To Kill a Man
Film poster
Matar a un hombre
Directed byAlejandro Fernández Almendras
Written byAlejandro Fernández Almendras
Produced byGuillaume de Seille
Eduardo Villalobos
StarringDaniel Antivilo
Daniel Candia
Ariel Mateluna
Alejandra Yáñez
CinematographyInti Briones
Edited byAlejandro Fernández Almendras
Soledad Salfate
Music byPablo Vergara
Production
company
El Remanso
Distributed byFilm Movement
Release date
Running time
82 minutes
CountriesChile
France
LanguageSpanish

To Kill a Man (Spanish: Matar a un hombre) is a 2014 Chilean-French drama film written and directed by Alejandro Fernández Almendras.[1][2] The film premiered in-competition in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 17, 2014.[3][4] It won the Grand Jury Prize at the festival.[5][6]

On January 29, it premiered at 2014 International Film Festival Rotterdam and won the KNF Award.[7][8][9] The film later screened at the 2014 Miami International Film Festival in The Knight Competition on March 10, 2014.[10][11] It won the Critics Award at the festival.[12][13] It also premiered in competition at 2014 Fribourg International Film Festival on March 30, 2014 and won the Special Jury Prize.[14][15]

After its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Film Movement acquired the distribution rights of the film. The movie was theatrically released in the United States and Canada in fall 2014, followed with a VOD and DVD release.[16][17]

The film was selected as the Chilean entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards, but was not nominated.[18]

Plot

Jorge, a hard-working and impoverished man, and his family live in terror due to the harassment from the criminal gang of Kalule. When Jorge's teenage son courageously attempts to defend his father, Kalule responds by shooting him. Despite their efforts to seek justice through the legal system, Jorge and his wife Martha are unsuccessful. To make matters worse, Kalule is released from prison after serving only a two-year sentence. Determined to protect his family, Jorge prepares to take matters into his own hands.

Cast

  • Daniel Antivilo as Kalule
  • Daniel Candia as Jorge
  • Ariel Mateluna as Jorgito
  • Alejandra Yáñez as Marta

Reception

To Kill a Man received mostly positive reviews upon its premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Variety reviewer Guy Lodge, called “To Kill a Man,” a grim, fat-free revenge thriller that extracts an impressive degree of moral equivocation from its exceedingly simple premise."[19]

John DeFore in his review for The Hollywood Reporter called the film "A quiet drama that cares as much about familial alienation as getting away with murder."[20]

Carlos Aguilar of IndieWire grade the film B+ by saying that "Chilean director Alejandro Fernández Almendras' third feature "To Kill a Man" is a quietly powerful character study that meditates on the ramifications of a family man's choice to defend his kind."[21]

Lorri Vodi Rupard from The GATE praised the film by saying that "The tonality of To Kill A Man is that of stark desperation, the subject matter weighty. Still, woven throughout Alejandro’s undertaking there’s tangible humor and pathos as if one is watching an unanimated rip-off of WB’s Roadrunner where Wile E. Coyote has found Jesus and is less emaciated after all these years but still can’t get his man."[22]

Chris Michael of The Guardian gave the film four out of five stars by saying that "This meticulous film squeezes Jorge ever tighter in its grip as his contemptuous wife, his vulnerable daughter and, you feel, his own pride demand that he stand up for his family when the authorities can't kiss it better. A terrifically tense first half culminates in a truly brilliant scene featuring a car alarm used as a lure. The pace subsequently sags, but it all ends with a dramatic pop as sharp as the first of only two gunshots in this menacing, morally agnostic film."[23]

Accolades

It won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

Year Award Category Recipient Result
2014 Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic Alejandro Fernández Almendras Won[5][6]
International Film Festival Rotterdam Big Screen Award Nominated[7][8][9]
KNF Award Won[7][8][9]
Miami International Film Festival Grand Jury Prize - Knight Competition Nominated[12][13]
Miami Future Cinema Critics Award Won[12][13]
Fribourg International Film Festival Grand Prix Nominated[14][15]
Special Jury Prize Won[14][15]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Interview: Director Alejandro Fernandez Almendras On His Festival Hit "To Kill a Man"". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Chile's To Kill a Man wins World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic'". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Sundance 2014: World Cinema Dramatic Competition". Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  4. ↑ "To Kill a Man - Director Alejandro Fernández". Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Sundance: 'Whiplash' & 'Rich Hill' Win Grand Jury Awards; Dramatic Directing Goes To Cutter Hodierne For 'Fishing Without Nets'". Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "'Whiplash' Owns the 2014 Sundance Film Festival Awards Netting Two Top Prizes". Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 "To Kill a ManSP-2014". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 "Rotterdam 2014 Juries Award Films". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 "IFFR 3: Sorrow and Joy, To Kill a Man & Club Sandwich". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Miami International Film Festival 2014 Guide". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Miami Film Festival Unveils 2014 Lineup". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  12. 1 2 3 "Miami Film Fest: 'A Wolf at the Door' Tops Knight Competition". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  13. 1 2 3 "'A Wolf at the Door,' 'Aurora' Top Miami Festival". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  14. 1 2 3 "To Kill a Man - Matar a un Hombre". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  15. 1 2 3 "Award Winners 2014". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Berlin: Chilean Drama 'To Kill a Man' Gets U.S. Distribution". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Berlin: Film Movement Takes North America on 'To Kill a Man' (EXCLUSIVE)". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Oscars: Chile Nominates 'To Kill a Man' for Foreign Language Category". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  19. ↑ "Film Review: 'To Kill a Man'". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  20. ↑ "To Kill a Man: Sundance Review". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Sundance Review: A Father Is Transformed By The Remorseful Burden That Comes From Taking Human Life in 'To Kill a Man'". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Sundance '14 Review: 'To Kill A Man' by director Alejandro Fernandez Almendras". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  23. ↑ "To Kill a Man – first look review". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
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