Rinconcito madrileño is a dusty, charming time capsule

A postcard from a world that isn't there anymore

You should probably watch this if you have a soft spot for old-world atmosphere and don't mind a bit of crackle in your audio. If you're looking for fast edits or a plot that makes sense every second, you'll likely hate it. 😴

It is a movie about a 'little corner' of Madrid. It feels very small and very personal.

The first thing I noticed was how loud everyone talks. It’s like they were worried the microphone was in another building.

Luis Prendes is in this, and he looks incredibly young. He has this way of standing that feels very theatrical, like he's waiting for a round of applause after every line.

There is a scene with some laundry hanging across an alleyway that looks so real you can almost smell the soap. Or maybe just the dust from the old film reel.

It reminds me a little of the vibe in Are You Listening? but much more rooted in a specific neighborhood. Everyone knows everyone else's business here.

The plot is... well, it’s there. People fall in love, people get angry, and there is a lot of gesturing with hands.

Sometimes the camera just stays on a face for three seconds too long. It makes you wonder if the actor forgot their next move or if the director just really liked their hat. 🤠

I found myself looking at the backgrounds more than the actors. The sets have this wobbly quality that makes the whole thing feel like a stage play that escaped into the street.

It isn't as polished as something like The Rage of Paris. Not even close.

But there is something realy sweet about how simple the stakes are. A misunderstanding feels like the end of the world for these people.

A few things I wrote down:

• The music starts and stops very abruptly.
• One of the older ladies in the cast has a stare that could melt lead.
• The lighting in the indoor scenes is way too bright, like they had one giant sun-lamp and just pointed it at everyone.
• There’s a dog that wanders into a shot and looks very confused about being in a movie.

It’s a bit like watching a home movie of a great-grandparent you never met. You don't know all the inside jokes, but you can feel the warmth.

The ending doesn't feel like a big finale. It just kind of... stops.

It’s much better than some of the dry stuff from that era, like maybe Potash and Perlmutter, because it actually feels like it has a heart. Even if that heart is a bit noisy.

I wouldn't say it's a masterpiece. It's just a nice way to spend an hour if you want to travel back to 1936 Madrid without leaving your couch. 🍷

Just don't expect it to change your life or anything. It's just a little corner, after all.