From the deepest depths to the peak of the top. After Monday's wrist cutting Wristcutters today I found a real treasure. Jorge Sánchez-Cabezudo's first feature film became immediately a real masterpiece, at least for me. Ten out of ten!
Just imagine a movie where Robbe-Grillet meets with the Coen brothers. Sounds good doesn't it? I think it's one of the best combinations what I can imagine. And then comes this no name Jorge, and did it. Without a mistake. I'm not joking.
First I heard about The Night of the Sunflowers in the Sight & Sound. They advertised there as the best thriller of 2006. I don't want to think about thrillers from that year, but without checking the possible competitors I would say that this movie is definitely one among the bests. And here I need to mention that I'm not the biggest fan of the Spanish new wave of every kind of thrillers and horrors. If we think that Balaguero, Amenábar, de la Iglesia and all the new ones are big talents, then we shouldn't forget to stress Sánchez-Cabezudo's name either. He gives the chance to change my attitude towards Spanish film.
It was just weeks ago when I've seen Sidney Lumet's mediocre The Devil Knows When You're Dead. The Sunflowers-film gives the same narrative structure of that film: two steps forward, one step back. But what a difference! Since Lumet used the technique for aesthetically – be honest: trendy – reasons, then Sánchez-Cabezudo mathematically consequent form serves perfectly the story's knowledge-distribution. The mixture of linearity in cause and effect, the playful manipulation of point of views, the changing of meanings and our emotions through repetitions are appears just in perfect, motivated parallelism. The Coens couldn't do it better.
And what about the film? Hm, if I would say it is a non-linear story about a traveling salesman who rapes young women in some remote village, you would associate on Robbe-Grillet. If I would mention a weak cop, an unsolved crime flavored with an incorrigible deadly mistake told in calm but tension way, you would mention the Coens. So it's better to say the film contains both of these values. Just perfect.
Somebody said it's something about the Spanish psyche meets the butterfly effect. Not a bad approach. Watch it and decide. Olé!
10/10
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