7 vírgenes

Coming-up-age story in which a teen enjoys just two days of freedom that turns out to be a journey into maturity , everything is somehow different for him . It is summertime in a district of a famous city in the South of Spain : ¨Sevilla¨ , Andalucia . It is set in the posterior time to Expo in Seville and the massive 'cleanup' of the streets that occurred subsequently to the event . Tano (Juan Jose Ballesta) , a teenager currently serving in prison at a juvenile reform center , is given a 48-hour leave to attend his brother's wedding . Together with his best friend Richi , Tano schemes to enjoy his 48-hour pass to the limit, doing all the things he is usually prohibited from doing . He gets together with his friends in discoteque , swimming pool , wedding celebration and other places and carry out robbing , hold-ups and tiny crimes . He feels free and exerts that freedom with all the impulse and audacity of an adolescent . They are misunderstood teenagers from lower class living in a big city . They are unadapted and unknown children for their parents , brothers and themselves . By the end of his 48-hour pass, his emotional loneliness and isolation to be led to unexpected consequences . Tano has also witnessed the changing of all the things he takes for granted in his life : the neighborhood , friendship , his family relation including brotherhood , buddies and loved-ones .

¨9 Virgins¨ is one of several movies dealing with Spanish adolescence and their particularities such as : rude education , jobless , sex , drugs and delinquency , all of them interwoven with problematic parents-children relationships . This genre achieved splendor during the 70s and early 80s such as ¨Perros Callejeros I and II¨, ¨Perras Callejeras¨ , ¨ Los Ultimos Golpes Del Torete¨, ¨Yo el Vaquilla¨, mostly realized by Jose Antonio De La Loma , ¨Navajeros , "Colegas", "El Pico 2" by Eloy De La Iglesia and especially ¨Deprisa , Deprisa¨ by Carlos Saura and later ¨La Estanquera De Vallecas ¨ , among others . These films were notorious in the years of the Spanish transition to democracy including provoking and polemic issues and played by unknown young people . Drugs , delinquency, and generational problems are the habitual subjects in these films and specially dedicated to the underworld of heroin and a very realistic look . In "9 virgins " there is a similar premise , as some unfortunate as well as hapless teenagers from lower class living hardly in a blue-collar , marginal district of a city in the South of Spain , then they pull off tiny crimes and misdemeanors and go into a mall where steal a purse , heist shops , and people hitting . We see their troubles with parents , brothers and colleagues , at the same time growing in such streets , slums or "barrio" from Sevilla outskirts and some fine locations . The director creates a sort of Spanish Neo-Realism by tackling the Spanish way of life of a group of teenagers in the streets from a sociological point of view ; being rightly portrayed the city of Sevilla of the 2000s , in the so-called popular neighbourhoods . Filmmaker Alberto Rodriguez shows the ugliness of those "barrios" , toughness and cold existence along with some social habits . The film works on many levels, but does have its flaws . The main cast is pretty well , including young and rookie actors . Nice acting by Juan Jose Ballesta as Tano ,a teen who gets drunk, takes drugs, steals, has sex and hangs out with his buddies but none of Tano's friends are professional actors . They were selected in auditions at local high schools. The support cast is formed by experienced players such as Ana Wagener and Julio Villagran who usually plays for the director ; furthermore an uncredited cameo by Antonio Dechent as a police .

Colorful and appropriate cinematography by Alex Catalan , a good cameraman who has photographed a lot of successful films such as ¨Even the rain¨ , ¨Grupo 7¨, ¨Habitacion En Roma¨ and ¨Voz Dormida¨. Atmospheric and adequate musical score by Julio de la Rosa who also composed ¨Group 7¨ , including Andalucian songs . The motion picture was was well directed by Alberto Rodriguez . Alberto Rodríguez was born on May 11, 1971 in Seville , Andalucía, Spain . He is a good director and writer, known for Grupo 7 (2012), 7 Vírgenes (2005) and After (2009) . He previously realized ¨El Traje¨ and ¨Factor Pilgrim¨ . The latest from this director was the successful ¨Grupo 7¨ . 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 delinquent genre , but I think results to be an entertaining film with several interesting scenes .

I was lucky enough to see this at the Toronto Film Festival in 2005. It is an excellent film- tight story, exciting, rich characters, phenomenal acting...from NON-ACTORS. Reminiscent of KIDS but so much better because these guys love women, instead of trying to infect them. Has the same fast pace, families that disappoint, meeting up with friends, harm, trouble, petty crime. The story is basically about a teen and what he does on leave from juvenile hall/prison for the weekend, somewhere in Spain. So, so, so good!! Why hasn't this been distributed?? It would do well in the theatres and certainly on DVD if it had advertising. I was amazed with the quality of this film and that it had not been seen by many audiences. Someone should pick up this film.

A teenager spending his last 90 days at a reformatory is allowed out for a few days to attend his brother's wedding. The brother picks him up during his work shift and drops him at home warning that he should not misbehave lest his future freedom may be jeopardized. The teen does not waste any time getting together with his best friends and other buddies from the local gang. The rest of the film follows the actions of these teens, some from broken families.

The essential tension throughout is to know whether the reformatory teen will manage to keep out of trouble. He is surrounded by friends that are a wild bunch. Loyalty to friends, the thought of having to go back to the reformatory and putting the future at risk are clearly in conflict. Temptations are many and events produce their own impetus.

The ending reminded me of the French classic "Les 400 Coups".

The young actors are very good and the two principals particularly so.

'7 virgenes' succeeds to raise above its genre. The action happens in a suburb in Spain with the principal character getting out from a juvenile institution for 48 hours in order to attend his brother's wedding. How will he use the time, how will he catch with the time spent inside and reconnect with the real world. Director Alberto Rodríguez's hero does not want or does not seem capable to disconnect from the habits of his past, all the teenage heroes actually seem to be caught in a circle of violence and small crime that they do try to escape. Without falling into melodrama or making any strong social comment the movie focuses instead on the psychology of the hero and of his friend, the horizon or the lack of horizon of their lives and future. Succeeding to produce a well acted film, with a good sense of rhythm and a dose of sympathy for the characters at the fringe of the society director Alberto Rodríguez shows here a talent that may show up more obviously if and when he will approach some more interesting themes.

I am a big fan of European Cinema but did not know this young Spanish director (Alberto Rodriguez). I have to say that he is very good and now I can't wait to see his previous film: "The Suit".

"7 Virgins" depicts the life of certain teenagers in Andalucia who live their lives to the limit because they feel they have nothing to lose. The young actors are fantastic. I'm not surprised that Juan Jose Ballesta won the Silver Shell at the San Sebastian Film Festival - well deserved! I remember reading that Angelica Huston, who was president of the jury back then, had said that Juan Jose Ballesta was the closest thing she had seen to being a real movie star.