Experienced director Gracia Querejeta has co-written this feature with Santos Mercero, apparently based on an anecdote which Mercero heard on the radio.
The set up is the standard “reunion”, with a group of friends being invited to a luxurious, Tenerife villa to celebrate the 40th birthday of Elia, played by the fabulous Maribel Verdu, for whom the role was specifically written.
The “McGuffin” of this plot is that Elia has just won 140 million Euros in a lottery. The rest of the group all has their own news including babies, failing restaurants and multi-million Euro sales to China. They all also have their own agenda for wanting some of Elia’s new-found wealth. Antonio de la Torre shines as Juan, Elia’s ex-boyfriend, for whom she still has feelings. Unfortunately, he turns up for the weekend with a seemingly dumb, young actress, Claudia, played by Paula Cancio.
After some beautiful character vignettes in the first half of the film the second half becomes more black-comedy-meets-soap-opera.
There is some solid, ensemble acting in this piece and some subtle, precise cinematography. Unfortunately, the script is somewhat inconsistent, leaving the actors with clumsy character arcs to work through.
Overall, however, this is an enjoyable piece and has enough delightful moments to make it worth viewing. Despite its flaws, it is a difficult film not to like.
Reviewed by TraceyKorsten
Twitter: @TraceyKorsten
Rating out of 10: 7
Happy 140 screens on 14 May 2016 as part of the Spanish Film Festival, exclusively at the Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas.
More News
