Out in the Open (2019)

In a tyrannical and oppressive Spain of misery and poorness, a child starts a runaway looking for freedom.

Director:

Benito Zambrano

Writers:

Jesús Carrasco (novel), Daniel Remón

Stars:

Luis Tosar, Luis Callejo, Jaime López

8 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Luis Tosar	...	Pastor
Luis Callejo	...	Capataz
Jaime López	...	Niño
Vicente Romero	...	El Triana
Kandido Uranga	...	El Viejo
Juanjo Pérez Yuste	...	El Segovia
Adriano Carvalho	...	El Portugués
Manolo Caro	...	Tullido
Paz de Alarcón	...	La Madre
Elisa López Pinilla	...	La Hermana
Juanan Lumbreras	...	El Padre
Yoima Valdés	...	Madre Familia Pobre
Mona Martínez	...	Mujer Entrada Cueva
María Alfonsa Rosso	...	Guardesa
Carlos Cabra	...	Conductor Autobus

Storyline

1946. In a remote and undetermined corner of Andalucía (south to Spain), a nameless child, "Kid", escapes from the house of Capataz, the cruel and abusive landholder of the zone who imposes his personal law with fear, rage and violence in the scared and illiterate population. In a country impoverished with absence of money and resources but full of hunger, hate and blood after General Franco won Spanish Civil War seven years ago, Kid crosses alone the desert of the wastelands that spread around him with a compass and a bit of water and food. In the hope to arrive to the city in order to revenge of Capataz and free his family from the man who bought him to his parents, Kid loses the compass and the water bottle while he tried to hide of a farmer who was moving his livestock. Noticing the escape, Capataz and his henchmen El Triana, El Segovia, El Portugués and El Viejo start a searching to capture alive to recover the gold pocket watch that Kid stolen to Capataz. Thirsty and hungry, Kid...

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Plot Keywords:

kid | child | nameless protagonist | nameless character | shepherd | 

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Genres:

Thriller

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Details

Country:

Spain Portugal

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

22 November 2019 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Out in the Open

Filming Locations:

Orce, Granada, Andalucía, Spain

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$616,905

Company Credits

Production Co:

Morena Films, Movistar+, Radio Televisión Española (RTVE)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

A decent film well directed by Benito Zambrano with fine performances and shot in Western style

Pretty good film about a relentless pursuit carried out by an ominous and abusive foreman who imposes his personal law with fear , vengeance , rage and violence in the scared and illiterate population . As the nasty landholder goes after a little boy , a nameless child, nicknamed "Kid", who escapes from his house . Set in 1946 , seven years later Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) , in a far and undetermined corner of Andalucía , south to Spain , when a mistreated boy undertakes a runaway with a compass and a bit of water and food . The kid getaways from the claws a ruthless foreman , as he is mercilessly pursued by a cruel group formed by Luis Callejo , Vicente Romero , Kandido Uranga . But then , the boy is helped by a honest Shepherd : Luis Tosar , and both of whom join forces against the brutal posse that chases them . Both of them cross alone the desert of the wastelands that spread around them .

A violent Spanish movie set in an impoverished , tyrannical and oppressive country with absence of money and resources , being made in Spaghetti Western style with thrills , chills , emotion , go riding and thrilling fights . This is an interesting and intelligent picture following the wake of the twilight Western of the late Sixties and Seventies as Wild Bunch , Bite the Bullet , 100 Rifles or The Hunting Party . Director Benito Zambrano copes well this exciting movie helped by the Spanish remote desert , where in the 60s and 70s were filmed hundreds of Paella , Spaguetti Westerns . The movie is a little downbeat , showing a Spain of misery and poorness with a lot of people full of hunger, hate and blood . However , the film does succeed in giving us nice performances from the two leads . The picture is , sometimes , slowly paced , but entertaining enough . Cast is frankly magnificent. Luis Tosar is terrific as a good shepherd with moral values . The valiant and brave kid is magnificently played by the newcomer Jaime López as a child who begins a runaway looking for freedom . As well as Luis Callejo as the brutal and abusive foreman of the zone , he is top-notch in a role whose credibly sadistic rises to the highest degree . And other actors as Vicente Romero and Kandido Uranga are acceptable . And Manolo Caro who steals the show at a brief acting as a cripple.

It packs adequate and sunny cinematography by Pau Esteve Birba , made on location in Andalucia , and ordinary Almerian landscapes . The sound is extremely good with a rousing musical score by Mikel Salas. The motion picture was competently directed by Benito Zambrano who is a good filmmaker and he has made a few and prestigious movies as Habana Blues , La Voz Dormida , being his greatest hit : Solas . .His first film was a short : ¨El Encanto de la Luna Llena¨ (1995) , then Zambrano had difficulty in finding a producer for his first feature film, but after two long years, he was finally backed by 'Antonio P. Perez', who did not shy away at such 'unbusinesslike' material as ¨Solas¨ (1999) A bold but nice move since this sensitive story of a woman at bay proved a hit in Spain as well as a favorite of the festival circuit and of film critics. Since then the gifted but uncompromising director has made - besides a TV series - only two films, both of which full of humanity: ¨Habana Blues¨ (2005), the portrait of two Cuban musicians, and ¨La voz dormida¨ (2011), a war drama . Rating : Better than average . Well worth watching.