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Leap Year

Año bisiesto

Mexico

2010

92 Min
Color
2.35:1
Spanish
  • Currently 3.1/5 Stars.
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DIR Michael Rowe

PROD Edher Campos, Luis Salinas

SCR Michael Rowe, Lucía Carreras

DP Juan Manuel Sepúlveda

CAST Mónica del Carmen, Gustavo Sánchez Parra, Armando Hernández, Nur Rubio, Marco Zapata, Diego Chas, José Juan Meraz, Jaime Sierra, Ireri Solís

ED Óscar Figueroa

SOUND Miguel Ángel Molina

Cannes (Quinzaine des Réalisateurs): Caméra d'Or, Melbourne (FIrst Encounters), Toronto (Contemporary World Cinema), London (World Cinema), São Paulo (International Perspective), Mar del Plata (Latin American Competition), CPH PIX (Front Runners), Transilvania (No Limit), Chicago, Athens (Panorama)

Synopsis

Laura is a single, 25-year-old journalist who lives in a small apartment in Mexico City. After a long series of flings, Laura meets Arturo. The first time they make love, Arturo touches her in ways that overwhelm her. Thus begins an intense, passionate and sexual romance, which mixes pleasure, pain and love. In the course of days, which she carefully crosses out on her calendar, Laura’s secret past resurfaces, driving Arturo to extremes. –Quinzaine des Réalisateurs

Director

Original

Michael Rowe

Michael Rowe, Australian director living in Mexico. He studied English and post colonial literature at La Trobe University, he is the author of three stage scripts: “Impudence and Innocence”, “Reprise For Godot” and “Sexual Harassment.” He is the winner of the Melbourne Fringe Festival Poetry Prize. In 2005 he won the Mexican Film Institute’s Stimulus program for writers, with his script «Naturalezas Muertas». «Año Bisiesto», a powerful sex drama about a captivating, crude and painful love story, is his debut as a feature film director. —PRESS RELEASE 

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Paolo Simeone

7Jun13

In linea di principio interessante, in fin dei conti una gran rottura di balle.

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VxMx

19Feb13

"El Ultimo Tango Tepito" . El director Michael Rowe nos cuenta un drama erótico apoyado de un lenguaje cinematográfico minimista en el que cada toma es una nueva escena. De lo mejor del cine mexicano en los últimos años.

Canaletto likes this

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Gidalte Lúcio

20Jan13

A quiet and minimalist analysis concerning the attempting of acceptance/be loved of an ordinary woman exteriorized through sadomasochistic sexual acts. Nothing is answered directly- everything is suggested through the compact narrative plus long takes. Mónica del Carmen´s performance is total commitment to the role. A cohesive and striking ending in its simplicity.

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lolo341

20Oct12

Excellent direction and two fine actors, but boy is this brutal. To quote LA Weekly's Michael Atkinson, Rowe's film "follows the black dog to the cliff’s edge."

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Articles

Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
W184

Notebook Reviews: Michael Rowe’s “Leap Year”

By Fernando F. Croce on June 25, 2011

To Laura (Mónica del Carmen), the desolate protagonist of Michael Rowe’s absorbing debut Leap Year, the sight of a neighboring

read article
W184

TIFF 2010. Contemporary World Cinema

By David Hudson on September 21, 2010

To borrow Henry James's description of the Victorian novel, Toronto is one loose and baggy monster of a film festival. One big final roundup

read article
W184

Cannes 2010. Stragglers Roundup

By David Hudson on May 27, 2010

There are more reviews and interviews still to come, but the coverage-of-the-coverage phase wraps up right here with a last round on films

read article
W184

Cannes 2010. Awards

By David Hudson on May 23, 2010

Fantastic. "Surreal," says Apichatpong Weerasethakul. He's just won the Palme d'Or for Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. Grand

read article

Leap Year

By Twitchfilm.com on May 18, 2011
…
→ read on Twitchfilm.com

TWITCH EXCLUSIVE: Seductive New Poster for Michael Rowe's LEAP YEAR

By Twitchfilm.com on May 18, 2011
Since winning the prestigious Camera D’Or at Cannes last year, first-time director Michael Rowe’s ANO BISIESTO (LEAP YEAR) has been touring the festival circuit and drawing well-founded comparisons with
→ read on Twitchfilm.com

Año Bisiesto - Leap Year Review

By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
Michael Rowe’s Leap Year is an exercise in minimalism and intense character portrayal, that while compelling is let down by the flaw in its own logic. This style of film could have been filmed anywhere
→ read on Twitchfilm.com

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Reviews

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Leap Year refers to the films duration

By Heywood Seth on October 23, 2012

A depressing drone of cheap uneventful garbage with a pretty cover. This review will hopefully save anyone else the waste of time I was subjected to. Leap Year continually challenges the viewer to…  read review

Leap Year

By Bobby Wise on December 5, 2010

“Leap Year” by Michael Rowe came into the festival having won the Camera d’Or for best debut film at Cannes. It seems maybe that award was questionable, or that there wasn’t much competition. Then…  read review

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