Luna caliente (2009) Reviews

• Intriguing , mysterious but downbeat picture set during the so-called Burgos trial concerning about a twisted love affair

  ma-cortes2017-06-17

  In the autumn of 1970, Juan , a writer working for UNESCO goes back his local city : Burgos where meets his mother (Maria Carmen Ramirez) and sister (Carla Sánchez) . The city is under heavy police and military surveillance due to the famous Burgos trial. During his first night in Burgos , he is invited to spend the night at Doctor Miniente's home . As Juan has dinner with doctor Miniente (Emilio Gutierrez Caba) , who lives in the outskirts of the city of Burgos with his spouse Antonia (Ferrer) and their only daughter , the eighteen-years-old charming young called Ramona (Thais Blume) . Juan is interested in Ramona and falls for her . Then Ramona gives sexual hints and the encouraged Juan heads for her bedroom, and he thinks her invitation results to be to go further . Juan gets into her bedroom in the middle of the night , but happenings get worse . This is an exciting film with strong love scenes , deserving of its description as a thriller picture along with some elements from politics and loving drama . However , this uneven yarn is regularly filmed with several scenes and weird situations with no much sense . A mystery movie whose conflict emerges when starring is unable to hold his instincts in check as he rapes the young girl and nobody hear her cries for help , then both of whom experience a radical change and things go wrong when they arrive in a wild zone . The film deals with politics and historical events about the so-called Burgos process , a summary military trial against a group of ETA members and other militants against Francisco Franco's regime . These facts were formerly shot by Imanol Uribe in the documentary ¨El Proceso De Burgos¨ (1979) about a trial against Eta members by killing a cop and ¨La Fuga De Segovia¨ (1981) about the gang of terrorist inmates confronting risks and sufferings for reaching their freedom , some of them escaped and others were subsequently amnestied by ¨The Amnesty Law¨. Very good acting by Eduardo Fernandez as a Spanish poet living in Paris working for UNESCO who returns on vacation to his hometown and become involved into strange and unfortunate incidents . And pretty nice Emilio Gutierrez Caba playing an old as well as drunk doctor and family friend who causes the tragedy . And gorgeous Thais Blume as the sex-hungry young who is eighteen and shamelessly flirts with Juan . Support cast is frankly good such as José Coronado as Inspector, Mary Carmen Ramírez as Madre de Juan , Carla Sánchez as Cristina , Felipe García Vélez as Guardia Civil and Héctor Colomé as Military authority . Evocative and appropriate musical score by Jose Nieto , Aranda's usual . Including a spotless pictorial cinematography by Joaquin Manchado , he carries out a photography with juicy atmosphere , being shot in Burgos. Manchado is deemed to be one of the best Spanish cameraman with a long artistic career . The motion picture was professional though regularly directed in his particular style by veteran filmmaker Vicente Aranda , being hard to follow . He directed a series of award-winning movies firmly establishing him as one of the best Spanish filmmakers . His usual film editor is own wife , also producer , Teresa Font . Vicente is an expert on literary adaptations , as he has adapted four novels written by Juan Marsé Canciones Amor en Lolita's Club (2007), El Amante Bilingüe (1993), Si Te Dicen Que Caí (1989) and La Muchacha De Las Bragas De Oro (1980). Vicente often shoots strong erotic scenes , being ¨jealousy¨, a customary issue in his films . Vicente has been working from the 60s with ¨Fata Morgana¨ , ¨Las Crueles¨ , ¨Novia Ensangrentada¨ , ¨Clara es el Precio¨ , among others . His greatest successes were intense dramas with plenty of sex such as ¨Pasion Turca¨ , ¨Intruso¨ , ¨Tiempo De Silencio¨ , ¨Carmen¨ , along with a delinquency tale : ¨El Lute¨ I and II starred by Imanol Arias , his fetish actor along with Victoria Abril (They have worked together 12 times) . His biggest hit was ¨Amantes¨ , although originally intended to be produced as an episode of the TV crime anthology series 'La Huella Del Crimen 2' (1991), before producer Pedro Costa decided to rewrite the script as a theatrical film . And specially the historical story titled ¨Juana La Loca¨ .