Les 7 vierges

I was lucky enough to see this at the Toronto Film Festival in 2005. It is an excellent film- tight story, exciting, rich characters, phenomenal acting...from NON-ACTORS. Reminiscent of KIDS but so much better because these guys love women, instead of trying to infect them. Has the same fast pace, families that disappoint, meeting up with friends, harm, trouble, petty crime. The story is basically about a teen and what he does on leave from juvenile hall/prison for the weekend, somewhere in Spain. So, so, so good!! Why hasn't this been distributed?? It would do well in the theatres and certainly on DVD if it had advertising. I was amazed with the quality of this film and that it had not been seen by many audiences. Someone should pick up this film.

A teenager spending his last 90 days at a reformatory is allowed out for a few days to attend his brother's wedding. The brother picks him up during his work shift and drops him at home warning that he should not misbehave lest his future freedom may be jeopardized. The teen does not waste any time getting together with his best friends and other buddies from the local gang. The rest of the film follows the actions of these teens, some from broken families.

The essential tension throughout is to know whether the reformatory teen will manage to keep out of trouble. He is surrounded by friends that are a wild bunch. Loyalty to friends, the thought of having to go back to the reformatory and putting the future at risk are clearly in conflict. Temptations are many and events produce their own impetus.

The ending reminded me of the French classic "Les 400 Coups".

The young actors are very good and the two principals particularly so.

I am a big fan of European Cinema but did not know this young Spanish director (Alberto Rodriguez). I have to say that he is very good and now I can't wait to see his previous film: "The Suit".

"7 Virgins" depicts the life of certain teenagers in Andalucia who live their lives to the limit because they feel they have nothing to lose. The young actors are fantastic. I'm not surprised that Juan Jose Ballesta won the Silver Shell at the San Sebastian Film Festival - well deserved! I remember reading that Angelica Huston, who was president of the jury back then, had said that Juan Jose Ballesta was the closest thing she had seen to being a real movie star.

'7 virgenes' succeeds to raise above its genre. The action happens in a suburb in Spain with the principal character getting out from a juvenile institution for 48 hours in order to attend his brother's wedding. How will he use the time, how will he catch with the time spent inside and reconnect with the real world. Director Alberto Rodríguez's hero does not want or does not seem capable to disconnect from the habits of his past, all the teenage heroes actually seem to be caught in a circle of violence and small crime that they do try to escape. Without falling into melodrama or making any strong social comment the movie focuses instead on the psychology of the hero and of his friend, the horizon or the lack of horizon of their lives and future. Succeeding to produce a well acted film, with a good sense of rhythm and a dose of sympathy for the characters at the fringe of the society director Alberto Rodríguez shows here a talent that may show up more obviously if and when he will approach some more interesting themes.

Tano is a young guy that has a 48 freedom ticket due to the wedding of his brother, and the he will return with his friends and he wants to enjoy as much as possible his time, but soon he will realize that the time he has spend in prison ill not return and that the world has moved without him and now is his turn to become an adult. Well the movie is not bad, it is not boring, the story in not bad, but, well is the typical story of the suburban young boy, margined, insolent, stupid and with an enormous stubbornness that makes him to not become anything better. Ballesta makes quite well his part, the same as always and Carroza plays surprisingly well (Goya totally deserved), the others are just correct, nothing more. The movie has come with lots of rumors to be good, and I think they were a little exaggerated, the movie is not bad, it is entertaining but it adds anything new to the cinema. THe story is the same as always and it is quite expected. There are many better films to watch to, but this one is not disgusting.