No es bueno que el hombre esté solo

Resident in an industrial city , Bilbao , a widower man called Martín (José Luis López Vázquez) is a lonely person who lives isolated in his villa where he has created a world of his own , he is navigating his midlife crisis by carrying a monotonous existence , but he hides a dark secret , with whom he spends time at home . As he feels lonely , and falls in love with the most unexpected "perfect woman" : a mannequin who has a caste relationship and considers to be his deceased wife . In the next door apartment lives Lina (Carmen Sevilla , though Olea wanted Concha Velasco) , a whore , along with her daughter Cati ; at the beginning she's unaware of her neighbor's synthetic nature , but Lina seems to be aware that her widowed man has a 'fiancee' . Step by step , Martín will be dominated by Lina , to the point that she and her daughter settle in his house . Meanwhile , there shows up a pamperer called Mauro (Máximo Valverde) , and Lina's lover ; then things go wrong when the aggressive neighbors pull off an inappropriate behavior until an unexpected denouement .

This is a twisted drama , including thrills , suspense , plot twists and brief nudism . Sex dramas were all the rage in European cinema of the '70s, but this is ultimately a little stranger than most examples of the genre . It is an interesting drama in which starring's life goes regularly until an overly curious little girl and a suspect pimp will discover the truth and both of whom will precipitate the tragedy . Provoking and strange picture , including weird elements , turns and being extremely horrifying at times . This ¨No es Bueno El Hombre Este Solo¨ bears certain resemblance to ¨Grandeur nature¨ or ¨Tamaño natural¨ (1974) by Luis Garcia Berlanga , though the latter was strongly censored . Very good acting by the great José Luis López Vazquez as a middle aged man with a troubled life , with the help of an inflatable sex doll , the widowed person shares with Elena, a doll he treats as if she were his wife . At the beginning his long career , Vazquez played several comedies , usually as a secondary actor . José Luis met film-makers like Marco Ferreri, Juan Antonio Bardem, José María Forqué , Luis García Berlanga, and Pedeo Olea who extracted his best qualities . His popularity raised dramatically after he worked together with Gracita Morales in several films of less importance under the direction of Mariano Ozores . In the early 70s he surprisingly started to do good dramatic performances in films like Peppermint Frappé (1967), El Jardín de Las Delicias (1970), Bosque Del Lobo (1970) that had Best Actor Award in the 1971 Chicago Film Festival , Mi Querida Señorita (1971) Best Actor Award in the 1972 Chicago Film Festival, and Habla , Mudita (1973). He made a great success with these films which even got stronger after the international effects caused by his TV cult movie 'La Cabina' winner of an Emmy Award , and his contribution to George Cukor's Viajes Con Mi Tía (1972). And this hit set the rest of his career , full of successful films both dramatic and hilarious La Escopeta Nacional (1978) , La Verdad Sobre El Caso Savolta, (1979), La Colmena (1982), La Corte del Faraón (1985), Mi general (1987), El Largo Invierno ,(1991) and many others . Support cast is pretty good , full of known actors in brief interpretations , such as : Máximo Valverde as a nasty pimp , Eduardo Fajardo , Angel Menézdez , Helga Liné , José Riesgo , José Franco and the veteran Raquel Rodrigo .

This mystery/drama/thriller picture was professionally directed by Pedro Olea ; it achieved some nominations and awards , such as Prize of the National Syndicate of Spectacle Best Cinematography to Antonio L. Ballesteros and getting great success , especially in Argentina with 1.3000.000 spectators . Here Pedro Olea was able to extract from José Luis López Vázquez his funniness amazing nuances like tenderness , dirtiness, meanness , absurd and even nonsense . Olea is one of the most gripping Spanish directors , being an expert Basque director , producer and screenwriter . Pedro attempted to create a production company along with Eloy De La Iglesia and José Truchado but it failed . Olea was born in Bilbao , Basque Country , where he often directs his films , in fact this one was filmed in Bilbao . He began directing ¨Dias Viejo color¨ and followed a personal work titled ¨Bosque del Lobo¨ about an alleged werewolf splendidly played by José Luis López Vazquez . He subsequently directed a trilogy about Madrid , produced by Jose Frade , such as : ¨Tormento¨ , ¨Pim , Pam , Pum Fuego¨ and ¨La Corea¨ . After six years in which Pedro Olea dedicated in advertising and documentaries as ¨Guernica¨ , ¨River of Bilbao¨ and TV series as ¨Cuentos Y Leyendas¨ , and others about Basque themes , Olea goes back to shoot , thanks to subsidy of the Basque government , making a witchery story called ¨Akelarre¨. His biggest success was ¨A man called Flor De Otoño¨ with Jose Sacristán . After that , he made ¨Bandera Negra¨ about arms smuggling and a military thriller : ¨Moriras en Chafarinas¨ ; later on , he directed ¨Mas Allá Jardin¨ with Concha Velasco . And ¨Fencing master¨ that resulted to be one of his best films . And he also shot two films about witchery : ¨Akelarre¨, and ¨Leyenda Del Cura De Bargota¨ . Rating : 6.5 /10 . well worth watching

The atmospheric opening scene sets the tone for the rest of the movie: A man wakes up, shaves and gets ready for work, casually talks to his wife (who doesn't get out of bed), but there's an unexplained, slight sense of eeriness and a strong sense of sadness. We soon find out that his wife is a mannequin.

Martin has a (not so) carefully crafted life. He has a well-paying job and a nice house (which, honestly, I envied more than anything) and lies to people about his wife, who he says is perpetually sick. His humble happiness is soon invaded by an extremely annoying pesky kid from the house next door, and then her mother who's a prostitute, and finally by her pimp.

You kind of wish for the kid and the mother to be killed right away, they are both quite overwritten. They seem like 21st century characters: Hundred percent entitled, no sense of secrecy or decency or shame, never shutting up for a second, and of course, judging. As a viewer, you wish the worst for them. Yet this is not that kind of film. Martin's overwhelming quality is not his shyness, but his pacifism. He gives in to the invaders rather easily, and as they keep pushing him further, he never forces them back. But of course, everyone has a breaking point.

Still, don't assume that it's a revenge drama or anything violent. The overwhelming feeling is one of sadness, rather than tension or perversion, especially when we find out that the reason for the mannequin wife is not sexual. It's Martin's denial, his failure to let go and move on. It's a tragedy.

José Luis López Vázquez is simply wonderful. There are some actors who don't even have to act or recite lines, their faces have that unexplainable quality of telling stories, conveying emotions simply by being there (Lino Ventura, Alberto Sordi, Giancarlo Giannini, Brad Dourif, James Mason and a few more) and I'd consider him among this elite bunch. He portrays the harmless Martin perfectly. Carmen Sevilla is very attractive, but plays such a suffocating, assertive villain that you can't even appreciate her beauty.

I must add that I loved how they used a real actress instead of a mannequin in a few shots. It really helped to illustrate Martin's state of mind.

I also liked the direction, the music and the cinematography. The 70's were indeed the golden age of movies.

Pedro Olea's 1973 film, No es bueno que el hombre esté solo, ventures into the murky depths of human isolation and sexual obsession, wrapped in the veneer of a psychological thriller. This Spanish film tells the story of a lonely man whose solitary existence is disrupted by his increasingly disturbing desires, leading him down a path of moral ambiguity and madness.

The film's protagonist, a reclusive and emotionally stunted man, becomes infatuated with a woman he spies upon through a window. His fixation grows from mere voyeurism to an unhealthy obsession, pushing him to engage in manipulative and morally questionable behavior. Olea masterfully crafts this descent into darkness, using a mixture of claustrophobic cinematography and a haunting score that accentuates the protagonist's psychological turmoil.

Olea's direction is commendable, capturing the suffocating nature of the protagonist's life and the eerie silence that accompanies his solitude. The film's atmosphere is thick with tension, as Olea juxtaposes the mundane aspects of daily life with the increasingly sinister undercurrents of the protagonist's actions. The director's ability to evoke discomfort and unease in the audience is one of the film's strongest points.

The performances are solid, particularly from the lead actor, who conveys the protagonist's internal struggle and descent into madness with subtlety and depth. His portrayal is chillingly effective, making the audience both sympathize with and fear him. The supporting cast, although less prominent, provides necessary counterpoints to the protagonist's escalating obsession, grounding the narrative in a semblance of reality.

Despite these strengths, No es bueno que el hombre esté solo is not without its flaws. The pacing can be uneven, with certain scenes dragging on longer than necessary, disrupting the overall flow of the narrative. Additionally, some plot elements feel underdeveloped, leaving the audience with unanswered questions and a sense of incompleteness. The film's conclusion, while thematically consistent, may leave viewers feeling unsatisfied due to its abruptness and ambiguity.

Visually, the film reflects its era, with a muted color palette and a gritty aesthetic that enhances its unsettling mood. The use of lighting and shadow is particularly noteworthy, as Olea employs these elements to mirror the protagonist's descent into darkness. However, some of the special effects and production values show their age, occasionally detracting from the film's immersive quality.

In terms of thematic content, Olea tackles complex issues such as isolation, desire, and the human need for connection. The film raises provocative questions about the nature of loneliness and the lengths to which one might go to alleviate it. While it doesn't provide clear answers, it invites viewers to ponder the darker aspects of human nature and the fine line between longing and obsession.

Overall, No es bueno que el hombre esté solo is a compelling yet flawed exploration of human isolation and obsession. Olea's direction and the lead performance elevate the film, but pacing issues and some underdeveloped plot points hold it back from achieving its full potential. As a psychological thriller, it succeeds in creating an atmosphere of unease and provokes thought. For those interested in psychological character studies and 1970s cinema, this film offers a fascinating, if imperfect, viewing experience.

This Spanish films deals with the eternal fear of mankind, loneliness.

But it´s not only a drama, it´s a suspense film as well, really terrifying at times.

A widowed man lives in an old house, with a full size doll as his mate. His life goes by quite normally until a child who is his beautiful neighbor´s daughter gets into his house while he´s away and finds out his big secret. He begs the child not to tell his secret to anybody, but unfortunately she doesn´t!... and the problems have just begun for this tormented and humble man.

This is one of the best films I´ve seen starring the great José Luís López Vázquez. He and Carmen Sevilla are just terrific.

If you like Spanish suspense/horror films, you must watch this. And if you don´t, you´ll enjoy it anyway.

(10 out of 10)