Barrio

I really didn't like this movie when I first saw it. In retrospect, I am a little more forgiving, but not much.

The reason I actually gave this movie a 5/10 is that the concept was really, really good: three youths in urban Madrid seem to have little or no chance in the larger world, because of factors completely beyond their control. The environment these boys live in is devastating to think about, because it neglects so many things about them and the world they live in, yet they can't even perceive this deficiency precisely because of that deficiency.

Now, if you're thinking this sounds good, you're right. But the actual movie is not that good. While there are a few scenes that really shine(especially the final one which quite literally has a young man "trying to walk the straight and narrow"), the majority of this movie is interminably slow, with no sense of direction whatsoever. It almost felt like I was watching a very badly edited documentary. In fairness, I think I might have lost some of the more sophisticated elements of the film given that I haven't spent a lot of time around Madrid's urban slang, but the language gap wasn't so large that it could possibly explain the deficiencies of this film.

Barrio is as real as life. Everything is not all right. A very good job.

This was the worst piece of crap ever. Now that I have seen this movie my dreams of going to Madrid have become a nightmare. If this is how a low-medium Spanish class family is then i truly feel sorry for them because their lives must be truly boring. Not only does this movie show no emotion or compassion it also does not show how difficult Spanish teenagers' lives are. The story line had potential, it just needed different actors, producers, and director. I regret watching this. I would rather watch the tape they have in The Ring. Now I know I may sound harsh and rude but compared to movies I've seen like Blood In Blood Out or Mi Familia or even Machete, this is nothing. It doesn't capture the true essence on how Latin teenagers live their lives and what they do to survive in El Barrio.

The story of three friends, Rai, Javi and Manu, with a common factor: they live in the same 'Barrio',(neirbourhood), and the three of them want to scape from it. They all come from distorted families, Javi's parents have marital problems, while Manu lives just with his father and he has a brother who never calls or visits. Ray's is a typical working class family. The story takes place in a Madrid suburb, in the summer season, where the three of them decide to make money out of anything. They sell flowers, that they steal, Manu becomes a pizza delivery boy, and Ray is a small drug dealer. The story is as sad as funny, because life is not always sad, not always fun, but a bit of both. It shows a side of Madrid that the tourists won't see in a visit: the underground ghosts, the junkies under the bridge.... The dialogues are so good, that they seem improvised. This is one of the best films of Fernando De Leon Aranoa, but it's also recommendable 'Familia', one of those stories that you'll remember.

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).