Maestros (2000) Reviews

• The old bullfighters

  jotix1002006-07-08

  We meet the five old timers at the center of the story as they are to be released from prison for having committed a bank heist years ago. These five have remained best friends even when confined for so many years. In fact, their release comes in unexpectedly; they have figured they still have another four years to serve! Life outside prison turns to be now what these men expected. Their love for bullfighting brings them back together. The leader of the group has figured a plan to steal the money from the bullfighting arena in Madrid. Their plan, flawed as it is, is a sure guarantee to get them back to prison, where they really feel at home! Oscar del Caz's comedy is mildly funny. It could have used a little more humor because at times, it feels flat, something that in another director's hands would have taken another comic turn. Veteran Spanish actors, Manuel Alexandre, Alvaro DeLuna, Jesus Guzman, Conrado San Martin, Tomas Zri, and the rest of the cast do what they can to make the comedy work, but they are bogged down by a screen play that doesn't hold any surprises.