"Tarde para la ira" is a highly entertaining thriller, with great performances, a very interesting story-line, and good direction that, however, ends up falling short of greatness.
The story starts with a failed robbery. The driver ends up trying to run away by himself and getting caught. Time jump and we meet Jose, a shy and insecure looking man who seems to be in love with Ana, stalking her at every corner. Poor us, who don't know that Jose is brewing his revenge, boiling his rage little by little.
The movie starts blindsiding the viewer, but pretty soon we understand what the director is trying to do. And lo and behold, Raúl Arévalo delivers. Our Jose, an astonishingly good Antonio de la Torre, surprises us at every corner. And the moment when he gets to be face to face with the first of the people he has been searching is just impressive. Raúl Arévalo directs the set up with a mastery that belies this being his first directing job. And Antonio de la Torre will make the viewer wince in pain one moment and laugh anxiously the next.
But this is just a simple moment of a movie that knows perfectly its purpose and is not afraid of it. Sadly, it ends up being a little bit less than the sum of its parts, in part because of an uneven tone and a running time that could be a little bit shorter. If not, this would probably be a masterpiece.
The story starts with a failed robbery. The driver ends up trying to run away by himself and getting caught. Time jump and we meet Jose, a shy and insecure looking man who seems to be in love with Ana, stalking her at every corner. Poor us, who don't know that Jose is brewing his revenge, boiling his rage little by little.
The movie starts blindsiding the viewer, but pretty soon we understand what the director is trying to do. And lo and behold, Raúl Arévalo delivers. Our Jose, an astonishingly good Antonio de la Torre, surprises us at every corner. And the moment when he gets to be face to face with the first of the people he has been searching is just impressive. Raúl Arévalo directs the set up with a mastery that belies this being his first directing job. And Antonio de la Torre will make the viewer wince in pain one moment and laugh anxiously the next.
But this is just a simple moment of a movie that knows perfectly its purpose and is not afraid of it. Sadly, it ends up being a little bit less than the sum of its parts, in part because of an uneven tone and a running time that could be a little bit shorter. If not, this would probably be a masterpiece.