Name: Atilano, presidente
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1998-09-25
Duration: 1 h 28 min
Rating: 4.6
Cast: Manuel Manquiña, Ramón Barea, Laura Conejero

A flawed and imperfect comedy that lacks the verisimilitude and skill necessary for the genre.

A peculiar film from the self-styled team "La Cuadrilla," formed by Santiago Aguilar and Luis Guridi, which concludes their sui generis trilogy after "Justino" and "Matías, juez de línea." It deals with a civil servant (Manuel Manquiña) working at a Madrid cemetery crematorium who uses the information he has on the deceased to carry out petty scams. He is discovered by Ortega (Ramón Barea), who appreciates his oratorical skills and his shrewdness in his funeral and social activities. A powerful group (Luis Prendes, Fernando Vivanco, María Isbert, Florentino Soria) of bankers, politicians, and Church hierarchs, who learn of his roguish history, select him as their candidate for Prime Minister with the help of a skeptical press secretary (Laura Conejero). Power gives wings !. Dynamite Too !.

A mediocre and uneven comedy filmed in Lugo, Galicia, with a partially promising idea but too many unfunny jokes and an unsatisfactory result, failing to produce the expected results for either the producers or the general public. "Atilano, presidente" belongs to the peculiar trilogy nicknamed "Spain, Through the Back Door" made by the group "La Cuadrilla," exploring the typical and popular "Cañi" Spain, also consisting of: "Justino" and "Matías, Linesman". Now La Cuadrilla takes a swipe (so to speak) at politics after having reviewed bullfighting and football. Viewed in its entirety, the film turns out to be somewhat confusing, lacking a well-structured script with too many pointless entanglements. Intending to be an anarchic pamphlet, it aimed to be an anarchist diatribe against the prevailing forces in society and against the dark power that surreptitiously governs national politics. Apparently, it sought dark humor, but the result falls flat, amounting to crude humor and utter bewilderment. There are decent performances, such as that of the main protagonist, Manuel Manquiña, playing Atilano, an unscrupulous funeral worker who engages in a scheme of intrigues to position himself as a candidate for general elections. And alongside him Enrique Villén, Laura Conejero, Carlos Lucas, Francisco Maestre and Luís Tosar who's starting to become a first Spanish star. Furthermore, a long list of supporting actors, including established veterans Luis Prendes, Fernando Vivanco, Saturtino García, María Isbert, Florentino Soria, and Txema Blasco, are noteworthy. And very brief appearances by Antonio Durán 'Morris', Marta Fénandez Muro and Alicia Sánchez.

The technical aspects are particularly noteworthy, featuring one of the best cinematographers in Spanish cinema, who photographed succesful films such as Unknown, The Shallows, Jungle Cruise, The Invisible Guardian, Kidnap, among others. And the musical score by the prestigious composer Alexandre Desplat, Oscar winner and seven-time Academy Award nominated, for his prolific filmography and his collaborations with Stephen Frears, Terrence Malick, Ang Lee, Kathryn Bigelow, Jacques Audiard, Wes Anderson, Roman Polanski, George Clooney or Matteo Garrone is one of the most worthy heirs of the French masters of film music. This offbeat motion picture was mediocrely and strangely directed by Luis Gudiri and Santiago Aguilar in budget enough , while their first one , ¨Justino¨being financed by crowdfunding and an amount of money delivered by Canal Plus . Rating : 4.5/10. Very average motion picture . Well worth watching only for Spanish cinema buffs.

Spanish-language cinema across Spain and Latin America is united by its engagement with history, cultural identity, and social transformation. In Spain, films often balance artistic experimentation with popular genres while reflecting on memory, politics, and family. In Latin America, cinema has been deeply tied to questions of colonial legacy, resistance, and community resilience, ranging from intimate dramas to bold political allegories.

Ana Torrent in The Spirit of the Beehive (1973)

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

Will Ferrell, Angela Grillo, and Lap-Gei Cheung in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Atilano is an unscrupulous funeral worker who engages in a scheme of intrigues to position him as a candidate for general elections.

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