The 19th ¡Viva! Film Festival arrives at The Cornerhouse
By Sophie James
Friday March 8th saw the ¡Viva! Spanish and Latin American Film festival return for its 19th year at Manchester’s Cornerhouse Cinema and they couldn’t have chosen a better film to kick things off with, hosting the UK premiere of Eduard Cortés’ film iAtraco! (2012) to a jam-packed cinema. iAtraco! (or, Hold up!) documents the real-life robbery of the jewels of Argentina’s famous first lady Eva Perón. In an attempt to stop the wife of Spanish dictator Generalissimo Franco purchasing the jewels from a Madrid jeweller, protagonists Merello (Guillermo Francella) and Miguel (Nicolás Cabré) are sent from Argentina to Spain on a mission to fake a robbery of the jeweller’s and retrieve the jewellery.
Whether you’re into foreign film or not, this one is definitely worth breaking the subtitle barrier for. Francello and Cabré create a dynamic duo that entertain us throughout the film. Merello’s impatience and sternness is constantly tried and tested by Miguel’s puppy-dog keen-ness, and their incessant bickering and monumental bust-ups bring the crime-thriller to life with hilarious miscalculations, brilliant one-liners and impeccable comedic timing. With ¡Atraco! , Cortés ingeniously combines comedy, crime-thriller and tragedy to create a 1950’s period piece that can best be described as an understated adventure. An unlikely combo are thrown together completely by chance yet their relationship ends up blossoming, and, despite a lot of friction along the way, the film ends with genuinely moving moments of camaraderie. iAtraco! is hilariously heart-warming, beautifully shot, with a stunning score to transport us back to the 1950’s. Forget that ‘foreign film’ tag – this is a master class in filmmaking.
So, don’t miss out! Spirit yourself away from the drizzle and spontaneous snowstorms of Manchester to the sun-kissed landscapes of Spain and Latin America. Impress your friends with how cultural you are and in the process have a phenomenal evening out. Get yourself down to The Cornerhouse to experience first-hand what other Spanish and Latin American cinematic delights they’ve got to offer.