13 Roses (2007)

Downbeat but enjoyable film with magnificent performances , specially by Pilar López De Ayala . Dramatic picture about the consequences of Spanish civil war , being realized with academicism and general coldness , but dealing with a dark fact during Spanish Civil War (1936-39) and post-war . Despite their innocence , thirteen young girls (Pilar López De Ayala , Verónica Sánchez , Gabriella Pession , Nadia De Santiago , Marta Etura , Bárbara Lennie , Teresa Hurtado De Ory , among others) were detained and condemned with no trace of proofs of any wrong doing . Accused for rebellion , they are subsequently condemned to Death Row and soon executed beginning of the postwar era .

¨13 Rosas¨ results to be other of the innumerable stories to deal with dramatic deeds regarding the Civil War background , this time about thirteen totally normal young women were put in prison under made up charges of helping the rebellion against Francisco Franco dictatorship back in the 1940's , all of them unjustly accused and sentenced to death and executed shortly after the Spanish Civil War . A familiar theme about the global horrors of a fratricide war , impossible to forget to our cinema . Emilio Martínez Lázaro also writes the script and story along with Pedro Costa and Ignacio Martínez De Pisón , filmed in his usual formal and stylistic scholarship , without leaving a trace the thought-provoking issues , in terms of dramatic and narrative excitement , and adding tears guaranteed . Including a spotless pictorial cinematography and a willingness almost perfect of the elements of each shot , every sequence and every space . The main problem has to face "13 Rosas¨, beyond not being able to avoid falling into the politic pamphlet is precisely derived from the coldness of its staging , which eventually become monotonous over two hours of footage . Because the story needs a vibration more real than the one offered in this slow-moving and sometimes boring film . ¨13 Rosas¨ bears remarkable resemblance to ¨La Voz Dormida¨ or "The voice asleep¨, with Inma Cuesta , María León , Ana Wagener being adapted from the novel by Dulce Chacón and directed by Benito Zambrano that entered the Spanish selection for Oscar .

But anyway , its is compensated with the great performances from great actresses playing the girls that suffered harsh questioning , they are : Pilar López De Ayala , Verónica Sánchez , Gabriella Pession , Marta Etura and Bárbara Lennie , interpreters who provided a considerable boost to the result ; all the players are wonderful . Emilio Martínez Lázaro is a great director of actors and the main players are complemented by a good cast of secondaries (Félix Gómez , Fran Perea , Enrico Lo Verso , Goya Toledo , José Manuel Cervino , Teresa Hurtado De Ory , Asier Etxeandia , among others) forming a powerful human group of women and men and all of them giving excellent interpretations .

Besides , it packs a colorful and appropriate cinematography . Being well photographed by the notorious cameraman Jose Luis Alcaine . As the pic offers an evocative photography by Jose Luis Alcaine who was first cinematographer to use fluorescent tube as "key" lightning and deemed to be one of the best Spanish cameramen . Alcaine frequently works with Pedro Almodóvar , Bigas Luna and Vicente Aranda , as he has photographed ¨The skin I live in¨ , ¨The bad education¨ , ¨Volver¨ , ¨Women in the verge of a nervous breakdown¨ , among others . Sensitive as well as adequate musical score by Roque Baños . Roque has composed excellent scores , he has made a prestigious career , as National : ¨800 bullets¨ , ¨Fragiles¨ , ¨Celda 211¨ , as International : ¨In the heart of the sea¨, ¨Cantinflas¨, ¨Old boy¨ , ¨Evil Dead¨ , ¨Machinist¨, ¨Sexy beast¨. This film was well directed by Emilio Martínez Lázaro . He was born in 1945 in Madrid , location in which he often shoots his films . He is a Spanish prestigious cinema director . Emilio is a director and writer, a good filmmaker expert on comedies as he has proved in : Los Peores Años De Nuestra Vida (1994) , El Juego Más Divertido (1998) and Amo Tu Cama Rica (1992) , drama : Las 13 Rosas (2007) La Voz De Su Amo (2001) , Musical as : Al Otro Lado De La Cama (2002) , Los Dos Lados De La Cama (2005) , among others . And , of course , his greatest successes : Ocho Apellidos Catalanes and Ocho Apellidos Vascos .