Amaro Carabel (Fernando Fernan Gomez) , is a clerk who works in a building enterprise , but he is wrongly dismissed and about to get married , things go wrong when his girlfriend (gorgeous Maria Luz Galicia, she is a delight to watch) to be aware . Then to get triumphs along his life and to get money , he decides to be an evil man , a rogue thief , as he first attempts to rob on the bus . Later on , he kidnaps a little boy to become him a a beggar . Subsequently , tries to steal a safe from his previous office in which he was fired .
It is a good comedy of exquisite manners full of fine critical spirit and observation dealing with the enormous difficulties suffers a good man throughout the process to marry his girlfriend . Following the surprising adventures , misfortunes and incidents of this particular person and their peculiar behaviors leading to hilarious situations . Some of them deserve to be mentioned , especially its final part , including the amazing heist at his office to take a safe . All this is compellingly told , with some extremely comical scenes , adding emphasis on some masterfully paced scenes . Also noteworthy are the soliloquies of the roles , diverting and interesting dialogue and sprinking lines . It is plenty of nice critical spirit and resulting to be an observational comedy of social habits , it displays a cleverly subversive tone , and intelligent as well as engaging dialog , resulting in a construction "Sui Generis" for the Spanish cinema by that time . He gives us a vision of the Madrid of 1958, a somehow provincial town, in comparison to the great metropolis it turned . Stars Fernando Fernán Gomez , as he is really magnificent . Fernando Fernán Gómez gives a good acting as a bungling clek asks for a salary increase that gets him fired and he then decides to stop being an honest man so as to not end up single. He gives a likeable performance , though overacting , at times , and providing an imposing physical presence . He was one of the glories of the Spanish cinema, always effective in whatever she did , both as an actor or filmmaker , always playing ordinary men with a lot of wit and intelligence. Fernando Fernan Gomez was 37 when he directed this film. Mr. Fernan Gomez has been involved with the Spanish cinema in more than five decades, as an actor, and as a director. Mr. Fernan Gomez has grown old in front of the camera. One of Spain's most beloved entertainers, best known to American filmgoers for playing the father in the Oscar-winning foreign film Belle Epoque (1992). Along with Icíar Bollaín, Fernando Fernán Gómez is the only person to have been nominated as performer (El abuelo (1998), director (El viaje a ninguna parte (1986) and writer (Lázaro de Tormes (2001) for three diferent movies at the Goya awards. He actually won in every category . Support cast is frankly excellent with several familiar faces , such as : Rafael López Somoza , Joaquín Roa , Julia Caba Alba, Ángel Álvarez , Xan das Bolas , Rosario García Ortega , Aníbal Vela , Julio Sanjuán , Antonio Molino Rojo , among others . Being based on the homonymous novel by Wenceslao Fernández Flórez , formerly adapted as El Malvado Carabel 1935 by Edgar Neville with Antonio Vico , Antoñita Colome , and the Mexican rendition 1969 by Rafael Baledon wiith Julian Pacheco and Lorena Velazquez .
The picture is well set in the fifties , splendidly photographed by the notorious cameraman Ricardo Torres , being stunningly shot on location , in Madrid , but a perfect remastering being necessary , that's why the film copy is washed-out . The motion picture was well and with lively rhythm directed by Fernando Fernán Gómez who shows he had an eye for whatever was going on at the time in Spain . Born in Lima, Peru during a tour by his actress mother Carola Fernan Gomez, theater was his life from Day 1 . His birth was registered in Buenos Aires and Fernan Gomez kept Argentine nationality until the 1980s although he spent most of his life in Spain. He studied philosophy and literature in Madrid before performing in the theater . He married two famous women : Emma Cohen Maria Dolores Pradera with whom had a daughter , Helena Fernan Gómez . His early career was stalled by the outbreak of the three-year Spanish Civil War in 1936. He later became one of the most recognizable faces of Spanish cinema during the ensuing 36-year-long dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco. Known for his booming voice, stern and sometimes irascible temper, he appeared in more than 200 films, directed another 20 and wrote novels, plays and poetry. He was a member of the Spanish Royal Academy, the official watchdog of the Spanish language . After his debut in "Manicomio" directed this great film "Life Ahead" with a great sense of humor as well as sparkling and witty dialogue , giving a fairly reliable analysis to show the society of the 50s . His turbulent career as a filmmaker has been little appreciated by the public , being more known for his acting career at the orders of other directors . This has made possible in part , we lose some of the gems that this director has given across his career . Fernando was one of the most complete Spanish Cinema artists and a member of the Spanish Royal Academy and one of the best actors of the film history . Along with Icíar Bollaín , he's the only person to have been nominated as performer El Abuelo (1998), director (El Viaje a Ninguna Parte (1986) and writer Lázaro De Tormes (2001) for three different movies at the Goya awards . He actually won in every category at least once . This prolific and prestigious actor also directed a few films , such as : ¨Lazaro De Tormes¨ , ¨Fuera De Juego ¨, ¨Mambrú Se Fue a La Guerra¨ , ¨5 Tenedores¨ , ¨5.000 Dias Juntos¨ , ¨Ninette¨ , ¨Venganza De Don Mendo¨ . These are stunning pictures but still far from the levels of talent would reach director years later with works like ¨El Mundo Sigue¨ (1963) ,¨El Extraño Viaje¨ that is today deemed a real ¨Cult Movie¨ and his greatest success ¨Viaje a Ninguna Parte¨ , the latter showing the harsh daily life of the traveler actors .
