Oviedo Express is a 2007 Spanish comedy-drama film directed and written by Gonzalo Suárez. It stars Carmelo Gómez, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Maribel Verdú, Najwa Nimri, Jorge Sanz, Bárbara Goenaga and Alberto Jiménez.
| Oviedo Express | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Gonzalo Suárez |
| Written by | Gonzalo Suárez |
| Produced by | Juan Gona |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Carlos Suárez |
| Edited by | Celia Cervero |
| Music by | Carles Cases |
Production company | Gona Cine y Televisión |
Release date |
|
| Country | Spain |
| Language | Spanish |
The plot was reportedly inspired on Stefan Zweig's Fear, although barely anything of the work (the nexus with the intrigue if at all) is identifiable in the film.[1][2] A troupe of thespians moves to Oviedo to stage a play based on La Regenta. Mariola Mayo is the leading actress performing the stage role of La Regenta/Ana Ozores.[3] The Mayor of Oviedo has an affair with journalist Bárbara Ruiz.[4][5] Emma (a nod to Madame Bovary's character), the scorned spouse of the Mayor of Oviedo and a young scholar preparing a PhD dissertation on La Regenta, portrays a sort of Regenta-like in-fiction character.[5] Emma has sexual intercourse with Benjamín Olmo, the leading actor of the play.[6][1]
The project was originally titled Érase una vez Oviedo.[10] The film was shot in Oviedo in 2006.[10]
The film was theatrically released in Spain on 31 October 2007.[11]
Alberto Bermejo of El Mundo rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, writing that "above many other things, 'Oviedo Express' is very funny, even though it is much more than a comedy", with additional superimposed layers of farce, vaudeville, melodrama, and caricature, also featuring a cast of actors taking risks "in unusual registers" delivering the elaborated and "highly personal" dialogues of Gonzalo Suárez.[12]
Jonathan Holland of Variety deemed the film to be "a typically eccentric dramedy" and (so much) "over-the-top", featuring a "bunch of fine Spanish actors overacting for all they're worth".[4]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 22nd Goya Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Gonzalo Suárez | Nominated | [13] |
| Best New Actress | Bárbara Goenaga | Nominated | |||
| Best Production Supervision | Teresa Cepeda | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Carlos Suárez | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Score | Carles Cases | Nominated | |||
| Best Art Direction | Wolfang Burmann | Nominated | |||
| Best Makeup and Hairstyles | Lourdes Briones, Fermín Galán | Nominated | |||
| 17th Actors and Actresses Union Awards | Best Film Actor in a Secondary Role | Jorge Sanz | Nominated | [14][15] |