Grupo 7

Starts out like a boring action movie. But pay attention because it doesn't stay boring. Kudos to DP Alex Catalan for the chiaroscuro photography. The film actually references Caravaggio so probably Director Rodriguez is a fan too. Catalan also photographed Rodriguez's more recent Marshland, which is great. So, Unit 7 seems pretty simple, on the surface, but it's one of those movies where texture matters a lot. The characters are believable. Some say it's based on a true story but who knows? There probably was an effort to 'clean up' Sevilla before the 1992 World's Fair. Did it play out like this? As I said, who knows? But this is a well-made film.

Gripping and stirring picture inspired by actual deeds , in which there's a fine line between genre conventions and outright clichés . It is a crime thriller set in the lead-up to Expo 92 in Seville and the massive 'cleanup' of the streets that occurred leading up to the event . Unit 7 has a tough mission : to clean the most dangerous drug trafficking networks out of the city and bring an end to the corrosive power that has taken hold of the streets . A detail of four , the unit is led by Ángel (Mario Casas), a young cop aspiring to detective , and Rafael (Antonio De la Torre), a tough , relentless yet efficient cop along with Mateo (Joaquin Nuñez) . The four team members go after nasty delinquents , druggies and drug dealers . They track down dangerous smugglers but abusing the outlaws' civil rights. But UNIT 7s modus operandi is proceeded by violent methods . For them, anything goes . Rule-breaking Unit 7 strides grimly throughout slums and streets in pursuit the hoodlums , pimps , and junkies , including some exciting action scenes . As they gain ground in their mission, the two officers head in opposite directions . Angel who is a family man married to Elena (Imma Cuesta) takes path of ambition and police excesses while Rafael will begin to change as a result of his feelings for beautiful, enigmatic Lucia (Lucia Guerrero).

Formula thriller plenty of gritty action , crisply edition , tension, suspenseful and lots of violence . Interesting theme about a group of cops who carry out their objectives by whatever means , including violence , slipping outside the bounds of the law through their use of force , coercion , lies and half-truths ; however this issue has been previously treated in many other films , especially American ones . It has emotional or aesthetic resonance , even comforting in some ways, and partly because is just more attuned to nuanced variations on what might appear to be mere formula . This moving motion picture contains stylistic boldness and energy, its evocation of a particular time and place , Seville of 20+ years ago . Good acting by Antonio De La Torre as an arrogant , tough officer as well as sensitive man and Mario Casas as a youth but very violent cop . Appropriate and atmospheric musical score by Julio De Rosa . Colorful as well as dark cinematography by Alex Catalan . The latest from the director of ¨7 Virgins , El Traje , Factor Pilgrim¨ , this Grupo 7 or Unit 7 was well directed by Alberto Rodriguez. To an outsider, someone who's not a fan of a particular genre, anything that looks somewhat familiar can be grounds for dialing the cliché police , but I think results to be an entertaining film with several scenes that'll have you on the edge of your seat.

A look at a Spanish task-force police team that seems to have an almost free hand at ridding the town of Sevilla from it's drug dealers/users.

It's like having a look over the shoulder of these cops in their professional as well as personal lives. The two main protagonists, Angel en Rafael both go through very interesting character developments that I won't reveal, but the great thing here is that nothing ever becomes predictable. Check it out, you'll see what I mean. It's all pretty gloomy but at the same time utterly fascinating. Reminded me a lot of "Tropa de Elite"

I loved it and in particular loved those colourful characters; the snitches, the whores, the dealers and the cops. Great performances all round. 7/10

The city of Seville was about to celebrate the 1992 Universal Expo when a unit of police tried to clean the city of drugs with some controversial methods.

The movie describe perfectly the environment of the oppressed neighborhood in the south of Spain and the behavior of the people.

Very good performances by side actors and a great directing, a chance to know a different side of the Spanish films.

The star Mario Casas usually play the same old role of the charming guy in commercial teenage movies or TV shows but this is not a bad start to a more important career.

In Unit 7, we get an exciting and realistically told police-thriller about a narc police unit made to fight drug traffic in the mid to late eighties, when Sevilla is preparing to host the World exhibition, Expo 1992. Unit 7 is the best group in years, getting big results. We meet a young cop, which clashes with an older, more experienced one.

The young cop Angel, played by Mario Casas seems to be the main person here, though he plays against some more experienced Spanish actors. They all do a great job. Casas is charming and believable as a young copper, and holds up the film as a leading actor.

Nothing fancy, just plain old police work like it really would happen. However, they use all tricks, and not all of then are written in the police handbook. Young Angelo steals 200 grams of heroin at a bust, so that they can use I to portion it up and plant it on some of those tending to get away. The whole unit are so close to the drug environment, that it is a trust problem on many accounts. Even media starts doubting the reason for the good number of busts they are doing.

The film work is good. Exciting to follow, and there's a certain nerve that is catching. I like the action scenes, and the flight scenes, which are effective and raw stuff. The movie is filmed in both colorful moments, as gritty dark bleak moments, depending on what situation we are in.

Undoubtedly one of the best Spanish films I've seen!