En la ciudad sin límites

¨The city of no limits¨ is a beautiful story and haunting drama , dealing with a hidden truth . This is a co-production Argentina/Spain/France , being well paced , skillfully edited and suspenseful . It is plenty of thrills , intense drama , twists and turns and is pretty interesting . It talks about Victor (Leonardo Sbaraglia), a young who gets to Paris to unite his brothers (Roberto Alvarez , Alex Casanovas , Adriana Ozores , Ana Fernandez) and mother (Geraldine Chaplin) around their seriously ill daddy named Max (marvelous , as always , Fernando Fernan Gomez) . As the chance of selling the family business about pharmaceutic laboratory begins to disrupt the family relationships , Victor is desperately asked for help by Max . What seems in the beginning mere delusions of an old man losing his mind , begin to show clues of a strange secret may be true . Victor decides to help his dad to resolve that something he is searching for.

Interesting Spanish film plenty of thrills , emotion , suspense , intrigue , plot twists and being pretty entertaining . The picture profits itself from a top-drawer plethora of players who give exacting interpretations . Suspenseful from start to finish and dealing with some sort of real 'secret' that is troubling Max/Fernando Fernan Gomez's last days , while Victor/Leonardo Sbaraglia is trying to find it out . Exciting and thought-provoking plot by Enrique Braso and the same filmmaker Antonio Hernandez that deservedly had Goya Award Winner best screenplay . Excellent support actors formed by a Spanish all-star-cast such as Ana Fernández as Carmen , Adriana Ozores as Pilar , Roberto Álvarez as Luis , Àlex Casanovas as Alberto , Mónica Estarreado as Beatriz ; furthermore , South American players as Leticia Bredice , Alfredo Alcón as Rancel and director Cameo , Antonio Hernández as friend of Rancel , although credited, may pass unnoticed. Special mention to wonderful musical score , Victor Reyes composes a thrilling and touching soundtrack that is one of the best parts of the film . Colorful and luxurious cinematography by Unax Mendia .

The motion picture was stunningly directed by Antonio Hernandez . Antonio is a good craftsman , writer , producer and occasionally actor . Antonio Hernández -whose first film, 1979's F.E.N., is one of those never praised enough hidden masterpieces of Spanish cinema- is expert on all kind of genres , such as comedy ¨Apaga y Vamonos , Como Levantar 1000 Kilos , Menor de Males¨ , Historical , ¨Los Borgia¨ , and Thriller ¨ Oculto , Lisboa , The city of no limits¨. And he also directs TV series such as ¨Tarancon , Sofia and Dias sin Luz¨ . In ¨City of no limits¨ Antonio proves to be a very courageous auteur , shooting a magnificent picture .

This is a movie with strong acting and a suspenseful intrigue that successfully peels open layer by layer to leave a sentiment of understanding and satisfaction to the attentive audience.

"En la ciudad sin limites" is the story of a Spanish family (Madrid) who is gathered in Paris to support the 'pater familia' in his fight against a terminal illness. Family secrets and tense relations will surface and the dying old man, secretive as can be, will nonetheless give clues to what is really going on in the city without limits.

This Spanish and Argentinian co-production is a testament to the collaboration of nations to produce top-notch film-making with an excellent cast, great directing, deep and compelling storytelling, and the power of a incredible cinematic experience.

There are so many interesting stories intertwined that some will be left without clear answers, and this is particularly effective because of the care taken to flesh out believable flawed characters that make us attached and concerned about their lives. Lives that are no less complicated and problematic than our own.

You will experience unexpected turns hand and hand with the characters and be able to not only relish the story and the denouement of the complex plot, but to appreciate this portray of the drives and constraints of men.

The trailer might be misleading but that is not to say that 'En La Ciudad Sin Límites' is a letdown. It reminded me of a Barbara Vine novel where a family is introduced and then subtle hints display that not all is what it seems and there are secrets to be discovered. It can be described as a thriller because the viewer is kept in constant suspense about Max's mystery. Even the subplots, like Carmen and Victor's romance, adds to the characterization. Antonio Hernández is a competent director and the way he sets the premise and tells the story is compelling. There are some nice scenic shots of Paris but that seems to add more to the mystery and complexities of the story. Victor Reyes's sometimes soft and sometimes erratic score works well. It reminded me of Philip Glass's work. The cinematography works adequately. The performances are solid with Fernando Fernán Gómez and Leonardo Sbaraglia owning the film. Of the supporting cast the beautiful Ana Fernández shines while Geraldine Chaplin is convincing as the cold hearted Marie. 'En La Ciudad Sin Límites' is a product of excellent storytelling, fine acting, very good direction and money well put by Spanish and Argentinian production teams.

En la Ciudad sin Limites certainly traps the audience in the mystery and suspense of the story. The film is about a family who is reunited in France when the news of their sick father comes to each of the brothers. As the sons and their mother talk about selling the family business, Victor, one of the sons, switches his attention to the needs of his father. Although everyone else believes that Max is delusional, Victor gives him the benefit of the doubt, which in time reveals some hidden secrets which none of the sons new about. The character of the father, Max, is a very interesting one which keeps the audience at the edge of their seats, wanting to know whether he is acting crazy or if he has a purpose in mind. While the story centers on Max and his son Victor, the director also includes side stories of affairs involving the brothers and their girlfriends or ex-wives. These side stories do not add much to the mystery at hand, but seem to only make the story a bit more complex.

A rich Spanish man is treated for a brain tumor in a Paris hospital . His family around him, fighting for the inheritance (and mutually betraying). The old man seems to have lost contact with reality, but his elder son noticing that he still has some consciousness, tries to establish a communication with him, even when that implies to get into his father madness and discover secrets nobody wants to surface.

The movie is an exercise in suspense. Perfectly orchestrated situations, make you feel nervous about simple things as a walk in the hall (trying to get out of the hospital). Or make the bad guy out of a worried mother. This is just a family story with an old mystery. It is so simple that similar things happen every day but with an incredible craftsmanship was converted in a thriller.

Yes, it is a thriller and a mystery. It has all the elements you usually expect; sex, betrayal, lies. No, is not what you expect. The story is clever but realistic. The violence is replaced with poetry, and as in real life, lots of things happen but few are really resolved.