Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

"Is justice really necessary if no one demands it?" - this is the moral question that one of the characters of the film is asking at some point, and this is the key question of the film that keeps being asked by everybody who watched this very well made and surprising film noir made by first time Spanish director Jorge Sánchez-Cabezudo.The unconventional setting for a thriller story is a Spanish village, living a quite life where nothing happens until things start happening - a cave is being discovered and in hope it may hide some cave paintings specialists from the big city are brought in to explore it, and a serial rapist hunts its victims in the region. In the turmoil of the events a man is killed in a conflict triggered by confusion, and the local cops called to solve the case prove to be more than willing to cover the facts in order to avoid their own lives being disturbed and their smaller or bigger lies be discovered. All settles back eventually in its apparently normal state, as no one cares about a dead man with no family or sympathies left behind. Yet, the real villain of the story remains uncaught and the ending suggests that he - also a man of family and conventions - will probably hit again.The story is told with a very sure hand, and its structure - six episodes shifting the angle of telling the same facts from one character to another - builds gradually the tension and the interest of the viewers. the director certainly knows well the background of the Spanish villages where the story is set, and its characters are human and authentic. An excellent team of actors sustains the whole movie, Celso Bugalo is especially good as the old policeman who slowly understands the dimensions of evil he is faced with and reluctantly accepts the compromise or at least part of it in order to save the marriage of his daughter, and Manuel Moron as the real criminal, hiding its evil deeds under the masque of an apparently benign sales man and good family man.Spanish cinema has brought many inventive and successful films in various genres in the last decades. 'La noche de los girasoles' combines the classical psychological thriller story set in an unusual place with an older Spanish tradition of bringing up to screen the sins of the middle classes and the dangers of moral compromise. This is a remarkable debut.

I really liked the film and disagree with some of the comments made earlier. Firstly, it's a Spanish movie so I can't see how it can be influenced by A Touch of Evil regarding location. Touch of Evil was set in Mexico. Secondly, I thought the 'silent' killing scene actually made a point about the two worlds that exist in Spain; the city and the countryside. The old farmer was a virtual hermit and barely existed in the modern world as represented by the Cavers. His near silence was mentioned by one of the characters who said that old Cecilio barely speaks.Regarding the ending, I would say that the strongest character was the old Police Officer. Despite his frail appearance, it is clear that his mind is still sharp and he still has a strong moral code - unlike his son-in-law. What I liked about the movie was how the moral conundrum forced the viewer to consider what they would do if placed in such a situation. I don't think the killing would ever be seen as an 'accidental'death. In his anger, the caver attempted to kill the farmer. They entered the house with this intention.Overall, I felt it was a really powerful movie and will surely be remade by Hollywood.

Someone involved in the creative aspect - writing, directing - has clearly seen Touch Of Evil and 'borrowed' some of the aspects such as a Spanish-speaking small town, corrupt cop (though not the chief of police) and crossed it with Rashomon to come up with a very watchable quasi thriller which ultimately lacks tension. One of the previous commentors has already identified a major flaw in the shape of the killing carried out in silence (apart from gunshots) with a victim who doesn't bother to ask why he is being targeted and vigilantes who don't think to tell him or even ask if he is guilty. Invariably in a scene like this the avenger will relish saying something along the lines of 'this is what happens when you rape someone's wife, her husband comes looking for you'; but, that would, of course, spoiled things, left the husband with egg on his face and taken the film on a different course. If you can get over this hurdle there are things to be admired and even enjoyed though I for one have to take on trust the notion of 'abandoned' villages which the film implies litter the landscape in Spain.

This movie is outstanding. The non-linear plot reveals itself little by little taking you by surprise at every turn. It all begins with a rape which already happened a day or two ago. The body is found in the middle of a field of sunflowers. All of this, we get it second hand from TV newscasts while the main characters carry on with their ordinary lives somewhere else. We -the viewers- are lead to follow a caver about to explore a virgin cave near a remote village, his girlfriend, two old disgruntled neighbors on an abandoned village who can't stand each other, a salesman, the disloyal police officer, ... We get to see every character from various viewpoints and how somehow their lives are connected without them knowing yet...And then tragedy and human resolve -call it selfishness or greed- take over everybody's action.The pace of revelation and the acting work like clockworks. This could happen, this is (s)pain after all.Watch out for this guy -the director- for this is his first and for sure it won't be his last.