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| Javier Galván, Amb. Marcela Ordoñez, Amb. Miguel Utray, and Joy Polloso |
After two years of online editions, the 21st Película Spanish Film Festival had a festive opening night at Shangri-La Plaza Mall with movie buffs getting to see contemporary Spanish language films on the big screen once again at the mall's Red Carpet Cinema.
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| Shang Properties Inc. EVP Joy Polloso |
This year, Película offers two Javiers: Javier Bardem and Javier Cámara. These two leading Spanish actors have become favorites by Philippine audiences owing to several of their films being part of the festival's since its inception way back in 2002.
The opening night saw the Javier Bardem starrer El buen patrón/The Good Boss, a dark comedy of the corporate world. Bardem stars as Julio Blanco, the seemingly benevolent boss of a family owned industrial scale factory that is up for a business award. But when problems with his employees start popping up and threaten his chances of snagging the much coveted award, Blanco resorts to manipulative schemes.
Directed by Fernando León de Armoa, this film is clearly a Javier Bardem vehicle. Even as the movie's final quarter plods too long and plot holes appear, Bardem's magnetic performance as Blanco manages to keep the film from tipping off the scales.
The film starring the other Javier is the romantic comedy Sentimental/The People Upstairs directed by Cesc Gay.
In this film that happens in real time, Javier Cámara stars Julio (coincidentally, the Bardem and Cámara's characters are both named Julio) whose marriage with Ana (Belén Cuesta) has been lacking spice. Add to the couple's frustrations are their upstairs neighbors Salva (Alberto San Juan) and Laura (Griselda Siciliani) whose night time noises are a source of discomfort for both Julio and Ana.
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| Instituto Cervantes Director Javier Galván |
When Ana invites their neighbors over, she and Julio debate on how to open up the sensitive subject to them. Once the ice is broken though, a lot more than just noises from night time activies are brought out on the open.
For a film that is basically a little over 80 minutes of just four people talking inside an apartment, the witty banter of each character and their respective reactions to the twists and turns that come along the way truly engage the viewer. One cannot help but to stick it out until the end to see where these two couples will end up by the time the credits roll.
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| Spanish Ambassador Miguel Utray |
Sentimental can still be seen as the closing film of Película on October 16, 2022. There may still be a chance to see El buen patrón of this ends up as this year's Premio del Publíco/Audience Choice Award. Catch the final weekend of Película Spanish Film Festival at the Red Carpet Cinema, Shangri-La Plaza Mall.
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