The life and times of Malena (Ariadana Gil) from little girl (played by Dafne Fernández) and teenager into adulthood , as she distinguishes herself from her rival older sister Reina (Marta Beláustegui) and relying heavily on the relationships among the main characters , a complex loving cobweb plenty of deceptions , pain , mistrust and lies .
This is a thought-provoking drama with emotion , routine plot , unfriendly family relationship , jealousy , profanity , romance including a lot of sexual scenes but also contains too much dialogue and many other things . Intense and heart-rending melodrama about a peculiar and suffering pair of unlikeable sisters . This tiring as well as dramatical story is a passionate retelling and a touching melodrama , adding strong sex scenes and nudism . Based on a bestseller written by Almudena Grandes , a successful writer whose novels are filled with sex and dramatic as well erotic relations among her personages . Her novels and books have been adapted to big screen in various films titled : ¨Castillos De Cartón ¨, ¨Atlas Geografía Humana¨ , ¨Los Aires Difíciles¨ , ¨Geografía Del Deseo¨ , ¨Aunque Tú No lo Sepas¨ and ¨Las Edades De Lulú¨ . This ¨Malena is the Name of a Tango¨ packs an uneven plot that relies heavily on the relationship among sisters protagonists Malena/Ariadna Gil and her sibling Reina/Marta Belaustegui whose interactions with Malena, her lovers and her children over time vary from the cordial to the unethical . Their interpretations result to absurd and lifeless , playing two unkind roles . Support cast is frankly good such as Luis Fernando Alvés , Isabel Otero , Alicia Hermida , Ana Otero , Susi Sánchez , Juan Carlos Vellido , Dafne Fernández , Miguel Palenzuela , among others . The main problem has to face , beyond not being able to avoid falling into a little interesting drama , it is derived from the coldness of its staging , excessive dialog and some slow-moving scenes . Because the story needs a vibration more real than the one offered in this sometimes dull as well as sad flick , though also develops some enjoyable moments . Anyway, it's is compensated with an adequate cinematography by Alfredo Mayo including spotless pictorial images and a willingness , almost perfect of the elements of each shot , every sequence , every space ; setting rightly the seventies and eighties . Furthermore , a sensitive and appropriate musical score by the notorious Antoine Duhamel , recently deceased , a prolific French composer who has composed excellent soundtracks and with a long career .
The motion picture was lousily directed , and without enthusiasm , by Gerardo Herrero . Gerardo is a famous producer as well as filmmaker . He was President of the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (1994-1994) . Great producer of big hits , being especially known for The Secret of your ears (2009), Sin Retorno (2010) , Balada Triste de Trompeta (2010) , Crimenes De Oxford (2008) and El Hijo De La Novia (2001). He also directed some good films such as ¨Silencio En Nieve¨ , ¨Corredor Nocturno¨ , ¨Principio Arquímedes¨ , ¨Crimen Galindez¨ , ¨Frontera Sur¨, ¨Territorio Comanche¨ , ¨Desvio a Paraíso¨ , ¨Al Acecho¨ and ¨Heroína¨ .
