La vida en un bloc (1956) Poster

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7/10
A funny and brilliant comedy about an amusing doctor with likable and enticing characterizations by a great Spanish cast
ma-cortes29 December 2017
The sympathetic Dr. Nicomedes Gutiérrez (Alberto Closas) carefully points out to the last detail everything that occurs in his existence . Doctor in a little town , he is in love with the elementary school teacher , Gerarda (Elisa Montes) , but, before getting married , he decides to get himself his last flirts . He joins a group of shameless people , a bunch of unfortunate as well as bungling friends . This beloved group of characters are the following guy s : Abelardo (Manuel Bermúdez , Boliche) , Ernesto (Raúl Cancio) and Eduardo Calvo . As Nicomededes unites a team of unlucky womanizers on their flirts with unexpected consequences . At the beginning , Nicomedes meets the beautiful singer Lupe Tovar (Maria Asquerino) ; after that , he meets Margot (Mary Lamar) ; then , Pili (Encarna Fuentes) being pursued by her family , and finally , the clairvoyant Miss Fanny (Mandel) when is harassed by her colleague , the magician Roberto (José Luis López Vázquez) . Shortly after , Nicomedes marries Gerarda but things go awry .

This is an amusing and attractive Spanish classic comedy with several fun and hilarious set pieces , social description of the fifties as well as youthful habits , lots of laughters , tongue -cheek, and many other things . The flick contains silly incidents , fun plot twists , tongue-in-cheek , grotesque situations and above all , it especially contains catching touches of humor and irony . Sitting in a strange middle ground between the completely absurd and the stylishly enjoyable . There are some nice jokes in the film and the cast , playing eccentric characters , make a cosy fit . It takes a simple concept , a group of shameless friends carry out jokes and antics with the good-looking Doctor Nicomedes/Alberto Closas as starring , in similar style to classical films of Commedia all'Italiana of the fifties .¨La Vida en un Bloc¨ is a comical and sometimes disconcerting account of a bunch of friends and a peculiar marriage from a personal , social , cultural , and hilarious as well as ironic perspective . The magnificent main cast gives sensational acting . Albert Closas is first-class as a doctor who before marrrying tries to to have his last fling . While the supporting cast is frankly excellent and plenty of familiar faces such as : Jose Luis López Vazquez as a magician , Joaquín Roa as a stiff-upper-lip Guardia Civil , José Franco , Irene Caba Alba , Julia Caba Alba , José Luis Ozores , Raúl Cancio , Angel Alvarez , Eduardo Calvo and Fernando Rey as narrator . It displays an evocative and adequate musical score by Juán Quintero and including soundtrack ¨For Elise¨composed by Ludwig Van Beethoven . Atmospheric cinematography by Cecilio Paniagua , though a perfect remastering being necessary . Paniagua is deemed to best one of the best Spanish cameramen , including national and international titles as Hija Hidegart , La querida , Adios Cordera , Posición Avanzada , 100 rifles , Count Sandorf , The Great Treasure Hunt , Custer of the West , and Treasure Island .

The motion picture was well produced Suevia Films - Cesáreo González (1956) , one of the most powerful producers of the Francoist period , and professionally directed by Luis Lucia . Luis was an advocate at law for the powerful Francoist company CIFESA that produced super-productions and often financed these false but breathtaking historical spectacles . His film debut was ¨13-13¨ and subsequently ¨Hombre De Negocios¨, two average ¨comedies . Later on , he directed two dated historical dramas : ¨Princesa De Ursinos¨ and ¨Jeromin¨ . And he made various Folkloric films for Juanita Reina : ¨Lóla La Piconera¨ , ¨Gloria Mairena¨ , Carmen Sevilla : ¨Hermana De San Sulpicio¨ , Lola Flores : ¨Morena Clara¨ , Antonio Molina : ¨Esta Voz Es Una Mina¨ , among others . Lucia discovered children prodigy as Marisol , Rocio Durcal , Ana Belén and Jaime Blanch .
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