6/10
Grim mystery thriller with a duo of peculiar cop women investigating a string of grisly killings
31 January 2022
Intriguing and suspenseful movie in which two female inspectors butting heads while attempting to capture a killer on the loose , taking his sweet time painstakingly reproducing scenes from Goya's Caprichos , a national treasure . Set in Madrid , 2019, , stars the veteran cop Carmen Cobos (Maribel Verdú) , she is newly partnered with a rookie sub-inspector (Aura Garrido) and they are stuck with a bizarre case , as a serial killer is on the lam and carrying out a criminal spree . As the buddy duo are on the trail of series killer who uses the famous Goya's Caprichos as his modus operandi to execute his astonishing crimes . As the first murder results to be a young upper-class woman found dead in her house at a well-designed criminal representation . Policewoman Carmen is a two-fisted , foul-mouthed, heavy smoker , weary woman , at the same time she has love affairs with her chief Commissioner Julián Vargas (Roberto Alamo) and reporter and war correspondent Adrián Iglesias (Daniel Grao) . Along the way, the President of Madrid's Autonomous Community , Alicia Márquez (Ruth Grabriel) , claims to have been stalked in her mansion by the murderer .

This is a good suspense movie with offbeat , surprising crimes and adequate scenarios . It is an acceptable and decent film about two cop women looking for a lethal artist who mysterious only kills in the Salamanca's upper-class district and people related with art , though copying here and there the typical American thrillers .The movie is exhilarating in its visual approach , including thrills , chills , intrigue , plot twists , and spectacular visual spectacle . Much of the grotesqueness of the murders is left to the viewer's imagination . Being recreted some Goya paitings : The Caprichos , a series of 80 prints in aquatint and etching made by famous Spanish painter Francisco de Goya and Lucientes , depicting, as rumour has it, the environment , disasters , Independence war and foolishness of Spanish society at that time. As badness, foolishness , and evilness are still very much intact, as human stupidity is the one thing that never really seems to age and never disappearing . This is a sui-generis Buddy-Movie , as the film relies heavily on the particular relationship between the alcoholic , tough and loudmouth woman in bad attitude with the world called Carmen/Maribel Verdú and the rookie , fun , happily married with two little children policewoman named Eva/Aura Garrido . Main and support cast are pretty good . Maribel interprets adequately the usual angry , resentful and bad cop . While Aura Garrido is nice as the family woman and optimist cop , both of whom form an intimate and beloved team . They are well accompanied by a good cast of familar faces , such as : Roberto Álamo , Ginés García Millán , Daniel Grao , Ruth Gabriel , Antonio Velázquez , Tamar Novas and Carmen Ruiz .

It displays a thrilling and appropriate musical score by Vanessa Garde . Including some songs sung in Karaoke , whose soundtrack credits include :¨La Puerta de Alcalᨠwritten by Miguel Ángel Campos, Luis Mendo , performed by Aura Garrido and Aitor Fernandino , as well as ¨Tener Tu Presencia¨ written by José Manuel Fernández and Alberto Tarín . Likewise, colorful and glamorous cinematography by cameraman David Omedes , though dark , at times . The motion picture was professionally directed -though without much originality- by Gerardo Herrero . This Gerardo Herrero's thriller The Goya Murders, was presented as an Òrbita , Special Session at the Sitges Film Festival and achieved success enough. Gerardo is a famous producer as well as filmmaker . He was President of the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (1994-1994) . Great producer of big hits , being especially known for ¨The Secret of your ears¨ (2009), ¨Sin Retorno¨ (2010) , ¨Balada Triste de Trompeta¨ (2010) , ¨Crimenes De Oxford¨ (2008) and¨ El Hijo De La Novia¨ (2001). He' also directed some good films , such as ¨Silencio En Nieve¨ , ¨Corredor Nocturno¨ , ¨Principio Arquímedes¨ , ¨Crimen Galindez¨ , ¨Frontera Sur¨, ¨Territorio Comanche¨ , ¨Desvio a Paraíso¨ , ¨Al Acecho¨ , ¨Heroína¨ and many others . Rating . 6/10 . Acceptable and passable Spanish thriller . Well worth watching . The flick will appeal to Maribel Verdú fans and Spanish cinema enthusiasts.
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