Review of Gimlet

Gimlet (1995)
6/10
Spanish Neo-Noir Film with mysterious roles, intrigue and grisly murders with various suspect men
20 January 2020
Spanish Noir Film dealing with weird characters, suspenseful events and strange incidents. Concerns Julia, Angela Molina, who runs a trendy Cocktail Pub at Barcelona when shows up a murdered corpse. As his body heart appears cut off and signals of a strong violence. He was a waiter working for Julia who's been dating with him. Things go wrong when another killing takes place. While Julia receives some video tapes and strange anonymous messages. That's why the chief comisario, Luis Marco, gives her full-time protection. Along the way a mysterious stalker seems to be too much attracted to her, holding a crazy love for Julia . Will we find out the killer?

A decent Film Noir with its usual elements : rare roles, pesimist portrayals, Amor Fou, fatalism, corrupt policemen, Venetian blinds, astonishing murders with a lot of suspect people, sordid environments and anything else. The film title comes from Gimlet as a cocktail drink usually drunk by Philip Marlowe, the classic detective written by Raymond Chandler. This is a cocktail made at Cocktail Bar by blending both, Lima juice, and Ginever or Ginebra. The picture pays tribute to Jean Pierre Melville's Le Samurai at its final scenes. Main cast and secondary actors are pretty well. Angela Molina gives an acceptable acting as a good woman treating men with caution, avoiding love too much by neither suffering, nor pain . In the Nineties Angela enjoyed a big time, performing in notorious movies, such as Las cosas del querer, Carne trémula, Baile de las animas, El Viento se llevo lo que, Jara or El Mar. And Viggo Mortensen is good as the mysterious stalker at his first intervention in Spanish cinema, continuing La Pistola de mi Hermano by Ray Loriga. Support cast is pretty good such as : Abel Folk as the cop who falls in love for her, Pep Cruz as the violent police officer Nuñez. And special mention for Luis Marco as police inspector boss whose eyes are always covered, as he awaits the completion of treatment and along the way he's on the verge of a breakdown while he doesn't solve the ominous crimes.

The flick packs a colorful cinematography, mostly shot in interior sets, by Jesús Escosa. As well as atmospheric and adequate musical score by Alexander Bubenheim. The picture was well directed by Jose Luis Acosta, being his film debut. He, subsequently, made another movie No dejare que me quieras and wrote La mujer de mi vida. Following his career as a TV writer in popular television and series as Los Ladrones no van a la oficina, Sin tetas no hay paraiso, UCO, Family, No te puedes esconder, A las 11 en casa, Señor Alcalde, Fuera de lugar Con el culo al aire and Ana y los siete. Rating 6.5/10. Decent, acceptable and passable Spanish Film Noir. Well worth watching.
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed