Os fenómenos

The title "Os Fenómenos" (The Phenomenals or The Aces) refers humorously to a crew of construction workers in Galicia, a region in northwest Spain. They work for an unscrupulous construction company that builds blocks of flats centering on profit and skimping on quality. The company also skirts labor laws by paying its workers under the table. In spite of the exploitative conditions, some in the crew have managed to save enough money to aspire to better things such as owning their own living quarters.

Neneta, a mother that has just separated from her companion Lobo, is looking for ways to survive. She lives in a trailer and moves near her mother so that she can take care of the baby. For lack of other opportunities, she becomes part of The Aces, the only woman in the group. Hers is a "man's job," so she faces surprise (and some harassment) but she is soon accepted.

All of this ends with the bursting of the housing bubble in 2008 that slows construction to a crawl with dire consequence for workers, in particular for The Aces.

This movie brings to mind the best work of the Ken Loach or the Dardenne brothers (not that there is any attempt at imitation). Its view of the working class is realistic and unsentimental. It does not romanticize or judge the characters; their flaws and virtues are in view. Neneta's determination to provide for her baby and improve her living conditions endears her to the viewer, but she is also capable of being irresponsible and manipulative. We learn enough about each member of The Aces to give them individual relief as human beings and we are thrown intriguing hints; for instance, Neneta seems to be more educated that she lets on.

Script by director Alfonso Zarauza and Jaione Camborda is witty and brisk, and has been skillfully put on screen by Zarauza. Lola Dueñas and Luis Tosar play Neneta and Lobo to perfection, and acting is excellent all around. Cinematography by Alberto Díaz captures the cloudy, melancholic wintry Galician landscapes with the typical rias (vast indentations of the coast caused by ancient flooding of river valleys) in the background. A movie worth watching.

A bitter and depressing worldwide contemporary story , with excellent acting . A woman named Neneta (Lola Dueñas) lives since three years ago in a van nearly the Almerian coast and suddenly her husband , Lobo (Luis Tosar) , leaves her . As she attempts rebuild her life in the local region , Galicia , there she finds a job as a construction worker , after her hubby abandoned her , but she's isolated by her work colleagues , but shorly after she makes friends . Along the way , Neneta has a love affair with a new suitor (Juán Carlos Vellido) . The story of people who worked in the building sector but are now unemployed.

Engaging but bleak picture concerning disgraced lives , exclusion , family separation , poorness , love stories and anything else . The characters live in deep loneliness that attempt to avoid by means of love , friendship and strange unions , as problems are too big to be alone . This ¨Os fenómenos¨ (2014) bears a certain resemblance to ¨Los Lunes al sol¨or ¨Mondays in the sun¨ (2002) by Fernando León de Aranoa that starred Javier Bardem and Luis Tosar himself . ¨Os Fenomenos¨ is one of several movies dealing with Spanish economical crisis and its particularities such as : jobless , social maladjustment , non-payment of mortgages , eviction , isolation and delinquency , all of them interwoven with problematic family relationships . It's a grim and disgusting reality to see that this is what these people's lives result worthwhile , but failing due to abandonment, crisis and the inability to cope with reality and being the best moments of the entire film the charming relations which Neneta establishes with others friendly workers . However, despite this powerful message , Os Fenomenos runs too long and is too plodding to sustain its weight , which is heavy . The film , well directed by Alfonso Zarauza , shows not a ray of hope for these labourers who spend their days working hardly . Any people of this construction sector, including friends and mates , losing their jobs and many of them changing their professions with the world crisis in this building sector . This type of situation equally happened in many other economical sectors , and Spain has an elevated unemployment rate . Feeling very sorrow for those who lost their jobs , and the large number of street vendors , scroungers and abandoned slums , associated to unemployment and very low wages , reflect this critical situation . The universe of Neneta and his friends may be extended too to many other countries and sectors of the economy , therefore it is very easy to sympathize and understand the drama of these unhappy roles . It is a little flawed by its own Neo-Realist approach to a subject such as unemployment , but denies its roles the possibility of coming through by making them escapist slobs .

It is worth a seeing , for the brilliant performance by the main cast , such as Lola Dueñas along with Luis Tosar and Juan Carlos Vellido and remaining support cast as Ledicia Sola , Antonio Durán 'Morris' , Miguel de Lira , Xosé Touriñán , Federico Rey are pretty well , but they could not match up to their on screen presence , though they did not have much dialogue either . Professionally directed by Alfonso Zarauza (Ons , Encallados , La noche que dejó de llover , O Nordes , Malencolía) . And it won various nominations and awards , such as : Mestre Mateo Awards 2015 Winner Best Supporting Actress Ledicia Sola ; Nominee Mestre Mateo Best Supporting Actor Xosé A. Touriñán ; Málaga Spanish Film Festival 2014 Nominee Golden Biznaga Best Film : Alfonso Zarauza. Rating : 6.5/10. Acceptable and passable. A decent picture for tasting the enjoyable interpretations from Lola Dueñas , Luis Tosar , Juán Carlos Vellido , among others.