Filipe Manuel Neto
Written on 1/5/2023
**A hidden gem of Spanish cinema.**
What would we do if, while preparing our doctoral or master's thesis, accidentally came across evidence of a murder? I bet with most people, the obvious thing would be to go straight to the police and hand the matter over to the professionals, right? This is not what Angela decides to do when, while preparing her thesis on violence in cinema, she comes across a “snuff” video, showing a student from her college being savagely murdered and chopped into pieces. A video that caused her thesis advisor's sudden death when he saw it.
Despite the very low budget, the film is really very well-made, and a clear sign of the great capacity, talent and creativity of its director, Alejandro Amenábar, one of the best and most regular Spanish directors (regular in the quality of his work, because he is one of those who only make a movie occasionally). I don't know, but while watching the film, I got the feeling that the director drew inspiration from his own academic experience, especially when he studied at the Complutense University in Madrid.
We don't have, in this film, easily recognizable actors, but it wasn't difficult for me, who saw most of the director's work, to recognize Eduardo Noriega's face, and to appreciate the actor's well-done job, in the role of a magnetic, charming and elusive student, who may very well be the great villain (or not, watch the movie). Ana Torrent also did a job well done, although not much was required of her. Fele Martínez was also pleasant, giving the character a welcome irreverence and a somewhat unpredictable way of acting. Xabier Elorriaga looks a lot like some idiot college professor, so I also think he did well in the role he was given.
Being a low-cost film, with few resources, we don't have anything visually ostentatious here, nor great effects. The film was planned to be simple, and the production clearly worked with what they had at hand: the sets and costumes are quite uncharacteristic, but they are within what we expect to see, since filming was almost always done on location. I really have doubts if there was a place that we can call a “studio” in this production. The soundtrack relies on electronics and synthesizer, but it works well, and fits with the period in which the film was made. Simple, effective, with good dialogues, a good script, an excellent director and good actors: a hidden pearl.
