El Lobo

Based on the true story of undercover agent Mikel Lejarza who infiltrated the basque terrorist network ETA in the 70's.

How accurate this film is I cannot say but as far as actionthrillers goes it has surprisingly depth, script and direction above genre standards. The acting is also very good, even down to small supporting roles.

Instead of just delivering easy answers, lame dialogue or bad acting this film asks us questions such as, how the state handles terrorism, how far are you willing to go to reach ones goals, and also about integrity.

This film is without heroes, the main character José María 'Txema' Loigorry / El Lobo (played by Eduardo Noriega) gets forced into this and doesn't really want to be involved.

And his superiors? They are the fascist government lead by no other then dictator Franco who rules Spain with ruthless power.

ETA on the other hand is a terrorist network plagued by inner turmoil, endless discussions about what to do when Franco is gone, and wouldn't be better if ETA put down there guns and became a political party instead? Mix these above themes and add lots of action, sex and you get very well made action thriller pretty far from say, The Bourne Identity (2002).

"El Lobo" tells the real story of a government agent that during the 70s (during the time when Franco is dying and a time of change is coming in Spain) infiltrates the ETA (a separatist terrorist organization). It's a very dangerous mission and this film succeeds in portraying the tension and perplexity of the agent (codename Lobo - wolf in English) and the doubts that the new times to come arouse inside the ETA and in Spain.

This is a fast-paced thriller that unlike its American counterparts doesn't tell us who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. We see the idealism in ETA militants that lead them to indiscriminate killing and the opportunism of the government circles. Instead of giving us a ready-made solution the film poses questions that linger in our mind. For instance: with the coming of democracy wouldn't it be better to give up armed struggle and become an organized party? This generates conflicts inside ETAs leading circles and the agent Lobo is inside this turmoil.

Today with the crescent European integration these questions are still valid. Is it necessary to fight for old ideals that have lost its reason of being or wouldn't it be better to adapt to the new times where integration is the password? In a few sketches, the agent Lobo, the ETA militants, the government officials, the mood in Spain, are drawn in a realistic way and give us a feeling of real persons and events.

Rent this film. "El Lobo" is very intense and sometimes desperate (like the 70s in Spain). New times are coming. What shall we do? What will happen?

Amazing, fast moving and with great actors, by both sides, french and Spanish one. A great soundtrack. Outlines the story of Lobo the undercover agent that helped do the biggest breakdown ever to hit ETA (Terrorist Group of the Bask Country). A wonderful mix between action, romance and a inside look at the police side while Franco was alive. Great outdoors shooting.

A must see. If you have the chance, very different to what we are used from Spanish movies.

You cannot live in Spain and not know about ETA. I lived there for six years, and often heard about their never-ending war against the high ranking Spanish military, police, and others. This film is about a spy that managed to infiltrate ETA.

As a political thriller, it is a good film that shows how bad both sides can get when there is tension. They even put a hit out on El Lobo to get good press. In fact, they kill one of their own to get at him.

Amidst the intrigue, El Lobo (Eduardo Noriega) manages some fringe benefits with Amaia (Mélanie Doutey), including one balaclava-clad tryst that was interesting. But, she proves to be fickle, and joins one of the leaders in his bed. Meanwhile, Noriega is getting in so deep that he forgets he has a wife (Silvia Abascal) waiting at home.

And, now he is a pariah to the good guys. His own wife considers him a traitor to his people.

They got the job done, but at what cost. Very good story, and Noriega was excellent.

Although political thrillers are habitual in American cinema, Spanish cinema has been less inclined to translate our past and present conflicts into film. The conflict with Basque separatist group ETA has been depicted a bunch of times in the last few decades, but very seldom as acutely as Miguel Courtois does with "El Lobo".

Based on the true story of a Basque man who managed to reach ETA's highest leaders undercover, the film presents a poignant vision of the Basque conflict which is neither black nor white. This has so many shades and gray areas that the viewer has no other option than to give it second thoughts.

Eduardo Noriega has proved himself as a worthy leading man in the past, and his Basque accent here is more than acceptable. The supporting cast benefits from a few great actors playing bit parts (Roger Pera, Saturnino García...) but many of the important supporting characters are clichéd or underwritten (what can Silvia Abascal do with her character?).

The writing is brave and raises important questions, which is a point in favor. However, they could have avoided a few stereotypes with some advise from just anyone familiar with the Basque Country. In any case, this is a worthy film and worth watching if only for the value of the questions it raises.