Mensaka
SpanishMensaka, páginas de una historia
Directed bySalvador García Ruiz
Screenplay bySalvador García Ruiz
Based onMensaka
by José Ángel Mañas
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyTeo Delgado
Edited byCarmen Frías
Music byPascal Gaigne
Production
company
Tornasol Films
Distributed byAlta Films
Release date
  • 30 April 1998 (1998-04-30)
CountrySpain
LanguageSpanish

Mensaka (Spanish: Mensaka, páginas de una historia; transl.'Mensaka, Pages from a Story') is a 1998 Spanish drama film written and directed by Salvador García Ruiz (in his directorial feature debut) consisting of an adaptation of the novel Mensaka by José Ángel Mañas. It stars Gustavo Salmerón, Tristán Ulloa, Adrià Collado, Laia Marull, María Esteve, Lola Dueñas and Guillermo Toledo.

Plot

The plot focus on a group of young people belonging to different social classes.[1] It tracks the relationships between David and Fran (who both play in an underground rock band in Madrid alongside Javi) with their girlfriends Bea and Natalia as well as the mishaps of Javi and romantic interest Cristina.[2][3] Meanwhile, Laura, Javi's little sister, has formed a gang and deals drugs.[3][4]

Cast

Production

The film was produced by Tornasol Films and it had the participation of TVE.[3]

Release

Distributed by Alta Films, Mensaka was theatrically released in Spain on 30 April 1998.[7]

Reception

Jonathan Holland of Variety deemed the film to be "a gritty, compassionate study of post-adolescent life in contemporary Spain", and "a good showcase for young local acting talent".[3]

Ángel Fernández-Santos of El País gave a positive review and highlighted the craft of Salvador García in his debut film (managing to uplift a "storyline of little substance") and the performances of Salmerón, Ulloa, Marull and Dueñas.[8]

The "unapologetic brand of female adolescent subjectivity" represented by the character of Laura (Javi's "demonic little sister"),[3] displaying a take on the wild child archetype, has been drawn out as a highlight of "an unexpectedly striking movie" by Matthew J. Marr.[9]

José Angel Mañas commented that, out of all the transpositions of his works, Mensaka was the one he liked the most.[10]

Accolades

Year Award CategoryNominee(s) ResultRef.
199913th Goya AwardsBest Adapted ScreenplaySalvador García RuizWon[11]
Best New DirectorSalvador García RuizNominated
Best New ActorTristán UlloaNominated

See also

References

  1. "Mensaka, páginas de una historia". Fotogramas. 29 May 2008.
  2. Marr 2013, p. 16.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Holland, Jonathan (15 July 1998). "Mensaka". Variety.
  4. Maíllo Baz 2021, p. 119.
  5. Marr 2013, p. 19.
  6. Benavent, Francisco María (2000). Cine español de los 90. Diccionario de películas, directores y temático. Bilbao: Ediciones Mensajero. p. 385. ISBN 84-271-2326-4.
  7. "Mensaka · España 1998". Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes. 10 June 2022.
  8. "Otro brote de talento". El País. 3 May 1998.
  9. Marr 2013, p. 16; 19.
  10. Maíllo Baz 2021, p. 107.
  11. Jimenez Murguía, Salvador; Pinar, Alex, eds. (2018). "Appendix B: Goya Awards (Premios Goya)". The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Spanish Films. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 473–474. ISBN 9781442271333.

Bibliography

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