Hombres contra hombres: A sweaty, stubborn relic

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for mid-century cinema that feels like it was filmed in a sauna, you’ll dig this. It’s got that specific grit where everyone looks like they’re one sentence away from a shouting match. If you want something light or fast, skip it. You will likely hate this if you need a clear plot that makes sense in the first twenty minutes.

There is a scene near the middle—I think it’s in a courtyard, or maybe just a very dimly lit room—where the dialogue just sort of stops. It’s not a dramatic pause. It’s just silence. For a second, I thought the audio cut out, but then someone adjusted their collar, and I realized the movie was just *that* comfortable with being awkward.

Félix de Pomés is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. He carries his face like he’s permanently annoyed at the weather, which honestly works for the tone. Some of the other actors seem a bit lost, like they were told to 'act intense' but weren't given a script to back it up.

It’s funny, the way this film handles its pacing reminds me of Lummox. Both movies seem to treat time as a suggestion rather than a rule. Sometimes it drags, then suddenly everyone is sprinting toward a conclusion you saw coming an hour ago.

I couldn't help but think of the sheer, bizarre energy in Night Work while watching some of the tighter shots. There’s a similar disregard for traditional flow. It’s messy. I kind of love that about it.

Odd little notes from my notepad:

• The lighting in the second act is surprisingly aggressive. It’s like the lamp is trying to fight the actors.
• Luisa Sala has a look that says she knows exactly how this ends, and she’s already bored by it.
• The background noise is inconsistent. Is that a bird? A car? A ghost? Who knows.
• The way characters walk into a room and immediately start arguing is a choice. A loud choice.

Honestly, the movie gets better once you stop trying to keep track of who owes who money. Just watch the faces. They’re doing more work than the writers ever did. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s real in a way that modern, polished stuff rarely manages to be.

It’s not trying to be a Washington Merry-Go-Round type of production. It’s smaller. It feels like it was put together with scraps and a whole lot of ego. And honestly? I’m here for it. 📽️