On the Fringe

Juan Diego Botto conquered my cinema soul as an actor in the movie "Martin Hache". Now he has conquered it as a director and writer with this wonderful movie. It is an absolute masterpiece. I am from Spain and it shows the current drama about the economic crisis and the thousands of families that have been removed from their homes by the banks, the very same banks that we all rescue with our taxes everytime they make millionaire mistakes. They show no mercy with the families, shame on them. They even take them out of their homes but not cancel their debts, uncomprehensible in other countries. The film shows this using strong and greatbuilt characters extraordinarily performed by Luis Tosar and Penelope Cruz (as they always do as the absolute megastars of the screen they are). The script shows the values a single person (a real hero) must have no matter what when vulnerable people are in trouble. The hero (Tosar) sacrifices his time, energy and relationship in order to help a single mother not to loose her daughter into the satate wheels. Penelope (the best actress of all times Spain has given) nails her character with contained despair and constant corageous fight for her family in harsh times by never giving up. It is directed with soberty and bravery by Botto. Every single scene has the power of a full story itself and all of them together complete a wonderful puzzle of hope, despair, commitment, values, community, good people, the almost colapsed system, unjustice and, above all, the greatest thing that a human being can make in this life : fighting for the people in need even when the battle seems lost and the price is high just because is the right thing to do. Bravo Bravo Bravo.