5/10
Thrilling look at youthful delinquency in Spain of the 80s starred by true delinquents
16 April 2016
Shocking and stirring film based on facts about juvenile delinquency in Catalunya . The film starts with El Vaquilla -he is , nowadays , 23 years old- , introducing himself and giving a speech . This is the story of one of the most famous delinquents of the ¨Spanish transition¨ , Juan Jose Moreno Cuenca , El Vaquilla , whose biography is told by means of flash-backs from his childhood and how everything changed when his mom went to prison . He tells his story as a criminal offender from Prison 1 Ocaña Toledo . As fatherless , he lives with his mummy but subsequently , she is locked , and he , then , carries out a criminal life . This young offender had a very moving childhood filled with crimes and misdemeanors , and a dangerous adolescence along with a risked first youth . As young thieves embark on armed robberies to raise the money that they use to rise their existence . Along the way they are chased by policies and Guardia Civil , taking place spectacular pursuits with bounds and leaps and breathtaking car crashes .

This classical ¨Quinqui¨ movie deals with Juan Moreno Cuenca alias the Heifer or Vaquilla , it tells his life like a legend , as he was born in prison where his mother was imprisonment . ¨Yo El Vaquilla¨ is one of several movies dealing with youth delinquency in Spain during the 70s and early 80s along with ¨Perros Callejeros I¨ and ¨II¨, ¨ Los Ultimos Golpes Del Torete¨, ¨, mostly realized by Jose Antonio De La Loma , ¨Navajeros , "Colegas", "El Pico 1¨ , 2" and especially ¨Deprisa , Deprisa¨ by Carlos Saura and later on , ¨La Estanquera De Vallecas ¨ , among others . These films were notorious in the years of the Spanish transition to democracy including provoking and polemic issues and played by unknown young people . His style is pretty much urban and realistic as well in the atmosphere as in the fresh dialog and attempted to take a position in favor of outcast people . Drugs , delinquency, and generational problems are the habitual subjects in these films and specially dedicated to the underworld of heroin and a very realistic look at drug addiction . Passing of time hasn't had mercy with most of those movies , but they represented a time and a way of life in the history of Spain ; and now they may seem a little bit naive . In ¨El Vaquilla¨ we watch the day-by-day of a kid-delinquent committing violent crimes . A great look at young life and friendship in the margined side let the story flow efficiently and being realized in realistic style . We see their troubles growing in such streets , slums or "barrio" from Barcelona and outskirts and other coastal places and some fine locations . The director creates a sort of Spanish Neo-Realism by tackling the juvenile delinquency in the suburbs and gypsy population from a sociological point of view . Jose Antonio De La Loma shows the ugliness of those "barrios" , toughness and cold existence . The screenplay by the same Jose Antonio De La Loma is such strong with disagreeable events , including nudism , violent scenes , though also with some ingenuousness and brief hilarious moments . Jose Antonio De La Loma chose young and natural actors as Jose Luis Moreno Cuenca , Vaquilla , and Angel Fernandez Franco , El Torete who play their part to the hilt , unafraid of filmmaker's unsympathetic camera and the particularity of the characters . Along with rookie actors there appear veteran as Frank Braña and Carmen De Lirio . Passable photography with juicy atmosphere by Carles Gusi , deemed one of the best Spanish cameramen , but unfortunately turns too much murky in some video print , being necessary a perfect remastering . Being filmed on location in Castelldefels , Gavá, Vilanova i la Geltrú , Barcelona , Lloret de Mar , Girona , Catalonia, and Perpignan , Pyrénées-Orientales, France . El Vaquilla also appeared in ¨Los Ultimos Golpes Del Torete¨ as colleague of ¨Torete¨ who was played by Bernard Seray . In ¨Yo el Vaquilla¨ is actually interviewed by a mythical journalist , Xavier Vinader , and recounting his feats from infancy , bags robbing , heists , car pursuits with crashes and successive getaways , including escapades of reformatories . Here stands out the catching soundtrack by the popular band ¨Los Chichos¨ who previously composed the musical score for ¨Deprisa , Deprisa¨ by Carlos Saura , considered to be the best of all them . In fact , Los Chichos dedicated a long play to El Vaquilla and premiered in the prison yard where Juan Jose Moreno was imprisoned .

Shot by the creator of ¨Quinqui sub-genre¨ , Jose Antonio De La Loma , in his usual botcher style , being filmed after three successful ones : ¨Perros Callejeros I ,II¨ and ¨Ultimos Golpes Del Torete¨ and he even made a female version : ¨Perras Callejeras¨ . The motion picture was regularly directed by Juan Antonio De La Loma who had a long career including titles as writer as ¨Professional for a massacre¨ ,¨Texas Kid¨ ,¨Clint the solitary¨ , ¨Return of Clint¨, ¨The last Mohican¨, ¨Seven pistols for Timothy¨ , ¨Viva Carrancho¨, and director as ¨The Boldest job in the West¨, and ¨Blood at sundown¨or ¨Porque Seguir Matando¨
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