Yes, I don't think LRTDD needs a festival. It has everything to be a succesful film at the Box office and in terms of Goya options can end like Las leyes de la frontera, one acting nomination for Lennie, the screenplay and the techs (costumes, make-up, art direction).
The less said about the awful El vientre del mar, the better. How could that film won so many awards in front of Ama, Destello bravío or Chavalas?!!
Oh, I agree that LRTDD doesn't need a festival to be successful, but something tells me that Oriol Paulo really wants that awards recognition that he has not had yet. The difference I see with Las leyes de la frontera is that that one was made by someone who was already a Goya player and also that 2021 was not so crowded as I believe it will be 2022.
But, in the worst of cases, he will do as he has done before: see the Goyas ceremony from home "sad" while relaxing on a mattress made of millions of euros that the winners will never get.
I also think that, given his commercial success, Paulo will be looking forward to having a critical success or, at least, at the level of awards. He was a candidate for debutant director and nothing more. And I think at some point he's going to get it like the Oscars recognized Ron Howard and that kind of directors. When you have a solid thriller and maybe mixing in some "important" theme.
It could also happen what happened to Gernando González Molina, who seemed infallible and with an ascending career and after the trilogy of El Legado de los Huesos and the Paraíso series, seems to have lost his space. I think there will always be a part of the academy for industrial cinema (last year Adu, this year Mediterranean, both with important prizes). LRTDD seems to be his most ambitious work and, we will see the market, but it is the type of film that used to make you 5-10 million and left the viewer very satisfied.
I recently thought about your doubts about Vermut before, Aikugur, who may be a director who has said it all in his two first films. There have been cases of people who start out very strong and then fall short of their past glories. I think Manticora can be very important. La Abuela has not been exactly raved , and ¿Quién te cantará? was a letdown after Magical Girl. The supposed premiere date, too close to Donosti (and the Goyas, of course), makes me think that it will not be an international upgrade either. And no stars. But hey, that date is always hard to say because Venice/Toronto are so close together that it can be anything.
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For me Quién te cantará is a better film than Magical girl, althought both great films. Haven't seen yet his debut. Manticora is one of my most anticipated Spanish films of the year.
Now, Alcarràs, why is that film in the official competition of Malaga? It doesn't make sense, it won Berlín.
I trust more in Paulo than in González Molina. The first one is a Shyamalan or a Nolan type: his movies can be made for the bro crowd, but they are original screenplays (I mean, not adapted) with a lot of twist or a gimmick, while González Molina's is a "solid" director to hire, as you name Howard. Of course, this second type is usually better to get industry awards, but the problem is that he can be easily replaced by anyone else, while Paulo is the one to go if you want the work he does.Originally Posted by picolandia
In my opinion, the main problem with Baztán was going with Etura. She had an ascending career that took a strong hit (somehow) when she entered the Academy as the vicepresident and broke up with Tosar... and a bigger hit when she started talk politics. Spanish cinema is hated as a whole but the Spanish right, so she showing her sympathies for right wing parties put her in trouble: right wing audiences are critical with Spanish cinema and left wing audiences were not comfortable with her in the screen anymore. Misogyny had also something to do: in their break up, people considered Tosar being "the good guy" and Etura being "the bad guy" (impression that was encouraged because of the politics, because their "followers" were mainly people in the left wing). The Baztán trilogy was an editorial success, so it was her chance to come back, but the result was not good and then, the last straw was the Miren Gaztañaga controversy, that made the right wing to boycott the movie. Left wingers were not comfortable with Etura as a lead anymore, right wingers decided to boycott it, the reviews were not good... In my opinion, it is sad that Etura has been left out from the first line of Spanish cinema and the reasons to happen feel to be non-cinematic. I hope one day she comes back strong. I myself am uncomfortable with her political opinions, but I have colleagues I disagree more with who are exceptional professionals. We like Etura for her acting skills, not because of her politics or her love life. Those things shouldn't matter.
About Vermut, it is just a feeling. Vermut's movie could be the movie of the year. Quién te cantará was a letdown, yes, but probably because we (some of us) had put so high expectations on him that they were unachievable: I consider Magical Girl to be my favorite Spanish movies in the last 20 years (since Talk to Her), so anything he would have done would have felt as a step back. Still, so far, I have Quién te cantará as my #2 movie of its year and better than the whole BP line up of the Goyas (with the Lacuesta unseen). About "La abuela", I think it is the same case: the reviews are not bad, but not at the level of the first two Vermuts. But let's not forget something: it is the first screenplay of his career that he has decided not to direct. That has to mean something. But he did chose to direct Mantícora. Maybe we will get more excited soon, when we get more info about its supporting cast or its story. So far, we have just a pair of photos of this almost unknown actors. So, I think this is the most unpredictable movie of the year. I am excited because it is Vermut, whose 3 previous movies have been Top 2 of their respective years for me, but... also cautious.
Again, the problem is that most of the movies will aim to San Sebastián, so those days the conversation about some of them will eclipse the others. And also, some movies will need to be left out, as it will be impossible for all them to make it in (ad that just considering the big names, because of course, there will be 2-3 more new names entering the race).
What? I think you're going to love it. It is the one that feels more Jali's of them all! *now Jali sees it, and hates it* But, yes, this is a priority. In the worst of cases, you will be able to say that you have seen the best superhero movie of the last decade (Diamond Flash is a superhero).
Well, the extra focus in Spain, closer to its release, is going to help the movie. It is free marketing. The presence of a Golden Bear for the first time, is going to get also an extra attention for the festival, so that's a win also for them. The problem is that it could eclipse other contenders (or make them go somewhere else when they feel stronger to win?).
Great for them, very kind for the fest.
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It's the best for everyone. If the movie won Málaga, it wouldn't add anything to the movie's success, as in comparison it would be seen as a minor award; but if it wouldn't win, the Berlin award could have been seen as "luck", as another jury didn't agree even with movies which shouldn't be so strong.
This way, both parts get the extra focus, but nothing "bad" can come from this collaboration. And also, other Spanish movies will get some attention because they have a better chance to get some awards. Great decision that should please everyone involved.
Ended Todos mienten. Fantastic show, highbrow critics will never understand the appeal.The cast is absolutelly incredible, I was going back and forth deciding who was better with every new episode, I would give awards or nominations to almost everybody!
My rank would be something like this:
The Women:
01. Eva Santolaria. Just for the monologue at the hospital she would be deserving of being the first.
02. Miren Ibarguren. Showing how good she is as both drama and comedy.
03. Irene Arcos. A revelation, never heard of her before, she embraces the camp with joy, OMG the Thelma & Louise moment?
04. Natalia Verbeke. Mostly an over the top dramatic turn, but she shines in all her escenes.
05. Berta Castañé. Mostly a very supporting turn but she is great in the "goodbye" moment.
06. Carmen Arrufat. Her Rocio Flores portrayal is mostly meh, but she sells it the final episodes.
07. Amaia Salamanca. She is mostly wasted, but she, at least, is fun to watch.
The men:
01. Leonardo Sbaraglia
02. Juan Diego Botto
I was very undecided about whose better, but both at are at the top of their game here.
03. Lucas Nabor, basically a new face that will have a brilliant future. The character is sold like a rebel without a cause, but he is mostly a sad and lost boy and you can feel that during all the series.
04. Jorge Bosch, the comedy relief of the series, she is good at it.
05. Ernesto Alterio. The worst of the cast, wasted performance and character. He disappeared in episode 3 or 4 and never appears again, like if he suddenly decided to leave the series.
The score was also great and this may be one of Pau Freixas best effors as a director (the one sequence shot of the school assay at the final chapter is one of the best of the series).
I love you were able to dive into its camp. I had problems with it because most of the time it felt too serious to feel that the campy elements were self-conscious. I read an interview to Freixas or an article (can't remember) and it felt that yes, he was looking for camp. For my taste, it needed to be a little more or a little less. As I said, I preferred Freixas' work in "Sé quién eres" and Arcos in "El embarcadero". And I mention those two shows because both had something in common that I didn't like at the moment (and probably still don't), but looking at this show, maybe it was a good idea. Both shows were divided in two parts... and they wait until the second part to go really campy. I didn't like it because the change of tone feels a little "WTF, this is not the show I was watching", but on the other hand, they give enough time during the first part to feel that what you're seeing is "real".
I've finally seen Farrucas, so for me, that category at the Goyas was:
1. Mindanao
2. Farrucas
3. Tótem loba
4. Votamos
5. Yalla
Yalla was abysmal, Mindanao was quite good and it was easy to sympathize with Farrucas. Tótem loba and Votamos were passable.
I wonder if Pedro Sánchez has called Verónica Echegui to talk with her, but not about Totem loba but about the vaccination false cards.
I was hearing the podcast of RNE's De Película, and Ángeles González Sinde has a fortnightly collaboration and has said that her film El Comensal is already completely finished. So, by dates, it seems quite clear to me that it is going to go to Málaga. The novel it is based on is quite interesting and the theme of ETA clearly fits in with a Spanish film festival. Obviously it could wait until Donosti but I think this year is going to be very hard for Spanish films with too many movies waiting to go, and González Sinde is not a first-rate name in the industry.
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I don't have much expectations, González-Sinde is mediocre at directing actors (Pepe Soriano in La suerte dormida and Esperanza Pedreño in Una palabra tuya are embarassing to watch) and she's just passable as screenwriter, as she's only writed 3 good screenplays in her life (La buena estrella, Las razones de mis amigos and La vida que te espera). Sadly I've watched all her films (as director and screenwriter) with the exception of Antigua vida mía and the mediocrity jumps out. That New director Goya still hurts, especially over Jaime Rosales and Pablo Berger.
I have not seen "La suerte dormida", but I found just average the Berger and his debut, critically clebrated as it can be, is the only Rosales that I can't stand, as it bores the dead. But other debuts I have seen from that year were also abysmal (Una de zombis) or very weak (Dos tipos duros). The only debut film I've seen from that year and has my sympathies (even if it's not a good film, but it doesn't try either) is the Z-movie "Kárate a muerte en Torremolinos", that at least is a very funny movie to see in a theater with people and it is a true homage to Z-cinema... with Jess Franco in a key role! ( )
All that said, let's mention the elephant in the room, right? I don't know if you agree or disagree with the statements I wrote this week about Marta Etura, but I am quite sure that politics were a big problem for her career... And she just have said some things (which I don't like, to be clear) 4 or 5 times. Now, we're talking about the comeback of a PP minister whose name was attached to the most known (and hated) law about audiovisuals, piracy, and so on... Does the cinema community want to welcome back Sinde? What do they think about her?
Last edited by aikugur; 02-19-2022 at 01:16 AM.
Sinde was a PSOE minister. She didn't understand anything, but she was doing what the industry wanted then. That was wrong but almost everybody in the industry was wrong then. Remember big music labels going after people who download a song and asking for millions? Or the hate for Napster?
Oh, i like very much Rosales and Berger debuts. I have never been very sure about the relationship between the fall of Marta Etura's career and politics, to be honest. Since 2010 she made a Balagueró hit, a movie that flopped like Eva but was supposed to be a success, one of the highest grossing movies in the history of Spain, another high-budget flop like Los Últimos Días, El Hombre De Las Mil Caras with one of the few A-list directors in Spain and a trilogy of films about which there was stratospheric hype and which were supposed to break the box office at the hands of the highest-grossing and infallible director of recent years. It seems to me a career full of opportunities to be banned. Also some small films like Hablar with one of "progre" director as Oristrell. Still not sure about that theory.
González Sinde give a weekly seminary at ECAM. It was one of the most boring of the three years that i was there. She had finished Antigua Vida Mía then and we read the horrible novel, then the script, she show as some parts of the film still inedit...was along week without learning a lot. Still i admire what she did with La Buena Estrella till heaven. A film that i cry every time i watched, sometimes even only listening the Eva Gancedo's music.
I've seen the Friday BO in Spain and not The Lost Daughter with 111 screens nor CODA with 261 are top 10. Oscars are not helping a lot. EL buen Patrón is top 7. Very good for a film with many months and that is online (paid or not). Goyas still has its power.
Last edited by picolandia; 02-19-2022 at 01:40 AM.
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Oh, yes, sorry. How could I forgot. What I don't know is about people being in agreement with her takes. It was so strange for me to listen her words in the Goyas, later de la Iglesia who seemed to defend the opposite approach, and later back to González Macho. I think there is a big division within the industry about those topics (and also that there was division back then and thus, de la Iglesia won the presidency for a while). I don't know if that division can be enough to put her in trouble when it comes to success.
Maybe you're right about Etura. It is just weird for me that she seemed to be the next big thing and then the break happened and her political opinions and she was not there anymore. But maybe it was a question of bad timing.
I wanted just tell you, that I have just seen "La mano invisible" (I wanted to see it for years) and I have liked it quite much. Maybe I don't like the ending so much, but it is a very nice movie which helps make up the not-so-good (in my opinion) 2017 harvest.
Last edited by aikugur; 02-19-2022 at 04:08 AM.
I searched for the Marta Etura's controversies because I didn't know anything. I doubt her opinions hurted her or her career, she's doing fine for an actress of her age. I would say that her main problem is that there's no evolution in her acting. Her first performances were like fresh air (Sin vergüenza, La vida de nadie) but the red alert about her acting habilities began that very first year of her debut with 13 campanadas that was a stinker. She had a very good run with La vida que te espera, Para que no me olvides and Azuloscurocasinegro, but mostly all her performances after 2006 were very weak. She's plain bad in Las 13 rosas, Casual day, 7 minutos, The impossible or just serviceable in Eva, Sleep tight, Smoke and mirrors or Los últimos días. She beneficiated from being in Cell 211 and won a Goya, but in reality that Goya belonged to Verónica Sánchez who (surprise!) was in the eye of the hurricane of the yellow press and wasn't considered a serious actress (same can be applied to Blanca Romero). The trilogy of El guardían invisible is just the last proof that she isn't a very good actress and that she can't have the weight of a big production like that one on her shoulders. I must say that Etura was my favorite actress from that period of 2001-2006, but I now I am mostly disappointed.
Guys, I've just tested COVID positive, so I'm going to spend many days at home. If my status doesn't go very badly, I'll try to check as many movies as I can. So, if you have some recommendations from Spain, please feel free to post them here or share it via PM to avoid upsetting other users who could be not so interested. Thanks in advance.
First, La siesta.
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