El crack

I don't know why this film is called "El Crack" ("the Crack"). i searched in my English dictionary, and i found that "to crack" is to solve a mystery. probably it refers to that.

the film is dedicated to north-American crime-novel writer Dashiell Hammet. i haven't read any novel of Sam Spade... but i have watched The Maltese Falcon, and i found a subtle wink to Bogart character in Garci's movie. i remember that Bogart-Spade had a particular gesture when he was thinking: he scratched his ear. Landa-Areta scratches his mustache.

But don't think that El Crack is a film where you cant follow the plot, as in the old Bogart detectives movies... (is a famous anecdote that even Howard Hawks and Raymond Chandler -director and writer respectively- had serious doubts during the filming of THE BIG SLEEP to explain themselves some scenes of the complicated puzzle of its plot). No, the plot is easy to follow in El Crack.

José Luis Garci is one of the best directors of the Spanish film industry with no doubt. his films can be easily identified: they are perfectly written (this one was co-written by one of his collaborators, Horacio Varcárcel), with a lot of winks to Hollywood classics and to literature; the rhythm of his films use to be slow (that doesn't mean boring, cause his stories has so much substance that the slow rhythm is necessary to assimilate it); each secondary character of a Garci's film is very detailed and defined.

Garci makes in this film a great thing: he saves Landa from the bad movies and bad critics. Alfredo Landa was then, in 1981, a veteran actor that made a lot of stupid comedies during 60's and 70's. apart dubbing some American films and little interventions in some classics as Forqué's ATRACO A LAS TRES, the rest were that stupid comedies... then Garci appears to give him the best part of his career till then. Garci trusted in Landa... and Landa didn't disappointed him. Since then Landa is considered in Spain a great actor (LOS SANTOS INOCENTES, CANCIÓN DE CUNA, LA VAQUILLA...). was definitely forgotten to Spanish film-lovers that epoch of stupid comedy films that one critic called "Landism" El Crack is an notable movie. is entertaining and haven't got old. i think that Garci proposed himself with his movies of then to describe an epoch, the Spanish Transition to democracy. In this particular case he captures Madrid 1981. and he achieved his purpose.

Besides he shoots some minutes in New York too. The city of his dreams; he do that with real passion to that city, indeed; but perhaps too with a little message to American Academy members...: "eh, look, here is a young Spanish director, talented, that loves cinema and Hollywood movies as just a few persons in the world". He did the same next year (shoot a part of his film BEGUIN THE BEGUINE in USA; winks to the old Hollywood flavour) and then he got the Oscar.

This film is important not only as cinematographic. It has an important sociological and historical...: it captures the Spain of early 80's: costumes, fashions, dresses, cars, radio and TV programs, streets of Madrid...

Haven't seen the movie? watch it! :)

German once again goes into action to investigate whereabout a missing girl . Splendid film in American ¨Noir¨ style in which Germán Areta (a too serious Alfredo Landa) nicknamed ¨Piojo¨ undertakes adangerous assignment. Good film and once again a portentous acting by the great Alfredo Landa as the embittered Private detective Germán Areta who gets a terminally ill client (Raoul Freire) who wishes to see his long lost, runaway daughter before he dies. As the bitter as well as stubborn Areta carries out a new investigation , full of topical and ¨Castizo¨ characters who tell about boxing , play ¨Mus¨ cards and go to Madrid cinemas . Being helped by Cardenas , alias ¨El Moro¨(Miguel Rellan) , and following his sentimental problems with his ordinary girlfriend , Carmen (Maria Casanova), Private detective's lover , and her little girl .Meanwhile , German in appointed by his old friend Don Ricardo (Jose Bodalo) who gives him peculiar advices . But when Areta starts looking into case, it leads him to the dark underbelly of Madrid where he finds that he is not only one looking for the girl. Someone else is also interested in her, someone important and violent who will stop at nothing to prevent Areta from discovering the real happenings .

First installment about adventures and misfortunes of sleuth Areta , the most particular private eye of the Spanish cinema . This time Germán starts looking into case , strange events take place , such as robbing , kidnapping and killing , as someone else is also interested in him , someone powerful and dangerous who will stop at nothing to avoid Areta from knowing the truth. After the successful political-sentimental trilogy formed by ¨Asignatura Pendiente¨(1977) , ¨Solos En Madrugada¨(1978) and ¨Verdes Praderas¨(1979) , director Jose Luis Garci changes genre and shoots this noir film imitating the American style and popular actors as Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum . Here the premise is simple , Areta is assigned by an old man to investigate about his daughter , it leads him to the dark , underbelly of Madrid , he realizes that he is not only one looking for this girl . In spite of slowness , the picture is pretty well , filled with suspense , thrills , emotion and a complex intrigue . Although it contains a weak pace , slow developing and a difficult storyline dealing with corruption , intrigue , ambition and and many other things . Here Jose Luis Garci and screenwriter Horacio Valcárcel adapt the American Noir to Democratic Spain with an adequate homage to this classic genre . As Garci pays tribute to it , including some homages taken from American Noir films . The movie is dedicated to Dasiell Hammet , while the second part ¨The Crack II¨ was dedicated to Raymond Chandler. The main aspect results to be its excellent cast and stands out Alfredo Landa giving a fabulous performance , including some breathtaking scenes in the beginning when Areta/Landa faces a duo of small-time delinquents . Support cast gives nice interpretations such as Maria Casanova as his sweetheart , Miguel Rellán as his helper , Manuel Tejada as a wealthy mobster , José Manuel Cervino as a crook , Francisco Vidal , Raul Freire , Maite Blasco and , of course , the great José Bódalo . Most of them played in ¨The crack II¨ . Enjoyable and appropriate settings by Felix Murcia , shot in Madrid and N.Y . Sentimental and repeated musical score by Jesus Gluck , being composed and performed by piano . Colorful cinematography by Manuel Rojas , showing wonderfully the city of Madrid and New York.

The motion picture was compellingly written (along with his usual collaborator Horacio Valcarcel) , financed (by his production company called Nickel Odeaon S.A.) and directed by Jose Luis Garci , though it was strongly criticized by melodrama trending and a very maudlin soundtrack . Jose Luis knows very well the American Noir genre and here he translates it to the Spanish idiosyncrasy . José Luis Garci is without a doubt one of the most influential film personalities in the history of film in Spain and perhaps the best known writer in the country . Garci won one Academy Award for ¨Volver a Empezar¨. He has left a distinguished talent in his successful movies throughout the years , as writing as shooting , such as : La Cabina (1972) , Las Verdes Praderas (1979), Sesión Continua , Volver a Empezar (1982), Canción De Cuna (1994), La Herida Luminosa (1997), El Abuelo (1998), Tiovivo c. 1950 (2004) , Ninette (2005) , Luz Del Domingo , among others. Being followed by Crack II and Crack Zero (2019) with Carlos Santos and José Maria Muñoz . Rating : Better than average and well worth seeing . For these reasons ¨El Crack ¨ is essential and indispensable watching .

I know very little about Spanish cinema and even less so about Spanish thrillers, action films etc. So I was very curious about this film, that according to some sources on the internet would something extraordinary.

However, I was very disappointed, this film tries very hard to be a film noir/neo noir from Spain but offers very little to the viewer. There are lot of clichés in this film that makes other, more recent Spanish productions in the same genre more appealing.

The story about a private detective looking for a missing girl is standard within this genre, or the sleuth genre but would have hoped that screenwriter or the director would have tried to create at least some tension or plotwist that would surprise the viewer.

But not so here, here we get same story/clichés stuffed down our throats again. Areta is former police officer, a bit of loner, he is a good man surrounded by bad people in a corrupt world.

This and the fact that the script is flawed, contains loopholes, makes me wonder if I have seen a very heavily edited film and that an uncut version is out there somewhere?

One positive thing about this film is Alfredo Landas powerful performance in the main lead. I only wish he had a better script to work with.

Technically the film is lacking, almost bland in it's cinematography, looking like a cheaply made TV production from the 80's.

Future viewers should watch this film because of its position as an obscure film that has gained very little attention here on IMDb. Just don't expect too much.

Viewers should rather watch La caja 507 (2002), El Lobo (2004) if they want to see better crime thrillers from Spain.

I saw this one back in 1981 and it's commercial title was "Diente por Diente" which means a teeth for a teeth. I remember I was quite impressed for the suspenseful quality of his flick. Years later, by the turn of the century, I made a list of several films I had seen in the past and that where in some way outstanding, and of course, "El Crack" was one of them... but it wasn't available anywhere (I was near at one place who had had it but the tape had gone into pieces). Again, many years later, -26 exactly since its original release- I finally find it, and start watching it with very different eyes: those that 26 years add to your life experience. At first, the first 1/2 hour, the film looks somewhat vulgar and filled with apparently unnecessary details of the main character, but then it starts to raise and raise (which is a unique quality of good films), with very good and unexpected twists. All in all, this is a very good movie and in case you have it at hand, don't miss it. I also found "El Crack 2", a kind of sequel made 2 years later, which I had never seen before. It's not so good as the first part, but it's good and worth watching also. I gave the first part an 8 and the sequel a 7.