In the City movie storyline. Spanish director Cesc Gay’s eagerly anticipated film, “In the City,” portrays the daily lives, secrets, lies, loneliness and frustrations of a group of eight thirty-something friends living in the city Barcelona. Six friends get together in various configurations to share food, drink and romantic woes as marriages go through strains and new relationships are formed and broken.
Irene (Monica Lopez) is arranging to have an abortion, unbeknownst to her blandly agreeable husband, Manu (Chisco Amado). She’s also made very uncomfortable and evasive whenever she runs into her old college friend Silvia (Aurea Marquez). Dost she protest too much? Mario (Eduard Fernandez) is perfectly content with his wife Sara (Vicenta Ndongo), a theatrical costumer, until he spies her entering the apartment of one of her play’s actors in the middle of the afternoon. Mario gets silent revenge by having a one night stand with Cristina (Leonor Watling, “My Life Without Me”).
The recently separated Tomas (Alex Brendemuhl) is a thirty-six year old teacher who has fallen into an affair with his sixteen year old student Ana (Miranda Makaroff, in her debut), who happens to be his buddy Mario’s niece. Gloria (Maria Pujatte), overwhelmed by the first attention she has had from a good looking man, Eric (Eric Bonicatto), concocts a more serious relationship for her friends than she actually has. She then destroys the fictional one when more earthbound admirer Andres (Jordi Sanchez) enters the picture, only to break his heart when Eric reenters the scene.
Gay’s ensemble fails to incite much enthusiasm because most of them are miserable and not particularly interesting. While Monica’s repressed lesbianism provides an emotional payoff when Manu throws the surprise birthday dinner party which closes the film, for the most part “In the City” leaves its characters just as we found them.
Gloria does arouse a wish for her comeuppance (which she gets in a nice piece or irony) and the slow arc Amado achieves makes Manu’s unknowing plight truly sympathetic, but the only coupling that generates any interest is that of Tomas and the down-to-earth, plucky Ana (when they first sleep together she tells him ‘I’d never had sex before!’ the next morning, just to get a rise out of him). Oddly, Barcelona itself isn’t shown to particular advantage.
In the City (Spanish: En la Ciudad) is a 2003 Spanish ensemble drama film directed by Cesc Gay and starring Mónica López, Eduard Fernández, María Pujalte, Alex Brendemühl, Vicenta Ndongo, Chisco Amado, Miranda Makaroff, Leonor Watling, Àurea Márquez and Jordi Sánchez.
In the City (2003)
En la Ciudad
Directed by: Cesc Gay
Starring: Mónica López, Eduard Fernández, María Pujalte, Alex Brendemühl, Vicenta Ndongo, Chisco Amado, Miranda Makaroff, Leonor Watling, Àurea Márquez, Jordi Sánchez
Screenplay by: Tomás Aragay, Cesc Gay
Production Design by: Daniel Gimelberg
Cinematography by: Andreu Rebés
Film Editing by: Frank Gutiérrez
Costume Design by: Glòria Viguer
Music by: Joan Díaz, Jordi Prats
Distributed by: Messidor Films
Release Date: November 7. 2003
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