La noche del hermano

This movie is so hopelessly stupid that even lovely and talented Jan Cornet can't save it. He is the ONLY good thing about it and the only reason I gave it even two stars - but even he looks and acts dumb through most of it. The story and the dialog are ridiculous and not believable for a minute.

I love Spanish movies in general, and Cornet is a lot better in Almodóvar's The Skin I Live In, in a much smaller role (even that movie is a disappointment, though - far from Almodóvar's peak; he should have left Banderas in Hollywood), but this movie doesn't cut it.

Cornet definitely has a bright future in the movies, but García de Leániz may be better off writing and directing soap operas.

Difficult to classify, the film is made up with the best of elements from genres such as film noir and post existentialist western. Beautifully designed as a reflection of good and evil, it portraits a delicate metaphorical drama about fate and the right to accept it or not. Determined to stay away from empty modern trends, the film has elements of the Greek tragedy mixed with those of a dark psychological thriller while searching for the roots of good old cinematic narration. The story is full of echoes of considerable strength, a poignant atmosphere that springs from the underground raw violence that dominates the landscape it portraits and the characters that inhabit it. It combines subtlety and intensity with performances that reflect efficiently pain and sentimental contradiction. It is, no doubt, a rare and pure beauty for these times.