La flaqueza del bolchevique (2003)

Director:

Manuel Martín Cuenca

Writers:

Manuel Martín Cuenca (writer)
Lorenzo Silva (novel)

Release Date:

31 October 2003 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Based on a novel by Lorenzo Silva, this movie deals with the unusual and tragic relationship between...

Plot Keywords:

Bolshevik | Girl Man Relationship | Accidental Death | Based On Novel

Awards:

5 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Luis Tosar	...	Pablo López
Mar Regueras	...	Sonsoles
María Valverde	...	María
Nathalie Poza	...	Eva
Manolo Solo	...	Francisco
Jordi Dauder	...	Alfredo
Yolanda Serrano	...	Alba
Enriqueta Carballeira	...	Dolores
Ángela Herrera	...	Elsa
Rubén Ochandiano	...	Manu
Roberto Drago	...	Raúl
Daniel Grao	...	Perico
José Antonio Izaguirre	...	Armando
Luis Miguel Seguí	...	Municipal
Carla Gayan	...	Izaskun

Also Known As:

The Weakness of the Bolshevik (International: English title) (USA) (festival title)

Runtime:

Spain:95 min | Germany:93 min | Argentina:95 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA (cable rating) | Argentina:13 | Spain:13

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Company:

Antena 3 Televisión

Movie Connections:

References "Pasapalabra" (2000)

Soundtrack:

A fuego

Great film from a brilliant novel

Pablo López is a dull businessman who engages in an unusual relationship with a fourteen-year-old, María. This will change his perception of life in a way he would never have suspected.

Based on a brilliant novel by Lorenzo Silva (who also co-writes the screenplay), the movie is quite loyal to the original text, although some pivotal parts seem to have been lost somewhere in between the novel and the script (the meaning of the title is not explained, for instance). Nevertheless, the writers are to be praised for their marvelous dialogs, which make the characters more real and unaffected.

The two leading actors (Luis Tosar and teen María Valverde) provide excellent performances. Valverde's performance is extremely unaffected for a debut, while Tosar once more shows his natural skill and versatility. It's a pity two fine actresses such as Mar Regueras and Nathalie Poza are left with not much more than a couple of scenes each, but the focus of the story is clearly and understandably set on the leads.

Given that this is only director Martín Cuenca's first film, I am eager to see what he will be directing in the future.

Overall rating: 8/10