Semana Santa

I could not, for the life of me, follow, figure out or understand the story. As the plot advances it too stays incomprehensible. I'm going to guess and say that there was a preproduction story/plot problem that never got sorted out. The producers could never separate the many details that the novel, or any novel, has the time and space to create from the other idea, which was to make a movie about a serial killer and the killer's pursuit by the police. They ended up with too many things happening in a proscribed feature film time limit. Too bad really because they had a solid cast, a director who knows how to move things around and excellent cinematography. In fact, a well made movie that one could enjoy and relax with for a couple of hours.

OK, so this isn't the greatest mystery movie to grace the screen. It did, however, have some good features that made it worth my time.

First, I lived in Andalucia for six years and have fond memories of the Semana Santa ceremonies and processions. The white robes and the pointed masks do not remind me of the Ku Klux Klan, but of centuries of tradition in Spain. Seeing that as a backdrop to the murders and the police work, led by the ever adorable Mira Sorvino, was beautiful.

Second, I love stories that weave in the evil fascists that invaded Spain. The US-backed murderers under Franco provided a credible story that explained the current murders.

Third, I was enchanted with Alida Valli in her last role as Doña Catalina. So much so that I will make it a point to see one of her earlier roles this weekend.

All in all, a good slow murder mystery with several features that made it worthwhile.

The only thing special about this film may be the very human everyday interactions between the characters in this film. An important scene might have a little glance or aside that only tells of the place and the people but have no real impact on the story. Mia Sorvino along with the other actors and even the walk-on extras just feel real and utterly regular in the skins that they occupy on screen. 99% of movies do not succeed as well as this one when it comes to that pervasive "REALITY" feeling.

Yes the pacing could have been better. Yes you might be lost if you don't pay attention to each plot revelation. Yes you might not be surprised at all by how the story turns out. But this is a beautiful film in its grounded feeling, the acting, and the little things outside of the main focus which give life to the world and its characters.

Not original at all but great acting and good direction makes for a hidden gem in my opinion.

-Karl

In Seville, the newcomer detective Maria Delgado (Mira Sorvino) arrives during the Holy Week and is assigned to work with detectives Quemada (Olivier Martinez) and Torillo (Féodor Atkine) in the bizarre murder of twins, killed with several bullfighter knives. Maria interviews the old lady Ms. Catalina (Alida Valli), who found the bodies, while a tourist is attacked on the streets by a masked guy with a bullfighter knife. The trio connects the cases and follows the lead to a brotherhood. The director of the brotherhood is also killed by a knife, and Maria follows her instinct and visits Ms. Catalina again in a convent. Ms. Catalina discloses her sad adolescence when Spain was in Civil War and Maria gets closer to the truth.

When I saw the names of Mira Sorvino and Alida Valli, I did not hesitate and bought this DVD. The story has a promising beginning, with a weird death and decomposed corpses that recalled me "Seven", and I was expecting a good dark movie. Unfortunately, director Pepe Danquart did not take any care in developing the characters, and his only concern seems to be a tourist travel through the beautiful Seville in the "Semana Santa". Therefore, the motives of each character are very confused, leading the movie to a terrible conclusion. Mira Sorvino seems to be upset most of the time, and the DVD distributed in Brazil is awfully dubbed in English. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Anjo da Morte" ("Angel of the Death")

Police detective Maria Delgado (Mira Sorvino) is transferring from first rate Madrid to the second tier Seville for unknown reason. Captain Rodriguez sends detectives, Quemada (Olivier Martinez) and Torillo, to help her acclimatize. It is the Semana Santa (original title) and the processions create traffic jams. Someone in a red hooded costume from the Brotherhood of Christ is attacking people. Two decomposing bodies are found in carefully posed positions. The police trio investigates. It soon leads to the Brotherhood and the dark Spanish recent history.

First, it's strange to watch Mira Sorvino's dubbing. It doesn't help that her acting is so flat in this movie. It looks like those old kung fu movies. This is a police drama thriller. The first half is fine although they could use a couple of red herrings. Around the midpoint, the movie runs out of steam. The old lady is doing a lot of expositions to move the story along. She does it a couple of times. They lose Torillo which is a shame. I like the chemistry of the trio. When they boil the group down to the two hot actors, the serious feel starts slipping away.