Hard Times (2005)

Name: Hard Times
Genre: Drama
Released: 2005-11-18
Duration: 115 min
Rating: 5.6
Cast: Javier Cámara, Nathalie Poza, Eman Xor Oña, Leonor Watling, Gonzalo Pedrosa

Hard Times (2005), directed by Manuel Martín Cuenca, starring Javier Cámara and Nathalie Poza.

11/18/2005 BR Drama 1h 55m

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Synopsis

When the troubled son of an NGO worker refuses to take a test and announces that he is not leaving his room, his concerned mother asks one of her clients, a Cuban exile, for help in setting the boy straight. Gonzalo has decided to drop out of school, and his mother Ana isn't sure how to convince the boy that he's making a crucial mistake. Ana's client Carlos is a Cuban exile who makes his living selling cigars and artwork on the black market. When Carlos learns of Ana's dilemma, he calls on recently released convict Mikel to teach the boy how to play chess. Perhaps is young Gonzalo can master the game, he can learn to start living again. As the lessons get underway, each of these characters learns that in order to truly move on with their lives they much first break free of the bonds that prevent them from being who they really are.

David CarreteroCinematography
Manuel Martín CuencaDirector, Writer
Alejandro HernándezWriter

About the film

Hard Times (Spanish: Malas temporadas) is a 2005 Spanish drama film directed by Manuel Martín Cuenca from a screenplay by Martín Cuenca and Alejandro Hernández which stars Javier Cámara, Nathalie Poza, Eman Xor Oña, and Leonor Watling.

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Plot

Set in Madrid, the plot concerns about connected personal stories: those of a former inmate adapting to life out of jail (Mikel), a NGO worker (Ana), and a Cuban immigrant and smuggler of cigars and artwork (Carlos).

Cast

Release

The film was presented at the 53rd San Sebastián International Film Festival in September 2005. It was theatrically released in Spain on 18 November 2005.

Reception

Fionnuala Halligan of ScreenDaily deemed the film to be "nicely-modulated and finely-acted", considering that, despite its "downbeat perspective", Hard Times is a "rewarding and challenging" film.

Javier Ocaña of El País considered that even if, as almost always with choral stories, some of the stories work better than others, the whole is "very well crafted", underpinning a portrait of current-day sorrows "as real as it is pessimistic".

Accolades

References

External links

Hard Times at IMDb

Text from Hard Times (2005 film) on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Times_(2005_film)

Trivia

It premiered on November 18, 2005, a Friday.
It runs 1h55 — a typical feature length.
Its original title is "Malas temporadas".
This film's quiz has 10 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.

Production

StudiosIberrota Films
CountriesSpain
LanguagesSpanish
StatusReleased

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Filming locations

Almería

Cast

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Crew

David Carretero Cinematography
Manuel Martín Cuenca Director
Alejandro Hernández Writer
Manuel Martín Cuenca Writer

Questions about this film

What is Hard Times about?

Hard Times: When the troubled son of an NGO worker refuses to take a test and announces that he is not leaving his room, his concerned mother asks one of her clients, a Cuban exile, for help in setting the boy straight. Gonzalo has decided to drop out of school, and his mother Ana isn't sure how to convince the boy that he's maki…

Who directed Hard Times?

Hard Times was directed by Manuel Martín Cuenca in 2005.

Who stars in Hard Times?

The cast of Hard Times includes Javier Cámara, Nathalie Poza, Eman Xor Oña, Leonor Watling and Gonzalo Pedrosa.

How long is Hard Times?

Hard Times runs for 115 minutes, or 1h55.