SIN NOTICIAS DE DIOS / NO NEWS FROM GOD / DON'T TEMPT ME

Spain, 2001, 95 minutes, Colour.
Victoria Abril, Penelope Cruz, Demian Bichir, Fanny Ardant, Gael Garcia Bernal, Gemma Jones, Luis Tosar.
Directed by Agustin Diaz Yanez.

If you wanted an exotic idea for a film, the plot of Sin Noticias de Dios could be it.

The film introduces Heaven, filmed in black and white, where everybody speaks French. It then moves to Hell, which is in colour, where everybody speaks English. In the real world, everybody speaks Spanish – also in colour. The film moves from one place to the other.

The plot concerns with soul of a boxer who has been knocked out, has no career left, is given a job in a supermarket - and who wants to fight again but also who wants to reconcile with his mother whom he has not contacted for seven years. The latter could be his salvation. In the meantime, two unlikely angels are commissioned to tempt the boxer. Victoria Abril is a nightclub singer in Heaven and is recruited by the manager of heavenly affairs, played with suave dignity by Fanny Ardant, to go to Earth as the boxer’s estranged wife and tempt him to good. Meantime, in Hell, where the CEO is a rather scruffy Gael Garcia Bernal, assisted by a very proper Gemma Jones and Peter McDonald?, and they send Penelope Cruz to Earth. The film contrasts the style of Victoria Abril with the loutishness of Penelope Cruz – a waitress in Hell, who is going to be transformed – even eventually into a man for her next mission. (There is a joke at the end about all the characters and what happened to them – especially for Penelope Cruz whose character turns into a man and they show his photo. It is Javier Bardem (whom Penelope Cruz married in 2008)) .

On Earth, the film is fairly pedestrian, the plight of the boxer, his home life, relationship with his wife, his cousin Carmen (Penelope Cruz) turning up, the urging him to fight, the urging him to relate to his mother. They both work in the supermarket, and have personal clashes, but get the boxer a job as a security guard. In the meantime, two corrupt police are chasing the boxer to repay debts. There is a climax in the supermarket, the two angels attempting a robbery in masks, the police turning up, a shootout. The boxer dies and goes to Heaven. In the meantime, the angels give an account of their stewardship and move on to their next jobs.

The film is amusing in a rather slight kind of way – although, the cast is intriguing as is the basic conception of the two angels (who illustrate that Heaven and Hell can be rather sexy places). The director also wrote the historical film, Alatriste (with Vigo Mortensen in the central role) as well as the rather grim Mexican-Spanish? crime thriller Solo Quiero, Caminar/Just Keep Walking.

1. An amusing conception? Heaven and Hell, their visualising, the inhabitants, those in charge? Angels and devils?

2. The Spanish background? The Spanish sense of humour? The use of the two stars with their reputations? Working with Almodovar? Sex appeal? The age difference? The rapport between the two, their clashes?

3. The title, the initial discussion about God, the theological point – God able to stop evil and therefore being cruel, God unable to stop evil and therefore being weak? The discussion about God in the present – and Lola’s point that she believes that all is in the future, humans and God in a state of becoming? A theological underpinning for the film?

4. The introduction of Heaven, black and white, the meeting rooms, the nightclubs, Lola’s singing, the performances? Marina and her status, her style, recruiting Lola? Sending her to Earth? The mission? Heaven desperate to get recruits? Her later meetings with Lola – and her moving into colour for her meeting with the CEO, Jack Davenport, of Hell? The deals?

5. The contrast with Hell, dingy, the kitchens, the dining rooms? The brutish behaviour of the customers? Carmen and her role as a waitress? Discussions with the other waitresses? The car with the executives, Jack Davenport as a spoilt kid? Nancy and her primness? Henry and his efficiency? Their going to the kitchen, seeing the fight, rescuing Carmen? Sending her to Earth? Jack Davenport and his conspiracies, his fearing the takeover? Nancy and her reprimands of Carmen and her behaviour?

6. The boxer, his character, the fights, his being knocked out? Separation from his wife? Not contacting his mother for seven years? At home, Lola reappearing as his wife, Carmen and her message and turning up as the cousin? The memories about boxing and training? Lola and her trying to reconcile Manny with his mother? Carmen and her being disruptive? The scenes at home?

7. Lola and Carmen working at the supermarket? The staff? The manager? The supervisor? Giving Carmen the job, the comments about her sex appeal? Her discussions with the women? Clashes with Lola? In the canteen? The plan for Manny to get a job? His going to the supermarket? Not liking the job?

8. The police and their arrival, the money, Carmen and her taunts? The policewoman and her attitude towards Carmen?

9. The opening with the two talking together, putting on their masks, the reprising of the robbery at the supermarket? The shootout? The police? Manny’s death?

10. Mission accomplished? Giving account of their work? The details in the final credits of what happened to everyone?

11. A tongue-in-cheek film about angels, devils, Heaven and Hell, God?