Marshland

The difference between a good crime thriller and an average one, is often the setting. In the case of 'La Isla Minima', the surroundings are as important as the plot. The story takes place in a remote part of Spain, an area of treeless plains, lonely marshlands and wide rivers. The inhabitants of the isolated villages are suspicious of outsiders. In this hostile environment, two policemen try to solve the murder of two teenage sisters. Slowly but determinedly, they gather clues and try to squeeze information out of the uncooperative villagers.

Apart from the scenery, the film is also interesting because of the political situation underpinning the story. The film takes place in 1980, when Spain is in the process of becoming a democracy after being ruled for decades by the dictator Franco. One of the policemen, a former officer in Franco's special forces, still holds on to the old fashioned way of using violence to get things done. The other, a much younger man who embraces the new democracy, has a very different style.

The film is beautifully shot, with some remarkable aerial footage. It's nice to see that Spanish cinema has more to offer than Almodovar.

Well, this movie was not on my to-see list, but once I watched it, it became one of my favorites of the past year! The setting is ideal and the story is inspired. The acting from both lead actors was phenomenal and it's safe to say, that although the pace of the movie was kind of slow and sluggish, it manages to keep you at the edge of your seat for the whole duration.

I have to say that in the end I was kind of confused with all the Spanish names and who is who, so make sure that when you hit play, you're in a good mood and not sleepy. Cause if you are, it will be a bit difficult to keep up with who is who, etc.

The movie takes place around the 1980s and the scenery and the clothing etc, are really well thought of and executed. The way the movie evolves is really as it was expected for the most part, although there are plot twists that make sure that you don't feel like you own the whole thing.

I would really recommend it and I will stop here to make sure that I don't give away something that could ruin it for you!

What a satisfying movie this was. I love hardcore crimers and this is a great example of its genre. It shows just how corrupted the authorities really were in the 1980's rural Spain without losing touch with its relatively complex plot.

The setup is familiar; two city detectives investigate a series of killings in provincial Spain. I wouldn't know where exactly this area is, but I'm guessing it's the marshlands in Andalucia (my bad if I missed any other detail, I was excited to see the movie so I might have overlooked something). Anyway, it all gets very much complicated as the investigation moves forward and more people are implicated in the case. I'm not going to spoil anything, but be warned that this is not just your usual straightforward murder mystery, as it is also a detailed look into a country shaken by political instability and corruption within the authorities. That said, there are some obvious similarities with other crime-thrillers like Memories of Murder or Red Riding (which I both heartily recommend), or TV shows like True Detective (although I'm not sure about this since I haven't started following TD yet).

The acting is more than solid, especially good are the two main leads. Pedro's character was more likable than Juan's, partially because he despises Franco's regime and its legacy, while Juan didn't seem to care much about that. His share of problems stems from some ugly acts in the past and that is reflected in his often violent work methods. Yet, there is no denying both actors did a splendid job and had no problem dealing with their roles' demands. An interesting bit are a couple of symbol-heavy scenes that include Juan and a bird seemingly staring at each other; one might ramble that the bird represents a new era for the country, a fresh beginning if you like (as it can fly away anytime it wants), while Juan is a man tormented by a violent past he can't escape.

But what I really delighted in was the exceptional cinematography. The movie looks fantastic and every detail is captured in beautifully placed shots. The marshlands are bathed in vivid colors, especially during the sunset. Camera-work is top-notch; I guess mr. Catalan really knows what he is doing. Thankfully, he was also rewarded for his work.

In short, this is a dark, expertly paced thriller that remains ambiguous even after the satisfying conclusion. Definitely recommended if you're into movies like this.

In the vain of True Detective (2014) but with the intensity (and pretentiousness) dialled down a couple of notches. This was compulsive, engaging and entertaining throughout.

I watched with the original Spanish audio and Spanish subtitles so I can't really comment on the quality of the script because my level of understanding was at about 70-80%.

The pacing was even, there weren't any unnecessarily drawn out scenes and everybody behaved in a realistic manner. The acting from the leads was superb but some of the supporting cast were quite wooden and most of the photographs used in the film were extremely posed. Those are minor critiques though; the only thing that really irks me is that no matter how well these films are made, and no matter how sensitively the subject matter is broached, they always feel a little gratuitous, hence why they usually lose one or two points from me. I watched The Treatment (2014) a while ago and both of these films currently have roughly the same IMDb score. Clearly then, ratings are hugely affected by the emotional impact of dealing with sexual abuse and murder. La Isla Mínima was, in my opinion, markedly better than The Treatment and I hope its rating increases to reflect this.

Another reason this film was more satisfying than others in its genre is that the police behave in a realistic manner - granted this is part of the commentary on the culture in this part of the world and what police have to resort to in order to protect their own people, but it still felt satisfying from a plot perspective and as an audience member. The final confrontation was horrific and yet entirely necessary. The film needed it and this was also entirely in keeping with the characters and the message of the film. Obviously, each will take away their own views but for me, the 'very' end made me question my earlier conviction that the final confrontation was 'justified': isn't that what everyone says to justify their actions?

If you enjoy films in this genre then it's an obvious choice 8/10.

Rodriguez's movie set in the Guadalquivir marshland and rural Sevilla when Spain's democracy was at its infancy is poetic and artistic, yet if flows fluidly. Its 10 awards -including Best Photography- at the Goya 2015 edition are well deserved, and it establishes Alberto Rodríguez as a director to look out for. Gutierrez's (Juan) and Arevalo's (Pedro) interpretations are powerful and convincing. Juan is an ambiguous and complex character, though I found certain aspects of his personality and biography (or rather, their combination) a bit artificial. The gist of the plot reminded me of a famous crime which took place in a Valencia village in the early 90s, but I doubt that was Rodriguez's and Cobo's intention. Apparently they wrote the script some 10 years ago, but only recently they thought of setting the action in the early 80s (from what I gathered, before the attempted coup and the socialists' victory). Although I would have preferred the end to shed a bit more light on a couple of things, this thriller is gripping, well-structured, well-interpreted (kudos also to Nerea Barros) and entertaining throughout. Excellent music and photography, too.