Masterpiece (Spanish: Obra maestra) is a 2000 Spanish comedy-drama film directed and written by David Trueba. It stars Ariadna Gil, Santiago Segura and Pablo Carbonell.
| Masterpiece | |
|---|---|
_poster.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Spanish | Obra maestra |
| Directed by | David Trueba |
| Screenplay by | David Trueba |
| Produced by | Cristina Huete |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Javier Aguirresarobe |
| Edited by | Pablo G. del Amo |
| Music by | Roque Baños |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Lolafilms |
Release date |
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| Country | Spain |
| Language | Spanish |
Plot
The plot tracks two male friends, a film director and a wannabe leading man, preparing a musical film, intended to star Amanda Castro, a Spanish cinema diva at a low ebb. Upon the rejection from the latter, the two friends kidnap Castro and force her to star in the film.
Cast
- Ariadna Gil as Amanda Castro[1]
- Santiago Segura as Benito Cañaveras[1]
- Pablo Carbonell as Carolo Suárez Perales[1]
- Loles León as Catalina[2]
- Luis Cuenca as Damián[2]
- Jesús Bonilla[3]
- Joserra Cadiñanos[4]
- Manolo Codeso[4]
- Ana María Barbany[4]
- Concha Redondo[4]
- Anabel Labrador[4]
Production
The film was produced by Fernando Trueba PC and Buenavida producciones,[5] with the participation of TVE, Vía Digital and Amiguetes Entertainment.[2] Shooting locations included the mountains of the Madrid region.[6]
Release
The screenplay was penned by David Trueba. Owing to superficial similarities of the plot with Cecil B. Demented's, lawyers representing the latter film threatened to take legal measures.[7] Distributed by Lolafilms,[2] the film was theatrically released in Spain on 27 October 2000.[5] It grossed €1,056,713 (249,699 admissions).[5]
Reception
Jonathan Holland of Variety considered that despite being "dangerously straddled between genres in a way that could confuse audiences" the film "manages to be moving, funny and thought-provoking".[2]
The review in Fotogramas rated the film 2 out of 5 stars drawing out Santiago Segura's character ("simply superb") as a man evicted from reality, as the best thing about the film while considering that there are too many characters who contribute nothing as the worst element of the film.[1]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 15th Goya Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Luis Cuenca | Nominated | [8] |
| Best New Actor | Pablo Carbonell | Nominated | |||
| Best Special Effects | Emilio Ruiz del Río, Alfonso Nieto, Raúl Romanillos, Pau Costa | Nominated |