Review by hof-4

The tale is told backwards. We know at the beginning that Andrés has been four years in jail for an accident he caused driving under the influence. He is being released. During these years his now twelve year old son José Ramón has been in the care of Andrés' mother. As we expect, Andrés tries to reconnect with José Ramón and normalize their relationship. José Ramón seems to be willing. But we sense something amiss not only in the father-son relationship but in José Ramón's interaction with his grandmother and other townspeople (the filming was done in Lebrija, a medium size town in the province of Sevilla). The details of the tale are discovered backwards, peeling layer after layer through a masterful use flashbacks until we reach the core of the enigma. Brecha means gap and it probably refers to the emotional distance between father and son.

This is the first of two movies Lebanon born Argentine director Iván Noel made with Spanish actor/writer Francisco Alfonsín. He was the lead actor, also in charge of the script together with the director.

Brecha is a very somber tale. The second Noel/Alfonsín collaboration was ¡Primaria!, an entirely different type of film, a joyful paean to the teaching of art in primary schools. In both Noel shows excellence in all aspects, That includes directing the acting of nonprofessionals (except for Alfonsín all actors in this movie are residents of Lebrija, this movie their only acting credit). Music and cinematography, also by Noel fit the tale perfectly. This movie's budget was essentially zero; all actors worked for free and funds for equipment were collected from donations. Both Brecha and ¡Primaria! Are masterpieces, not to miss.