Tarde para la ira

"The Fury of a Patient Man" is a Drama - Thriller movie in which we watch a man meeting a hard-working single mother and keeping a lot of secrets regarding his identity and the reason behind his approach.

I liked this movie very much because it had an interesting plot, consisted of plenty of mystery and some plot twists that made it even more interesting. The direction which was made by Raúl Arévalo was very good and he created a feeling of fear since it had plenty of suspense and his approach was unpredictable. The interpretation of Antonio de la Torre who played as Jose was simply outstanding and he made the difference on this movie. Some other interpretations that need to be mentioned were Ruth Díaz's who played as Ana and Luis Callejo's who played as Curro. Finally, I have to say that "The Fury of a Patient Man" is a nice, interesting movie and I recommend everyone to watch it.

There are so many good things to talk about in this movie. First of all, it starts out very strong and grabs you right off the bat. Then I really liked the occasional behind the shoulder camera work which gives an intimate and unnerving feeling but it's not overly done where it becomes exhausting. The look and feel of the movie fits so well to the locations and overall intention. I loved the progresiveness of the film which tells the main character's story and purpose in two very different halves. Every character is very carefully designed and has a meaningful and interesting presence.

It's the revenge story of a quiet but determined guy.

Considering how much better contemporary Spanish thrillers can be than their Hollywood alternatives, this is already a must see. The director does a great job in his debut, building palpable tension in scene after scene, as from the moment the story begins you will feel something is wrong, until the tension finally explodes in the most unlikely place.

Apart from the authentic atmosphere, which portrays contemporary urban & rural Spain well, there are some great performances here, supported by a great script. Callejo & Ruth Diaz disappear into their characters, and my only pet peeve is with the main character, Arevalo's stand in, Antonio de la Torre. Although he is usually a great actor, here he lacks expression. Although it is obvious the character needs to be understated, there should be more subtle work then, such as facial expressions or movements, in order for the character not to come off as "boring".

The moral of the story is very gray, and there are no heroes here, which leaves you thinking about the movie far after the credits have rolled

Liked: -the tension (especially the gym scene) -unexpected humor -the "buddy comedy" part -direction -location

Disliked: -the leads performance -some of the character motivation

8.5

José (Antonio De La Torre) falls in love for Ana (Ruth Diaz) , Juanjo's (Raul Jimenez) sister-in-law , who works as a waiter in the bar of his brother . But the tranquility finishes when Curro (Luis Calleja) , Juanjo's brother, is freed from prison after various years in jail by a robbery to a luxurious jewelry where the salesman ended in a permanent coma and the saleslady was killed by one of the thieves . A merciless avenger José quietly plans to find and exact revenge against the thieves and his emotional loneliness and isolation to be led to tragic consequences . After a strong discussion between Curro and Ana , José moves Ana and her little son to his cottage to keep them away from Curro . As the avenger José has only one thirst : blind fury and bloody revenge . As the extremely violent José seeks vendetta in order to discover the identity of the rest of a criminal bunch (Manolo Solo , Font García) , as taking the law into his own hands against them . While the anger grows within him José executes a relentless revenge , acting as judge , jury and executioner against those responsible of the deaths his beloved beings . At the beginning he kidnaps Curro . As Curro and José start traveling by some towns looking for the Curro's colleagues in crime . As Curro makes common cause with José , knowing that if anyone stops it , he probably ends being another victim more of the violent homicidal instincts of José . At the end takes place an astounding tragedy and surprising final .

This is an exciting , though downbeat , revenge/thriller in which there is action , violence , a triangular love story , interesting characters and surprising twists . The violence could be deemed excessive , especially when it occurs some grisly killings . The plot is plain and simple , a strange man seeks avenge , at whatever cost , against the nasty robbers who ransacked and killed his loving beings . Very good acting by Antonio De La Torre as a silent and circumspect man who loses his sweetheart during a vicious robbery at a jewelry store , seeking revenge for the salesman and the saleslady dead at the robbing . Sensational Luis Calleja as a delinquent who is freed from the jail after eight years by a robbery . Support cast is pretty well , such as : Raúl Jiménez , Font García , Pilar Gómez and Alicia Rubio . Special mention for Manolo Solo , he steals the secondary show as a peculiar ex-delinquent as well as his previous role as judge Ruz in ¨B¨ . Nice and evocative production design , as we see some slums or "barrios" from Madrid outskirts and some fine locations . The director creates a sort of Spanish Neo-Realism by tackling the Spanish streets , being rightly portrayed the city of Madrid , in the so-called popular Barrios . His style is pretty much urban and realistic as well in the atmosphere as in the fresh dialog . Filmmaker Raúl Arévalo shows the environment of these ¨barrios" , toughness and cold existence along with some nice scenes . Evocative and dark cinematography by Arnau Valls Colomer , being filmed on Madrid locations . Thrilling and resounding musical score by Vanessa Garde and Lucio Godoy .

"The Fury of a Patient Man" or ¨Tarde Para La Ira¨ was compellingly written/directed by Raúl Arévalo at his film debut , realizing in a realistic as well as moving style . It got a a big hit in Venice Film Festival 2016 and it Won : Venice Horizons Award to Best Actress : Ruth Díaz and being Nominated Venice Horizons Award Best Film : Raúl Arévalo . Actor/writer/filmmaker Raúl Arévalo was born (1979) in Madrid , where is set ¨Tarde Para La Ira¨. Arevalo began working in cinema in the early 2000s as a secondary actor and filming some shorts and writing screenplays . He is a great actor , known for La Isla Mínima (2014) , También La Lluvia (2010) and for TV series as Con Culo Al Aire (2012) , El Tiempo Entre Costuras (2013) , Velvet (2015) , La Embajada (2016) . And fetish actor to Daniel Sánchez Arévalo , including prestigious films as Primos , Azuloscurocasinegro , Gordos and La Gran Famila Española .

The single most important thing distinguishing a good thriller from a bad one, is the screenplay. It has to be simple but effective, with lots of suspense and without any unnecessary subplots.

'Tarde para la Ira' is a great thriller, because the writer, who is also the director, has stuck to this basic rule. The story of a man who waits for years to take revenge, is very effective. And the carefully planned way he finally gets even with his adversaries, keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very last moment.

Also, this film is very good in creating the right atmosphere. There's nothing polished or glamorous about the people in this film. They are as rough as the working class neighbourhoods in Madrid, where the film is set.

The great thing is that the film doesn't need many action scenes. There is one great scene, the very first one, shot from the viewpoint of a driver, who is trying to escape from the police after a robbery. This is a crucial scene, but why it is so important becomes clear only later in the film. There are a few violent scenes, but they are filmed in a very matter-of-fact style.

This film seems to be a perfect candidate for an American remake. It doesn't take much effort to change the setting from Madrid to Chicago, Los Angeles or Miami. On the other hand, I doubt if an American director can do as good a job as Raúl Arévalo.