The Contestant (2007 film)
| The Contestant | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Spanish | Concursante |
| Directed by | Rodrigo Cortés |
| Screenplay by | Rodrigo Cortés |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | David Azcano |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by | Víctor Reyes |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Filmax |
Release dates |
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| Country | Spain |
| Language | Spanish |
The Contestant (Spanish: Concursante) is a 2007 Spanish black comedy film directed by Rodrigo Cortés in his directorial debut feature. It stars Leonardo Sbaraglia.
Plot[edit]
The plot follows a lecturer on economic history (Martín Circo Martín) who wins the biggest prize ever (a set of prizes valued in €3 million) in a television game show in Spain, only to find out that the tax authorities want to keep a large part of the prize and he has no way to pay off his debts.[1][2]
Cast[edit]
- Leonardo Sbaraglia as Martín Circo Martín[3]
- Miryam Gallego as Laura[4]
- Luis Zahera as Pizarro[4]
- Chete Lera as Edmundo Figueroa[3]
- Myriam de Maeztu as Carmen Santillana[4]
- Fernando Cayo as Eloy[3]
Production[edit]
The film was produced by Lazonafilms, Continental, Nephilim Producciones, and Filmax and it had the participation of TVE and TVG.[4] Shooting locations included A Coruña.[2]
Release[edit]
The film screened at the 10th Málaga Film Festival on 11 March 2007.[5] Distributed by Filmax,[4] it was released theatrically in Spain on 16 March 2007.[6]
Reception[edit]
Jonathan Holland of Variety considered that Cortés "fails to take the premise anywhere interesting, but the pic has a madcap, contempo energy that could find it offshore fans".[4]
Pere Vall of Fotogramas rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, highlighting an electric performance by Sbaraglia as the best thing about the film.[6]
Accolades[edit]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 22nd Goya Awards | Best Original Song | "Circus Honey Blues" by Víctor Reyes, Rodrigo Cortés | Nominated | [7][8] |
| 6th Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Film | Nominated | [9][10] | ||
| Best Director | Rodrigo Cortés | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Rodrigo Cortés | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Leonardo Sbaraglia | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Luis Zahera | Won | |||
| Chete Lera | Nominated | ||||
| Best Editing | Guillermo Represa, Rodrigo Cortés | Won | |||
| Best Sound | Sergio Burman, Charlie Schmucler, Fran Gude | Nominated | |||
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Lafont, Isabel (12 March 2007). "La otra cara de la fortuna". El País.
- ^ a b Molezún, F. (20 December 2005). "Leonardo Sbaraglia termina de rodar "Concursante" en A Coruña". La Voz de Galicia.
- ^ a b c Maldivia, Beatriz (13 March 2017). "Trailer de 'Concursante', con Leonardo Sbaraglia". Espinof.
- ^ a b c d e f Holland, Jonathan (25 March 2007). "The Contestant". Variety.
- ^ "Rodrigo Cortés realiza una sátira del funcionamiento del sistema financiero en 'Concursante'". Diario Sur. 11 March 2007.
- ^ a b Vall, Pere (29 May 2008). "Concursante". Fotogramas.
- ^ "Los ganadores de los Goya 2008". 20minutos.es. 4 February 2008.
- ^ "Concursante". premiosgoya.com. Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ "A Academia Galega do Audiovisual anunciou esta mañá a listaxe de nomeados". Academia Galega do Audiovisual. 7 March 2008.
- ^ "Entregados os Premios Mestre Mateo 2007 no Teatro Jofre de Ferrol". Academia Galega do Audiovisual. 16 April 2008.