B (2015) Reviews

• Pedro Casablanc's awesome recital , playing masterfully Luis Barcenas , who looks exactly like him

  ma-cortes2016-03-04

  The film is set in 15th July 2013 when the veteran party treasurer , Luis Barcenas (Pedro Casablanc) , is transferred from the provincial prison to Audiencia Nacional court in order to testify in the presence of Judge Instruction number 5 , Ruz (Manolo Solo) , when he previously , he had denied everything . Up until now , he's denied any connection with the so-called Barcenas Papers which evidence the existence of an unofficial accounting system inside the conservative Spanish party (Partido Popular) . This issue was uncovered by the Luis' lawyer and Popular Party member , Jorge Trias , who gave up the Barcenas' papers to ¨El País¨ newspaper , being publicized and causing a big mayhem . There , he is submitted to questions by the judge , his advocates at law , the ex-judge Javier Gómez De Liaño (Pedro Civera) , María Dolores Márquez De Prado (in real life an ex-Fiscal married to Gómez De Liaño) , and prosecutor (Carlos Olalla) . However , after 18 days in prison , he decides to change his statement. Today he will tell the truth. This films portrays faithfully what happened on July 15, 2013 , that day in that court room in which Luis Barcenas gave a long declaration plenty of questions and answers about the dark happenings become involved the Conservative Spanish party . As it describes really events happened in Partido Popular with Barcenas/Pedro Casablanc giving long speeches and subjected to inquisitorial questions by accusations and defenses . The picture results to be a correct retelling taken from the declaration of Barcenas between judge Ruz , as he declares about a ¨B box¨ , implicating notorious members of the party and staff from Federico Trillo , Jaime Mayor Oreja , Maria Dolores De Cospedal , Jose Maria Aznar , the treasurer Alvaro Puertas to Mariano Rajoy . Very fine acting by Pedro Casablanc , he steals the show as the old party treasurer who was transferred from prison to National Court to testify . Pedro bears remarkable resemblance to Barcenas as physical as gestures , grimace , face and attitudes . Casablanc achieved several prizes and nominations thanks to this great interpretation such as Sant Jordi Awards 2016 , he Won Sant Jordi Best Actor in a Spanish Film , Nominated Goya Best Lead Actor , Nominated José María Forqué Award Best Actor , Nominated Award of the Spanish Actors Union Film : Male Lead Performance , Nominated Feroz Award Best Actor in a Leading Role and many others . Casablanc is a great professional , working since early nineties until nowadays . He has usually worked for TV , in a lot of series and mini-series as ¨Periodistas¨ , ¨Hospital Central¨, ¨Padre Coraje¨, ¨Policias¨, ¨R.S.I.¨ , ¨Princesa De Eboli¨ , ¨Asesinato De Carrero Blanco¨, ¨Los Misterios De Laura¨, ¨Isabel¨, ¨Prim Asesinato Calle Turco¨ , ¨Amar Es Para Siempre¨, ¨Mar De Plastico¨ and occasionally for cinema in secondary roles as ¨Che : Guerrilla¨ , ¨Siete Minutos¨, ¨23 F the movie¨, ¨Viral¨ ,¨Sicarivs¨ and ¨Truman¨ . Besides , Manolo Solo as judge Ruz equally gives a top-notch performance , he was nominated Goya Best Supporting Actor . Along with a brief acting by a good support cast , such as Pedro Civera as Javier Gómez De Liaño , Celia Castro as María Dolores Márquez De Prado , Carlos Olalla as Fiscal , Joaquín Climent as Comisario and Patxi Freytez . The motion picture was professionally directed by David Ilundain , though with no originally , being a simple monologue and a plain copy from Barcenas' actual declaration .