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Directed by Santiago Segura Cast : Santiago Segura, Javier Cámara, Neus Asensi, Chus lampreave, Manuel Maquiña, Espartaco Santoni, Tony Leblanc. 1998 |
Torrente.
Torrente shows his assets.
Torrente's dad is as gorgeous as Torrente.
At the fishmonger's.
Torrente's sidekicks.
Torrente wears the Atleti F.C scarf.
Torrente is a fat and greasy man dressed in a cheap suit, with a sweaty face ending in a great double chin and a few greasy hairs in between his shiny head and his forehead. To top it all of, he has another small collection of hair -in the form of a thin mustache- which underlines the image of fascism that this human monster called Torrente represents. This policeman is the representation of all vices, shame and horrors of what is understood to be Spanish in the worst bars of Spain.
Torrente is a fascist, chauvinist, racist, alcoholic supporter of the Atleti de Madrid football club Spanish policeman. This magnificent representative of the law and order lives with his paraplegic father (played by Tony Leblanc, who returns to the Spanish screens after a 25 year hiatus) in Madrid, where he performs his labour of "defender" of justice. Thanks to his great sense of smell he discovers, in his own neighbourhood, an important group of drug-dealers. With the help of his very special friends he will start a very risky plan to dismantle it.
Torrente, El Brazo Tonto de La Ley (Torrente, the Stupid Arm of the Law) was Tony Leblanc's return to the Spanish cinema after 25 years in hiatus. He explains: "It is a collaboration role. I am the father of the lout man that is Torrente. Santiago Segura, who has been a Leblancist all his life, wrote this role for me, even though it is nothing like I have played before... and I have played hundreds of roles". In the first day of shooting for Tony Leblanc he had to play Torrente's dad confined to a wheelchair. To the shout of 'Action' Torrente comes out of a doorway pushing his father's wheelchair. Tony Leblanc acts so naturally and with such vitality that it seems like yesterday when he was shooting Los Tramposos (The Cheaters). When shooting ends, the whole cast and crew claps energetically paying homage to the veteran maestro, who gets emotional and says: "I am used to people clapping to me at the theatre, but nobody has clapped for me in the cinema. It feels like a truly recognition of my work". Santiago Segura, also very emotional, says: "For me, ever since I was a kid, Tony Leblanc has not only been an idol, he is like a way of life. Just like Fernando Trueba says that for him Billy Wilder is God, for me God was Tony Leblanc. He is to me the best comic icon there has ever been in cinema, and to be able to have him in the film is like a dream. Cary Grant? who is Cary Grant? Tony Leblanc!".
Segura comments: "I say it half joking, but I'm trying to make it a mixture between Martin Scorsese's Bad Streets and an inspector Cluseau film". He might be joking, but the truth is that he may have made it. On one side the takes are as comic as the team, he often has to bite his tongue not to ruin the takes laughing out loud, and on the other side, the film represents a very personal and attractive look.
Segura has no problems recruiting as many freaks as he pleases, as supporting characters or just as extras. In the action scenes he does not skimp with gunpowder or special effects. The director points out: "The movie may be stupid, may be very Madrileño and all that, but formally we have to make something like The Godfather, because I believe the contrast may result. The public will have it difficult with this disgusting policeman moving around in a Madrid portrayed like Manhattan".
Santiago Segura has not made the typical Madrileño comedy but a very special buddy movie, a film where all his friends have helped and where the character of Rafi (played by Javier Cámara) will see in the character of Torrente a semi-God and will start by his side a dangerous trip towards the sewers of the city... and of 'deep' Spain.
Santiago Segura, creator and director of Torrente el Brazo Tonto de la Ley.
Santiago Segura, creator, director and the soul of Torrente, makes a spectacular metamorphosis to play his character, especially if we take into account the time he has taken to get into the skin -literally- of the character. Segura blindly believes that: "Robert De Niro is overvalued, he puts on weight, loses it... yes, but how? with doctors and some chicks giving him massages! I, instead, am doing it the animal way. I have been stuffing my face with all sorts of junk in order to get the ideal weight, 112 kilos. Before, I was thin as a stick but I have sacrifized my gorgeous figure to make this film."
Torrente is Santiago Segura's firs feature film as director. His long career as short film writer and director and a collaboration with Alex de la Iglesia in El Dia de La Bestia (The Day of the Beast) introduced him strongly in Spanish cinema and Torrente brought him a Goya Award in 1998 for the best new-coming director and an award to Tony Leblanc as best supporting actor.
DVD menu screen.
Torrente has fun.
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Genre: Length: 93 minutes, Special Features: 72 minutes Format: 1,85:1 Rated: 18 Awards: 2 Goya Awards:
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Special Features:
Language: Spanish Subtitles:
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Comedy