I was one of those people who saw it early in NYC, and one reason that I haven't commented is that (contrary to my normal self) I really didn't quite know what to say!
I honestly can't say I thought it was a good film, - it took too many scenes over the edge to the exaggerated and truly campy. My personal jury is still out on how intentional that was - whether it was an attempt to mirror Dali's larger-than-life art and personal story in some way.
Some of the photography was lovely - landscapes, interiors, beautful human forms.
And on the shallow side, both the two leads are incredibly handsome guys, so on that level it was very well worth watching. And being a slash fanfic reader, I must say that this film should be seen by anyone seeking to understand what the fanfic term UST (=unresolved sexual tension) is all about. The story is simply brimming and overflowing with UST from the beginning till the end, and pretty much defines the term visually from A to Z.
I thought Robert Pattisnon was in over his head, though I imagine portraying Salvador Dali would be a big challenge for any actor around. Javier Beltran did a very good job portraying Lorca. Though I felt a certain disconnect between the Lorca this film was showing me and the man who wrote the stark harsh plays of his I'm familiar with.
I felt really bad for the women in the story and what they experienced, - more so because they were reduced to mere extras and props most of the time.
Most of all, I thought the idea to have everyone speak English with a strong Spanish accent was a horrible, nearly inexcusable decision of the director's. It made the dialogue very difficult to understand, and it made much of the film come across as a complete though unintentional parody of "those intense, eye-rollingly passionate Spanish artists".
