I wanted to see this film since 2001, when I read it was nominated to the Goya (Spanish Oscar) as best Spanish film of the year. Generally speaking, I think the film delivers and it has two interesting subplots. A great detail is that even though it takes place at a somber area of Madrid, it never makes you feel bad or depressed; they've made good use of the cameras and the lights; the sawing area is well conceived. In general, the direction was outstanding. Unfortunately the story shows some weaknesses, some people are overexposed without being important and some others would need a couple of extra screen minutes/seconds to be more functional. It was a shame the main plot itself ends up being kind of poor and not really original when you recall it... I gave it a 7/10
2 Reviews
A very strong film, hard as life
garp_emiliano28 September 2002
Warning: Spoilers
This film has no glamour, no beautiful smile, no relief from everyday life: it's real.
Leo (it's the girl: Leonor on baptism) and Salva (Salvador=saviour) meet on a industrial zone near Madrid. She's collecting cardboard and he works as private guardian. Tough Leo sees him as a good man and will let him enter in her past life with a martial arts master. The film ends abruptlly, on a friend's wedding dance, of course, but still with a knife to remind us of the restrained but real violence on this film. Director and writer Borau keeps the rhythm masterly as usual, I think even that this film represents the peak of his writing talent: there's no scene lacked so we are the witness of the complexity inherent of what we tought were so ordinary life. The depths of Leo's character are shown in a subtle crescendo, like a whirlwind that traps her Salva-Saviour friend.
Icíar Bollain (unforgetable debut at "El sur": one of top spanish movies) makes enigmatic Leo a class of restrained acting, without losing her strong appeal. The male lead actor, Javier Batanero, makes here his first appearance on screen, with a career of songwriter (famous "Pacto de caballeros", with Joaquín Sabina), member of "Académica Palanca" (a group of intelligent humour, comparable to "Les Luthiers" one of their records is called "The mistery of vulgar voices") and solo singer. Also practically debutant is musician Álvaro de Cárdenas, who makes a score that perfectly fits the tragic history without emphasizing. It's symptomatic for Burau's work, a real patriarc in Spanish film industry, to choose unexperienced people (besides his long time friend Icíar) to make real a film so extraordinary, so daring, so moving as this "Leo".
Note for award curious: produced (and almost financed) by Borau himself, the film, despite his awful commercial career (sadly clearly expected so), were recognized with the most important nominations for Spanish Academy Film award: the "Goya": best film, director (he won) and writing, best actress, best revelation actor and best movie editing. Also won the best music at Málaga Film Festival.
Leo (it's the girl: Leonor on baptism) and Salva (Salvador=saviour) meet on a industrial zone near Madrid. She's collecting cardboard and he works as private guardian. Tough Leo sees him as a good man and will let him enter in her past life with a martial arts master. The film ends abruptlly, on a friend's wedding dance, of course, but still with a knife to remind us of the restrained but real violence on this film. Director and writer Borau keeps the rhythm masterly as usual, I think even that this film represents the peak of his writing talent: there's no scene lacked so we are the witness of the complexity inherent of what we tought were so ordinary life. The depths of Leo's character are shown in a subtle crescendo, like a whirlwind that traps her Salva-Saviour friend.
Icíar Bollain (unforgetable debut at "El sur": one of top spanish movies) makes enigmatic Leo a class of restrained acting, without losing her strong appeal. The male lead actor, Javier Batanero, makes here his first appearance on screen, with a career of songwriter (famous "Pacto de caballeros", with Joaquín Sabina), member of "Académica Palanca" (a group of intelligent humour, comparable to "Les Luthiers" one of their records is called "The mistery of vulgar voices") and solo singer. Also practically debutant is musician Álvaro de Cárdenas, who makes a score that perfectly fits the tragic history without emphasizing. It's symptomatic for Burau's work, a real patriarc in Spanish film industry, to choose unexperienced people (besides his long time friend Icíar) to make real a film so extraordinary, so daring, so moving as this "Leo".
Note for award curious: produced (and almost financed) by Borau himself, the film, despite his awful commercial career (sadly clearly expected so), were recognized with the most important nominations for Spanish Academy Film award: the "Goya": best film, director (he won) and writing, best actress, best revelation actor and best movie editing. Also won the best music at Málaga Film Festival.
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