Premiering in Karlovy Vary’s eclectic new Proxima competition, Andrea Bagney’s first feature Ramona uses a film-within-a-film structure to explore modern-day neuroses in busy Madrid. Kudos to Bagney for attempting to lighten up the global mood of doom in this charming but lightweight comedy. The main protagonist, Ramona, is 31 but is still figuring out her true professional calling and is uncertain about having found her soul mate. She is played by Spanish folk singer and composer Lourdes Hernandez, a.k.a. Russian Red, in the role of a singer who aspires to become an actress. As rom-coms go, this one is on the cerebral side, with the main characters discussing everything from environmental policies to remedies for anxiety.
Spanish comedies veer from slapstick to darker materials with a wide range of tones, from Almodóvar’s soulful meditations to blockbuster satires like Spanish Affair and Spanish Affair Two that poke fun at such serious matters as separatist nationalism. Bagney’s approach to comedy is more mellow and is wholly focused on the main protagonist at the expense of secondary characters, who orbit around her without much background to help us empathize.
Ramona’s singing career is on hold. She works as a nanny but longs to become an actress, and applies for auditions. One day she meets Bruno (Bruno Lastra), an attractive older man, in a café, and they have an instant connection. She later discovers that Bruno is the director she is auditioning for.
The action is set in the Madrid neighborhood of Lavapiés, a charming inner-city enclave favored by immigrants and bohemians but now becoming increasingly unsafe. Ramona feels threatened by the proliferation of addicts and dealers and is relieved when Bruno accompanies her home; she appreciates his paternal concern, as we learn that she has lost her father.
Woody Allen has left a legacy of neurotic, stammering, insecure characters that still permeate many comedies. In her first audition, Ramona says that she chose a scene inspired by Annie Hall, and even her speech pattern reflects her indecision about life in general. Here modern-day Madrid, not Manhattan, is the set, with “cool” (“guay” in Madrid slang) being the key word to describe the choices made by the characters. Flashes of humor lighten up the existential dilemmas (Should she leave her husband? Should she have children?), as do the blond wig she sports for an audition, and her ironic response to two heavily pregnant women crashing a party.
The two men vying for her affection are her husband Nico (Francesco Carril), a chef more focused on his work than on his wife’s aspirations, and Bruno, the older film director. We learn learn little about the latter, besides his unwavering devotion to Ramona, the girl he meets in a bar and casts as the lead in his movie. The script does not reveal enough about either one for Ramona to decide who to choose, and we face a similar dilemma as we watch her dither.
Ramona the character has some biographical parallels with the director Bagney, who also studied abroad before returning to Madrid to pursue a career in film. Hernandez has to carry the film, in frequent close-ups and long conversations, but lacks the acting experience or range to clearly separate the scenes of her acting for Bruno’s camera and acting for Bagney.
Shot in black and white by cinematographer Pol Orpinell, the scenes switch to color when the character is, well, in character for one of her auditions, rehearsals, or the final shoot. The script, divided into six chapters, seems to mirror her meandering conversations, and it would be hard to tell her roles apart without the switch to color.
Classical music provides a welcome break from the lengthy dialogues. Beethoven and Tchaikovsky accompany Ramona as she runs away from making any real commitments and continues to weigh her options. There are some contemporary songs as well: in one celebratory scene during Bruno’s wrap party for his film, Ramona performs the Spanish ballad “Como una ola” on stage in one of the film’s truly joyful moments.
Director, screenplay: Andrea Bagney
Cast: Lourdes Hernandez, Bruno Lastra, Francesco Carril
Producers: Sergio Uguet de Resayre, Andrea Bagney
Cinematography: Pol Orpinell
Editing: Pablo Barce
Sound: Javier Fernandez
Production company: Tortilla Films (Spain)
World sales: Best Friend Forever (Belgium)
Venue: Karlovy Vary Film Festival (Proxima competition)
In Spanish
100 minutes
