Directed by:
Aritz MorenoScreenplay:
Javier GullónCinematography:
Javier AgirreComposer:
Cristobal Tapia de VeerCast:
Javier Botet, Macarena García, Belén Cuesta, Luis Tosar, Ernesto Alterio, Quim Gutiérrez, Pilar Castro, Javier Godino, Alberto San Juan, Gilbert Melki (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
During a train ride, Helga Pato is approached by psychiatrist Ángel Sanagustín, who tells her about one of his patients and the picturesque stories of the people who surround him. A sordid but fascinating madness, full of obsession, perversion, sarcasm, fun, dementia, sophistication... these are just some of the advantages of traveling by train. (Sitges Film Festival)
(more)Reviews (3)
The film consists of three stories. The first one has three sub-stories, or three different versions of the same story that change over time, the second story and the third story are separate. At the same time, the whole film is told as a story from the point of view of the main character who has been told the story by someone who has been told the story by someone else. And in the finale, we are treated to the little twist that everyone was probably expecting. As confusing as the review is, so is the film itself - the humour didn't work for me, I was expecting a more morbid, black-humoured comedy, but I don't really have any feelings about the result. It's such two hours of drawn out nothing, it’s imaginative, original and bizarre, but still just not effective. Too bad, I was expecting a bigger splash from Spain. ()
This year's Spanish Renaissance continues and this is definitely the best work I've seen from them this year. The film is a proper disturbing extravaganza full of dark humour, unexpected twists and shocking revelations, just the way we like it from the Spaniards. Critics have compared the film to Wild Tales and I have even seen the phrase "Wes Anderson on LSD!" to describe it. The story focuses on a woman who meets a psychiatrist on a train who tells her a story about one of his patients, and from this the film mines multiple intertwined stories of strange people with shocking revelations. This time the Spaniards go off the rails and serve up scenes I wouldn't expect from them. The film includes Snuff with kids, a woman being raped by a dog, sex between two mentally challenged people and even one brutal scene with brains out (but nothing is gratuitous, though). We also learn some interesting things about garbage that will definitively change your view of the world. Shocking, twisted, excellently acted (give Luis Tosar an Oscar!!), disturbing, hypnotic and an excellent piece of filmmaking in all respects, Oscars will fly for all categories in Spain. It may be too bizarre for some, but I found it incredibly fitting. Story*****, Action>No, Humor***, Violence***, Entertainment*****, Music***, Visual****, Atmosphere*****, Suspense***. 8.5/10. ()
After watching Amor de madre (2022), I was disappointed by the lack of absurdity and weirdness in the plot of this movie, as well as the absence of the top-notch black humor I usually expect from Spanish comedies. Surprisingly, though, none of that seemed to matter this time around because the characters and their antics had me hooked from the start, making for a thoroughly enjoyable watch. I get that the story about the dog probably ruffled some feathers, potentially causing a stir among die-hard feminists or passionate animal rights advocates. Personally, I'm not a fan of fanatics of any kind, so I won't pretend to shed a tear for them. Lesson learned: It's probably best not to watch pornography for educational purposes. ()