GAL

Natalia Verbeke gives a good performance, showing a driven professional who goes after the truth despite sometimes experiencing personal fear. She has two nice showcase moments in the film where she proves she really got into her character's skin (in the cafeteria before Ariza's deposition and at the paper after a threatening call is received). Jordi Molla, on the other hand, underacts in light of the character he is playing. A military man in such a position would certainly show a great deal more arrogance and violent character, and we all know Molla is capable of showing it after his performance in BLOW. Ana Alvarez is memorable as the submissive girlfriend, but none of the rest of the cast really stand out. There isn't any real character development to make the audience sympathise with any of the main characters beyond mentions in passing that one of the journalists is divorced and the other about to get married.

The real problem with this film; however, is that the actors aren't really given much to work with. The basis of the story is explained in a manner approaching docudrama but without sufficient detail to really justify such stilted plot development. The scenes of GAL members doing horrible acts to the tune of American rock music is a teeny bit surreal as clearly it is meant to show GAL was working non-stop committing crimes of all sorts, but the movie doesn't get into the nitty gritty of what they actually did except to show one car bomb and one botched kidnapping. The musical choice makes me wonder if the person who did the soundtrack is at all aware of the music scene in Spain in the 80's and what the characters would likely have been listening to. In any case, the use of flashback at certain parts of the film is supported by the "interview" technique but doesn't add anything in the way of suspense. Rather it gives the film a sloppy and disjointed feel.

All in all, the film views like a propaganda film the likes of those shown to troops before wars to get them convinced of how they should feel without explaining too much lest they think for themselves. Frankly, the story this movie covers is a very important one in the history of a country that went from the fascist rule of a dictatorship to democracy without condemning the hierarchy of the previous government for their abuses. Clearly that caused problems in the transition to democracy and arguably those problems are still present today. There are so many historical, political and social issues involved that they cannot easily be treated in 111 minutes. However; that is no excuse for producing a film lacking in focus and development... unless the objective is solely to get the audience worked up.

Perhaps a remake will do a better job. Perhaps a subsequent treatment will be worth watching. Aside from Natalia Verbeke's 5 minutes, this one sure is not.

Drama/Thriller about criminal events in Basque Country in which happened terrorism , kidnaps, threats and grisly killings . While assassinations committed by members of the terrorist organization , two journalists investigate a strange organization . Meantime, ETA brutally killed about one thousand people and acting similarly to Sicilian Mafia .Based on actual events, two journalists (José Garcia, Natalia Verbeke) investigate the Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberacion (GAL), a dark organization engaged in a conflict with the Basque terrorist organization Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) in the mid-1980s. Depicting two driven reporters who go after an essential new , at whatever cost , as they will stop at nothing to get the truth despite sometimes experiencing personal threats. They discover some tracks that lead to subcommissario Paco Ariza (Jordi Mollá) who's actually Jose Amedo and Marcel Molina (Tomás del Estal) pseudonym of Dominguez. And dealing with some failed acts committed by the Gal, such as : the kidnapping of the innocent Segundo Marey, the murder of people in a bar and other sad events.

Dramatic thriller with plenty of suspense , action , intrigue , delusions , twists , turns , politics and events about Basque Country . Despite being somewhat of a cinematic cliché , rarely has a feature been so aptly deserving of its description as a political thriller along with some elements from action genre , social critique , intense drama and bloody terrorism . Based on a true story , according to an interview to screen-writer and producer Melchor Miralles , in fact the movie was written and produced by this known journalist . Miralles is a well-known writer first from newspaper Diario 16 and later from El Mundo, where he wrote his poignant and compromising chronicles for trying to always seek the truth, no matter how prickly and compromising it was. The picture describes various historical events when the terrorists ETA proceed their most daring and shocking killing massacre as the Guardia Civil Headquarter and the Barcelona mail where died 15 people , and the safe refuge that the terrorists had in the so-called ¨French sanctuary¨ where freely planned their operations . That's is why was created the secret organization Gal to carry out secret crimes to avenge the murders committed by Eta in Spain. Finally , for these deeds the guilty people were judged and condemned the following ones : cop Amedo , cop Dominguez , Secretary of State Rafael Vera , General Galindez and Minister of Interior José Barrionuevo. It is an entertaining picture in which suspense is well developed from start to finish , though crammed with disjoined scenes and excessive interpretations . Nice acting by starring duo José Garcia and Natalia Verbeke , while Jordi Mollá gives overacting as Paco Ariza , Amedo-lookalike . The picture is acceptable , but it has conventional pitfalls and results to be overlong ; though also contains interesting scenes , suspenseful images and sensitive moments . Anyway , its is compensated with the acceptable performances from main cast , and notorious , familiar support cast , such as Ana Álvarez, Mercè Llorens, Abel Folk, Ricard Borràs, Manuel Galiana, Tomás del Estal, Mar Regueras, Bernard Le Coq , José Ángel Egido , Pedro Mari Sánchez Francisco Vidal, Alfredo Villa, Victor Clavijo , Blanca Marsillach , Miguel Hermoso Arnao , among others . This ¨Gal¨is a kind of sequel to ¨Lobo¨ by the same writer Melchor Miralles who said the real "Lobo" visited the set one day, but nobody knew who really was . He was actually an ETA infiltrator who , in the early 1960s , brought down a quarter of this terrorist organisation, including its upper echelons , even today , ETA members departing to execute attacks in Spain receive a spare bullet with Lobos name on it .

It contains atmospheric musical score by Francesc Gener who composes a stirring soundtrack . Colorful as well as evocative cinematography by Carlos Suárez , shot on location in Donostia-San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, País Vasco, Madrid, Spain , Bayona , France. The motion picture was professionally directed by Michael Courtois and was dismissed both , critics and indifferent reaction for the public ; however , a similar film he previously realized titled ¨Lobo¨ achieved hit smash at box office . Other pictures dealing with Eta terrorist organization are the following ones : ¨La Fuga De Segovia¨, ¨Dias Contados¨, by Imanol Uribe , ¨La Voz De Su Amo¨ by Emilio Martínez Lazaro¨ , ¨Todos Estamos Invitados¨ by Manuel Gutiérrez Aragon and various documentaries directed by Iñaki Arteta as ¨Testigo Involuntario : Nicolas Redondo¨, ¨El Infierno Vasco¨ , ¨Trece Entre Mil¨ , and ¨Sin Libertad¨ .

Natalia's cafeteria scene was good but not extremely good, but her total performance was very good. I thought Molla was exceptional. Want him to receive the Spanish Oscar: Goya. The actresses have stunning beauty. Although I hate Hollywoodian close-ups, I loved to study the faces (men's and women's) here. They are not too short and not too long..."just right" as in Goldilocks. I admire the courage shown here by the newspapermen. I admired the courage shown in LOBO by the "topo" (mole) and others. I hope Melchor Mirailles is gathering material for a third film. (Read between the lines). I enjoyed the scenery taken from a far and especially noticed a waterfront scene with night lights to the left and a huge deposit/container to the right. I hope my note of 8 raises the note of the picture.

I wouldn't like to mention past of Spain in the last three decades, but this movie may be classified in an historical movie.Not only historical but it is also a crime movie in which two brave journalists hold roles of police agency and overcome to expose corruptions and inhumanistic crimes of a gang associated with official government.

As a spectator I really enjoyed and excited, I was also so glad to see something about reality of Spanish history in the last three decades.It is also make us hopeful to see the victory of democracy supporters against despotism, fascism even racism.I would like to suggest watching it for everyone who like to see reality and crime in movies.