Cobardes (2008)

Directors:

José Corbacho
Juan Cruz

Writers:

José Corbacho (writer)
Juan Cruz (writer)

Release Date:

25 April 2008 (Spain)

Plot:

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Blanca Apilánez
Albert Baulies
Javier Bódalo	...	Chape
Jordi Boixaderas	...	Javier
Frank Crudele
Antonio de la Torre	...	Joaquín
José Ángel Egido
Eduardo Espinilla	...	Guille
Eduardo Garé	...	Gaby
Ariadna Gaya	...	Carla
Lluís Homar	...	Guillermo
Elvira Mínguez	...	Merche
Maria Molins
Esther Ortega
Paz Padilla	...	Magda
Josep Tomàs
Francisco Vidal

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Ensueño Films

Daily fears and loneliness

Only last week a friend said that school-time bullying in preadolescence or adolescence leaves a scar for a life-time. To be bullied in a phase in life when you are full of insecurities and your self-esteem and self-image are just shaping themselves, to be bullied by your peers is a terrible burden. It's a cowardly act by cowards who make their best to make you a coward.

Cobardes is not a happy movie. It is not an easy movie. It has quite a pessimistic under-tone that reflects our time of disconnected families and media violence. It has no winners and a plenty of losers. There is no black and white here but a general sense of shades of depressive grey. It manages to avoid cheap moralism and unnecessary preaching and instead delivers a conclusion that we all fear for something/someone and we are all ready to misuse power over those that are vulnerable to us.

Cobardes might not be as fresh, small and beautiful as the previous movie by the directors. It's much more a product, professionally made and very well acted that might lack in passion but gives food for though. The (inner) world of adolescents is always a mystery not only to themselves but to the people around them. The script has its flaws and imperfections but that is overruled by the impressive work by the actors, especially the young ones. They manage to give a face and presence to some uneasy feelings and play well with our sympathies. The movie has rhythm and a polemic, but excellent ending. It is not a masterpiece and doesn't pretend to be that but it is one of the very few, if any, well done movies on a difficult and merging theme that hopefully connects with the young audience and makes them reflect on this issue.