Ventajas de viajar en tren

Different people's lives with hidden connections to each other Sinister characters of a troubled mind or real ones?

A psychoanalyst meets a woman on a train.

In order to pass the time, he tells her a story. Before long, the character in the story starts to narrate his own tale.

And on and on it goes in this surreal, Russian Doll of a movie that recalls the work of Bunuel, especially Phantom of Liberty and Obscure Object of Desire.

(It also reminded me of Utopia, the excellent British TV series - especially the vivid colour scheme and the experimental score)

Some of the stories include:

An army amputee who returns home with a harrowing story

A female book editor who becomes trapped in a horribly twisted, masochistic relationship

And a 'slug man' with a prosthetic exoskeleton who journeys to Paris where he meets a beautiful woman with one leg longer than the other

This is a wildly ambitious film, made even more impressive by the fact that it is Aritz Moreno's debut feature.

The tales are bizarre and shocking but never feel exploitative or cheap. There is a definite method to the madness here.

Except for the ending, which feels a little rushed and abrupt, the film plays beautifully.

The individual stories are gripping, the performances are exceptional, the transitions are smooth and the pacing is great.

This is a highly assured work from a daring and uncompromising filmmaker.

It'll be interesting to see where Moritz goes from here.

Probably one of the best Spanish films in the decade in my humble opinion. These twisted stories are much more than that: a fantastic hyperbolic metaphor of a toxic, claustophobic relationship, a Proust-like character's vision of the world, a reflection on fiction itself... All of it wrapped up in very dark humour and some quite shocking scenes. The aforementioned scenes might put off some viewers and I can absolutely understand. Having said that, we might have said the same thing about OEdipus' parricide, incest and self-mutilation and passed on a great story. Thank God we didn't, and I hope most viewers will give this fresh take on narration a chance.

If left-of-center surrealist filmmakers such as Alejandro Jodorowsky ("El Topo", "The Holy Mountain"), Werner Herzog ("Even Dwarves Started Small"), David Lynch ("Eraserhead"), Luis Bunuel ("Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie", "Un Chien Andalou", "The Exterminating Angel") appeal to you, then you'd have no problem welcoming "Adventures Of Travelling By Train" to your collection. If, like me, extremely wordy films with dozens of characters and scenarios bother you, tick off a star or two. Without a doubt, the three related stories presented sit squarely in the Theatre Of The Absurd. View at your own risk.

An absolutely bonkers Gilliam-esque thriller set in Spain that tells the stories of various unsavoury and down right horrific characters which may or may not be the invention of a supposed madman.

The direction is wonderful (think Wes Anderson on a small budget after having a little taste of LSD), the acting is stellar and the entire movie plays out like a surreal, hypnotic yet massively intriguing Grimms Brothers fairy tale. It is darkly humourous, massively entertaining and well worth a watch.

Unlike last year, there has not been an abundance of stellar foreign language movies released in the UK thus far, bar Portrait Of A Lady On Fire, but this offering really does remind you why Spanish cinema is gradually overtaking France as the best in Europe.

Highly recommended.