Reel Talk: Low-key drama El 47 shows Spain can also deliver feel-good cinema

Stars: 3.5 Starring: Eduard Fernandez, Salva Reina, Zoe Bonafonte, Clara Segura Rated: M If you heard there was a feel-good movie about a bus driver, based on a true story, in which said bus driver hijacked a bus as a form of activism and, in the process, saved his community, you’d bet dollars to doughnuts the film was British. In fact, you’d probably assume the bus driver was played by the great Jim Broadbent, and his long-suffering missus would, of course, be played by Dame Helen Mirren. You’d be wrong on all counts. For all intents and purposes, EL 47 could be the sort of classic feel-good movie the Brits have made a genre unto itself. The key difference? Well, it’s Spanish. For those who no hablo Espanol, EL 47 translates to The 47 (impressive feat of translation, I know), which is the designation of an ordinary bus route in the Spanish city of Barcelona. You know, the place with all the wild Gaudi architecture and amazing tapas that you’re probably sick of seeing posted on Instagram by your mates enjoying a European summer vacay right now. While Spanish director Marcel Barrena’s film captures the vibrant heart of this city, it presents a vision of Barcelona very different from the tourist version. Set in the late 1970s, EL 47 depicts Barcelona at a time when social unrest was growing. Satellite communities had sprung up in the hills surrounding the city, filled with impoverished Extremaduran and Andalusian people looking for the better economic opportunities. They might have come from a different country, because these people faced discrimination from locals and the Barcelona authorities and were deprived of basic necessities like running water and fair wages. Manolo Vital (Eduard Fernandez) raised his family in this community, struggling to build a better life as a bus driver in the city. Ironically, one of the things holding his fellow residents of the Torre Baro neighbourhood back was access to public transport. Fed up with excuses from the authorities, Vital, much beloved by his regular patrons, decides to take matters into his own hands and hijack the bus. He figures if he can prove the behemoth of a bus can make it up the steep incline and unsurfaced road to Torre Baro, the council will have to approve adding it to the route. While modest in scope – just like so many of those British feel-good films – EL 47 is poignantly rendered by Barrena, with a wonderful central performance from Fernandez. No wonder it was a box office smash in Spain, where it also picked up a Goya Award for best picture. The real-life Vital is credited for helping Barcelona evolve into the city it is today, making EL 47 a fascinating slice of history that underscores the value of people power. We can all agree that’s a pertinent message at the moment. In Cinemas: Now, as part of the Spanish Film Festival, which runs until July 2 at Palace Cinemas Raine Square, Luna Leederville and Luna on SX.

Reel Talk: Low-key drama El 47 shows Spain can also deliver feel-good cinema

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