Un buen hombre (2009) Reviews

• A Coruña rainy weather, a sudden happening, a sound story.

  davidtraversa-12010-11-05

  The premise of this film is a fascinating one. How good is "a good man" (The film title), how bad is a bad man? Where is the thin line that divides an individual to make him either a criminal or a decent citizen? Can anyone of us, according to the circumstances, kill a person? Will we take it naturally and continue with our daily routines or, on the contrary, it will make us to become tortured and restless with the thought of it? I enjoyed this movie so much you don't have an idea! The performances are superb, the close-close ups scrutinize the characters features searching for their deepest thoughts, their doubts, fears, ambitions. There was only one scene that I found Deus ex Machina, and it happens at the police department, when an interrogated witness leaves the inspector's office and around a partition she bumps against a secretary carrying a pile of documents and photos. When you see it you too will notice the extraordinary consequence of this encounter, too recherché to fit comfortably as a solution for that particular clue. One feels embarrassed for the script writer that used such a cheap, worn out trick when the rest of the film is so good. I highly recommend this picture. Very entertaining, very refined and for somebody that likes the Spanish language, the actors accents are splendid and so civilized... Next to a Hollywood production with this type of script, this film is a masterpiece.

• A good man

  jotix1002010-07-10

  Vicente, a law professor at a Spanish university, is at the center of this psychological drama. When we first meet him he is addressing a class with conviction. Vicente, who is up for tenure, gets involved, against his will, into a despicable act he witnesses. Vicente's good friend and mentor, Fernando, an older man, married to a younger and attractive woman, is a tormented soul. Vicente watches in horror as Fernando murders his wife one day when he visits his friend unannounced. The situation between mentor and disciple changes dramatically. Vicente cannot get through his head how an intelligent man is able to get away with the crime. To make matters worse, Vicente, a devout Catholic, starts questioning himself by not telling what he knows to the police. Fernando, a coward, prefers to keep a low profile, when Vicente decides he wants nothing to do with his friend. The Spanish production was written and directed by Juan Martinez Moreno. The best thing in the film are the performances the director got from his two principals. Unfortunately, the plot is paper thin, in that the actions of a professor of criminal law does not make any sense because coming from an upright individual whose moral standing is at stake, the two individuals that should know better, do everything worse than amateurs. Tristan Ulloa, who plays Vicente, has some good moments as the tormented man that is carrying a big secret. Emilio Gutierrez Caba, appearing as Fernando, makes an impression as Fernando. Others in the cast include Nathalie Poza and Alberto Jimenez. The cinematography is by Gonzalo Berridi, and the musical score is credited to Sergio Moure.