Insiders

"Who steals from whom?" is the excellent question of that film, which is very good in its first half, before running out of steam.

I found this movie by accident at my local theatre. it wasn't even reviewed in the ny times. luis tosar is his usual manly self, aided by Rodrigo de la serna in this, you've seen it all before bank heist film. it's still fun, it's in Valencia, spain and it moves along quickly. in addition to robbing the bank and its safe deposit boxes, Rodrigo is looking in box 314 for something which could implicate high up politicos in the Spanish government. complications ensue. nothing seems to go as planned. luis and rodrigo have great chemistry. the cinematography is sharp. compared to most of the mediocre movies released by Hollywood this summer this is a refreshing treat.

Daniel Calparsoro's last one (2016) results to be ¨100 Años De Perdón¨ with all-star-cast as Luis Tosar , Jose Coronado , Raul Arevalo and his wife Patricia Vico . A Spanish crime film called To Steal from a Thief (originally Cien Años De Perdón in Spain) about six armed men in disguise try to steal a bank , but they're really after the contents of safety deposit box 314 , which actually doesn't contain what they think it does . Moving heist thriller filled with intense set-pieces , nail-biting action and swiftly paced . This exciting movie contains thrills , noisy action , intrigue and spectacular final . In Valencia takes place a bank robbing , it is carried out by a bunch of cunning delinquents led by three thieves called El Uruguayo (Rodrigo Serna) , Gallego (Luis Tosar) and Loco (Furrier) , all of them stalk a bank in a metropolis city , Valencia , to rob as many safety boxes as possible and later flee through a dug tunnel that communicates the building with an abandoned subway station . The takers must scramble a lot of twisted incidents , risks , dangers and violence . However, the press officer of the Prime Minister discovers what the thieves are actually after : they want to get their hands on box 314 that has dark secrets . The safe box contains an information that it would to be shake a country . At the same time , the CNI agents attempt to take the information before the robbers escape with it . The bad's schemes begin to go awry , plus to discover that the box really doesn't have documents , but an external hard drive full of data about important names in all levels of the Spanish politicians . They try to rise above their circumstances by any means available to them . Not only that, but the government wants to stop them and the rainwater floods their getaway route .

This is a thrilling narration of an exciting bank assault with exceptionally fine camera work , attractive sequences , moving escapes and ending crashes . The title of the movie is a reference about a popular Spanish proverb: ¨Those who steals a thief, will have a hundred years of pardon¨. The picture mingles action-packed , drama , exciting underwater scenes , suspense , and spectacular sequences though won't mean much on little screen TV . This is a tricky little thriller about a coordinated bank robbery that gets worse when the tunnel is flooded by heavy rain , leaving them with no fleeing . This hold-up film is covered by political incidents as well as corruption , as the safe box results to be ownership of Gonzalo Soriano , a previous member of the government who slipped into a coma after a severe accident and left documents with compromising information . Stirring movie results to be a nice yarn well set in a rainy big city , Valencia . In fact , filmmaker Daniel Calparsoro dedicated this movie to ¨Valencia¨ . Pulse-quickening thriller movie but plenty of clichés and lots of violence , including punches , slaps , heavy blows , kick-asses and bloody shooting . The peculiar as well as tight-knit trio , Luis Tosar , Rodrigo De la Serna and Raúl Arévalo are the real stars of this movie . Other chief excitements about the picture , will be in the intervention of a good plethora of Spanish/Argentinean actors who realize professionally competent interpretations such as : Patricia Vico , Joaquín Furriel , Marian Álvarez , Luis Callejo , Miquel Fernández , Joaquin Climent , María Molins and Alfredo Villa , Calparsoro's fetish actor. Special mention for José Coronado as a fixer of the government receives the mission to assume the control of the negotiations, looking for recover at any cost the box .

Colorful and appropriate cinematography by Joseph M. Civit , being well set on a rainy morning in Valencia , and shot in Canary Islands , Buenos Aires , Valencia by cameraman Josep M. Civit who is one of the best Spanish cameramen , as he has demonstrated in "The Hidden Face" , ¨Shiver¨, ¨Warriors¨ , ¨The Absent" ,¨Anguish¨ and many others . Stimulating as well as pulsating musical score by Nacho Mastretta and Najwajean-Najwa Nimri . This is another superbly powerful thriller movie being compellingly directed Daniel Calparsoro , the filmmaking is competent though the story eventually run out of gas . It was well realized by Calparsoro in similar vein to his precedent film as ¨Invasor¨ , a splendid thriller mostly set in Irak war . His best film was ¨Warriors¨ or ¨Guerreros¨ , another warlike film brilliantly made by Daniel and dealing with ¨Kosovo¨ war . Daniel was raised in Donostia , that's why most films are set in Basque country . Daniel uses to work with his spouses , as his first wife , Najawa Nimri composes his scores and played in ¨Salto a Vacio¨ , ¨Pasajes¨ , ¨Asfalto¨ , ¨A Ciegas¨ ; and his second one , Patricia Vico , performed in ¨La Ira¨ and this one . Calparsoro is an expert on action and violent dramas , such as : 2013 ¨Combustion¨ starred by Alex Gonzalez and Alberto Amman , 2012 ¨Invasor¨ also starred by Albert Ammann , 2005 ¨Ausentes¨ , 2000 ¨Asfalto¨ , 1997 ¨A Ciegas¨ , 1996 ¨Pasajes¨ , 1995 ¨Salto a Vacío¨ . Furthermore , he has realized TV series and episodes , such as ¨Inocentes¨, ¨Apaches¨ , ¨La Ira¨, ¨El Castigo¨. This flick ¨100 Años De Perdon¨ will appeal to adrenaline lovers and those young people looking for strong emotions . This is the kind of film in which the thriller enthusiasts will enjoy immensely , it's a must see .

In Spain, there is the belief that corruption is an everyday occurrence (not only there, of course). "Cien años de perdón" uses this as the MacGuffin in a heist movie that starts OK but ends making no sense and with too many stupid twists.

Six thieves get into a bank in Valencia, in the East of Spain, and take 30 people as hostages. Pretty soon we discover that money or jewels are not the reason behind the heist, but a hard-drive with information about some high-ranking politicians. The police, the politicians, the thieves, the director of the bank... all their interests will intertwine while the tensions rise.

The idea is simple, and it could have been a good action/mystery movie. However, the plot twists are risible, the pace too slow and shaky, and the direction lifeless, wasting a good bunch of actors along the way, like the always reliable Luis Tosar. The characters keep lying to each other for no reason, but not only so, they keep taking silly decisions based on whims, and the moments that the plot uses to raise the tension are poor and make for the typical: turn-the-car-around! situations.

A disappointment.

I liked the first half. Acting, cinematography, tension...etc. Then, around the half point, the movie becomes filled with too many characters and dialogue, and totally lost the rhythm.

What a pity...