Rated: M
Directed by: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Written by: Isabel Peña, Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Produced by: Gerardo Herrero, Mikel Lejarza, Mercedes Gamero
Starring: Antonio De La Torre, Mónica López, José María Pou, Nacho Fresneda, Ana Wagener, Bárbara Lennie, Luis Zahera, Francisco Reyes, María De Nati, Paco Revilla, Sonia Almarcha, David Lorente, Andrés Lima and Oscar De La Fuente.
Spanish with English subtitles
A fast-paced political thriller, The Realm follows Manuel López Vidal (Antonio De La Torre), a Party member who’s just been given the nod to become the next Party leader.
But when a fellow member becomes embroiled in allegations of corruption, the stain spreads as ‘Operation Amadeus’ uncovers the depth of corruption, including Manuel. Not only is his position under threat but his freedom and even his life.
There’s a lot going on in this film: the layers of character, relationships and Spanish politics.
The dialogue is non-stop with a soundtrack of techno beats as we follow the Party members with hand-held cameras to keep the pace sprinting. We follow behind Manuel, we follow him into the backseat of a car as the door closes, we see footage from an iPhone showing the Party members living The Life on the sunny deck of a boat as it speeds along the blue waters of their obvious success.
We see Manuel as he fights for his life, using everything he’s got.
The film slows down momentarily when Manuel meets with political journalist, Amaia Marín (Bárbara Lennie), making yet another deal, asking for her patience – they clink their glasses, ‘To patience’.
And there’s the patriarchal figure of the Party and regional head, José Luis Frías (José María Pou) who tries to give pause to the madness of politician trying to out-smart the other: when there’s silence, when a look is not returned, there’s a reason more important than one’s curiosity.
There are many characters, all trying to survive – the film washes over the depth of the many, focussing more on the individual, Manuel, on his intelligence, his family, his cunning.
The Realm shows the underbelly of Spanish politics, shining the light on those entrenched in back-hand dealings made in a government where corruption is the norm; where power protects power.
It took me a while to get absorbed into the pace of the film, to figure out exactly what was going on in the story or where the film was headed. But the confusion and complication are all part of the intrigue – there’s more to this film than a cerebral political thriller, like there’s more to politics than the game-playing of corrupt politicians.