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Smoke & Mirrors

Original title: El hombre de las mil caras
  • 20162016
  • 2h 3m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
8K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Eduard Fernández in El hombre de las mil caras (2016)
Watch {VideoTitle}
Play trailer1:14
1 Video
17 Photos
  • Adventure
  • Biography
  • Thriller

The story of a man who fooled an entire country. A tale of cheats and impostors, taking its inspiration from true facts and from one of the most intriguing characters of recent decades: the ... Read allThe story of a man who fooled an entire country. A tale of cheats and impostors, taking its inspiration from true facts and from one of the most intriguing characters of recent decades: the spy Francisco Paesa.The story of a man who fooled an entire country. A tale of cheats and impostors, taking its inspiration from true facts and from one of the most intriguing characters of recent decades: the spy Francisco Paesa.

IMDb RATING
6.8/10
8K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Alberto Rodríguez
  • Writers
    • Manuel Cerdán(book "Paesa, el espía de las mil caras")
    • Rafael Cobos
    • Alberto Rodríguez
  • Stars
    • Jose Coronado
    • Eduard Fernández
    • Miquel García Borda
Top credits
  • Director
    • Alberto Rodríguez
  • Writers
    • Manuel Cerdán(book "Paesa, el espía de las mil caras")
    • Rafael Cobos
    • Alberto Rodríguez
  • Stars
    • Jose Coronado
    • Eduard Fernández
    • Miquel García Borda
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 15User reviews
    • 32Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 24 wins & 36 nominations

    Videos1

    Tráiler [OV]
    Trailer 1:14
    Tráiler [OV]

    Photos17

    El hombre de las mil caras (2016)
    Jose Coronado, Carlos Santos, and Christian Stamm in El hombre de las mil caras (2016)
    Jose Coronado and Eduard Fernández in El hombre de las mil caras (2016)
    Eduard Fernández in El hombre de las mil caras (2016)
    Eduard Fernández in El hombre de las mil caras (2016)
    Marta Etura and Carlos Santos in El hombre de las mil caras (2016)
    Eduard Fernández in El hombre de las mil caras (2016)
    Jose Coronado and Christian Stamm in El hombre de las mil caras (2016)
    Jose Coronado, Carlos Santos, and Christian Stamm in El hombre de las mil caras (2016)
    From EL HOMBRE DE LAS MIL CARAS ('The man of a thousand faces'), by Alberto Rodríguez
    El hombre de las mil caras (2016)
    El hombre de las mil caras (2016)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jose Coronado
    Jose Coronado
    • Jesús Camoesas Jesús Camoes
    Eduard Fernández
    Eduard Fernández
    • Francisco Paesaas Francisco Paesa
    Miquel García Borda
    • Inversor 1as Inversor 1
    Santiago Molero
    • Inversor 2as Inversor 2
    Jimmy Shaw
    Jimmy Shaw
    • Inversor 3as Inversor 3
    Craig Stevenson
    Craig Stevenson
    • Georges Starckmanas Georges Starckman
    Rafael Sandoval
    Rafael Sandoval
    • Detectiveas Detective
    Ramón Rados
    • Rafael Veraas Rafael Vera
    Emilio Gutiérrez Caba
    Emilio Gutiérrez Caba
    • Osornoas Osorno
    Mireia Portas
    Mireia Portas
    • Gloriaas Gloria
    Carlos Santos
    Carlos Santos
    • Luis Roldánas Luis Roldán
    Marta Etura
    Marta Etura
    • Nieves Fernández Puertoas Nieves Fernández Puerto
    Christian Stamm
    Christian Stamm
    • Hansas Hans
    Enric Benavent
    • Casturellias Casturelli
    Philippe Rebbot
    • Pinaudas Pinaud
    Jons Pappila
    • Arlauckasas Arlauckas
    Marc Van Der Plassche
    • Notarioas Notario
    Ricardo Reguera
    • Cajero Aresbankas Cajero Aresbank
    • Director
      • Alberto Rodríguez
    • Writers
      • Manuel Cerdán(book "Paesa, el espía de las mil caras")
      • Rafael Cobos
      • Alberto Rodríguez
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    The story of a man who fooled an entire country. A tale of cheats and impostors, taking its inspiration from true facts and from one of the most intriguing characters of recent decades: the spy Francisco Paesa.
    • telephone call
    • timeframe 1990s
    • spy
    • year 2004
    • year 1998
    • 66 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • The story of the man who deceived a whole country
    • Genres
      • Adventure
      • Biography
      • Thriller
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      During Casturelli's hallucination of a deer in the airport the actual deer on set relieved himself in one take. Alberto Rodriguez himself helped mop up in order to shoot the next take.
    • Quotes

      Jesús Camoes: Like all true stories, it contains a few lies.

    • Soundtracks
      Tanto mientes, tanto vales
      Written by Julio de la Rosa

      Performed by Helena Goch

    User reviews15

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    The intriguing and twisted story of two rogue and greedy men : Luis Roldán and Francisco Paesa , being based on true events
    The story of two men , Luis Roldán and Francisco Paesa who fooled an entire country . As Roldán became the first civilian to command the Spanish Civil Guard and under his direction women were hired for the first time at the Civil Guard . Then a big scandal of corruption arose in 1993 , upon initiation of prosecution for his criminal activities , Luis Roldán escaped from Spain in 1994 . Roldán fled the country in early 1994 when it was discovered that he had used his office to amass a fortune through fraudulent means , resulting in the resignation of Interior Minister Antoni Asunción , responsible for monitoring Roldán , as a consequence . Luis (Carlos Santos) , his wife Nieves Fernández (Marta Etura) and supported by their friend , the seductive pilot Jesús Camoes (José Coronado) ask for help the notorious spy Francisco Paesa (Eduard Fernández) . Later on , Roldán was arrested on February 27 , 1995 , amidst claims that Roldán and the Socialist government led by Interior Minister , Juan Alberto Belloch (Luis Calleja) and his State Secretary , Rafael Vera (Ramón Rados) , had reached an agreement in which Roldán would surrender himself in exchange of him being charged of just two minor crimes . These claims came to be known as the "Laos papers", yet the PSOE government refused to recognize their veracity .

    This is an exciting and thrilling story , being plenty of cheats and impostors , taking its inspiration from true facts and from two of the most intriguing characters of recent decades : the corrupt Civil Guard director Luis Roldán and the roguish spy Francisco Paesa . Eduard Fernández gives a masterful acting as Paesa , the rogue agent of the Spanish secret service and arms dealer . Jose Coronado is very well as the womanizer pilot as well as Paesa's accomplice , as the film being told through the eyes of this swindler . Carlos Santos is awesome as Roldán , the ruler of the Spanish Civil Guard , and Carlos bears remarkable physical resemblance to him . The film develops extensively a peculiar caper designed by Paesa when Roldán was arrested on February 27, 1995 in Bangkok , in fact Roldán claimed the Socialist government had reached an agreement in which Roldán would surrender himself in exchange of him being charged of just two crimes : bribery and embezzlement . The picture contains a thrilling and suspenseful musical score by Julio De Rosa . Colorful as well as evocative cinematography by award-winning Alex Catalan . The motion picture was compellingly directed by Alberto Rodríguez . This prestigious filmmaker has shot various successes as ¨7 Virgins¨ , ¨El Traje¨ , ¨Factor Pilgrim¨ , and his greatest hit : ¨La Isla Minima¨ . Goya Award-winning director Alberto Rodríguez is nominated for his third Golden Shell following 2014's Marshland and 2005's 7 Virgins . This multi-prized film won several awards , as it won in San Sebastián International Film Festival 2016 : Feroz Zinemaldia Award to Alberto Rodríguez , it won Silver Seashell Best Actor : Eduard Fernández and Nominated Golden Seashell Best Film . Rating : 7.5/10 , the latest from the director of "The Man with Thousand Faces" or international title "Smoke & Mirrors" is rated above average , well worth watching .

    The film is well based on actual happenings , these are the followings : Luis Roldán Ibáñez is a former Spanish Socialist Workers' Party politician known for being the director general of the Spanish Civil Guard . He created in 1991 the Maritime Service of the Civil Guard and enhanced the counterterrorism information services that obtained great success in the infiltration within the ETA band such as the detention of the head of the organization in Bidart on March 29, 1992. Then , Roldán escaped with great lots of money robbed from the Guardia Civil . During his time missing, Roldán sent letters admitting and accusing other Interior Ministry high-ranking members from having received bonus payments from the reserved funds theoretically destined to finance the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking . Among those he accused was former minister José Luis Corcuera , but also PM González of 'being aware of everything'. This case, along with the GAL case, greatly contributed to the defeat of the PSOE in the 1996 general election . Upon initiation of prosecution for his criminal activities, Luis Roldán escaped from Spain in 1994 . He surrendered in 1995 at the airport in Bangkok . Between 1996 and 1998 he was tried in a court of Madrid. He was sentenced to 28 years in prison for several crimes , the Supreme Court increased to 31 years. He was from February 1995 in the female prison of Brieva (Ávila). In 2005 he was allowed out of prison to work in an intermediate regime between the second and third degree.

    -The other protagonist , Francisco Paesa , also has a wide and unsettling biography : In 1976 he was arrested by Interpol in Belgium and imprisoned in Switzerland and it is believed that he collaborated with the paramilitary group GAL . After serving the sentence he posed as an arms dealer who sold two antiaircraft missiles to ETA . The terrorist group did not know that the missiles had a location signal and its provider was collaborating with the Spanish secret service. The police could find, for the first time , a major hideout in which a large number of weapons and documents were stored during the Sokoa Operation . Until then , the Spanish government knew virtually nothing about ETA logistics and this operation was an important turning point. Being issued a warrant of arrest of Francisco Paesa on December 1, 1988 for collaboration with armed band and use of false identities . In 1998 he faked a fatal cardiac arrest in Thailand . Obituaries were published and a death certificate was forged .
    helpful•35
    7
    • ma-cortes
    • Nov 11, 2016

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 23, 2016 (Spain)
    • Country of origin
      • Spain
    • Languages
      • Spanish
      • French
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Man with a Thousand Faces
    • Filming locations
      • Campus de la UAM, Madrid, Madrid, Spain
    • Production companies
      • Atresmedia Cine
      • Atresmedia
      • Atípica Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • €5,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $3,054,505
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 3 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • Dolby Atmos
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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