The Dead Man and Being Happy
| The Dead Man and Being Happy | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Spanish | El muerto y ser feliz |
| Directed by | Javier Rebollo |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Santiago Racaj |
| Edited by | Ángel Hdez. Zoido |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Splendor Films (es) |
Release dates |
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| Countries |
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| Language | Spanish |
The Dead Man and Being Happy (Spanish: El muerto y ser feliz) is a 2012 road movie directed by Javier Rebollo and written by Lola Mayo, Rebollo, and Salvador Roselli which stars José Sacristán and Roxana Blanco. It is a Spanish-French-Argentine co-production.
Plot[edit]
The plot follows Santos, a terminally-ill Spanish hitman living in Argentina who starts a travel to the north of the country for a last job.[1]
Cast[edit]
- José Sacristán as Santos[2]
- Roxana Blanco as Érika[2]
- Valeria Alonso[2]
- Jorge Jellinek[2]
- Carlos Lecuona[2]
- Lisa Caligaris as Alejandra[2]
- Vicky Peña[2]
- Fermí Reixach as Santiago[2]
Production[edit]
The film is a Spanish-Argentine-French co-production by Eddie Saeta, Icónica, Lolita Films, Noodles Productions and Utópica and it had the participation of TVC and backing from ICEC, INCAA, and SOFICA.[3][4]
Release[edit]
The film was presented at the 60th San Sebastián International Film Festival on 23 September 2012.[5] Distributed by Catalan outfit Splendor Films,[6] it was released theatrically in Spain on 11 January 2013.[2]
Reception[edit]
Neil Young of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Rebollo "just about manages to keep the right side of the line dividing the engagingly offbeat from the self-regardingly clever-clever".[7]
Fionnula of Halligan ScreenDaily undercored that "rarely laugh-out-loud, The Dead Man And Being Happy is nonetheless a warmly funny film".[8]
Matthew Connolly of Slant Magazine wrote that the film "feels like a connect-the-dots film with a few lines artfully blurred".[9]
Sergio F. Pinilla of Cinemanía rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, deeming it to be "one of the most exciting and radical adventures of recent Spanish cinema".[6]
Javier Porta Fouz of La Nación gave the film a 'good' rating, pointing out that even its intrigue becomes progressively diluted, by the time the denouement comes viewers confirm that "the characters have been guided with a strange sense of humor and responsibility, with a welcome affection".[10]
Gaspar Zimerman of Clarín gave the film a 'good' rating, writing that Sacristán "manages to give shape to a credible and lovable creature".[11]
Carlos Boyero of El País only recognized one virtue in the film, being "that it only lasts 90 minutes".[12]
Accolades[edit]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 |
60th San Sebastián International Film Festival | Silver Shell for Best Actor | José Sacristán | Won | |
| Toulouse Spanish Film Festival | Golden Violet for Best Film | Won | |||
2013 |
27th Goya Awards | Best Actor | José Sacristán | Won | |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Arteaga Villar, Juan (24 September 2012). "El muerto y ser feliz: una road movie irónica y terminal". Cineuropa.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Caviaro, Juan Luis (11 January 2013). "Estrenos de cine | 11 de enero | Jack Reacher y el amor según Haneke". Espinof.
- ^ a b ""El muerto y ser feliz", ganadora del Festival de Cine de Toulouse, Francia". rtve.es. 6 October 2012.
- ^ "Quatre produccions amb participació de TV3, al Festival de Sant Sebastià". TV3. 27 July 2012 – via Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals.
- ^ Cuenca, Anna (23 September 2012). "José Sacristán recorre Argentina en la última película de Javier Rebollo". AFP – via Yahoo.com.
- ^ a b Pinilla, Sergio F. (11 January 2013). "El muerto y ser feliz". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
- ^ Young, Neil (22 September 2012). "The Dead Man and Being Happy (El Muerto y ser feliz): San Sebastian Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Halligan, Fionnuala (24 September 2012). "The Dead Man And Being Happy". ScreenDaily.
- ^ Connolly (11 October 2012). "Review: The Dead Man and Being Happy". Slant Magazine.
- ^ Porta Fouz, Javier (13 November 2014). "El sardónico viaje final de un asesino a sueldo". La Nación.
- ^ Zimerman, Gaspar (14 November 2014). "Sacristán, creíble y querible". Clarín.
- ^ Boyero, Carlos (24 September 2012). "Excelente Ozon y una 'road movie' tonta". El País.
- ^ "José Sacristán gana su segunda Concha de Plata con "El muerto y ser feliz"". La Razón. 29 September 2012.
- ^ "José Sacristán consigue su primer Goya gracias a 'El muerto y ser feliz'". 20minutos.es. 18 February 2013.