led what was essentially this chronically shy kid who was massively talented—Dali had already mastered every style of painting by the time he was thirteen—he was an astonishingly talented guy. And he was virtually incapable when he was growing up, he was so chronically shy, and he grew into this caricature of this guy who had absolutely no fear of anything. And the story of the film signifies the time when he became that caricature.” (from Good Prattle)

 

SOCIAL MEDIA:

• Official Site:  Little Ashes The Movie (no longer active)

 

MOVIE | DVD REVIEWS:  *CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION*

• *** – Roger Ebert
• “Impressive, seductive and evocative” – Stephen Rebello, Playboy
• “An elegantly designed film that fascinates … Pattinson captues the initial shyness and growing flambloyance of Dali” – Stephen Farber, Hollywood Reporter
• “Mind blowingly beautiful … Robert Pattinson is simply brilliant.” – Gabe Doppelt, W Magazine
• “An avant-garde artistic, erotic surrealistic ride … For the sheer love of romantic artistry, you should go see this film.” – Greg Shapiro, Chicago Free Press

More reviews can be found at:

• IMDb
• Rotten Tomatoes
• Metacritics

 

ARTICLES:

• Rob’s views on Dali, Fame and the Current Craziness
• New Little Ashes Clip – King Salvador
• Golden Years: Rob As Salvador Dali
• Kevin Stewart .@moviepilotnews: “[Rob] is finally on my radar and he is flying high with potential”
• Urban Cinefile Reviews Little Ashes
• Matthew McNulty talks about Little Ashes
• Interview with San Francisco Chronicle
• Little Ashes Producer, Carlo Dusi, talks about Rob 

RPAU EXCLUSIVES

• Special Screening of Little Ashes @ The Ritz Cinema, Randwick

 

STILLS | SET PHOTOS:

• Gallery