Gun City (2018) Poster

(2018)

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7/10
A top-notch and high-powered thriller , full of drama, noisy action , wonderful cinematography and perfect settings
ma-cortes25 January 2020
Violent and strong film , being very well set in Barcelona of the Twenties . At a time in which there was a great mayhem , as the working class rises on strikes demanding what they considerando fair . While the Bourgeoise class attempts to calm their spirits using illegal methods , even hiring thugs to intimidate the instigators . It deals with a corrupt group , -Vicente Romero , Ernesto Alterio, Fredi Leis-, of policies operating in Barcelona , there comes another cop , the Basque Anibal Uriarte , Luis Tosar , who joins the squad . At the same time, Salvador Ortiz nicknamed El Baron : Manolo Solo , runs a Cabaret called Eden where dances Lola : Adriana Torrebejano . There usually go the members of the elite cops .Things go wrong when a weapons shipment is robbed and the Chief Inspector assigns the team to investigate it .

It is a violent and engaging flick describing historial events when in Barcelona rules the strongest law with anarchist gangs, abusive entrepreneurs , Strikes and Lock-outs . Moving story plenty of polítical crimes , intrigue , thrills , crossfire , and real events about Catalunya and especially Anarchism and Unions . As the film concerns similar deeds to "La verdad sobre el caso Savolta" 1980 directed by Antonio Drove . The flick was well based on historical events surrounding Barcelona city . The city of Barcelona was the economical capital of Spain and it it was particularly contentious , as it was demostrated in a previous decade with the Tragic Week 1909 . Regarding the social crisis with a labour movement divided between Socialists and Anarchists that used both , peaceful methods : Strikes and violent , as the action direct of sometimes indiscriminate attacks : explosion , massacre , bombing . And employers who used all kinds of tactics from the Lock-out to Gangsterism .While the main Anarchist Syndicate , CNT , an anarchist Union majority in Catalonia carried out strong strikes and several violent acts .The picture is decent and agreeable , although overlong and complex, at times . Anyway , it is compensed with the great performances from a long and prestigious main and secondary cast . The main cast formed by Luis Tosar and Michelle Jenner are pretty good . The secondary cast is frankly well , plenty of familiar faces , such as Ernesto Alterio , Vicente Romero , Manolo Solo, Paco Tous , Jaime Lorente , Adriana Torrebejano , Fernando Cayo , William Miller , among others .

The picture has a luxurious production design, being lavishly financed by notorious producers as Mikel Lejarza , Carrizosa , Ignacio Salazar ,and Mercedes Gamero . As well as a gorgeous and brilliant Cinematography by Josu Inchaustegui . And a sensitive and rousing musical score from Xavi Font and Manuel Riveiro . The yarn was well directed by Dani De La Torre . This Galician filmmaker has made a few but very good films . He previously realized Shorts as Lobos and Minas , and a TV series: Mar Libre . His first film was the successful El Deconocido. Rating 7.5 /10 . Decent and enjoyable film .Better than average . Well worth watching.
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7/10
Overall, not bad!
borgolarici27 February 2019
1920's Barcelona is an interesting setting for a movie, unusual but interesting.The plot is very blandly based on real events like a string of strikes, social tensions and internal squabbles in the anarchist faction. The 'brave rebels' and the 'evil policemen' thing is a bit trite but the characters are likeable so i forgive that. Special mention for 'El Tisico', a secondary character who is mental but funny
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7/10
A lavish production well worth watching
Vindelander27 December 2018
All action with no expense spared and with good story line, acting and directing. Historically interesting if not totally factual. You will enjoy it I'm sure if you're not put off by lots of gun battles and blood.
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7/10
It's OK, and you'll get through to the end, some plot twists, but a bit convoluted, and a few hard to ignore faults
proctorluke29 March 2020
Firstly, I definitely liked the movie, and the acting was spot on, from a largely veteren and well-known (at least by Spanish standards) cast.

The plot is intriguing, has enough twists and turns to keep you interested (though a few seem confusing, and some poor editing choices therefore feels may have been at play), and it does all come together to an engaging denouement at the final scene, with a decent ending as well.

However a couple of the flaws. Chiefly the setting in terms of location, it is so obviously filmed in Galicia and not in Catalonia by anyone who's ever even just been to Spain, that it becomes at times off-putting. The greenery, level of rain, architecture of the urban locations, the sea obviously the Atlantic and not the Mediterranean etc. all contribute to finding it difficult to escape into the setting and believing it; i don't see why if Galicia was chosen for filming that the same film couldn't have been set in Vigo, A Coruña or Ferrol, and if it did have to be Barcelona un order to make the plot be more sellable to foreign audiences, then more outdoor filming should have taken place in Catalonia. Secondly the guns are all over the place in terms of what weapons were available in Spain at the time, too much so to be believable, and again it distances one from engaging into the setting. A final criticism would be that the fights although well chereographed, are filmed too much in the style of peaky blinders.

Taking all those points aside however, still a solid film, and better than a lot out there on Netflix.
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7/10
Good movie
salamehabedalrahman7 November 2018
Once you finish watching you will recognize that the political is not direct as you see it, and this is not new, this started hundreds years ago
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6/10
Not bad but not a gem.
deloudelouvain3 March 2019
Since I live in Spain I've been watching more and more Spanish movies and there are some really good movies made here. La Sombra De La Ley falls just under that category. Luis Tosar is an actor I recognize now as he's been in a couple good movies. La Sombra De La Ley (I have no clue why they translate this as Gun City) is probably not the best movie where Luis Tosar plays in but it's worth watching. To me it was just a bit too long and sometimes a bit confusing as well so more than a six star rating it won't get from me. The acting, directing were all positive, the plot just not perfect.
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6/10
Linear film
LUIS9 December 2019
Linear film with simple characters many stereotypes, but it lets see.
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9/10
much better than I expected
zhchb5 November 2018
Considering the current political circumstances, the plot setting is quite interesting. It doesn't state the righteousness as strong as we often experience in American movies. Actually, at the end people still stayed lost and the story didn't suggest a clear way out. But it makes the characters more plausible. At least you might feel the wiser way of being part of politics, is not to get yourself easily fomented by simple words and better to check more perspectives:)
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6/10
A Period Film Lacking Zest
albertval-6956017 December 2021
The storyline is interesting but the execution leaves much to be desired. There's tension alright but it doesn't feel edgy. It's not particularly remarkable but it keeps you interested to finish watching it.

The actors perform in an understated yet competent manner but acting falls short of impressive. Luis Tosar, however, is consistent in his portrayal of his roles not only in this one. He connects with the viewer.

On the plus side, the set pieces are great. So is the cinematography.

This film is a reunion of sorts for actors who are part of the hugely successful and internationally known series, Money Heist, namely, Paco Taus, Jaime Lorente and Fernando Cayo.
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5/10
Don't watch this movie if you watched Peaky Blinders recently!
felipegabriel-978001 November 2018
Good actors bad movie, this review is over by order of the Peaky Blinders!
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8/10
Global criticism, good Spanish action!
genesis_friends12 October 2018
The movie takes place in Barcelona in early 20's. The movie begins with an espectacular what-it-used-to-look-like overview of the Catalan capital. The films is beautifully shot, and details are well taken care of, such as fashion, cars, street cars, building, decorations, and even the beginning of the construction of Sagrada Familia, however the director takes too much joy into twisting the camera. By the same token, some fighting scenes are confusing by the lack of stability of the picture.

The plot keeps the audience intrigued and lets them judge who the good guys and vilants of the story are.

What the movie puts unabashedly on the table is a social denunciation: who wants war and why.
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7/10
Nice
gianmarcoronconi16 December 2021
Double game film done very well and also structured in a curious and interesting way, which manages to entertain and intrigue a lot. Interesting plot but in general the film is perhaps a little too slow but you can stand it well.
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2/10
An awful movie.
editorbarfly11 November 2018
An awful movie. Streotype characters. A weak plot. Beware.
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6/10
COMPLEX SCRIPT, GOOD DIRECTION N EXCELENT FOTOGRAPHY
gustavojensen-982592 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
With original title "LA SOMBRA DE LA LEY" it deals with a coup d'état, in a probable civil war between anarchist revolutionaries fighting for rights, barons , police and state ( yes here it seems that the police objective is different from the state intention ) in the midst of this chaos, in addition to two revolutionary fronts, one pacified using only the strike instrument and the other with military weapons stolen in a train robbery, we see that the latter is being used precisely for a coup d'état to occur even if several deaths happen.

This summary of the film summary that still has an ANÍBAL undercover agent ( Luiz Tosar ) who infiltrates the police by the state, does service for barons and also defends revolutionaries. Here we see that everything was messy and a little complex with a very complex script too.

Good performances by Michelle Jemmer like SARA and other medians. Little cliché trail but it works, downloading the tempo with lyrical trail leaving an epic touching scene, or in action with high and accelerated beats.

We have several sequel plans in the film, very good by the way, the first time at EDEN, the fight inside the car with a gun in the middle where the subjective camera circulates in 360 the action until one shot and another in the middle of a great struggle of the revolutionaries, even though they know that cuts happen when there are horse passes or people on the foreground, they are not noticed and work very well. Well chosen plans with a lot of depth But for me the highlight of the film is the photography, sensational magnificent lights with a lot of contrast in the windows, when natural light, filmed at Golden hour, and the lights in the rains are also very beautiful.

We were not able to get too attached to Hannibal speaks little and is an unknown but Sara and we see that the revolution ( from the point of view of the film ) was used to chaos just happens.

A great film for a complex script that is difficult to understand with good direction and excellent photography.
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9/10
Worth Every Minute
eismoc6 November 2018
This is a very good movie about how complicated the political and social situations were in Spain just after WWI. It is a lengthy movie (2hrs +) but every minute is worthy to be watched.

The story is quite balanced tho, it does not have excessive conversations or any other boring parts, so the length of the movie goes quite entertaining, some of it went into well-preformed action. Some scenes had some intensive situations and the crew succeeded in bringing it with precision and professionality.

All characters played their roles perfectly. Adding this to the excellent pictures and effects make one respects the efforts of the director Dani de la Torre.

I would like to watch it again some time, definitely! 9/10.
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2/10
Clichés all over the place.
thomascampolongo19 December 2021
It's a bad movie, to be honest, must have cost millions, but it's not worth a penny. The setting is okay, but the DOP and the director do a horrible job. I'm asking to myself, has this movie a professional screenwriter?
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8/10
Excellent
jonwoodh22 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Ignore the first "awful movie" comment. It's a fascinating film with an intriguing plot that shows the rise of an anarchist uprising in Barcelona amid strikes for equality and brutal police repression set against an underworld gangster backdrop. A precursor to the Spanish civil war.
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8/10
2 hrs of Hot Blooded, Passionate 20's Barcelona, Spain
bsant544 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The Spanish. Hot blooded. Passionate. It sure comes out in this movie. I really liked it a lot, it was long for sure at 2 hrs. but besides the story, old Barcelona (they show the beginning of Sagrada Familia) and the 20's cars, costumes etc. kept me interested.

You have all these groups (Police, Gangsters, Union Organizers, Government, heck even Dancers) that at first you wonder how they are all related but in the end it all comes together and ends with a 20's style shoot out where the bad guys get theirs (or do it to themselves). And yes, they are all related in the story, No extemporaneous fluff like you have in US movies to please a certain demographic.

Very European and I love it that they take their time to develop the characters and the storyline (unlike ADD American movies where they think they have to blow up something in the first 5 minutes to keep your attention or CGI everything; although, they kind of did that in the first 5 min. but it is the rest of the move that makes it very European).

A lot going in the show to keep your interest and the actors were great in this. Found myself searching about them. Some very good cinema as of late from Spain on Netflix (e.g. Elite).
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9/10
Rare movie
caledoche21 November 2018
Very good movie, great director and great photo director
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8/10
Better times?
kosmasp8 May 2019
Sometimes people yearn for "simpler" times and refer the past as a good time to have lived. But as this and other movies show, all time periods have their issues or their problems humans had to endure and to live with. This has a high criminality in the center of the story but also corruption, so it is tough to recognize good and bad sometimes.

Yes gray areas are common and it is not a bad thing to show them. Especially when you show something (even in a heightened film form) that happened. The movie does feel like one of the US films that portrayed that particular time in history and you would be excused if you thought it was about that. Production design is really high and the actors are really good. And it doesn't shy away from violence either - not for the faint hearted and not easy to watch for sure - but very well made
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9/10
If you want violence, if you want a thriller, if you want artful photography, if you want social critique, if you want beauty... This film has it!
linamorenog6 April 2020
This movie, aside from having great actors and an interesting plot that could apply to how and why all wars begin, is a feast for the eyes.

Beautifully shot! This film is an ode to late XIX and early XX century film and architecture. It lovingly gives a nod to Antoni Gaudi's invaluable contribution to the city of Barcelona; to the fathers of cinema: the Lumière brothers (see Dance Serpentine,1899 on YT); and to film pioneer Georges Méliès (see Le Voyage Dans la Lune, 1902 also on YT).

Carefully written. Never dull. This film respectfully and intelligently does not portray absolute good or bad / black or white characters, while it leads the viewer to care for, or detest said characters. It has a great supporting cast, especially Tisico, who much to my surprise ended up being portrayed by the chameleonic Ernesto Alterio, who has played the leading man in many comedic roles, and the role of Salvador Osuna Nava in Narcos: Mexico.

This film has it all. What else could one ask of a movie? I highly recommend it!
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9/10
Great show but pls stop with the 24/7 poltical agenda
labound-157462 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
AWESOME show, great flow, great story. Loved it. I've seen some great stuff come out of Span. This is the best one

They used to call movie watching escapism. But these days it seems you can't watch anything much less read a review without it's author going political on you. Of course this being a NFLX production they had to show that in a time period in a country with 600 strikes that year the only one where violence occured was when the police after charging a womens rights protest with horses and sticks killed a one of the women protestors. Like I said 24/7 politics thse days for some, 24/7. LOL
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8/10
Good movie well set
rgomezatd15 May 2020
BE REVIEWADDITION Good film that faithfully reflects the atmosphere of the time and the processes that were lived. Front-line actors who never disappoint like Luis Tosar make it quite complete. It also has action from the start and an interesting main twist. Good movie well set
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