Smoke & Mirrors

This stylish Spanish feature is quite gorgeous to look at. While it taxes the brain for keeping up with the money laundering antics of the worlds corrupt officials - it make us think about what drives people who have a very high profile lifestyle, yet constantly want more! As a study of the madness of greed, this complex drama explores the nature of the disease and its ability to totally destroy the lives of corrupt businesses (and in this case international dignitaries) Happy family situations and comfortable lives are willingly thrown away and replaced with constant fear and regret. It's difficult to have any compassion for these intelligent people who sacrifice all forms of normality for those extra materialistic millions - reducing themselves to human wrecks at the expense of everyone involved. Wonderful photographic and directorial realisation of it subject is brought to life by a hard working cast. Perhaps it could have been a tad too ambitious to cover this complex, based on fact story, in a movie length feature but at the same time, if it were to be treated as a mini-series it could have been overly heavy going for continued interest. Along the way, it lifts the lid on those political corruption news headlines we see on a daily basis! Those who understand the intricacies of moving large amounts of money in a trailless sequence will find this easier to grasp but, it's certainly an interesting watch as friends and family are used as tools to advance foolish ambitions. This feature is well and truly above average for the trashy World Movies channel and the only real problem are the overly fast moving (and badly placed) subtitles that can't successfully keep up with the fast moving dialog.

That means - it demands some patience from you. A patient viewer is up for treat though. Characters are interesting and nuanced, and, more importantly, believable. None are just good or bad, but complex personalities. Just like in real life. Even small parts are exquisitely meaty and therefore make an impression. The story (being based on a true one) is interesting and also grounded in reality. No big shootouts or car chases. The acting and directing is on point. Very good, believable ending. Well done! 10/10

Great cast and a very enjoyable film, although hard to follow the convoluted plot in places. Good direction and some very funny lines in the subtitled script. Well worth watching.

There's a really good story here but sadly it's been badly told in this movie . Maybe 2hrs just wasn't enough time ...a TV series might have worked better and been less confusing to the viewer .

The director here has crammed too much information into the plot which bounces all over the place . There was nothing to grab this viewers attention . A shame really as it was a wasted opportunity.

Not sure why this film hasn't gotten much attention so far, it's extremely well made with a super interesting (true) story and good acting. Never aiming to go too deep on the emotional side, it's just a very good narrative told in a sleek, stylish and exciting way with some stunning European location shots and the odd sprinkle of some good, dry Spanish wit. Eduard Fernandez in particular gives a great understated performance as the lead, and the instrumental surf-rock score adds a very unique stylistic touch.

All in all a very pleasant watch and would even make a great entry point into Spanish cinema for those less keen on heavy dramas or art films.