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fereldandoglords's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this sight into the mind of a genius that I admire very much. Recommended to anyone who's interested in understanding Buñuel's life philosophy.
hberg95's review against another edition
5.0
Bunuel was born in 1900 and lived until 1983, which means his memoir covers a major chunk of the 20th century: He was born the year Friedrich Nietzsche died and died when Reagan was president. Because of this incredible span of time, Bunuel's memoir involves insights into film and politics during this moment in time when major shifts were happening in both realms. Bunuel was friends (maybe acquaintances) with Dali and Chaplin and Hitchcock, he made movies in several countries, in several languages, and worked with or rubbed shoulders with everyone in the business.
Bunuel's memoir follows a vague chronological outline, but many of my favorite chapters were non-sequitor sections where Bunuel digressed and told random stories and mused about his favorite cocktail recipes and stories of working with Fernando Rey or being involved in political unrest. A handful of these stories are repeated and re-told and it all serves to make Bunuel's memoir feel genuine and the humanity really comes through.
I absolutely loved it and found his life, philosophy, and attitude toward life very compelling, I'm sure I'll read it again.
Bunuel's memoir follows a vague chronological outline, but many of my favorite chapters were non-sequitor sections where Bunuel digressed and told random stories and mused about his favorite cocktail recipes and stories of working with Fernando Rey or being involved in political unrest. A handful of these stories are repeated and re-told and it all serves to make Bunuel's memoir feel genuine and the humanity really comes through.
I absolutely loved it and found his life, philosophy, and attitude toward life very compelling, I'm sure I'll read it again.
crispymerola's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
3.25
The charmed ramblings of an artist near his end. It's your Grandpa, gossiping about people who are long dead. A series of comments and shrugs, of firmly stated intuitions and prejudices.
Some of it's riveting, some of it's a snooze - but it's all Luis, king of dreams, so I don't think he'd mind that his book caused me to nod off once or twice.
Some of it's riveting, some of it's a snooze - but it's all Luis, king of dreams, so I don't think he'd mind that his book caused me to nod off once or twice.
misterfix's review against another edition
4.0
Picked up at a garage sale and being a filmmaker yet having only heard of Mr Bunuel but never having seen his films or learned much about him I felt sort of an obligation to learn more. I had no idea what to expect but as I read I found myself caught up in the author's journalistic, rambling style of writing. Why this is not a diatribe on 'filmmaking' as I feared it might be but in fact, the honest observations of an interesting person who has lived a rather extraordinary life.
vasilis's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
4.0
Really enjoyed (most of) his world view.
alphadesigner's review against another edition
5.0
One of my personal heroes tells the story of his life in a fascinatingly ordinary way.
I read "My Last Sigh" for the first time in 1998 when it was published in Bulgaria. I remember how pleasantly surprised I was. As a cinema student who was aware how inaccessible Buñuel's movies could be, I expected something hard to read. But pretty soon I realized I couldn't have been more wrong. It's one of those biographies which feel like they were written not for the public but for the author himself. It's a story of self exploration, of contemplation, and closure. The unpretentious and simple style in which it was written makes you forget about the famous author and focus on what matters most -- his journey through space and time.
I read "My Last Sigh" for the first time in 1998 when it was published in Bulgaria. I remember how pleasantly surprised I was. As a cinema student who was aware how inaccessible Buñuel's movies could be, I expected something hard to read. But pretty soon I realized I couldn't have been more wrong. It's one of those biographies which feel like they were written not for the public but for the author himself. It's a story of self exploration, of contemplation, and closure. The unpretentious and simple style in which it was written makes you forget about the famous author and focus on what matters most -- his journey through space and time.
dontgetnastybro's review against another edition
4.0
Buñuel era un provocador nato, el libro lo confirma al revelar solo pequeños pasajes de todos los momentos que el director presenció o en muchos casos protagonizó. Lo mejor es que el mismo insiste en lo inútil que es querer recordarlo todo, especialmente si se cuenta con la avanzada edad que tenía cuando se puso a recoger estas memorias con su amigo Jean-Claude Carrière, es por eso que muchos de los capítulos de estas memorias no profundizan más de lo necesario en los temas que describen. Eso si, algunos son especialmente reveladores (aquel sobre la razón de su ateísmo y el que está dedicado a la Guerra Civil española, son de lujo) y otros sencillamente geniales, como por ejemplo el que está dedicado a los licores.
Es un libro que por su sencillez permite encontrar a Buñuel de una manera casi íntima, pero para el obsesivo sobre el director, seguramente le parecerá poco. Perfecto para introducirse en el mundo de Don Luis.
Es un libro que por su sencillez permite encontrar a Buñuel de una manera casi íntima, pero para el obsesivo sobre el director, seguramente le parecerá poco. Perfecto para introducirse en el mundo de Don Luis.
djoshuva's review against another edition
5.0
"I've managed to live my life among multiple contradictions without ever trying to rationalize or resolve them; they're part of me, and part of the fundamental ambiguity of all things, which I cherish."
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