Burning Body

If you know the details of the story, it's just not very entertaining. Perhaps because I just watched the documentary series, that this dramatic retelling feels redundant. With nothing especially gripping about either the story telling, the acting, or the level of suspense, I got bored with it quickly. It seemed to drag on and on. They could have done this in a 90 minute movie.

This is an interesting case, and the documentary series is very good, I highly recommend it. I probably would have liked this dramatic series more if I hadn't known the details of the case going into it. Instead, I wanted it to be over after about 3 episodes, just to get to the end.

I had no preconceived notions going in. Just looking for a murder mystery. I am a huge fan of true crime drama, and also procedural forensics. Yeah, if you are in search of a cinematic "tour de France" (joke turn of phrase that my late husband always used, instead on "tour de force"), this isn't it.

This way exceeded my expectations. I am not a native Spanish speaker, but I know enough to decipher the lyrics of the periodic background songs -- so the soundtrack is excellent, and is a sort of character in the story. To know this is a true story is telling within the framework of the series. This is a series that should be binge watched.

I didn't know that this was based a real case before I started to watch it. Approached as pure drama it is a magnificent piece of work. Very well written - the twists and turns of the story unfold gradually as the viewer is taken through the facts and fictions of the case, and perceptions of the characters change as their actual actions are revealed. The acting is very good too. The two leads - both sultry, hot and erotic - add some sexual charge to the drama, which underlies the entire case: Two people who find it difficult to keep their hands off each other. How close this is to the actual case, I do not know. But as drama it worked very well indeed.

At first, the series seemed like a pretty standard police thriller. It was mediocre in every respect. I don't mean this in a bad way. All the pieces were in place, but the series didn't seem to offer anything new and special.

However, the series slowly builds up and eventually it becomes about power and how any power corrupts. And revenge. This series was about Rosa. Her constant dissatisfaction and how she used her charm as an instrument of power in an environment full of immature macho men. A love of self and power. The notion that there are no limits and everyone can be manipulated without consequence. Until the consequences come.

I have to say that Rosa was an absolutely horrible person. Manipulative and arrogant, narcissistic. Men were mostly just stupid and seduced by their penises. I don't really understand these men. No self-respect whatsoever. Pathetic. Úrsula Corberó, who played Rosa, gave a good performance. It was so strong that you really started to hate the character.

The weakness of the series is the same that plagues many series. The series was prolonged for no good reason. It's good to take your time to build a set-up, but in this series things were repeated, repetitive and over-emphasised. The same things were underlined many times. A hint would have been enough in many cases. Confidence in the viewer. Of course, this is business and we wanted more episodes. In any case, the series would have been better as more concise. 4-6 episodes would have been just fine.

Still, worth a watch.

I am Catalan/Spaniard so I was expecting this mini series because I knew about this terrible crime/story. To be honest, the cast and direction here does an excellent job. Almost everything is great except for the crime.

First, the story is around 80% true so it is important to know that this crime had happened almost identical as the producers here want to explain.

Second, I have enjoyed the settings. Real and pretty similar to real life. I appreciate they used real locations and places where they used to move.

Last, there is something I don't really liked here. The music. It does not really fit well here. Forced, and nothing to do with the story. There was one time were I had to turn the volume down.

Anyway, nothing is perfect. But this mini series is great and I recommend to everyone who love inspired on true events, crime fiction. Enjoy!