PIPA/ RECURRENCE

Spain, 2022, 115 minutes, Colour.

Luisana Lopilato, Inez Estevez, Paulina Garcia.

Directed by Alejeandro Montiel.

This is the third drama and what became the cinema trilogy focusing on a young woman, Pipa. (The title recurrence does not appear in the film or in promotion but is a distributor’s choice for an English title.)

By this stage, the central character, Pipa, played by Luisana Lopilato in each of the films, has been retired for 10 years, has a son, lives in mountainous countryside.

The screenplay works in quite a number of themes. There is initial murder and the burning of a body. There are local indigenous people confronting the wealthy aristocracy (who, of course, indulge in corrupt behaviour). There are local elections and campaigns. And, there are police investigations, gradually involving Pipa, the local police learning more about her and her past, her becoming more involved in the search for the murderer.

In fact, the plot is quite complex, depending on a young maid, the dead woman, and her mobile phone – on which, it eventuates, she had filmed some very serious, potentially scandalous, behaviour by the young people of the wealthy family.

Quite a range of characters involved in the search, local police, racist, a local young policeman who is earnest, a local commander who is in the pay of the wealthy family…

Some magnificent mountain scenery, highways, remote and rugged. Action and shootouts, especially culminating in the abandoned mine.

Ultimately, order is restored.

1. Third film in the trilogy? Presupposing the former films? Stand-alone ability?
2. Audience familiarity with Pipa, her origins, the trauma when young with Cornelia, the search for her, joining the police, trusting police, betrayals, her work, resignation? 10 years in the mountains? Her son?
3. The mountain to reins, the scenery, the roads, colour? Homes, isolated? The town? The contrast with the wealthy family, home, parties, interiors? The indigenous people, rights, property? Protest?
4. Seeing Pipa in the new context, with her son, people not knowing her police background? Her work with Alice? As an aunt? Her social causes? Contacts? Pipa and her hard work, anonymity?
5. The political situation, the mayor, real action, the television attacks by his opponent, unmasking corruption? His son, the pressure on him for the engagement? The Carreras family, owning the land, the mines and development, the mother and her wanting to set things going again, her daughter engaged to the son of the mayor? The party, inspecting the maids and the demands, the party itself, Cruz, appearance, style, the gay man with red hair, the party, the dancing?
6. The finding of the dead body, going back to the young woman, age, the maid, ambitions, enjoying the party, going into the room, the make up, hiding – and the later revelation of the video that she took, endangering her life?
7. The tangles of the plot, motivation for the young woman to be killed, burnt? The disguised police and their raiding Pipa’s home? Pipa and her confrontation of the hunter, encountering him searching for the puma, the reality of searching for the young woman, keeping her quiet, suffocating her, the destruction of her body? His son, the threats against the son? His being murdered?
8. The police Commissioner, in league with the mayor, with the family, with his officers, putting Rufino in charge, not having confidence in him, the recovery of the phone, the attack on Pipa, the confrontation, Tobias shooting him, Pipa shooting?
9. The engagement party, Pipa and the discussions with the mother, the speeches, Cruz and his response? Augustin, anger, wanting to leave for London?
10. The scene of the arrest of the indigenous man, the brutality, towards his wife? In prison, and available for visitors? Yet Rufino letting him in, the use of the footage and his condemnations on television? The protest along the mountain road, the racist attitude of the policeman? Defiance? Pipa and her defiance, negotiation?
11. The gradual revelation of the truth, the phone, outside Pipa’s house, Tobias getting the phone, the boys using it to hunt the puma, Pipa upset with Tobias and his avoiding school and going shooting? The boys, the police, the pursuit in the caves? Their shrewdness in the eluding the police? Tobias, the horse, going home, the phone?
12. The attack on Alice, in the garden, the confrontation the house, her death? Pathos?
13. The police, the attacks, Pipa being shot, escaping with Tobias into the abandoned mine, the pursuit, confrontations, deaths?
14. The mother, the daughter, concern about Cruz, Is Not realising what it happened, his blaming himself, Parker and the attack, getting rid of his body? The daughter taking responsibility? Cruz, drugs, drowning in the pool?
15. The resolution of the plot, Rufino and his giving testimony? Pipa and Tobias united? And the change socially for the indigenous people?