Bilbao

Leo (Àngel Jové) is a forty and something year-old man with obsessive- compulsive disorder (OCD) that repeatedly brushes his teeth, wraps his wrists with adhesive tape and is obsessed in the dancer and prostitute Bilbao (Isabel Pisano). Leo lives in separated rooms with María (Maria Martin) and financially depends on the support of his uncle. Leo wants to possess Bilbao and follows her everywhere. One day, he cleans a derelict store and abducts Bilbao, bringing her to the spot. However, something unexpected happens with Bilbao and Leo does not know what to do.

"Bilbao" is a perverted tale of obsession by Bigas Luna with a storyline similar to "The Collector". However the film is only indicated for fans of the Spanish director that uses zoomed images, annoying music store and irritating noises. The cinematography is awful and the metaphors with milk and sausage are too obvious. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Bilbao"

Typical and unsettling Bigas Luna picture filled with strange happenings , twisted events , sex scenes , surrealist images , including close-ups of technological objects and erotic zones . This strong as well as sexy story is a passionate retelling and a dark story about a middle-aged man , a voyeur called Leo , (Abel Folk) who is really obsessed by a prostitutute , Bilbao , (Isabel Pisano) . Leo lives in separated rooms with María (Maria Martin) , an elderly woman with whom he makes love .Then , Leo kidnaps the gorgeous whore Bilbao with fateful results .

Full of visual images with zooms , close-up and background shots , fetishism and bizarre scenes , but including bad taste and strong sex scenes with loads of female nudism. This Spanish picture is twisted tale with suspense , trangression , cold scenes , thought-provoking characterizing about a few characters , competent realization and gloomy sets of the isolated world . It is an overblown as well as strange drama , including surrealist elements , being screen-written by the filmmaker himself . Director Bigas Luna also writes the script and story filmed in his usual style during his first cinematic period in which he directed Avant_Garde movies. However , the film's essential problem is its failure to generate the sort of pace drive that would forge its metaphoric patterns into edgy drama . The slow-moving storyline relies heavily on the continued activities of the starring , including a lot of sexual scenes , almost softcore , but it doesn't make boring . In spite of , the movie results to be acceptable and compellingly realized . Bigas carries out a weird maginary , a willingness for provoking in the elements of each shot , every sequence, every space . Being shot in 16mm and in underground style with granulated and washed-out photography. The designer Abel Folk , Bigas's fetish actor , as the sex-crazed man haunted by a whore gives a rare acting , and the veteran Maria Martin plays finely a perverted old woman with extreme sex desires , his interpretation is genuinely moving . And special mention to Isabel Pisano , she is marvelous and charming with her sweet and enjoyable countenance and appealing body . A bit later on , she retired from cinema and became a war correspondant . Including an usual voice-in off performed by Mario Gas playing the starring .

This cult movie was strangely directed by Bigas Luna , but somehow it's the disturbing as well as shocking on some scenes in the end that still succours the strongest and rarest impression. Luna follows his particular style , plenty of sex , food references and surrealist homages including some abstract dream sequences . Bigas Luna was born on March 19, 1946 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain as Josep Joan Bigas Luna . He was a Bon Vivant who along with his wife, produced wine, ham, and organic products ; they are well shown in his films . He was a writer and director, he started shooting Porno , and Avant-garde films . Subsequently , he made the flop ¨Tatuaje¨or Tatoo based on Vazquez Montalban novel and the weird films : Bilbao that was rated ¨S¨ and exhibited in Cannes Festival , Caniche and Angustia . Being especially known for ¨Jamón, Jamón¨ (1992), ¨Huevos de Oro¨ or ¨Golden eggs¨ (1993) "The Chambermaid on the Titanic" , ¨Angustia¨ or ¨Anguish¨ (1987) , ¨The tit and the moon¨ , ¨Volaverunt¨ , ¨Yo soy La Juani¨, ¨Di , Di Hollywood¨ among others . As he directed the notorious "Iberian Trilogy" formed by Jamón, Jamón , also adding Golden eggs, and ¨La Teta y la Luna¨ that is more sympathetic , gentler piece than its immediate predecessors . The first installment ¨Jamon , Jamon¨¨ concerns on satiric machismo in which a ¨macho man¨ falls in love for a lower-class girl ; ¨Huevos De Oro¨ dealt with a mean young attempts to build the great phallic symbol of power , at whatever cost ; while ¨The tit and the moon¨ director Bigas Luna adopts a more reflective approach . He's also an expert on murky atmosphere such as proved in ¨Caniche¨ , ¨Tatuaje¨, ¨Bilbao¨ , ¨Anguish¨ and ¨Reborn¨. Luna discovered actors Ariadna Gil, Leonor Watling , Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz . He sadly died recently on April 6, 2013 in Tarragona, Catalonia . This film ,¨ Bilbao¨ is rarely photographed and smartly designed and here Bigas Luna delivers his ordinary and erotic goods with his ordinary sense of style . The picture will appeal to Bigas Luna buffs.

A lonely man in Barcelona lives with his wife that he does not love and gets obsessed with Bilbao, a stripper/prostitute. His desire to possess her physically leads him further and further to a fetishist climax and a tragedy with a more or less surprising ending.

Fifteen years ago, I saw the final 30 minutes of this movie, I was struck by it's imagery, and proceeded to check out the other works of this very particular Spanish director, with a very personal view of Spanish culture. Being an admirer of his work, I should admit that his career has its ups and downs. But Bilbao is sure one of its peaks. Bigas Luna achieves to get the viewer really inside the obsessive universe the main character with his excellent direction, the music, the editing, the frequent close-ups, and the voice-off. It was for me the discovery of Bigas and it has now made clear some of his obsessions, cliches and recurring themes. And if sometimes in his recent work (like in Jamon, Jamon or Bambola) there is too much of "artificial" cliches, in Bilbao there is frankness and truth in the story being told.

If you were offended by the (apparent, imho) misogyny which lead to criticism of some of his recent movies, than don't watch this one: here, women are really objects, although not mere but fundamental objects. La Carne, by Marco Ferreri, has a similar point of view. Besides the relationship of Leo with Bilbao and his wife Maria, it is also very interesting to see the way he mingles and relates with the city itself and the urban life in which he hides and finds comfort.

This movie created a big controversy in Spain (like Tristana in 1970). In 1978 Franco had already died and Spain was starting to live in democracy. But even today, some will find this movie offensive. Sex is depicted quite graphically. Well, if you know Bigas Luna you know what to expect: this time his hero has fishing line, ropes, a bottle of chloroform and an electric shaver...