25 kilates (2008) Reviews

• Leon meets 9 Queens from Barcelona

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  Set in Barcelona's criminal underbelly, this sizzling and tense thriller is a fantastic debut from Patxi Amezcua, a name worth following. One of those films that you don't expect too much and get so much in return.Cross between 9 Queens and Leon, it follows Kay, a sassy car thief living with her con man father Sebas. Together they scrape by on earnings from petty theft in the hope that one of Sebas' bigger scams will eventually take them away from a life of crime. One day, Kay is caught red-handed, but a mysterious, handsome stranger, Abel.He impulsively rescues her from the police. Abel has also been forced to work in the criminal underworld to support the upbringing of his young son Adrian. The chemistry between Kay and Abel builds and as their bond strengthens they realise they can help each other. When their lives are threatened, their trust is tested, and they are forced to chose where their loyalties lie. 25 Carats combines gripping plot twists and a virulent cat and mouse chase, and a truly original car-jack. This sexy thriller is executed with a fresh and exciting fervour, brilliantly shot using muted sepia tones, tight close-ups and shorts cuts which bring an enlightening intimacy between the character combined with a breathless pace in action sequences. Held together by an outstanding cast, 25 Carats has already garnered attention after its TIFF premiere and demonstrates a remarkable collusion between violence combined with a delicate sensitivity to vulnerability. A deserved winner of Raindance Film Festival 2009. Andreja Kmetovic

• Gritty, lyric roller coaster - an unexpected treat

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  I saw this film in Catalan with no subtitles in an art house in Barcelona. I had no expectations; I went in blind by pure chance. Usually a critic of Spanish films and its celebration of the mediocre, I fell in love with this film. The main characters are Abel and Kay, though you don't find that out easily. In my notes, I just refer to him as "creepy guy" till I do find out his name. And indeed, the film begins with a creepy guy and a bad girl. Why should I follow them on their journey? Because they are as riveting as their journey. It takes you on a roller coaster ride that you don't want to get off. Emotional, suspenseful, and disorienting, its unique sense of rhythm keeps you uncomfortable and heavy with anticipation - but of what you have no idea. This film needs to be picked up for broader distribution. Even in Spain, it wasn't well-known. Come on, Lions Gate or Miramax.