This is Jaime de Armiñan's first film in 12 or 13 years, and he shot it with 82 years. Amazing. The story revolves around an Argentinian writer (Julieta Cardinali) who enjoys a resounding success with her fist novel. She is on a fatiguing public relations tour when a girl (Ana Torrent) approaches her after a press conference and takes her to a secluded hotel, an strange place, a former convent. The writer assumes her driver works for her publisher, but in fact, she is hijacking her looking for vengeance. We will learn later that she does it to heal an old wound. Then a duel between both women develops, a contest of wits, power, seduction, that take them both from distrust to hate to love. In the meantime, the publisher is frantically searching for her missing author. Camila has a contract to deliver her next novel, but success-induced stress has blocked her, and there may be even something worse. The publisher finds maybe it's a good idea to let her be kidnapped. Who will end up as a winer? Most of Jaime de Amiñan's movies are about two ill fitting souls that find each other and fall in love (teacher and pupil in El amor del Capitan Brando, old man and 12 year old girl in El nido, etc). In this case, for the first time, both lovers are women. A major asset of the film are its actors. Julieta Cardinali comes out as a revelation, a fabulous actress capable of transmitting all the complexities of her character. Once you see her you understand why Ana Torrent -who is also brilliant as the secretive women intent on revenge but in desperate need of some affection- finds so difficult to follow trough with her plan. Julieta is so attractive, so clever that she can manipulate anybody and get away with it. The charismatic Angela Molina excels as the eccentric owner of the hotel and, with Omero Antonutti in the role of another offbeat character, a Communist radio operator that took refuge in the hotel as the wall fell, provide some comic moments. For the record, Angela sings and dances a beautiful flamenco song. Technical work is excellent, specially lensing, by Kiko de la Rica. The flamenco inspired music is also enjoyable. The tone of the film is closer to a fantasy, a suave moral tale with surreal undertones than to a realistic story. In its core lies a meditation about the roots of all artistic creation. In all, an engrossing film.
Review of 14, Fabian Road
