Themes: Fish Out of Water, Nothing Goes Right, Hide the Dead Body
Main Cast: Carmen Maura, Eduardo Antuna, Jesus Bonilla, Sancho Gracia
Release Year: 2000
Country: ES
Run Time: 106 minutes
Plot
The fifth feature of noted Spanish filmmaker Alex de la Iglesia, La Comunidad is a frenetic black comedy set in a decrepit old house in the center of Madrid. One of the house's new residents is Julia Garcia (Carmen Maura, whose performance won her a best actress award at the 2000 San Sebastian Film Festival), a real estate agent who has taken an apartment to revive her sagging marriage. One day, while engaging in some bedroom bliss, Julia and her unemployed husband Ricardo (Jesus Bonilla) are attacked by cockroaches that rain down on them through a crack in the ceiling. During a subsequent investigation of the upstairs apartment, firemen discover a man's rotting corpse. Julia later conducts her own investigation of the apartment and discovers almost 15 million dollars hidden away under the floor boards -- the result of a soccer-pool win by the apartment's dead owner. She decides to take the winnings and run, but while removing the cash, meets her neighbor Ramona (Terele Pavez), who quickly becomes suspicious of Julia's activities. It turns out that everyone in the building knew about the money and agreed to share it amongst themselves, a plan severely compromised by Julia's desire to keep the money for herself. After inviting Julia to a welcome party held by the residents' association, her neighbors go to extreme lengths to get the money, and plenty of cartoon-colored murder and mayhem ensues. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
Review
With the influence of the master of suspense engrained in every frame of the film right down to the stunning opening credit sequence, flamboyant Spanish director Alex de la Iglesia (Day of the Beast, Purdita Durango) weaves a hilariously dark tale of murderous greed set among the quirky and menacing inhabitants of a tightly knitted apartment complex in La Comunidad. After discovering the 15-million-dollar booty of a recently deceased tenant, middle-aged property saleswoman Julia (Carmen Maura) thinks that she may have found the answers to her dreams of finding something more in life. Little does she know that the oddly menacing residents of the building know well of the elusive treasure, and have for years been building their dreams around aquiring the formerly well-guarded winnings. As the greedy obsessions of all in question spiral unhinged into a frenzy of desperation, Jorge Guerricaechevarria's clever and snappy screenplay keeps the viewer constantly on their toes, right up to the hilariously white-knuckled finale atop one of Madrid's most notable landmarks. Equally effective is Roque Banos' giddily dizzying score, taking a cue from Bernard Herrmann while adding a spice of such contemporary influences as Danny Elfman. Kiki de la Rico's murky lens lends the perfect creepy atmosphere to the creaky old building, becoming increasingly frantic as greed trickles from the drip of suspicion into a tidal wave of compulsive madness. Nominated for 15 Goyas and taking home three, the film won Best Special Effects and Best Supporting Actor (Emilio Gutuierrez Caba), while Maura's visually unsettling transformation from carefree working woman to a desperate money-hording beast earned her a win for Best Lead Actress. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Jose Luis Arrizabalaga - Art Director, Álex de la Iglesia - Director, Roque Banos - Composer (Music Score), Kiko de la Rica - Cinematographer, Andrés Vicente Gómez - Producer, Antonio Rodriguez - Sound/Sound Designer, Álex de la Iglesia - Screenwriter, Jorge Guerricaechevarría - Screenwriter
