In 1980, when the reign of Franco just ended, Spain was a country which still had unrest. People who did things that were unspeakable weren’t prose cued. The structure within the police still hadn’t changed enough. The result was that there still wasn’t a balance between the new democracy and the old dictatorial ways and methods of gaining intelligence. It is during this time that the events of this movie take place. Two police officers who don’t get along too well travel to the marshes of Spain to look into a case where two teenage sisters are missing. The two stand out in the small town and have to deal with a lot more than they were expecting.
La Isla Mínima breathes a lot of atmosphere, which immediately becomes clear at its opening, in which helicopter shots show the intricately detailed waterways of the area giving you the feeling you are looking at the brains of someone. And this thriller makes sure you use your own grey matter, because if you don’t pay attention it can feel very fragmented. If you do manage to take in all the detail you are treated to a story full of suspense, where there regularly is friction between the two agents.
At the Goya’s (Spanish Oscars) it managed to win 10 statues and I can understand why. Not only the acting is good, but also the atmosphere (through its beautiful cinematography) stand out. It is a film which isn’t only about solving a missing teenager case, but is also about a time in Spain when not everything was set in stone yet when it came to power and ideologies.
