La bonne étoile

Solid but downbeat drama by Ricardo Franco , being well photographed and compellingly shot . Intense and heart-rending melodrama about a strange couple formed by a violent junkie named Daniel (Jordi Molla) and a girl (Maribel Verdu) with a glass eye ; in childhood and youth, the two were "the inseparables" , being well loved partners . When Daniel is hitting Marina there appears a goodhearted butcher called Rafael (Antonio Resines) , who rescues her from the violent druggie . Later on , both of whom stay together as a couple and marry themselves , but a baby not Rafael's, for he lost his testicles in an accident is born . Rafael looks forward to raising the child as his own if Marina will consent . Then, there again appears Daniel and the couple accepts to care her old friend with unpredictable consequences . Events go wrong when Daniel reappears back from his dangerous life , now as a beggar and unfortunate man . As Marina protects him , in spite of Rafael's objections , and they take Daniel into their luxurious house . Marina wants to heal Daniel through force of will .

This interesting as well as intimate story is a passionate retelling and a touching melodrama , including strong sex scenes and usual nudism by the beautiful Maribel Verdu . Ricardo Franco also writes the sad script along with Pedro Costa and Ángeles González Sinde and taken from some facts based on actual events happened in city of Madrid . Being filmed in his usual formal and stylistic scholarship , without leaving a trace the thought-provoking issues , in terms of dramatic and narrative excitement . This picture bears remarkable to ¨Intruso¨ (1993) by Vicente Aranda starred by Imanol Arias , Victoria Abril , Antonio Valero in similar roles , holding a similar plot and also produced by Pedro Costa and Enrique Cerezo . The main problem has to face "La Buena Estrella" or "Lucky Star", beyond not being able to avoid falling into a claustrophobic drama is precisely derived from the coldness of its staging, which eventually become monotonous and heart-breaking over ninety minutes and some of footage . Good acting by trio protagonist such as Jordi Molla as Daniel , a man now broke and ill who has physical problems of his own , splendid Antonio Resines the bitter , resentful as well as deceived husband and Maribel Verdu who wants to be in love with both , she overcome with sentimentality and takes Daniel under her protection . They are supported by a magnificent secondary cast such as Elvira Mínguez , Clara Sanchis and Ramón Barea as a good priest . Spotless pictorial though dark cinematography by Tote Trenas , being mostly shot at interior . Tote Trenas is deemed to be one of the best Spanish cameraman with a long and prestigious artistic career . Furthermore , a willingness , almost perfect of the elements of each shot , every sequence, every space . Sensitive and rousing musical score by Eva Gancedo , including an enjoyable leitmotif . The picture won several Goya Awards 1998 , the followings : Goya Best Director Ricardo Franco , Best Actor Antonio Resines , Best Screenplay Original Ricardo Franco Ángeles González Sinde , Best Original Score Eva Gancedo and Best Film . Furthermore , won José María Forqué Awards for best film , Mar del Plata Film Festival : Best actor and director , Ondas Awards , San Diego International Film Festival Awards , Spanish Actors Union , Turia Awards , among others

The motion picture was rightly produced by two great producers Pedro Costa and Enrique Cerezo ; being professionally directed in his particular style by Ricardo Franco . This is a Spanish director, writer and lyricist , he was a member of Madrid's independent Cinema, making films about the underprivileged . Ricardo directed a series of award-winning movies firmly establishing him as one of the best Spanish filmmakers , in spite of his early death , as he died on May 20, 1998 in Madrid at 48 years old . He was a director and writer , an expert on literary adaptations and especially known for dramas as Lágrimas Negras (1998) , Berlín Blues (1988) , Desastre Annual , El Sueño De Tanger who also starred Maribel Verdu and this La Buena Estrella (1997) , though he also made some comedy as Gringo Mojado and Oh Cielos . Being his greatest success ¨Pascual Duarte¨ based on the known novel written by Camilo Jose Cela.

As I have mentioned elsewhere, I am not particularly fond of Antonio Resines, and Maribel Verdú is not exactly my first choice of actress. So it was with certain disinterest I left the TV on to see how the film would develop, as after seeing `Lágrimas Negras' I felt I had to see some other work by the deceased Ricardo Franco.

Here we have a different Resines: not the twerp doing light TV series, playing the part of dopy heavy-handed supposed humorous pieces, light-vein trivialia and such like; In `La Buena Estrella' Resines redeems himself somewhat, and shows he is capable of doing more serious things, and coupled with Verdú who rose to the occasion, the result was reasonably inspired and acceptable.

But it is Jordi Mollá who steals the show. At first presented as an unlikable yobbo, wife-beater and small-time criminal, his character slowly grows on you, such that you really feel for him. As the scenes unfold you get deeper inside him, you begin to understand the complexities of a man who at first gives you the impression of being a superficial easy-living bum. Excellent performance here which overshadows everything else. For those of you who have had the luck to see `Como un Relámpago' (1997) (qv), you might like to compare with Santiago Ramos' superb performance in that film.

La Buena Estrella is possibly one of the most beautiful and moving films ever made. It tells the tale of Rafael (Antonio Resines), a lonely butcher whose life changes when he saves Marina (Maribel Verdu) from a brutal attack, and falls in love with her. Rafael learns that Marina is a prostitute and is pregnant to her pimp, Daniel (Jordi Molla) who was the guy attacking her. Rafael marries Marina and, with their daughter, attempt to live life as a normal, loving family. Tragically, however, their dreams are shattered when Daniel comes out of prison and comes in search of help.....

I went into this film not really knowing a thing about it, other than that it had been notorious for press screenings during which even the normally hard-hearted film critics had been seen coming out crying. I thought I would be immune to this. I was wrong. I was fine for about the first 3 minutes of the film, spent the rest of the film with a lump in my throat and the occasional runaway tear, and then sobbed uncontrollably for the last 10-15 minutes. At this point, I turned round to see if any of the 100-150 in the hall were staring at me, only to see that they were as bad. When I left the cinema, I asked the usher if audiences always reacted like that. "Every time" came the reply. I went on to see it 7 times at the cinema.

I can't really explain why it is so sad without giving anything away, but the film is superb. Antonio Resines, a renowned comic actor in Spain, gives a marvellously subtle performance as a profoundly decent human being who just wants to make everyone happy and suffers the consequences, Maribel Verdu succeeds in making you care for her character, even though what she does would probably make her the villain in any other film, whereas Jordi Molla (who lost out on the Goya (Spain's Oscar) to Resines) gives possibly the most complex performance I have ever seen. The way he veers from terrifying you, making you love him and breaking your heart is breathtaking. Also, the music of Eva Gancedo (very reminiscent of that from Cinema Paradiso) is fragile and poignant, complementing the film perfectly. The film is marvellously directed by Ricardo Franco, who went on to win the Goya that year but tragically died shortly after. If you have a heart and you want its strings to be tugged, it is IMPERATIVE that you see this film.

Its a simple story of love and abandon. Antonio Resines plays a guy who is a winner in life but a loser in love, maribel verdu is an outsider and she comes to his life. This movie has the same vicious than much of spanish dramas, not too much action, very boring sometimes, and a lot of argues between the characters. The performance of maribel verdu is excellent but the performance of Antonio Resines is awful. There's some few moments where you get interested on what's going on, but there's much more moments when nothing happens. There's nothing new in the plot, you can find a lot of movies like this one, and with better results.