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Opera Prima

Original title: Ópera prima
  • 1980
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
479
YOUR RATING
Opera Prima (1980)
ComedyRomance

Boy meets girl. Matias meets Violeta, his cousin ("prima") one morning in Madrid at the Plaza de Opera. He is twenty-five. She is 18. He's a divorced journalist trying to write a thriller. S... Read allBoy meets girl. Matias meets Violeta, his cousin ("prima") one morning in Madrid at the Plaza de Opera. He is twenty-five. She is 18. He's a divorced journalist trying to write a thriller. She studies violin. She's a vegetarian. He loves meat. Many things separate them, but he mo... Read allBoy meets girl. Matias meets Violeta, his cousin ("prima") one morning in Madrid at the Plaza de Opera. He is twenty-five. She is 18. He's a divorced journalist trying to write a thriller. She studies violin. She's a vegetarian. He loves meat. Many things separate them, but he moves into her apartment.

  • Director
    • Fernando Trueba
  • Writers
    • Óscar Ladoire
    • Fernando Trueba
  • Stars
    • Óscar Ladoire
    • Paula Molina
    • Antonio Resines
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    479
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Fernando Trueba
    • Writers
      • Óscar Ladoire
      • Fernando Trueba
    • Stars
      • Óscar Ladoire
      • Paula Molina
      • Antonio Resines
    • 2User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins total

    Photos

    Top cast12

    Edit
    Óscar Ladoire
    Óscar Ladoire
    • Matías Marinero
    Paula Molina
    • Violeta Ibírico
    Antonio Resines
    Antonio Resines
    • León
    Luis González Regueral
    • Nicky
    Kiti Mánver
    Kiti Mánver
    • Ana
    Alejandro Serna
    • Nicolás
    Marisa Paredes
    Marisa Paredes
    • Zoila Gómez
    David Thomson
    • Warren Belch
    Tony Valento
    • Hombre Supermercado
    El Gran Wyoming
    • Macarra
    Luis Miguel Infante
    • Amigo de Violeta
    Fernando Trueba
    Fernando Trueba
    • Crazy interviewee
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Fernando Trueba
    • Writers
      • Óscar Ladoire
      • Fernando Trueba
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews2

    6.3479
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    Featured reviews

    6ma-cortes

    Fernando Trueba film debut results to be a classy but dated ¨Madrid comedy¨ with spontaneous and likable interpretations

    Fun and uplifting Spanish romantic comedy with romance , silly events , entertainment and absurd situations . 1978 , Madrid . Matias , a 25-year-old journalist (Oscar Ladoire , also screen-writer) meets his cousin Violeta (Paula Molina) , a 19-year-old violin student , one morning in Madrid at the Plaza de Opera . Matias who has a child is separated to Ana (Kiti Mánver) . Then Matias and Violeta fall in love , but their relationship is marred by the usual presence of the composer Nicky (Luis González) . Meanwhile , Matias is advised by his photographer friend Antonio León (Antonio Resines) .

    This is an essential and fundamental ¨Madrid Comedy¨ that caused a long string of comedies in similar style during the eighties . Shot in long shots and crammed with overlong dialogues as well as a verbal incontinence by Oscar Ladoire/Matias . Earthy as well fun comedy with amusing elements , excessive talking , antics , entertaining , contrivances ; including engaging , realist performances , and being original as well as delightfully filmed . The flick has the classical story about boy meets girl , developing an amusing love story starred by an enjoyable couple , as he is twenty-five , she is 19 , both of whom have a funny love affair . It is a light , wistful crazy comedy , easy to watch , and easier to love . The film relies heavily on the relationship between the divorced reporter attempting to write a thriller and his young sweetheart who studies violin . Although a lot of things separate them , -as he loves meat and she's a vegetarian- , they join themselves , make love and live together at her apartment , but then things go wrong . Oscar Ladoire gives a sympathetic and natural acting and he is Woody Allen-lookalike ; though , nowadays , this character seems a little silly and bore . This is the start to a fruitful and compelling -but short- collaboration between actor/writer/director Ladoire and Fernando Trueba . Paula Molina is pretty well as Violeta , Paula bears a remarkable resemblance to her sister Angela Molina . However , Angel Fernández's photography is washed-up and being mostly filmed in Violet's apartment-attic

    This simple , acceptable and delightful motion picture was well produced/written/directed directed by Oscar-winning director Fernando Trueba , as the flick is entertaining and well worth your time . Shot in direct sound and produced by also director Fernando Colomo who is here the production designer . Being his first success this Ópera Prima (1980) following the style of the "Madrid comedy" . Trueba had major success with Sé Infiel y No mires Quién (1985) , starting a longer collaboration with the producer Andrés Vicente Gómez . He went on directing numerous successes such as Coarse salt , Year of Enlightment , Milagro de Candeal , Niña De Tus Ojos or The Girl of Your Dreams , Calle 54 , Embrujo De Shanghai , Chico and Rita and recently : The Artist and the Model. The multi-award winner in Spain Fernando Trueba was President of the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and he received the 1994 Oscar for Best Foreign Film to Belle Epoque (1992)and when accepting his Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, director (Fernando Trueba) said: "I would like to believe in God in order to thank him for this prize, but I only believe in (Billy Wilder), so... Thank you , Mr. Wilder!". Wilder himself reportedly phoned Trueba a few days later for acknowledgment and told him: "Hello Fernando, I'm God" . And this ¨Opera Prima¨ that was a big success in Spain .
    9jad-9

    The beginning of Spanish new cinema

    At the beginning of the 80´s Spanish cinema changed: a small group of artists (also in Music and other arts subjects) created works in a new, cool and refreshing way. The Spanish new democracy (five years old) was surprised by this young comedy where past is forgotten, where old fashioned pseudo-hippy culture is joked and described in an very particular funny way. This movie shows that Spanish young people obsessions are still the same: sex, friendship, sex, success and sex. Perhaps, for non-Spanish speakers is a quite difficult language to direct-translating and understanding. But I advise you to try it.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Filmed in 4 weeks, between November and December 1979.
    • Connections
      Referenced in A este lado del mundo (2020)

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • April 2, 1980 (Spain)
    • Countries of origin
      • Spain
      • France
    • Language
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Erste Werke
    • Filming locations
      • Plaza de Isabel II, Madrid, Spain
    • Production companies
      • Les Films Molière
      • Salamandra Producciones Cinematográficas, La
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $10,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 34 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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