The Candidate (2018)

A Spanish politician whose high-class lifestyle is based on nefarious and illegal business threatens to break his entire party after a newspaper expose him to the public eye.

Director:

Rodrigo Sorogoyen

Writers:

Isabel Peña, Rodrigo Sorogoyen

Stars:

Antonio de la Torre, Mónica López, Josep Maria Pou

32 wins & 26 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Antonio de la Torre	...	Manuel
Mónica López	...	Inés
Josep Maria Pou	...	Frías (as José María Pou)
Bárbara Lennie	...	Amaia Marín
Nacho Fresneda	...	Paco
Ana Wagener	...	La Ceballos
Luis Zahera	...	Cabrera
Francisco Reyes	...	Alvarado
María de Nati	...	Nati
David Lorente	...	Gallardo
Paco Revilla	...	Fernando
Sonia Almarcha	...	Susana
Andrés Lima	...	Bermejo
Óscar de la Fuente	...	Pareja
Laia Manzanares	...	Lucía

Storyline

2007. Manuel López-Vidal is a veteran Spanish politician and the right-hand of Frías, autonomous community's president (working as member of Spain's governing party), who he has an upper high-class lifestyle with his wife Inés and his teen daughter Nati. But behind of his long carrier and the respect of his party's partners and friends as Cabrera, Bermejo, Gallardo and Fernando, truth is totally different: Manuel is a crooked and corrupt man who since many years ago uses his politic position together his friends deviating foreign aids and getting money by means of any illegal way. When Gallardo is arrested accused of fraud and politic corruption, Manuel warms all his friends about to keep silence hoping that the police forgets the case by not founding new evidences. But when it's revealed in the newspapers that himself has been recorded in personal conversations talking about it, the fictional world of respect and honor created by Manuel falls down. With the elections closing the next...

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Plot Keywords:

spain | proof | fuel station | civil guard | male frontal nudity | 

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Taglines:

Kings fall. Realms continue.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Spain France

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

28 September 2018 (Spain)

Also Known As:

The Candidate

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

EUR4,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,206,101

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tornasol Films, Atresmedia Cine, Bowfinger International Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the autonomous community never is revealed, the accent of the characters and the landscapes suggest clearly to be Andalusia (south to Spain).

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Connections

Referenced in El hormiguero: Antonio de la Torre y Bárbara Lennie (2018)

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Soundtracks

Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare)
Written by Domenico Modugno (as D. Modugno) and Domenico Modugno (as F. Migliacci)
Performed by Gipsy Kings

User Reviews

Timely film looks at political corruption in Spain through the eyes of the accused

On a weekly basis a new exposé hits the headlines of Spanish paper, detailing the political corruption of members of the dominant party, the PP. This film tells the story of what corruption looks like from within the ranks. Connecting the structural and habitual conditions that allow a corrupt government to plainly blame a single individual.

We follow the story of governmental functionary as he tries to clear his name of the scandal that has been allocated to him.

Wonderful script, amazing editing. Seamless acting and exquisite steadycam use *(maybe over use?). It's a classic chase film, only seen from the backseat while the driver obscures the car up ahead.