El viaje a ninguna parte

"El viaje a ninguna parte" ("Voyage to Nowhere") tells the story of a comic actors group: they have to travel on foot from village to village searching bars or cafés where they could act. The movie combines perfectly the comic situations with the dramatic stories of the actors; it's a good portrait of the Spanish poverty during the Franco period, and it's also a good portrait of the hard life of the actors who have to act as extras in some many scenes as they could. This film is directed by Fernando Fernan-Gómez, who also plays a little role; possibly he is the best Spanish actor of his age. It won the Goya (the Spanish Academy Awards) for the best movie on the first show in which this prizes were granted.

The lyric feel of this film doesn't leave aside the tragedy and the comedy of the life of a group of actors (and actually of the whole of the Spanish people) in the specific context of Franco Spain. Poverty, cold, exhaustion but also love, learning, dignity. The whole story is seen through an old man's eyes (José Sacristán playing the leading role) who mixes reality and dream, remembering a story combining facts and fiction. Stubbornnes of human being facing the end of a whole world is perfectly portrayed. Individual wishes and social darkness are also confronted. Fernando Fernán-Gómez (the director, who also plays the leading role's father) is probably one of the most significant Spanish actors, directors and authors of the second half of the XX century

Throughout reflections of an old actor called Carlos Galvan : Jose Sacristan, he tells the adventures and misfortunes of a group of comedians that work in villages and little towns across Spain during the Forties and Fities . As Galvan at an asylum remembers with his psychologist doctor : Miguel Rellan, when his stranger son Carlos : Gabino Diego suddenly appears , while his girlfriend : Laura del Sol is really angry due to Carlos doesn't pay her attention and his father : Fernando Fernan Gómez who is the entrepreneur by hiring scenarios where to perform and being a main player too . Concerning the post-Spanish Civil war and regarding the final of an era , the end of the travelling theatrical scene replaced by the big screen . As eventually things go wrong , and deeming that they result to be disgraced vagrants , they finish following different ways .

Very good and interesting film about the traveler actors , in Spain called : Cómicos de la Legua , whose main representation was Federico García Lorca and his Barraca company . Based on a broadcasting serial , subsequently on an attractive novel and adding self-biographic elements by Fernando Fernan Gómez himself , he plays/directs an agreeable movie dealing with a family theatrical company whose existence gets very hard for them since they cannot compete any longer with a spectacle much more popular, the cinema . Main cast is frankly fabulous : Jose Sacristan , Fernando Fernan Gómez, Laura del Sol , Gabino Diego , all of them are really awesome . Being well accompanied by a good support cast with a lot of familiar faces as Juan Diego, Nuria Gallado, Agustín González, Maria Luisa Ponte , Queta Claver , Carlos Lemos , Simon Andreu , Jose Maria Caffarel, Carmelo Gómez, Raúl Freire , Nacho Martínez and many others.

It displays a colorful and evocative cinematography by prestigious cameraman Jose Luis Alcaine . Adding an atmospheric musical score by Pedro Iturralde by performing saxophone . The motion picture was competently written and directed by Fernando Fernan Gómez, considered to be one of his best ones . His first film as a director was Maniconio , following El malvado Carabel , La Vida pot delante , El Mundo sigue , la Venganza de Don Mendo , Ninette y un señor de Murcia , Mayores con reparos , Crimen imperfecto, Mi hija Hildegart , 5 tenedores , Mambru se fue a la Guerra , El mar y el tiempo , Siete mil días juntos , Pesadilla para un rico and the cult movie : El Extraño Viaje that along with El Viaje a ninguna Parte are deemed to be his masterpieces . Rating : Above average . Essential and indispensable watching for Spanish cinema fans .

That movie depicts the talent of an important author of spanish cinema. Love the movie, the plot, the scrip, the characters. Acting is really convencing and good enough to say that we are in front of a gem of Spanish cinema.

A really loast one, cause it should be remastered and showed again on cinema like other films.

The autor tells you the story of different characters that earn the money to eat in very difficult times for theatrical actors in spain. A dramatic and very powerful movie. It deserves more consideration than it has. Bravo for this piece of hard work and storytelling.

Long life for FERNANDO FRNAN GOMEZ!!

8,5 a stars out of t10.