The level of Spanish cinema is usually quite low, but there's sometimes time for this pleasant surprises, hidden good movies inside all the mess. David is a young model guy. Good person, good student, lovely. He lives with his mother Irene and his grand-father, Mateo. He loves Clara, a young woman that works in a supermarket. Although she loves him, his poor condition will cause problems with Irene, who thinks that his son deserves something better. Mateo, tortured by his remembers of civil war, is probably the person that understands better David, who is quite unknown, despite his gentleness. The unexpected dead of David will cause the world of everyone to crack and they will be forced to live in a new reality, without David. Everyone is devastated, and adaptation is difficult, but this is the power of the movie, it becomes moving and it keeps the interest at every time. Emma Vilarasau and Fernan-Gómez play a very good part, and surprisingly, Marta Etura does it too! (well just correct, but it is a surprise anyway) The result is a very good movie, with a great story and a very good acting of well build characters, complexes, but human. Probably the thing that I don't know what makes there are the critic to the Civil War and Franco's dictatorship that are in some moments of the film, I think it is probably to understand more Mateo, but I think they are useless in the film. To sum up, a good surprise to watch to near of Kleenex, cause it is quite sad!
4 Reviews
Broken hearts...
rainking_es18 March 2007
Two women whose lives get broken because of the dead o a young man: one loses her only son, the other one loses the love of her life. Both of them will walk in different ways the road of pain. No one learns how to suffer , so you have to take all those things as they come.
The movie of Patricia Ferreira is full of contradictions. It's a emotionally intense history, but kind of vague. She nicely portraits de suffering of both women, but she also introduce some statement against Franco's dictatorship that are rather out of place. She chose two great actors such as Emma Vilarasau or the legendary Fernando Fernán Gómez, but what about Marta Etura?? She can't even speak clearly. She's cute and the camera loves her, but she should take some diction lessons. Well, let's be optimistic and say that it's a good drama that deals with questions that affect to all of us.
*My rate: 6.5/10
The movie of Patricia Ferreira is full of contradictions. It's a emotionally intense history, but kind of vague. She nicely portraits de suffering of both women, but she also introduce some statement against Franco's dictatorship that are rather out of place. She chose two great actors such as Emma Vilarasau or the legendary Fernando Fernán Gómez, but what about Marta Etura?? She can't even speak clearly. She's cute and the camera loves her, but she should take some diction lessons. Well, let's be optimistic and say that it's a good drama that deals with questions that affect to all of us.
*My rate: 6.5/10
Never forget
jotix10031 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The ghosts of the Spanish Civil War is at the center of this Spanish film directed, and co-written by Patricia Ferreira with Virginia Yague. That conflict seems to be an eternal issue for directors from Spain, in one form, or another. The troubled past, as experienced by now an old man, haunts the newer generation in ways that are surprising.
David, a young architect student, has a bright future ahead of him. He lives with his mother, Irene, and his grandfather, Mateo in Madrid. One day he meets and fall in love with a lovely young woman, Clara, who is clearly not in the same league he is. Clara works as a cashier in a large supermarket. Introducing Clara to David's mother proves to be a mistake. The older woman feels he deserves better.
When David finds an old house in Madrid, he becomes friends with the occupants. They need his help in order to get the necessary repairs, but that an architect must inspect before they are made. Unfortunately, David is badly hurt in a traffic accident in which he loses his life. Irene tries to dispose of all his belongings, even when she is hurting inside.
Having taking Clara to a beach spot near Alicante before his death, David told her about the history of his grandfather and how the war affected his childhood. Mateo is surprised when Irene, warned by Clara, goes to the old house that David loved. There they will find a link to Mateo's past and finally Irene comes around in accepting Clara whose love for David never dies, even though he is not around.
Our main interest in watching the film was the presence of the great Fernando Fernan Gomez, who died a couple of years after this film was completed. His presence is felt throughout the film. Emma Vilarasau is fine as Irene, and Marta Etura is equally good as Clara. Roger Coma makes a valuable contribution, although he is only seen in the first half of the story.
David, a young architect student, has a bright future ahead of him. He lives with his mother, Irene, and his grandfather, Mateo in Madrid. One day he meets and fall in love with a lovely young woman, Clara, who is clearly not in the same league he is. Clara works as a cashier in a large supermarket. Introducing Clara to David's mother proves to be a mistake. The older woman feels he deserves better.
When David finds an old house in Madrid, he becomes friends with the occupants. They need his help in order to get the necessary repairs, but that an architect must inspect before they are made. Unfortunately, David is badly hurt in a traffic accident in which he loses his life. Irene tries to dispose of all his belongings, even when she is hurting inside.
Having taking Clara to a beach spot near Alicante before his death, David told her about the history of his grandfather and how the war affected his childhood. Mateo is surprised when Irene, warned by Clara, goes to the old house that David loved. There they will find a link to Mateo's past and finally Irene comes around in accepting Clara whose love for David never dies, even though he is not around.
Our main interest in watching the film was the presence of the great Fernando Fernan Gomez, who died a couple of years after this film was completed. His presence is felt throughout the film. Emma Vilarasau is fine as Irene, and Marta Etura is equally good as Clara. Roger Coma makes a valuable contribution, although he is only seen in the first half of the story.
An Unhappy Family
antonio_von_cuesta14 March 2005
Patricia Ferreira has got a lot of interesting things to tell in this movie, but she can't. Unfornately, the story goes of her hands like fresh water. Although the actors are brilliant, for example Fernando Fernán Gómez, who is absolutely wonderful in this character, or the beautiful Emma Vilarasau and the young Marta Etura...
Like always, Patricia Ferreira tells the story of a characters nothing lucky and the sadness who is between their lives. This time, the story of a family in a time of destruction, starring by the son, who wants to live alone with his girlfriend, the grand-father, ill, and the mother, a woman in the middle of her dreams.
You will spend your time if you go to see it. It's an advice, and you ought to know right now that this kind of stories in the hands of directors like Patricia Ferreira never end of a good way.
Like always, Patricia Ferreira tells the story of a characters nothing lucky and the sadness who is between their lives. This time, the story of a family in a time of destruction, starring by the son, who wants to live alone with his girlfriend, the grand-father, ill, and the mother, a woman in the middle of her dreams.
You will spend your time if you go to see it. It's an advice, and you ought to know right now that this kind of stories in the hands of directors like Patricia Ferreira never end of a good way.
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