La vida por delante

Filmed in 1958, the film shows a influence in the Italian neorealism, and owes a lot to a great director, Luis Garcia Berlanga. Fernando Fernan Gomez was 39 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.

The film is a satire about the years where housing was scarce and jobs were even scarcer, quite a contrast with the present Spain where life is easier than during the hard years when Franco ruled with an iron fist. Mr. Fernan Gomez plays Antonio, a lawyer that was not a good student and has to resort to schemes to eke a living for himself and the wife.

The comedy moves at a quick pace. It has wonderful moments for the star/director and for the gorgeous Analia Gade, who plays Josefina, who marries Antonio. The honeymoon trip proves to be a disaster. The two sets of parents serve as a Greek chorus to all what is happening.

Ms. Gade, is a joy to watch. She was a fine comedienne in her prime. We also get to see the late Rafaela Aparicio, who plays the maid at the home of Antonio's parents; she is a delight to watch. Ms. Aparicio was one of the glories of the Spanish cinema, always effective in whatever she did with the great directors, always playing ordinary women with a lot of wit and intelligence.

Finally, Mr. Fernan Gomez is wonderful as the confused Antonio. He shows he had an eye for whatever was going on at the time in Spain. He gives us a vision of the Madrid of 1958, a somehow provincial town, in comparison to the great metropolis it became.

This is a film to treasure because of what Fernando Fernan Gomez accomplished with it.