Siesta

This is an odd movie. In places there doesn't seem to be much of a plot, and many of the characters are....well, odd. Essentially, the story is about Ellen Barkin's character, Claire, attempting to get to an airport in Spain in time to return to the US for a daredevil stunt she's supposed to perform. Why the hurry? Well, she came to Spain to look up an old boyfriend.... I don't want to give too much away. Claire's attempts to get to the airport run into obstacles...peculiar obstacles. In places the movie has the same frustrating feel to it as a dream in which one continually tries to do something, but somehow nothing quite works out. There's a supporting cast with some big names in it, but just keep your eyes on Ellen Barkin, as those other characters come and go. There's an interesting use of mythology in the movie, but I'm not entirely certain that it was deliberate. In places the pacing seems a bit slow, but overall I think it's very watchable

I watched this movie again recently after not seeing it for about 10 years, and it's held up very well. I remember after seeing it the first time, that I kept saying to myself, "What?", but upon seeing it a couple more times, I figured it out.

Overall pretty good, kind of a mind-bending mild thriller. It looks as if the director trimmed out some of the original movie that might have helped fill in a gap or two here.

Nonetheless, it is an interesting film with good acting, particularly with Ellen Barkin. Interesting supporting cast, too, that includes Julian Sands, Isabella Rossellini, Jodie Foster and Grace Jones.

7 out of 10. My favorite dialogue in the film: "I'm your guardian angel", to which the response is, "I'm almost tempted to believe you."

think it would be quite hard to include spoilers as few people seem to agree on what happened anyway. Roger Ebert's review seems very different than a version I have just seen, it must have been recut to make more sense at some point.

I saw a this at a London test screening and the only clear memory is the beauty of Ellen Barkin and Marcus Miller and Miles Davis's music.

This may be a spoiler but it is for the good of humanity, I never want to see the pus ugly oaf Alexei Sayle ever again, in any context, never mind sexual.

For the gentlemen who asked about Bennie Maupin on bass clarinet, this is bassist/ composer (and mo fo) Marcus Miller

This movie is not for everyone. That being said, I loved it. It is surreal, complex, and asks more questions than it answers. It evokes rather than exposes, and creates a vivid imaginary world using only good acting, editing, and camera technique. Although it may have been marketed as an erotic thriller, it is actually a profoundly personal, emotional, and psychological exploration of one woman's struggle for spiritual freedom.

Ellen Barkin is captivating as the enigmatic Claire, a woman desperately trying to uncover her past. This is, for her, a true tour de force.

The supporting cast reads like a celeb who's who, with Jodie Foster, Martin Sheen, Isabella Rosallini, Gabriel Byrne, Grace Jones, Julian Sands, and a surprisingly intense cameo by English comedian Alexi Sayle.

If that weren't enough, the soundtrack features original music by Miles Davis, some of the last work he recorded.

As I said, this film is not for everyone, but my mind returns to it again and again. It lingers in my memory and, for that, I am grateful.

Siesta is a most atmospheric film, almost dreamlike, you feel the Spanish heat while Ellen Barkin is stumbling through the pictures in confused despair. She wakes up lying on the roll way of an airport, not knowing where she is or how she got there. Her red dress is full of blood and she starts running... From there, an odyssey begins for her, with strongly impressive scenes of -not only sexual- passion. A bit confusing for the first time watching because of all the flashbacks, when you watch the film a second time you can really enjoy it. Many stunning actors, who appear to join Ellen without really helping her situation, only dragging her deeper in confusion. A surprising end, all of a sudden you begin to understand what happened to Ellen and why she lost her memory. This film left such a strong impression on me that i still recommend it to all of my friends and other movie fans.