egmp-02311

This is an entertaining film that, for most of the reviews I've read by English-speaking critics, has been significantly misunderstood and underestimated. Some critics have complained abou the lack of wit that would make the film sharper and more interesting. However, a good amount of humor gets lost in translation. I'm not referring to English subtitles but rather the sociopolitical context of the Spanish (not the language but the country) experience. Spanish cinema often introduces criticism of the current sociopolitical situation by way of "zingers" at the most unexpected moments. For those of us that understand this, the film has plenty of intelligently developed humorous dialogue and situations that save it from important ot holes. Through twists and turns Origenes Secretos takes us on a trip of silly dialogues and gory crime scenes. Character development could have been better, but as the film enters the final stretch the characters make perfect sense. I'm hopeful that a sequel will be better developed and the plot tighter.