Labios rojos

It's incredible to think of a comic-film noir style movie (with lots of "good-taste shots"), with two female protagonists, and that it is such a spicy film by Jess Franco in the Spain of the another Franco (because dictator and flimmaker share last name)....sublime.

Without being a technically brilliant film, I consider it technically special, highlighting the use of diegetic music with the great piano scene, and the jazz club.

Red Lips is a gem that must be understood in its time to give it all the value it has, which in my opinion is a lot.

¨Red Lips¨, the second feature by Jesús Franco on his remarkable overall scope of his career and like his debut : "We're 18 Years Old", being starred by two gorgeous girls ; albeit on a less expansive scale , a film that exemplarily condenses what he should emerge time after and again in new and differently conceived forms on various cinematic genres . Dealing with two beautiful young women who play to be vigilantes by handing over criminals to the police , much to the chagrin of Commissioner Fernández (Manolo Morán) . As two girl detectives (Isana Medel, Ana Castor) known as "Labios Rojos" ("Red Lips") outwit both criminals and a botcher police inspector (Manolo Moran). When asked by a sponsor to retrieve a stolen diamond from Radeck (Félix Dafauce) , the two women fall into what seems to be a set-up and are charged with murder . It will be necessary to unfold their treasures of enchantment to exonerate themselves . This Red-lips like a secret organization , it's lush , comical even, being more representative as an amusing and entertaining team than as a superhero band .

Labios rojos(1960) belongs to Franco's early work, which is generally perceived as more accessible and more dignified in its staging , before the huge turning point called "Necronomicon - Dreams Sins" (1968) , which catalyzed the increasing elimination of genetic structures and more traditional modes of pacing in an unprecedented way , there's already a structural alienation formed by the idiosyncratic vertex of exalted images and a tone that Franco would be especially interested in the early 1970s , before his work would begin gradually to become more or less accessible again . The cinematographic settings and the black/white design of the images provide an adequate Noir style thanks to the essential collaboration with the cameramen Emilio Foriscot and Juan Mariné , but above all this typical enviroment , which immediately would transform into an avant-garde artificial and architectural exuberance, the obsession with excessive angles , spatial influences and distortions, which are appreciated in cameraman Rául Artigot to develop in "Miss Death" and other subsequent movies . The creation of a series of peculiar films about the detective duo of the same name , ¨Red Lips¨ , still leaves literally little room for our heroines and their fight against villainous machinations . This detective duo "Rote Lips" to be followed , being known for fans of the genre at least from Franco's "Rote Lips, Sadisterotica" (BRD / Spain 1968) and "Kiss me, Monster" (BRD / Spain 1969) , where they were interpreted by Janine Reynaud and Rosanna Yanni . And other lesser-known adaptations went on . Here in "Red Lips" Ana Castor is the blonde Lola who has a soft penchant for handsome gangsters . She is portrayed less stupid than later Rosanna Yanni in a similar role , in fact the two detectives seem more equal to each other than the Reynaud / Yanni duo . The second member of the group is Isana Medel as Mari in "Red Lips", and in a way her interpretation is very sweet and agreeable. The red-lip duo in "Red Lips" seems more playful than in later films , money seems to play only a very subordinate role , they like to enjoy their actions , especially in the form of Commissioner Fernández, with whom they make repeated anonymous calls and messages ."Red Lips" was professionally filmed, Jess Franco apparently had something to do with leading actress Isana Medel, whom he had met the year before while filming his first movie : "We Are 18 Years Old." However, he was not satisfied with her performance in "Red Lips" and so they parted away after this last collaboration . Medel did not appear in any other Franco film and after that , she perfomed a few movies . She suspected Franco saw her in a more dominant role within the duo, and she couldn't deliver attractiveness enough in the picture . Set widely in ballrooms and jazz bars, including some uneven night scenes that are particularly appealing in Franco style , as well as appearance of a jazz combo.

The last part of the film largely revolves around in and around Pablo's Stardust nightclub , and including some songs by other composers (Franco himself , as well) , adding Antonio García Cano's musical score . The two detectives, Isana Medel/Ana Castor , who, like Jeanne Reynaud / Rosanna Yanni later , are not professional dancers , perform there with a fun musical number that falls into the category of choppy show , while Lina Canalejas singing catching songs . In addition, Franco takes unusual paths with the figure of the a bumbling commissioner well played by the always sympathetic Manolo Morán . The latter is portrayed as a fatherly guy who wants to rescue the likeable detectives from prison and especially in the later stages the Red Lips seem sloppy and are eventually saved by this father figure from the police. Franco would not repeat this peculiar situation in later films , it is not the way Franco usually portrays women from his sui-generis sight point . However , the most typical thing is that the villain is finally judged by the hand of a despised lover , Lina Canalejas . Interesting for Franco fans : in "Red Lips" the names /character types of Radeck, Kalman and Carlo Moroni appear for the first time . You will find them more often in subsequent Franco's films . Due to the financial difficulties already mentioned and the short budget production , it took three years before "Labios Rojos" to be premiered for the first time in Spain , with moderate success , indeed . Regular but efficiently directed by the notoriously hard-working , jazz musician and filmmaker Jesus Franco whose transgression of the limits of good taste for design offbeat extravagances shape the characters of his peculiar work, though in Rip Lips develops an acceptable , passable and traditional direction.

The second effort of Jess Franco as director has everything to please any Francophile. As its predecessor, "Tenemos 18 Años", this film has many of the director's obsessions.

Once again, we have two beautiful young girls as the leads, with the gorgeous Isana Medel making her second and (sadly) last appearance in a Jess movie. Rumor has it that the director didn't like her perfornance, which would have led him to break up their love relationship!!! With all respect to Jess, but I can't disagree more with him in this aspect, because Isana is perfect.

The plot is pure Jess Franco. What could be more Francoan than a story about two beautiful female detectives investigating the case of a stolen diamond after all? This formula would be reused in many other movies throughout his career, with the last one being the terrible "Red Silk" (1999).

In "Labios Rojos", Jess utilizes for the first time the character names Kallman, Radeck and Moroni, something that would be kind of a mania in his cinema. There is also the first reference to a nightclub called Flamingo. Nightclub performances are explored for the second time here, with Lina Canalejas, Isana Medel and Ana Castor doing the job. Do you want one more Franco trademark? What about a police inspector having to deal with conflicting testimonies by different witnesses? In this case, the inspector (played by Manolo Moran) is unusually efficient.

The only two things that are missing are zooms and eroticism, but those two elements are absent in some of his 70s and 80s projects too.

Technically, the film is full of style, with some striking unusual camera angles and a black-and-white photography reminiscent of the film noir genre. Still about the photography, it seems that Emilio Foriscot didn't actually work in this movie, another typical trademark of Jess cinema that makes its debut here.

According to Alain Petit and Stephen Thrower, "Labios Rojos" suffered from financial irregularities, with unpaid crew members walking off the set in protest! Probably, as a result of this, its releasing was delayed.

I really hope more fans of the director give the attention that this film deserves.

Two female sleuths run a secret detective organisation called Red Lips Agency. They wind up going undercover as exotic dancers at a nightclub in order to solve a crime involving a stolen diamond.

This film is the second or third that the unbelievably prolific Spanish director Jesus Franco made. His debut came the year previously with the rather cute comedy We Are 18 (1959). One of the lead actresses from that film, Isana Medel, returns here as one of the Red Lips girls. Both these early Franco movies are considerably nicer and sweeter than the sorts of things he would come to be known for later in his career. They are also quite a bit better from a technical standpoint as well, with lots of locations, professional camera-work and actual editing (something which became something of a luxury item by the time the 70's came around for Franco). In truth, this is a pretty professional looking little movie from Jess and definitely shows what he was capable of given a bit more money. There is some nice visual style to be found here with the lighting and angled photography all showing the influence of film-noir. And while the basic crime storyline and characters also fall into that bracket, it has to be said that the tone veers wildly off in another direction, as this is an unashamedly silly comic film much of the time. If you were to imagine a film-noir being combined with a 'Carry On' movie, you wouldn't be too far off the mark. The 'Red Lips' idea was actually carried on in two further movies Franco directed, namely, Sadisterotica and Kiss Me Monster, both from 1969. For my money though, this first entry is the best of the bunch. The latter two don't have nearly as much charm or craft about them and while they are more well-known, this obscure first instalment is really the one which deserves to be more widely seen. It showcases another side to Franco and along with his lovely debut We Are 18, it's a fun light-hearted romp which is rather well made.