What makes it different from others?

Simply A Masterpiece

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The trailer might be misleading but that is not to say that 'En La Ciudad Sin Límites' is a letdown. It reminded me of a Barbara Vine novel where a family is introduced and then subtle hints display that not all is what it seems and there are secrets to be discovered. It can be described as a thriller because the viewer is kept in constant suspense about Max's mystery. Even the subplots, like Carmen and Victor's romance, adds to the characterization. Antonio Hernández is a competent director and the way he sets the premise and tells the story is compelling. There are some nice scenic shots of Paris but that seems to add more to the mystery and complexities of the story. Victor Reyes's sometimes soft and sometimes erratic score works well. It reminded me of Philip Glass's work. The cinematography works adequately. The performances are solid with Fernando Fernán Gómez and Leonardo Sbaraglia owning the film. Of the supporting cast the beautiful Ana Fernández shines while Geraldine Chaplin is convincing as the cold hearted Marie. 'En La Ciudad Sin Límites' is a product of excellent storytelling, fine acting, very good direction and money well put by Spanish and Argentinian production teams.

I really enjoyed this film. The drama of Max approaching death and losing his grasp on reality intertwined with his fear/wish that he might still be able to undo an act committed 40 years earlier was compelling and very real, at the same time providing a strong element of suspense as his son Victor slowly unravels the truth. The romantic sub-plots work nicely to enhance the theme of betrayal. My only criticism was that I didn't think the gay theme worked and felt inserted into the plot. I personally found the relationship between the two men more profound as purely a political one. I think Marie's jealousy would have been more poignant if she had felt threatened by that side of the men's friendship and not the sexual. But overall an excellent film, well worth seeing. Great soundtrack.

"You must find the way out", declares the tagline. It's, with one simple look, referring to the movie's title; "The City of No Limits", and how to get away from it. That's how you would imagine, but it's much more complex. It's a way out of problems and situations involving a family…A way to show what happens when a family is separated for a long time and meets again.I decided to watch this movie, mainly, because I saw Leticia Brédice's name somewhere. She's probably my favorite Argentinean actress and I love to see her in movies (because she also works in television). I considered that reason enough, but I was glad I found Leonardo Sbaraglia too. He's an excellent character actor that was born in Argentina but, like many others, tried luck in Spain and did many movies in both countries."En la ciudad sin límites" is a co-production between Spain and Argentina…This co-productions fail almost all the times, because the writers have to invent plot elements to set locations in any of those countries. But not this movie…This movie is set mostly in France…It includes characters living in Argentina, in Spain, but once the family is reunited, it's France.Director Antonio Hernández takes great advantage of this, and his camera travels through Paris' streets, from building to building, from house to house, from hotel to hotel; even when the main situations occur in a hospital floor…Less, a hospital room. In this room, Max (Fernando Fernán Gómez) is dying and this joins the whole family together. Spanish and French words are spoken all over by different and peculiar characters; in an objective demonstration of how life goes round and round. It happens with my family today. I have family in France, in Peru, in Venezuela, in Argentina…Sometimes it happens that events join us.I won't expand on the things that all the characters experience (each of them has at least one magical moment); because in the end, even when there's a main event, there's a treatment and for every person of the family…That's what the movie makes us watch and hear. Víctor (Leonardo Sbaraglia) is Max's son and has to secretly help him find a person, Rancel (Alfredo Alcón), that probably doesn't even exists, because Max is probably going crazy, or back to the past. Víctor is married to Eileen (Leticia Brédice), and meets in the reunion with Pilar (Adriana Ozores), his brother's Alberto (Álex Casanovas) wife, and his own old lover. Luis (Roberto Álvarez) was married to Carmen (Ana Fernández) and had to children, but now they're separated and in Paris for different reasons; when Luis' girlfriend, Beatriz (Mónica Estarreado) gives a surprise visit...Marie (Geraldine Chaplin), Max's wife and the boys' mother, is quiet and lonely; also keeping something hidden.Writing is outstandingly correct, with the director and his collaborator coming up with an interesting and emotional story mixing emotions with mystery…And that's probably the film's dilemma. It has a side where it wants to work as a suspense movie, thriller; and it could have gone wrong, but it didn't because the elements are correctly combined and I managed myself to put all together in my mind as a powerful movie with all its things. In the movie's intent for the thriller genre, and the mix I'm talking about, it was difficult for the team to get the right structure. Luckily, it all came out fine indeed; with a score by Víctor Reyes that has its totally strange moments, but at the same time powerful and moving moments with inspiring melodies.The acting by the entire ensemble is decent. Sbaraglia highlights as Víctor, in a very natural performance with a lot of commitment. Adriana Ozores also highlights as Pilar, and carries some powerful scenes in her shoulders. The pros Gómez and Alcón are lovable in their characters, Chaplin gives strength to a simple Marie, Álvarez generates laughs with his Luis, Fernández goes crazy as Carmen, Casanovas makes everything look easy through Alberto's eyes, Estarreado looks as she needs to but does little as Beatriz and Brédice; well…She's still the Leticia I love to see.The film deals with some fresh strong issues in its dramatic moments; but don't be fooled. This is not a movie about prejudices and opinions about people. It's about what each human being thinks is best for it, deciding in order to get that; and those decisions can cause lots of troubles.

I saw "En la ciudad sin límites" a couple of months ago in the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival and I left the movie theatre with mixed feelings about it...I mean, the story is very interesting and interestingly told and all the actors are very well (gotta love Geraldine Chaplin and a very hot and talented Leo Sbaraglia), but hey, nothing in life is perfect, right?The movie begins with Sbaraglia's character, Victor, re-joining his family in Europe after years of reclusion in Argentina. His father Max (Fernando Fernán Gómez, superb) is dying - and losing his mind-, so the three sons and their mom Marie (Chaplin) have to decide what to do with the family business. It doesn't take too long, though, for Victor to find out that Max's so-called delusions are based on secrets buried in his past, so the estranged son embarks on a desperate journey to uncover the whole story to allow his father to die in peace - even if it means he has to go against the rest of the family.SOUNDS good? Well, not actually..."En la ciudad sin límites"'s score might be one of, if not THE worst in the history of moviemaking. Seriously, it exaggerates the moods, creates (or at least tries to create) emotions which are totally different from the ones the images and script pass...a total disaster. But if you can get past that, you won't be disappointed, given that the subplots are also very very interesting and the ending, though not entirely unpredictable, fits like a glove the critic to the traditional, high society.I saw "Les invasions barbares" ("The barbarian invasions") a few weeks after "En la ciudad sin límites" and the two have lots of similarities, though the Canadian film exchanges the suspense/mystery factor for a political tone. I know a lot of people will want to kill me, but if it wasn't for the terrible music, I'd say the Spanish movie's better, 'cos quite frankly I don't know what's all the fuss about "Invasions", seriously. I'm 21, but a friend of mine who's the same age thought it was amazing and, on the other hand, my mom, who's 47, didn't think much of it - that proves it has nothing to do with age. I don't know, for me, it just didn't bring anything new...but I shouldn't be talking about it here...Well, anyway, I say go see "En la ciudad sin límites" if you have a chance. I gave it a 7 out of 10 because of the score, but the movie itself is a solid 8 or even a 9. Two thumbs up.