DIRECTOR: Alejandro Amenábar
PRODUCERS: Fernando Bovaira, José Luis Cuerda
PRODUCTION CO: Las Producciones del Escorpión
SCREENPLAY: Alejandro Amenábar, Mateo Gil
PHOTOGRAPHY: Hans Burmann
EDITOR: María Sáinz de Rozas
MUSIC: Alejandro Amenábar, Mariano Marín
WITH: Eduardo Noriega (César), Fele Martínez (Pelayo), Penélope Cruz (Sofía), Najwa Nimri (Nuria), Tristán Ulloa (Camarero), Chete Lera (Antonio) 

REVIEW

“You might think seeing is believing, but tell that to Amenábar, writer/director of this dazzling thriller, which toys with our perceptions to exquisitely torturous effect. Initially, it appears that playboy César (Eduardo Noriega) has it all: money, looks, girls. One night at a party, however, eager to escape jealous Nuria (Najwa Nimri), he strikes up a conversation with Sofía (Penelope Cruz), and soon realises he's in love. After one chaste evening together, it all goes wrong: Nuria is waiting outside, offers a lift, then deliberately drives off the road. She's killed, but he survives with a face so horribly disfigured he needs a mask. His hopes of getting back together with Sofía seem slim, especially since he's now facing a possible murder charge. Will this nightmare never end? Actually, it's only just beginning, as Amenábar adds layers of information overload, altering the picture from noir-ish poser to latter-day Beauty and the Beast, and eventually to head spinning sci-fi mode. What holds us through the revelations are the sheer chutzpah with which Amenábar and his cast deliver them, the emotional imperative of the material and the fascinating way it touches on concepts of interior/exterior worth, personal responsibility and phenomenology. This is so smart, mischievous and stylish, you'll instantly want to see it again.”

– Trevor Johnston, Time Out 

FILM SOCIETY SCREENINGS

New Plymouth
Wednesday, 12 February, 6.00pm

Whanganui
Monday, 03 March, 7.00pm

Dunedin
Wednesday, 12 March, 7.30pm

Auckland   
Monday, 07 April, 6.15pm 

Palmerston North
Wednesday, 14 May 6.00pm

Wellington     
Monday, 26 May, 6.15pm 

Wellington     
Monday, 26 May, 8.30pm

Hamilton   
Monday, 30 June, 6.30pm

Canterbury     
Monday, 23 September, 7.00pm

Nelson     
Wednesday, 15 October, 6.00pm

Timaru
Tuesday, 04 November, 6.30pm
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