Ventajas de viajar en tren

Advantages of traveling by train (2019) is a film as daring as it is bizarre and, without a doubt, unclassifiable, developing strange stories involving three separate chapters, being apparently independent, Advantages of traveling by train tells the story of the editor Helga Pato (Pilar Castro), a woman in her forties who by chance meets the psychiatrist Ángel Sanagustín (Ernesto Alterio) on a train trip, who tells her (first chapter) the story of one of his patients. Ángel tells Helga the story of Martín Urales de Úbeda, an extremely dangerous paranoid patient obsessed, among other things, with garbage. Martín Urales (Luís Tosar), who enlisted in the army, was sent to fight in the Kosovo War where he met Dr. Linares, a determined and compassionate woman who, when trying to create a children's hospital to cure the damage of the war, She is forced to make a great deal: In exchange for having the hospital she wants, Linares must take one child a month to her benefactors to film adult and snuff films.

Winner of the best film award at the Feroz 2020 awards, it is an ensemble film that mixes suspense, comedy, drama, horror, gore and probably some other genres. It is an unclassifiable coming and going made up of several strangely connected stories, although they are very uneven, some being frankly unpleasant, others disturbing, giving rise to a discouraging result. One of the most surprising recent Spanish films in which thorny themes are mixed, such as male domination, Diogenes syndrome, human abuse and others, meanwhile it unexpectedly delves into dark tunnels that show terrifyingly funny passages, which They get lost in recesses that are the materialization of that interior in which we keep all the psychological breakdowns, traumas, fears, lies and half-truths that characterize us. Filmador Moreno goes from one place to another without losing the global identity, connecting the dots that apparently become loose, leaving things in suspense and then recovering them. The film is notable for its wonderful casting full of the best Spanish actors, giving good performances, with the three main actors standing out: Luis Tosar, Pilar Castro and Ernesto Alterio. Being accompanied by a very good supporting cast with many well-known faces, such as: Quim Gutiérrez, Belén Cuesta, Macarena García, Javier Godino, Javier Botet, Stéphanie Magnin, Ramón Barea, Alberto San Juan, Manuel Morón, among others.

The film plays with reality and fiction, with madness and sanity, and black humor, to translate the novel of the same title written by Antoni Orejudo. As debut director Aritz Moreno explains: "When I read the book, I saw a movie in my head: a peculiar and unusual film like the novel, but that is precisely what attracted me." The novel was adapted by Javier Gullón, who already did an excellent job adapting the initially unadaptable novel: The Duplicated Man by José Samarago, which director Dennis Villenueve turned into the film The Enemy. The film was original but unevenly made by Director Aritz Moreno in his debut film.

Bunuel meets Borat with the story telling structure of the Saragossa Manuscript. If one of those three hints triggers something, this might be a strange and bizarre ride for you into the realm of Spanish post surreal movie making. Interesting cinematography, but not entirely consistent.

If left-of-center surrealist filmmakers such as Alejandro Jodorowsky ("El Topo", "The Holy Mountain"), Werner Herzog ("Even Dwarves Started Small"), David Lynch ("Eraserhead"), Luis Bunuel ("Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie", "Un Chien Andalou", "The Exterminating Angel") appeal to you, then you'd have no problem welcoming "Adventures Of Travelling By Train" to your collection. If, like me, extremely wordy films with dozens of characters and scenarios bother you, tick off a star or two. Without a doubt, the three related stories presented sit squarely in the Theatre Of The Absurd. View at your own risk.

Different people's lives with hidden connections to each other Sinister characters of a troubled mind or real ones?

I don't know even if i liked it!

This is a dark comedy/psychological drama thriller. A definition of weirdness. Bizarre, creepy, some hilarious moments, some frightening moments. Excellent acting, also well directed.

But, in my opinion, it is not as clever as the creators think it is. It is not mind blowing, neither it makes much sense. Some metaphors may make sense (abusive relationships at the second part) but overall, this is surrealistic, like a modern fairy tale where Logic and laws of physics don't apply. Like a Kafka's dream.

If that was the intention, it is still enjoyable and interesting even though I would prefer it more cohesive.

In any case, the ending is not good. That is a twist for the sake of twists. And it didn't mean anything, just something irrational, i think it's lazy writing.

If you like your movies to be absurd, watch it for sure.