This is a somewhat complicated little piece as `El Color de las Nubes' tends to tie up different stories which all come together in time for `The End'. It is as if Mario Camus (his masterpiece is `Los Santos Inocentes' 1984, qv) intended trying out all kinds of cinematographic techniques all in one go, such that cottoning on to any possible sequence is initially not so easy. However, bear with it: the result is reasonably satisfying.
A young lad in Madrid is tossed back and forth between his divorced parents and manages to wangle his way into a group of Bosnian children refugees and thus gets sent to a large country house in Cantabria, Northern Spain, where he gets involved in the three other stories intermingling among each other, seemingly disconnected at first. So pay attention or you will miss how all this ends up in a coherent package. Am not particularly keen on Ana Duato, but must admit that in this film the further you get into the story the more convincing - and pleasing - she becomes. At least it is refreshing to see her without Imanol Arias....!! Julia Gutiérrez Caba is of course admirable as always, though in this case one could surmise she is in a part that might be considered atypical for her. Full marks to both lads - Pedro Barrejón and the Bosnian Adis Suijic, and the secondary actors are all pretty good, convincing.
What is spectacular is the photography: how could it be otherwise in all the splendid, glorious scenery of Cantabria? Most of the film is made in the small city of San Vicente de la Barquera in the extreme west of this beautiful province, and thus almost exactly in the middle of Spain's northern Cantabrian coastline. I could hardly think of a better place for your summer holidays: there is so much to see and do all around you, such beautiful landscapes within easy reach by car, nearly all protected natural reserves and parks, as well as the famous nearby prehistoric caves in Santillana del Mar (mentioned in this film). And if you have the luck to have some warm sunny days, there are plenty of beautiful beaches to choose from. Fly into Bilbao if you can and take the FEVE (narrow gauge railway) meandering along the coastline - we see one in the film! It takes hours, but what a wonderful way of travelling! If you have to fly into Madrid, take the `Alsa' bus north.
