Marshland (2014)

	Also Known As: La isla mínima (original)
	Year of first release: 2014
	Director:  Alberto Rodríguez
	Actors: Javier Gutiérrez (Crimen ferpecto), Raúl Arévalo, María Varod
	Country: E
	Genre: Polar
	Conditions of visioning: 29.03.2015, CINEMA theater, MFFFN15
Synopsis: In 1980 Spain, two policemen are sent to the countryside to investigate the disappearance of two teenage girls.
Review: This is a polar like we rarely see anymore: set in the 80's, faithful to the period clothes, look (moustache rules), music, cars, furniture and spirit. It also has an 80's look: brown tones, faded colors. In fact it reminds a lot in its topic (really a lot) of the British TV-film series in three episodes Red Riding. The main differences are of course in the setting (marshland Spain vs. industrial rural England) but also in the main characters: two cops vs. one journalist. Well, in at least one of the Red Riding movies the main character is a cop too. Marshland sets itself apart with the display of beautiful landscapes, often shown in static aerial views shot at the vertical and with bright colors. I don't know if that was done using drones or more traditional methods like helicopter (I would think the latter), but it brings a lot to the visual quality and identity of the movie. The main characters (in particular the cops) are complex and have a deep background. For example we believe at the beginning one of the cop to be lazy, incompetent and a drunk, while he actually spent his night befriending some local people and collecting information about the case. On top of that you add some corruption, perversion, drug traffic, lies, secrets and political background, and you get a very pleasant polar.
Rating: 8 /10