Question of Luck

I had hoped for something better seeing the names Galiena, Belaustegui, Berrocal and Noriega; however, the outcome is a very normal thriller with so much sex thrown in and rather lacklustre performances all round. Why the very beautiful Belaustegui had to appear with her face disfigured by a skin disease is anyone's guess: perhaps some kind of maccabre idea from the director, as if, rather uselessly, he had a fixed penchant on proving something or other.

Nicely filmed in Donostia – San Sebastián (Guipúzcoa) and along the coastline around Zarautz, Zumaia, Deba, Ondárroa and Lekeitio. My reproach is that the aforesaid names are capable of much more serious film-making instead of this rather poor imitation of anything coming out of the USA, and should not have had to recur to so many bed scenes in the hopes of making the film work.

Why I had to watch this so late at night is also a matter of luck, I suppose. Bad luck. Four out of ten and only because I love seeing the beautiful Basque Country (Euskadi) in films.

This is an intriguing and suspenseful Spanish production full of thrills , sexual scenes , cheating , twists and turns . A good-looking young guy called Julio Muñoz (Eduardo Noriega) living in a little town on the Basque coast is set to marry his girlfriend named Concha (Leire Berrocal) but a series of deeds pose objections , as he takes up with another woman shortly thereafter , as he spontaneously becomes passionately involved with a foreign Milf . While driving his motorbike he finds a crashed car and a loot of jewels . Then , he nearly rents a room from a bombshell as well as mature French widow called Marie (Anna Galiena) , as Julio swiftly becomes romantically involved with the gorgeous woman . However his opening few days at her new residence are tainted by treason and deception , following a string of mystifying incidents .

Exciting thriller plenty of emotion , suspense , intrigue , delusions and plot twists . Despite being somewhat of a cinematic cliché, rarely has a feature been so aptly deserving of its description as a thriller film along with some elements from Noir cinema such as Femme Fatale appearance . It is an entertaining picture in which suspense is well developed from start to finish , though crammed with abundant erotic scenes -in softcore style- between Eduardo Noriega and Anna Galiena . Interesting as well as twisted screenplay from Luis Marias , following a ¨Basic instinct¨ wake filled with intrigue , turns , and sexual situations . This is a film when the roles of good and bad change really quickly, and when you start making your own conclusions on the topic, suddenly something happens and you instantly change the course of your thoughts . Acceptable performance by protagonist duo as Eduardo Noriega an ambitious , unfortunate young and Anna Galiena as a sexy French widow with a shady past . Nice support cast such as Marta Belaustegui as Pili , Leire Berrocal as Concha and Ion Gabella as Alfonso . Furthermore , a special appearance of veteran and experienced actor Simon Andreu . Thrilling and mysterious musical score by Bernardo Bonezzi composed by means of synthesizer . Glamorous and colorful cinematography filmed on location in Basque country and Bidasoa . I think it's a decent thriller and it sure kept me interested till the very end . Recommended to the suspense , mystery lovers and thriller buffs .

The motion picture was compellingly directed by Rafael Monleon in his fifth and last film , going on filming TV series , the first one was ¨Baton Rouge¨ with Antonio Banderas and Victoria Abril . Rafael Monleón was born as Rafael Moleón Gavilanes . He is a director and writer, especially known for Baton Rouge (1988), and this ¨question of luck¨ . He has directed all kind of genres such as comedy : ¨Tretas de Mujer¨ , children movie : ¨El Niño invisible¨ and thriller : ¨Mirada Liquida¨ and ¨Cuestion de Suerte¨ .

Having lost his job at the fish factory, Juilo (Eduardo Noriega) now on the dole needs some cash to set up a new project with his pal Alfonso in Madrid. Things look pretty grim until Julio discovers a bag of stunning jewellery in a car parked in bushes just off the highway. The driver is already dead at the wheel. A gentle push after releasing the brakes and the car hurtles down into the sea. The plan now is to lie low for awhile and then turn the jewels into much-needed cash.

What I like so much about this drama is that no time is wasted. The story begins to unfold immediately. Julio's simple plan shows signs of amateur inexperience. He makes some stupid moves. Renting a room at 11 PM at Marie's (locally known as the French woman) immediately creates suspicion about his motives. Julio is very uneasy with Marie's probing questions and realises she is aware of his intentions. This is an interesting part of the story in which each tries to discover how much the other knows. Marie is clearly the winner in this contest because she has the power of seduction on her side. Julio melts at the sight of this older and experienced woman. The sex scenes are convincing.

When the lovers become partners in the disposal of the jewels through Ricardo, Julio finds himself getting into deep water. Mounting fear of being discovered drives him into desperate action. The French woman cleverly manipulates Julio to execute her plans. Despite his guilt we have a certain empathy for young Julio, but not so for Ricardo who drives a hard bargain. The character of Ricardo I feel is overplayed and some of the final sequences turn into utter melodrama. Apart from these minor points I find little fault with this entertaining film. As it twists and turns the story is quite compelling; and although we may anticipate some of the action, the journey to the final scene is quite worthwhile.

FOOTNOTE: Is Edouardo Noriega Spain's answer to American Tom Cruise?