Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Penélope Cruz | ... | Laura | |
Javier Bardem | ... | Paco | |
Ricardo Darín | ... | Alejandro | |
Eduard Fernández | ... | Fernando | |
Bárbara Lennie | ... | Bea | |
Inma Cuesta | ... | Ana | |
Elvira Mínguez | ... | Mariana | |
Ramón Barea | ... | Antonio | |
Carla Campra | ... | Irene | |
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Sara Sálamo | ... | Rocío |
Roger Casamajor | ... | Joan | |
José Ángel Egido | ... | Jorge | |
Sergio Castellanos | ... | Felipe | |
Iván Chavero | ... | Diego | |
Tomás del Estal | ... | Andres |
Laura, a Spanish woman living in Buenos Aires, returns to her hometown outside Madrid with her two children to attend her sister's wedding. However, the trip is upset by unexpected events that bring secrets into the open.
In order to get to a point where the story really begins to play out, there is a very long and unfocused backstory introduction. We don't really know what we are supposed to be taking note of. We feel like a fly on the wall, or indeed the drone filming the family wedding...too distant to be engaged in the real actions. We are given a few mis-directions and red herrings, not that we could ever work this out to begin with. We start to believe that a teenage girl has set up a huge scam. This is preposterous but we do so anyway. One character does suspect the truth and is alone in speaking out. Everyone else tip toes about keeping the secrets everyone else also knows. The victims are ultimately the ones who try to make amends. It's a sad tale where no one wins. A subtle and well made film of toxic family closeness.