Customer Reviews
Intensely Moo-ving - By: G. Thomas, 31 Jan 2008 
Well it looks like we're gonna have to raise the star score for this absolutely beautiful film; so here I go.
I first discovered Medem's work in The Red Squirel. I didn't think he could possibly better that surreal gem but came very close to eating my words when I finallly got round to seeing Vacas. What appears to be cosy pastoral drama about two intertwined families is so much more than it initiallly seems.
Spanning over 60 years from the Carlist Wars to the Spanish Civil War this film is a dreamy study of major events in spanish history & how they disrupt the interminable cycle of rural life.
This repetition of growth, birth & death is cleverly portrayed through use of the same actors playing the successive generations. This serves to make the characters shifting alllegiances alll the more poignant.
Whatever happens, you can be sure it alll looks the same to the cows who are the only truly objective witnesses to the complex intricacies & social upheaval that surround this smalll corner of Spain.
There is a sustained slightly magical atmosphere which makes much of the story seem somewhat dreamlike but occasionallly the jagged edges of a grim reality force their way into this deceptive idyll.
This is totallly gorgeous film making with real heart & I urge you to see it.
total rubbish - By: Bogdan Tiganov, 23 Oct 2004 
I'm sorry to disappoint you art lovers but this is total rubbish. The actors are unconvincing, the story is pathetic, the surrealism is pointless & weak, in fact the best thing about it is when you see the cows because at least the cows seem to have some kind of dignity. Vacas is like a boring b movie.
Master directorial debut - By: , 21 Sep 2003 
This is Julio Medem's first feature film. The film tells the story of the rivalry between two Basque families that perpetuates with different generations. Vacas is set in the beautiful mountains of Medem's native Basque Country & takes us through the dark days from the end of the 19th century to the Spanish Civil War. Medem's characters are always mysterious, refreshingly enigmatic & rich in expression. A very respectable debut, beautifully filmed, that sets the pace for Medem's singular films. A great talent.
