In Little Ashes, we see the rise and fall of a love affair between the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca (played by an unknown, Javier Beltrán) and the painter Salvador Dalí (played by a very well-known Robert Pattinson—the vampire in Twilight). The affair's ascension begins in 1922, while the two are in college in Madrid. Its peak happens while the two are vacationing in a remote area of Spain. The seduction scene: The painter and poet take a boat out to the middle of a lake, jump into its warm waters, and, as their legs are kicking below the surface, kiss in the moonlight. Moments before the kissing, the moon leaves the clouds; moments after the kissing, the moon returns to the clouds. From this dizzying point, the only way to go is down. (This section is the worst part of this generally unsatisfying movie.)

What brings the affair down? Lorca loves Dalí more than Dalí loves Lorca. The reason for this disparity/despair is that Dalí's sexuality is not as cemented as Lorca's. Lorca is clearly gay; Dalí is not. Adding to the tension are two other beautiful people who form separate triangles with the lovers. One triangle is formed by Luis Buñuel (Matthew McNulty), who studies with Dalí and Lorca at the university. The famous experimental filmmaker and denouncer of middle-class values turns out to have a very traditional view of love—it should be between opposites. When he learns about the affair, Buñuel not only offers it a look of utter disgust, he goes to a nearby park and beats up a gay cruiser for trying to give him a quick and delicious blowjob. (The gay-bashing scene is not convincing.)

The other triangle is formed by Margarita (Marina Gatell). She loves Lorca, but the poet only loves the painter. This triangle begins with lots of wine, music, and poetry but ends in the gutter—Lorca roughly fucking Margarita on a bed as Dalí watches and masturbates. When all the fucking/masturbating is done, Dalí zips up his pants and abruptly leaves. As the door shuts behind him, we (the viewers) are forced to imagine that Dalí is walking around town with a moist area around his fly, as he made no effort to change his clothes or hide his deed. (This scene is as close as Pattinson gets to being a vampire.)

Little Ashes would be worth nothing if weren't for the beauty of the actors. recommended