Film Review – Unit 7 (2012), directed by Alberto Rodriguez

Following my previous post HERE, Begoña and I went yesterday to see Unit 7 (aka Grupo 7), an interesting thriller within the current prospect of Spanish cinema. Unit 7 was directed by Alberto Rodríguez from a screenplay written by Alberto Rodríguez and Rafael Cobos, and starring Antonio de la Torre, Mario Casas, Joaquin Nunez, Jose Manuel Poga, Imma Cuesta, and Julián Villagrán. 

Comments by Alberto Rodriguez (taken from Movie|Line):
Seville 1987-1992 (Spain). Prior to the 1992 World Exhibition, Seville was a city with a certain air of abandonment. Defoliated areas, wetlands and poverty were common in the heart of the city. Yet, a colossal project was to change the city forever. The city was ready to make an enormous effort: impress the world. One of the many tasks was to rid downtown of drugs and prostitution and create an atmosphere where tourists could feel safe and comfortable. Special police units were organized and slowly, like a low tide, crime started to disappear from the center moving out into the outskirts.

…In the meantime, we all look the other way…and, suddenly, all those who disrupted the aesthetics of the city, disappear. No one wonders where they went or how it was done. And this gave way to the film’s premise: Everyone looks the other way when it’s “necessary”.

Unit 7 is a cop action thriller, the story of one of those special police units. A film that could be interpreted as the rise and fall of a band of gangsters, with the only difference being that our gangsters are on the “lawful” side of the line: they carry a badge.

The clip at Movie|Line reflects an important turning point in the film, when the members of Unit 7 decide to cross the line and become corrupt.

Unit 7 is a fast-paced thriller that recreates superbly well the atmosphere of a particular time and place. Moreover it is well shot. Almost everything in it seems truthful and credible. The extreme violence is not gratuitous, in my opinion. Most actors are quite good in their roles, particularly Antonio de la Torre (Rafael), José Manuel Poga (Miguel), Estefanía de los Santos (“La Caoba”), and Julián Villagrán (Joaquín). Only the lack of depth in the story prevents the film from being excellent, but it’s worth watching.

My rating: 7/10.

Tribeca 2012 Review: UNIT 7

30th April – International Jazz Day

In November 2011, during the UNESCO General Conference, the international community proclaimed 30 April as “International Jazz Day”. The Day is intended to raise awareness in the international community of the virtues of jazz as an educational tool, and a force for peace, unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people. Many governments, civil society organizations, educational institutions, and private citizens currently engaged in the promotion of jazz music will embrace the opportunity to foster greater appreciation not only for the music but also for the contribution it can make to building more inclusive societies. Read more at UNESCO website.