The Dead Man and Being Happy (Spanish: El muerto y ser feliz) is a 2012 road movie directed by Javier Rebollo and written by Lola Mayo, Rebollo, and Salvador Roselli which stars José Sacristán and Roxana Blanco. It is a Spanish-French-Argentine co-production.
| The Dead Man and Being Happy | |
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 Film poster | |
| Spanish | El muerto y ser feliz |
| Directed by | Javier Rebollo |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Santiago Racaj |
| Edited by | Ángel Hdez. Zoido |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Splendor Films (es) |
Release dates |
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| Countries |
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| Language | Spanish |
Plot
The plot follows Santos, a terminally-ill Spanish hitman living in Argentina who starts a travel to the north of the country for a last job.[1]
Cast
- José Sacristán as Santos[2]
- Roxana Blanco as Érika[2]
- Valeria Alonso[2]
- Jorge Jellinek[2]
- Carlos Lecuona[2]
- Lisa Caligaris as Alejandra[2]
- Vicky Peña[2]
- Fermí Reixach as Santiago[2]
Production
The film is a Spanish-Argentine-French co-production by Eddie Saeta, Icónica, Lolita Films, Noodles Productions and Utópica and it had the participation of TVC and backing from ICEC, INCAA, and SOFICA.[3][4]
Release
The film was presented at the 60th San Sebastián International Film Festival on 23 September 2012.[5] Distributed by Catalan outfit Splendor Films,[6] it was released theatrically in Spain on 11 January 2013.[2]
Reception
Neil Young of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Rebollo "just about manages to keep the right side of the line dividing the engagingly offbeat from the self-regardingly clever-clever".[7]
Fionnula of Halligan ScreenDaily undercored that "rarely laugh-out-loud, The Dead Man And Being Happy is nonetheless a warmly funny film".[8]
Matthew Connolly of Slant Magazine wrote that the film "feels like a connect-the-dots film with a few lines artfully blurred".[9]
Sergio F. Pinilla of Cinemanía rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, deeming it to be "one of the most exciting and radical adventures of recent Spanish cinema".[6]
Javier Porta Fouz of La Nación gave the film a 'good' rating, pointing out that even its intrigue becomes progressively diluted, by the time the denouement comes viewers confirm that "the characters have been guided with a strange sense of humor and responsibility, with a welcome affection".[10]
Gaspar Zimerman of Clarín gave the film a 'good' rating, writing that Sacristán "manages to give shape to a credible and lovable creature".[11]
Carlos Boyero of El País only recognized one virtue in the film, being "that it only lasts 90 minutes".[12]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | 60th San Sebastián International Film Festival | Silver Shell for Best Actor | José Sacristán | Won | |
| Toulouse Spanish Film Festival | Golden Violet for Best Film | Won | |||
2013 | 27th Goya Awards | Best Actor | José Sacristán | Won | |