Son of Monarchs

If the end result is at once too obtuse and too didactic, it nevertheless remains a powerful, necessary intervention whose intellectual rigor and emotional heft cannot be denied.

It's really quite a beautiful and thought-provoking film.

The ideas can be powerful, but at some point it's almost like the film is trying to prove how much mileage it can get out of a concept that other movies would only use as a meaningful character trait.

Despite suffering from the creator's impulse to overstuff themes, the film rises above the fold for its wholehearted performances and the colloquially naturalistic quality of the dialogue.

The film's rich imagery will be imprinted in your memory, returning to you in dreams.

"Monarchs" doesn't always work but it's always intriguing.

Despite some narrative lines that go nowhere and subplots that float without ever settling, the fabulous acting ensemble breathes life to the plot and gives dimension to the film. [Full review in Spanish]

The downfall of "Son of Monarchs" is that it tries to pack in too many subplots that aren't given time to be developed.

It is a film that asks the audience to work for the deeper emotional breakthroughs, but once there the feature feels worth the work.

It's not a great film of deep insights into the human condition. But Gambis has found an arresting backdrop for a quiet, human story of loss, regret, guilt and work distraction