6/10
Romantic and captivating Spain/British co-production with plenty of good actors giving nice performances
25 September 2021
A convincing Spanish/Brit romantic comedy with good actors delivering fine interpretations , fun scenes and nice direction . It is an exciting film displaying a touching love story , brief nudism and interesting drama and plot points well written by Rafa Russo . In ¨The man with rain in his shoes¨ , we see a surprisingly thoughtful approach to an otherwise tiring premise, as confident audiences will be well gripped into a peculiar and attractive romance . As young lovers in London are wrapped up in a love triangle that may not be exactly what it seems . Dealing with an out-of-luck actor named Victor Bukowski (Douglas Henshall) desperate to win back the affections of his cute ex-sweetheart (Lena Headey) , unexpectedly stumbles upon a miraculously way to turn back the clock . But a new suitor (Michael Strong) suddenly sparks a passion that has been sleeping within her and they have a deep crush on each other . When she refuses to retake their relationship , Victor is given a surprising second chance to return and correct the mistake which led to their break-up , while falling in love for a waiter (Penelope Cruz) . In the game of love, three's are wild.

¨The Man with Rain in His Shoes¨ is a stylish and agreeable comedy seasoned with diverting scenes , alluring mess , confusion , entertainment and professionally directed by Maria Ripoll . This is a Drama/Romance/comedy movie ; the picture develops a triangular drama about a peculiar couple and the twisted relationship among them , filled with lasting images , delightful performances , sense of style and slow moving . Resulting to be a decent movie , though slightly monotonous due to be really limited to a few characters and a simple plot . Regular and unbalanced , but gaining the sympathy almost at all times . It is an amusing picture dealing with couple relationships , jealousy , loving conflicts and many other things . This is a charming and warming comedy with a lot of incidents in which each time more dangerously out of control , including attractant love stories in which there are twisted messes , as well as the ordinary comedian clichés . Colorful story of loves and jealousy in which predominates amiable , attracting roles who become embroiled in multiple messes , being played by a good cast , with agreeable performance from Douglas Henshall as a shambling , out-of-work actor who attempts to stop his ex-girlfriend from marrying another man , while Lena Headey is very enjoyable as the sensitive Sylvia . They're well accompanied by a very good support cast , such as Penelope Cruz , Michel Strong , Gustavo Salmerón , Eusebio Lázaro , Charlotte Coleman and special appearance by Elizabeth McGovern.

Here stands out the luxurious cinematography by Javier Salmones , shot on location in London . The motion picture was professionally directed by Maria Ripol , though it t has some moments of enjoyment as well as amusement and others quite a few embarrassing . Maria Ripoll was born in 1964 in Barcelona, Catalonia , Spain and considered to be one of the best Spanish female filmmakers . She is an expert director and assistant director , being especially known for the successful "Your Life in 65" (2006) , ¨Tortilla Soup¨ (2001) , ¨Lluvia En Zapatos¨ or ¨The Man with Rain in His Shoes¨ (1998) and ¨Rastres de Sàndal¨ (2014) and ¨Vivir dos veces¨ (2019). Maria has directed known international stars , such as : Penélope Cruz , Lena Headey , Héctor Helizondo , Leonardo Sbaraglia , Tchéky Karyo , Jacqueline Obradors , Elizabeth Peña , Douglas Henshall , Mark Strong , among others . She also made a thriller that failed at box office titled ¨Utopia¨ with Najwa Nimri , José Garcia , Emma Vilarasau and Fele Martínez . And this one ¨The man with rain in his shoes¨that has got several nominations and prizes , such as : Montréal World Film Festival 1998 Winner Best Screenplay Rafa Russo ; Bogota Film Festival 1999 Winner Bronze Precolumbian Circle Maria Ripoll ; Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival 1998 Winner Gran Angular Award Best Film Maria Ripoll. And Goya Awards 2000 Nominee Best New Director Maria Ripoll .
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