‘Garcia Lorca’ Muddled, But Does Have Merit

For at least half of its running time, “The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca” is as ponderous and pretentious as a bad production of the title poet/playwright’s “Blood Wedding.” When it finally settles on the “disappearance,” things pick up a little but not so much that you’d think you had a good time.

Truth is, the disappearance is an execution of Federico Garcia Lorca at the hands of Spanish nationalists during the Spanish Civil War. Seems that the playwright’s provocative anti-Spain and anti-God material had them a little upset. But before the execution, Garcia Lorca attracts the attention of young Ricardo Fernandez (Esai Morales), who grows to idolize him.

Years after the poet’s death, Ricardo returns to Spain from Cuba, a journalist determined to find out who did the killing. He encounters all sorts of resistance, and when he does find people who’ll talk, no two stories of the death are alike.

It’s in the mystery that the movie starts to grab our attention; the constant references to Lorca’s work merely mirror how difficult it can be to interpret. As Lorca, Andy Garcia is natty and elegant, but his reading of the poet’s “Five in the Afternoon” is a case study in histrionics.

Despite the movie’s muddled pretensions, it does have its merits. For people interested in the period, the mystery is compelling, and Juan Ruiz Anchia’s cinematography is among the year’s most beautiful. Morales does yeoman work as Ricardo, and Marcela Walerstein provides an attractive love interest for the young journalist.

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“The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca” Location: Lincoln Heights cinema Credits: Directed by Marcos Zurinaga, starring Esai Morales, Andy Garcia, Edward James Olmos, Jeroen Krabbe, Miguel Ferrer Running time: 1:49 Rating: R