Retornos (2010)

Director:

Luis Avilés

Writers:

Luis Avilés (story), Alejandro Hernández,

Stars:

Mina Andala, María Bouzas, Antonio Durán 'Morris'

Cast

Credited cast:
Mina Andala
María Bouzas	...	Elisa
Antonio Durán 'Morris'	...	Cabo
Xavier Estévez	...	Álvaro
Solange Freitas	...	Jimena
Emilio Gutiérrez Caba	...	Néstor
Xosé Manuel Olveira 'Pico'	...	Xosé
Sabrina Praga	...	Tania
María Tasende	...	Carmen
Yoima Valdés
Manuela Vellés	...	Mar
Luis Zahera	...	Tino

Storyline

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Genres:

Thriller

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Details

Official Sites:

Official [Spain]

Country:

Spain Argentina

Language:

Spanish French Gallegan

Release Date:

29 October 2010 (Spain)

Filming Locations:

A Coruña, Galicia, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Persona Non Grata Pictures, Patagonik Film Group, Vaca Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Returns

The story begins with an automobile accident. Alvaro, a Spaniard living in Switzerland, is called to his father death bed. As he arrives, the funeral procession is about to start. Alvaro, being away now for about ten years is not a welcome presence in his father's home. His former wife, Elisa is now married to the owner of the local sex club and his own daughter, Mar, seems at odds with a father she hardly knew.

In flashbacks we get to know a little bit of the past. Alvaro's brother, Xose, had to deal with the tragedy of having been cuckolded by Alvaro, who fleeing from the small with Carmen, his sister-in-law, suffers the accident we saw at the start of the story. He caused the death of Carmen and Xose cannot forgive him. Elisa has her own reasons for hating Alvaro, the man who abandoned her and Mar.

As Alvaro is going back to Switzerland, he hits a woman on the road. The woman turns out to be Lidia, a prostitute Alvaro met. Alvaro maintains Lidia was dead when he hit her, but he becomes the primary suspect. Mar comes to his help in trying to retrace Lidia's last moments in the small community and her unexpected death. It appears Lidia knew a horrible secret about herself and took it to her grave.

A somewhat interesting Spanish drama set in Galicia, in Northern Spain. Directed by Luis Aviles, whose first full length feature this is. The screenplay was a collaboration among the director, and Alvaro Hernandez and David Perez Iglesias. The rain soaked locale plays well as a background to all the emotions running underneath the story. It is a family conflict, with shades of mystery since the people that stayed behind never came clean to their own sins. Alvaro is not welcome to come and dig on wounds that are now partly forgotten because no one wants to own to the actions of the past. The tense atmosphere in Galicia, where passions and hatreds run side by side is done without the extreme pathos in other Spanish films set in the region.

Xavier Estevez, who has worked mainly on Spanish television, is a surprise as Alvaro. The actor shows he has what it takes to carry a movie on his shoulders, as he demonstrates here. He cast a virile figure as well as an affinity toward the material. Xose Manuel Oliveira Pico makes an outstanding contribution as Xose, the brother betrayed by Alvaro. Manuela Velles plays Mar, the confused young woman whose father left her behind when he left with Xose's wife, leaving her behind.