What a fascinating plot line in this Spanish-Italian film set in Barcelona and recently screened at the St. Sebastian Film Festival. Rosario (Eulàlia Ramón), a former missionary nun, leads a gang of do gooder thieves stealing religious statues of saints from churches, convents and monasteries. Barcelona itself is protected by two patron saints. And Director Mikel Gurrea lives in the Sants neighbourhood of Barcelona.
Do gooders? The money earned from selling statutes is used to assist those in need so there is a Robin Hood element to the film. After all, as Rosario says, the relevance of Roman Catholic churches is fading in Spanish society so her rationale for thievery may be to put the wealth of the church to better use than simply passive admiration.
Petty thief, gambler cheat and wanderer Lali (Victoria Luengo) is summoned back to Barcelona by a terminally ill Gloria, her mother. She eventually joins Rosario’s gang thoroughly enjoying the plundering. Unfortunately we do not know why which is reflective of lack of character development in the film.
Gang members do a remarkable job of caring for Gloria and it is evident they do in fact assist those in need including an injured labourer.
A suave middleman handsomely rewards Rosario for a planned major heist of statutes to be sold to international buyers. Then suddenly we are enmeshed in the caper not knowing where it is occurring or as common in heist movies “the plan”. A weird scene with a nun, during the heist desperately craving chocolate “for my body” and when given consumes with near orgasmic delight. The inner corruption of the holiest? The sheer thin veneer of the Catholic religion? Gurrea playing with us!
As for the success of the heist God indeed must have been paying close attention.
Near the conclusion of the film a television report notes the heist as carried out by an international criminal organization linked to an international network. Not that news reports have it right but is Rosario no more than a clever criminal with a fascinating alias. A Robin Hood not of the oppressed but a hood for personal gain? Director Gurrea if you are playing with us again I love it.
Speaking of love and admiration tremendous performances by Luengo and Rosario.
I only wish we knew what if anything Lali learnt from this. Moral enrichment or paganistic thrills.
RKS EURO FILM RATING 68/100.
