Linked (1996)
"Esposados" (original title)

Antonio and Concha, a couple who are constantly fighting about money, win the Christmas Lottery first prize. Concha, who is very bossy, starts making decisions about how they're going to ... See full summary »

Director:

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Writers:

Fredric Brown (short story), Juan Carlos Fresnadillo,

Stars:

Pedro Mari Sánchez, Anabel Alonso, Germán Cobos

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pedro Mari Sánchez	...	Antonio
Anabel Alonso	...	Concha
Germán Cobos	...	Sr. Guerrero
Mónica Pérez	...	Chica sueño
Ursula Siemens	...	Sra. Guerrero
Juan Francisco Expósito	...	Hombre que cava
Arturo Soriano	...	Funcionario
Tatiana Yourieff	...	Sra. del perrito
Ricardo Corsetti	...	Camarero Tropicana
Antonio Martín	...	Policía
Aurelio Carnero	...	Policía
Manolo González Mauricio	...	Policía
Roberto Sánchez	...	Policía
Fernando del Hoyo	...	Policía
Francisco Melo	...	Policía

Storyline

Antonio and Concha, a couple who are constantly fighting about money, win the Christmas Lottery first prize. Concha, who is very bossy, starts making decisions about how they're going to spend it. But Antonio is fed up with her, he just wants to go to Brazil, lay in the sun, and never see her again. So he starts to plan how to get rid of her...

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Plot Keywords:

lottery | lottery winner | palm tree | murder | greed

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Genres:

Comedy | Short

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Details

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

16 November 1996 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Linked

Company Credits

Production Co:

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo P.C., La Mirada Producciones, Papi Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

24 min

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

User Reviews

Good, if a bit hyped

The fact that this short film was nominated for an Oscar received such amount of publicity in Spain that Fresnadillo became an overnight star, and the film itself a much-coveted cult piece. For four years, everybody eagerly awaited its follow-up, Intacto, which also became a bit of an unjustified critics' darling.

The truth is that, while Esposados is a clever and stylish little piece, it's nothing extraordinary when compared with the rest of the usual short film production in Spain, which is customarily of quite high quality and contains at least three or four gems of this calibre every year. The unexpected glory even gave the film a sheen of pretentiousness which it probably wasn't looking to have, as it doesn't fit the slightness of its black comedy. Still, this film has many virtues: the quirky camera-work, the brassy music, the very contrasted black and white photography, and the acting, especially by Anabel Alonso, while keeping the tongue firmly in cheek, all contribute to create an atmosphere of growing unease and tension, which is finally loosened in the concluding surprise/punchline; but one would be forgiven for being disappointed if one was expecting the film to be a bit more than just a drawn out joke.