Tarde para la ira

There are so many good things to talk about in this movie. First of all, it starts out very strong and grabs you right off the bat. Then I really liked the occasional behind the shoulder camera work which gives an intimate and unnerving feeling but it's not overly done where it becomes exhausting. The look and feel of the movie fits so well to the locations and overall intention. I loved the progresiveness of the film which tells the main character's story and purpose in two very different halves. Every character is very carefully designed and has a meaningful and interesting presence.

It's the revenge story of a quiet but determined guy.

The single most important thing distinguishing a good thriller from a bad one, is the screenplay. It has to be simple but effective, with lots of suspense and without any unnecessary subplots.

'Tarde para la Ira' is a great thriller, because the writer, who is also the director, has stuck to this basic rule. The story of a man who waits for years to take revenge, is very effective. And the carefully planned way he finally gets even with his adversaries, keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very last moment.

Also, this film is very good in creating the right atmosphere. There's nothing polished or glamorous about the people in this film. They are as rough as the working class neighbourhoods in Madrid, where the film is set.

The great thing is that the film doesn't need many action scenes. There is one great scene, the very first one, shot from the viewpoint of a driver, who is trying to escape from the police after a robbery. This is a crucial scene, but why it is so important becomes clear only later in the film. There are a few violent scenes, but they are filmed in a very matter-of-fact style.

This film seems to be a perfect candidate for an American remake. It doesn't take much effort to change the setting from Madrid to Chicago, Los Angeles or Miami. On the other hand, I doubt if an American director can do as good a job as Raúl Arévalo.

Considering how much better contemporary Spanish thrillers can be than their Hollywood alternatives, this is already a must see. The director does a great job in his debut, building palpable tension in scene after scene, as from the moment the story begins you will feel something is wrong, until the tension finally explodes in the most unlikely place.

Apart from the authentic atmosphere, which portrays contemporary urban & rural Spain well, there are some great performances here, supported by a great script. Callejo & Ruth Diaz disappear into their characters, and my only pet peeve is with the main character, Arevalo's stand in, Antonio de la Torre. Although he is usually a great actor, here he lacks expression. Although it is obvious the character needs to be understated, there should be more subtle work then, such as facial expressions or movements, in order for the character not to come off as "boring".

The moral of the story is very gray, and there are no heroes here, which leaves you thinking about the movie far after the credits have rolled

Liked: -the tension (especially the gym scene) -unexpected humor -the "buddy comedy" part -direction -location

Disliked: -the leads performance -some of the character motivation

8.5

A good story, great actors perfect filmed scenes make The fury of a patient man a very oppressive movie. The story is told in the first 30 minutes of the movie. A lot of story lines pass by, I compared it a little bit wit the outstanding Italian mafia movie Suburra.

After 30 minutes things start falling together, opposites turn into mates, because of the common goals they both have. The unpredictable patient man is determined by the things that happened in the past to take revenge. Taking risk is also part of the deal and sometimes silence is golden and....being a good "salesman" can save lives.

Hidden agenda's make women believe that man and wife life in an ideal world. Anxiety, opens doors but is not a guarantee for a better life! The truth of an ideal world: between pigs and chicken.

Tarde para la Ira, after seeing this movie I spoke to some people in the wonderful Concordia movie house in Enschede to 2 young people and I told them that this movie had the same quality as seen in La Isla Minima...not knowing, that one of the actors directed this great movie.

"The Fury of a Patient Man" is a Drama - Thriller movie in which we watch a man meeting a hard-working single mother and keeping a lot of secrets regarding his identity and the reason behind his approach.

I liked this movie very much because it had an interesting plot, consisted of plenty of mystery and some plot twists that made it even more interesting. The direction which was made by Raúl Arévalo was very good and he created a feeling of fear since it had plenty of suspense and his approach was unpredictable. The interpretation of Antonio de la Torre who played as Jose was simply outstanding and he made the difference on this movie. Some other interpretations that need to be mentioned were Ruth Díaz's who played as Ana and Luis Callejo's who played as Curro. Finally, I have to say that "The Fury of a Patient Man" is a nice, interesting movie and I recommend everyone to watch it.