Enjoyable look about a gang of adolescents of lower class in suburban barrios and their problems with parents and environment . This is a coming-of-age story in the vein of City of God and Kids . Rai (Crispulo), Javi (Tim Benito) and Manu (Eloi Yebra) are three misunderstood adolescents from typical working class family living in a big city , Madrid . They are unadapted and unknown children for their parents , brothers and themselves . Their families are distorted , troublesome parents have marital problems and one of them has a brother who never calls or visits . They live in a ¨Barrio¨ or "Neighborhood" and both of them want to getaway from it . Their emotional loneliness and isolation to be led to unexpected and tragic consequences . Meanwhile , the teens dedicate themselves their occupations , as Ray as a small drug dealer and another as a delivery pizza boy . Later on , there takes place an agreeable surprise , Rai receives a lottery gift , a lush motorboat . At the end takes place an astounding tragedy .
¨Barrio¨ is one of several movies dealing with Spanish adolescence and their particularities such as : rude education , jobless , sex , drugs , and delinquency , all of them interwoven with problematic parents-children relationships . This genre achieved splendor during the 70s and early 80s such as ¨Perros Callejeros I and II¨, ¨Perras Callejeras¨ , ¨ Los Ultimos Golpes Del Torete¨, ¨Yo el Vaquilla¨, mostly realized by Jose Antonio De La Loma , ¨Navajeros , "Colegas", "El Pico 2" by Eloy De La Iglesia and especially ¨Deprisa , Deprisa¨ by Carlos Saura and later ¨La Estanquera De Vallecas ¨ , among others . Seen today, his films are unique documents on how life was lived and perceived during that period . These films were notorious in the years of the Spanish transition to democracy including provoking and polemic issues and played by unknown young people . Drugs , delinquency, and generational problems are the habitual subjects in these films and specially dedicated to the underworld of heroin and a very realistic look . In "Barrio" there is a similar premise , as some unfortunate as well as hapless teenagers from lower class living hardly in Madrid streets , then they carry out tiny crimes and misdemeanors and go into a closed shop with unexpected consequences . We see their troubles with parents , brothers and police , at the same time growing in such streets , slums or "barrio" from Madrid outskirts and some fine locations . The director creates a sort of Spanish Neo-Realism by tackling the Spanish way of life of a group of teenagers in the streets from a sociological point of view ; being rightly portrayed the city of Madrid of the late 90s , in the so-called popular neighbourhoods . His style is pretty much urban and realistic as well in the atmosphere as in the fresh dialog and attempted to take a position in favor of outcast people . Filmmaker Fernando Leon shows the ugliness of those "barrios" , toughness and cold existence along with some nice scenes when the boys assemble themselves and deal with jokes , sex , dirty humor and tiny thefts . The main cast is pretty well , including young and rookie actors . The support cast is formed by experienced players such as Alicia Sánchez as Carmen , Enrique Villén as Ricardo as Francisco Algora as Ángel and Chete Lera as Pólice Inspector .
Colorful and evocative cinematography by Alfredo Mayo , being filmed on location in Madrid . Atmospheric as well as lively musical score plenty of catching songs . The motion picture was professionally directed by Fernando León De Aranoa, realizing in realistic style , and being recently available for the first time in the U.S . Fernando León De Aranoa was born on May 26, 1968 in Madrid, location where he often shoots his flicks . Fernando began working in cinema in the 90s filming shorts and writing screenplays, and has realized a few films , usually dramas . He is a nice writer and director, known for Familia (1996) , Princesas (2005) , Barrio (1998), Amador (2010) , Sabina (2011) and his best picture Los Lunes al Sol or Mondays in the sun (2002).
