El deber: A Slow Burn That Might Leave You Napping

Is it worth your time?

Look, if you have a soft spot for black-and-white dramas that feel like they were filmed in a drafty theater, you'll probably get a kick out of El deber. It’s got that specific, stiff charm that makes you feel like you’re eavesdropping on a conversation from another century. If you need explosions or a plot that moves faster than a turtle in mud, stay away. This isn't for the TikTok generation.

The whole thing feels oddly claustrophobic. You spend so much time watching these characters just stare at each other in dimly lit rooms. It’s almost like the actors forgot there was a camera there, or maybe they were just waiting for the director to yell 'cut' so they could finally leave. 🎥

The bits that stuck with me

• There’s this one scene where a glass of water is set down on a table, and the sound of it hitting the wood is way louder than it has any right to be. It’s tiny, but I couldn't stop looking at the condensation.
• The lighting is incredibly moody, bordering on 'I can't actually see what's happening' territory.
• Félix de Pomés has this way of blinking that makes you think he’s hiding a massive secret, but then nothing happens. It's just blinking.

It reminds me a bit of the stuffy, overly-dramatic energy you find in The Wonderful Lies of Nina Petrovna. There’s that same sense of people holding back their true feelings until it becomes almost painful to watch. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s heavy.

I caught myself checking my watch about halfway through. Not because it was boring, exactly, but because it feels like the story is stuck in a loop. It’s like the characters are walking in circles. The dialogue is fine, I guess, but it doesn't really go anywhere unexpected.

Maybe it’s unfair to compare it to anything else, but you can’t help it. It lacks the weird, experimental spark you get in something like Die rollende Kugel. It feels safe. Too safe? Probably.

At the end of the day, it's a solid enough piece of work if you’re into the genre. Just don't go in expecting your life to be changed. It’s just... a movie. A very long, very quiet movie. 😴