FILM REVIEW: EL METODO
Oct. 22nd, 2008 12:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jenni_blogLast night I watched the film 'El Metodo', or "The Method", starring Eduardo Noriega, Najwa Nimri, Natalia Verbeke and the Argentine actor Pablo Echarri, whom I am now madly in love with. Below the cut is my review of this psychological drama, and a pic of each of the lead actors. I am NOT going to reveal any spoilers, so feel free to read on!
Okay, Eduardo Noriega is the star of this movie, and he is unbelievably good-looking, as you all know if you've watched his films. He's a wonderful actor as well, always taking parts that would seem to go against his great looks. For instance, he'll often play the bad guy, or someone massively flawed. The director of 'El Metodo' says he is obsessive about getting all the details right. He does seem to always inhabit his characters.
EDUARDO NORIEGA
Above is Eduardo from 'El Metodo'. The bathroom scene almost killed me, btw. LOL.
Najwa Nimri is a Spanish actress I've seen in several films. She is wonderful, and is as meticulous in absolutely inhabiting her parts, like Eduardo Noriega. I think she has been different in every single film I've seen her in. This is her character from 'El Metodo'. (She was in the wonderful 'Lovers of the Arctic Circle' if anyone has seen that and thinks she looks familiar.)
NATALIA VERBEKE
I have never seen her before, but I thought Natalia Verbeke did a wonderful job in her role as "Montse", the receptionist. When I googled her for the photo below, which is from the film, I came across lots of sexy pics of her naked, or posing in underwear. 'El Metodo' is not that sort of film, so I suppose this was a different role for Natalia.
PABLO ECHARRI
Lastly, Pablo. Oh MY GOD. What can I say? I don't want to give anything away, but the thing about Pablo is the personality he imbues his characters with! I've only seen him in 'Plata Quemada' before, or 'Burnt Money', where he also almost stole the show from both Eduardo Noriega and Leonardo Sbaraglia. (Difficult to do.) Here he is not in a lesser role, but he is one of the leads. He is charming, self-effacing, humourous and of course, gorgeous. It was impossible for me to take my eyes off him whenever he appeared in a scene. And with this cast, that must have been monumentally difficult to achieve. Here is Pablo as he looked in the film, his hair streaked with a little grey hair dye to make him look older, I guess. To me, he looks so Argentine! LOL. I can recognize it now! I didn't need to fall in love with another fricken Argentine, but I have! *headdesk*
Okay, so 'El Metodo' involves a group of mostly young executive types who are all competing for an executive position at a top Spanish firm. Everything about the company that we can see is modern and stylish. What is weird, though, is that we only get to see the candidates for the job, and the receptionist who greets them and brings them food, etc. For the duration of the film (mostly) they are locked (most of the time) in a board room, where they sit at a round desk full of monitors connected to a network and only have each other (or Montse) for company.
For the competition, they must determine, one by one, who is to be turfed out of the group, and who can continue on to fight for the job. The only information they have about each other is his or her CV which appears on the screen before them. They must work together in order to find the fittest employee. They must discover "hidden" things about each candidate that would or should prevent them from achieving a position such as this in a company like Dekia (the fictional company in the movie).
At first I thought 'El Metodo' might be like Donald Trump's 'Apprentice' show or something like that. But it isn't. It's been compared to 'Glengarry Glen Ross' a movie I saw when I was much younger and hated. (Probably because I was too young to understand it.) The characters in this film are the most fascinating things about it. There certainly isn't any action (to speak of) but there are a few surprises. It is riveting stuff, even though I usually prefer more action-packed films, with murders, mysteries, thrills and the like. 'El Metodo' does have lots of mystery and it is fascinating to watch it unravel.
I'd recommend this film to anyone who likes psychological things. It's very well-written and superbly acted. And don't forget about Pablo Echarri! LOL. Eduardo Noriega, though, plays his part incredibly well as a nice, sympathetic guy, and for once we are completely on his side! (Or are we?) Najwa Nimri is the most mysterious. (Or is she?) She keeps us wondering who she really is and why she did what she did. And Pablo Echarri...ay yi yi! Pablo Echarri is, well, the most charming, the most disarming, the funniest, cutest, employee any firm could hope to hire! (Or is he?)
Go see 'El Metodo'! I am sure you will be very intrigued.
Okay, Eduardo Noriega is the star of this movie, and he is unbelievably good-looking, as you all know if you've watched his films. He's a wonderful actor as well, always taking parts that would seem to go against his great looks. For instance, he'll often play the bad guy, or someone massively flawed. The director of 'El Metodo' says he is obsessive about getting all the details right. He does seem to always inhabit his characters.
EDUARDO NORIEGA
Above is Eduardo from 'El Metodo'. The bathroom scene almost killed me, btw. LOL.
Najwa Nimri is a Spanish actress I've seen in several films. She is wonderful, and is as meticulous in absolutely inhabiting her parts, like Eduardo Noriega. I think she has been different in every single film I've seen her in. This is her character from 'El Metodo'. (She was in the wonderful 'Lovers of the Arctic Circle' if anyone has seen that and thinks she looks familiar.)
NATALIA VERBEKE
I have never seen her before, but I thought Natalia Verbeke did a wonderful job in her role as "Montse", the receptionist. When I googled her for the photo below, which is from the film, I came across lots of sexy pics of her naked, or posing in underwear. 'El Metodo' is not that sort of film, so I suppose this was a different role for Natalia.
PABLO ECHARRI
Lastly, Pablo. Oh MY GOD. What can I say? I don't want to give anything away, but the thing about Pablo is the personality he imbues his characters with! I've only seen him in 'Plata Quemada' before, or 'Burnt Money', where he also almost stole the show from both Eduardo Noriega and Leonardo Sbaraglia. (Difficult to do.) Here he is not in a lesser role, but he is one of the leads. He is charming, self-effacing, humourous and of course, gorgeous. It was impossible for me to take my eyes off him whenever he appeared in a scene. And with this cast, that must have been monumentally difficult to achieve. Here is Pablo as he looked in the film, his hair streaked with a little grey hair dye to make him look older, I guess. To me, he looks so Argentine! LOL. I can recognize it now! I didn't need to fall in love with another fricken Argentine, but I have! *headdesk*
Okay, so 'El Metodo' involves a group of mostly young executive types who are all competing for an executive position at a top Spanish firm. Everything about the company that we can see is modern and stylish. What is weird, though, is that we only get to see the candidates for the job, and the receptionist who greets them and brings them food, etc. For the duration of the film (mostly) they are locked (most of the time) in a board room, where they sit at a round desk full of monitors connected to a network and only have each other (or Montse) for company.
For the competition, they must determine, one by one, who is to be turfed out of the group, and who can continue on to fight for the job. The only information they have about each other is his or her CV which appears on the screen before them. They must work together in order to find the fittest employee. They must discover "hidden" things about each candidate that would or should prevent them from achieving a position such as this in a company like Dekia (the fictional company in the movie).
At first I thought 'El Metodo' might be like Donald Trump's 'Apprentice' show or something like that. But it isn't. It's been compared to 'Glengarry Glen Ross' a movie I saw when I was much younger and hated. (Probably because I was too young to understand it.) The characters in this film are the most fascinating things about it. There certainly isn't any action (to speak of) but there are a few surprises. It is riveting stuff, even though I usually prefer more action-packed films, with murders, mysteries, thrills and the like. 'El Metodo' does have lots of mystery and it is fascinating to watch it unravel.
I'd recommend this film to anyone who likes psychological things. It's very well-written and superbly acted. And don't forget about Pablo Echarri! LOL. Eduardo Noriega, though, plays his part incredibly well as a nice, sympathetic guy, and for once we are completely on his side! (Or are we?) Najwa Nimri is the most mysterious. (Or is she?) She keeps us wondering who she really is and why she did what she did. And Pablo Echarri...ay yi yi! Pablo Echarri is, well, the most charming, the most disarming, the funniest, cutest, employee any firm could hope to hire! (Or is he?)
Go see 'El Metodo'! I am sure you will be very intrigued.
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no subject
Date: 2008-10-22 06:28 pm (UTC)And, yeah, I agree with you about Eduardo, Najwa and Pablo... And, btw, it seems, that Pablo has that grey hair not just in this movie. I've seen him in El Septimo Arcangel, he had it there, too... *and this lock drives me crazy!!!*
no subject
Date: 2008-10-22 09:36 pm (UTC)Ooohhh...'El Septimo Arcangel' sounds good! Is he naughty in it? I must see that one too!