BB.5
(out of 5)
For all its passionate photography, score, convoluted political story and rich cast, this is a surprisingly unaffecting movie. Directed by John Malkovich, it stars Javier Bardem as a South American police detective who is on the hunt for a revolutionary named Ezequiel, a man gathering the people in a revolt against their fascist government. Bardem puts himself in quite a few dangerous situations looking for this man, taking pleasure only in the company of his loving wife and beautiful daughter. When he befriends and then later becomes attached to his daughter’s beautiful dance instructor (Laura Morante), he threatens his personal life as well as his professional one when she turns out to be connected to the wrong people. The atmosphere that Malkovich creates is terrific, hearkening back to the good old days of the Costa-Gavras political thrillers, but the screenplay is a rambling mess and the storyline too confusing.
Fox Searchlight Pictures, Lolafilms, Mr. Mudd, Antena 3 Televisión, Vía Digital
Directed by John Malkovich
Screenplay by Nicholas Shakespeare, based on his novel
Cinematography by Jose Luis Alcaine
Abel Folk, Alexandra Lencastre, Alexis Rodrigues, Ana Lozano, Benjamas Boonnak, Carlos Carrillo, Carlos Thiebaut, Celina Casari, Daniel Aguilar, David Aguilar,Diego Naranjo, Elvira Mínguez, Esteban Salazar, Eusebio Lázaro, Frida Torresblanco, Galo Urbina, German Nuñez,Ignacio Carreño, Ignacio Durán, Isabel Prinz, Jairon Flores, Javier Bardem, Javier Manrique, Javier Paez, José Antonio Izaguirre, Jose Luis Alcaine, Juan Carlos Vellido, Juan Diego Botto, Lam Chuen, Laura Morante, Lola Peno, Luís Miguel Cintra, Lucas Rodríguez, Luis Gaspar, Maribel Rivera, Marie-Anne Berganza, Montserrat Astudillo, Montserrat Iglesias, Natalia Dicenta, Natalia Tarnawiecki, Nicholas Shakespeare, Nuevo Repertorio, Oliver Cotton, Pachacutic Chugchilan, Paulina Aguilar, Ramiro Jiménez, Raquel Rocha, Steve Emerson, Tito García, Veronica Noboa, Wolframio Sinué, Xabier Elorriaga,Yousaf Bokhari
Produced by Andrés Vicente Gómez, John Malkovich
Music by Alberto Iglesias
Production Design by Pierre-Francois Limbosch
Costume Design by Bina Daigeler
Film Editing by Mario Battistel
