The Fortress (2022 film)

The Fortress (Spanish: La fortaleza) is a 2022 Spanish black comedy thriller film directed by Chiqui Carabante [es] which stars Fernando Cayo, Goya Toledo, José Manuel Poga, Fernando Tejero, Vito Sanz, Carla Nieto, and Lola Casamayor.

The Fortress
Theatrical release poster
SpanishLa fortaleza
Directed byChiqui Carabante
Screenplay by
  • Chiqui Carabante
  • Salvador S. Molina
  • David Orea
Starring
CinematographyJuan Hernández
Edited byCristina Laguna
Music byDario Valderrama
Production
companies
  • Lolita Films
  • Womack Studios
  • Featurent
  • Un Fin De Semana Juntos AIE
Distributed bySyldavia Cinema
Release dates
  • 5 November 2022 (2022-11-05) (Seville)
  • 23 June 2023 (2023-06-23) (Spain)
CountrySpain
LanguageSpanish

Plot

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Upon the death of their father Arturo Viaplana, the Viaplana siblings (Arturo, Mónica, Jorge, Eduardo, and Paula) meet at the reading of the testament to find out about the recipient of the hefty inheritance, only to find out that their deceased father has set a macabre game.[1][2]

Cast

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Production

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The film is a Lolita Films, Womack Studios, Featurent and Un Fin De Semana Juntos AIE production.[3] Produced in association with Glow, it also has the participation of Canal Sur Radio y Televisión and Canal Extremadura and backing and sponsoring from ICAA, Ayuntamiento de Madrid, Crea SGR, Diputación de Badajoz [es] and Ayuntamiento de Almendralejo.[3] Shooting locations in the province of Badajoz (Extremadura) included Mérida, Almendralejo, and Palomas.[2]

Release

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The film had its world premiere at the 19th Seville European Film Festival in November 2022.[4] Distributed by Syldavia Cinema,[5] the film was released theatrically in Spain on 23 June 2023.

Reception

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Sergio F. Pinilla of Cinemanía rated the "grotesque, macabre, and even a little bit coarse" film 3 out of 5 stars, underscoring it to be "a vernacular whodunit with more Glass Onion than Buñuel and Berlanga".[6]

Raquel Hernández Luján of HobbyConsolas rated the film with 60 points ('acceptable'), pointing out that the efficiency of its best assets (the black humour and the broadsides) wanes as the film progressively deflates.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ D'Ocon, Manuel (14 June 2023). ""¿Qué pinta tiene un notario?": Así es 'La Fortaleza', la nueva comedia negra española con Fernando Tejero, Goya Toledo y Fernando Cayo". Fotogramas.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Úbeda-Portugués, Alberto (19 June 2023). "Los estrenos del 23 de junio. 'La fortaleza'. Juegos macabros". Aisge.
  3. ^ a b Sánchez Sequera, Marco (20 June 2023). "'La fortaleza' – estreno en cines 23 de junio". Audiovisual451.
  4. ^ "Sevilla exhibe el mejor cine europeo". Canal Sur. 5 November 2022.
  5. ^ Ortiz Jaime, Bruno (23 June 2023). "Lo que sabemos sobre "La fortaleza": de qué trata, fecha de estreno y tráiler". mag – via El Comercio.
  6. ^ Pinilla, Sergio F. (20 June 2023). "'La fortaleza': whodunnit macabro a cuenta de una herencia". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
  7. ^ Hernández Luján, Raquel (21 June 2023). "Crítica de La fortaleza, un thriller cómico coral sobre herencias envenenadas". HobbyConsolas.