User Reviews

This naturalist flick deals with a young aspiring architect called Nacho (Unax Ugalde) meets his eldest brother Carlos (Tristan Ulloa) after several years he left home . Carlos is a swindler and obsessed card gambler , he owes a lot of cash and being pursued by his violent creditors . Nacho is still living with their wealthy parents (Minguillón , Hermann Bonnín) while Carlos living with his fiancée . Later on , Carlos has been leaved by his girlfriend (Elizabeth Cervantes) and Nacho falls in love with her . Then , the events go wrong until a tragic and surprising final.

Solid , realist but downbeat drama with screenplay by same director Antonio Chavarrias based on the novel "Un Enano Español Se Suicida En Las Vegas" written by Vicente Francisco Casavella ; being mostly filmed in Barcelona, Catalonia . It is a peculiar story of love , difficult sibling relationship , betrayal , lies and jealousy with an intrigue behind . A promising idea, destroyed by a flawed script that does not build tension and is more a drama than a love story . The picture relies heavily on the complex relationship between two brothers who meet again several years later . This interesting as well as thrilling story is a passionate retelling and a touching drama , including strong as well as exuberant sex scenes . Nice interpretations from Tristan Ulloa as a decaying card player who has a lot of debts and Unax Ugalde as his ingenious brother who attempts to help him with unexpected consequences . Sad though adequate musical score by Javier Navarrete , a prestigious composer who has composed and conducted impressive scores in international successes such as ¨Byzantium¨, ¨Hemingway & Gellhorn¨ , ¨Cracks¨ , ¨Pan labyrinth¨, ¨Wrath of titans¨, ¨Mirrors , and ¨The Devil's backbone¨ . Atmospheric but dark cinematography by Guillermo Granillo , mostly carried out by camera on shoulder and in documentary style . Being shot on location in Sant Boi de Llobregat, Santa Coloma de Cervelló, Teià ,Barcelona , Catalonia, Spain.

The motion picture was professionally directed by Antonio Chavarrias , though with no originality and results to be slow-moving and some boring . Antonio Chavarrías was born in 1956 in Barcelona, Catalonia, location in which he often shoots his films . He is a good writer and director, known for Volverás (2002), Dictado (2012) , Las Vidas De Celia (2006) , Susanna (1996) . Furthermore , he has produced many TV films and pictures such as Radiaciones , Carne Neón , Elisa K , La Isla Interior , Aro Tolbukhin , El Espejo , La Caja , among others .

The great virtue in this film is the persistent sense that something pretty bad is on it's way. Volverás deals with danger in good shape, due to the focused performances by the main characters, two brothers who meet again several years later. One is a decaying gambler who ran out of luck (Carlos), and the other one is an aspiring architect who's gonna leave Spain soon for a scholarship in Los Angeles.

Since the very first scene in the movie, showing Carlos (the elder) pushing the limits of fear in his younger brother Nacho, the parameters are well defined as the risky one and the loving sibling whom adores, respects and obey him blindfold. By the time they get together as adults some crazy things has passed in their lives, and this sets the fuse in a dynamite that comes from the mix of two volatile elements attached by blood. Carlos owes a lot of money, Nacho is still living with their wealthy parents, and both are engaged in strange relationships; when destiny make them cross paths, the clouds of tragedy comes even blacker.

Volverás is a strong thriller because it works as a noir fable about true identity, brotherhood, and sticking to a risky self chosen life. Also, the twists in the plot are clever enough to capture our attention and even if the storyline doesn't restrain itself from being a little bit predictable -but never boring-, is the ever present feeling of something terrible coming along that makes this movie one above the rest of many others and worth watching.