AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL/ A FINIR DEL TUNEL
Spain/Argentina, 2016, 120 minutes, Colour.
Leonardo Sbaraglia, Pablo Echarri, Clara Lago, Federico Luppi.
Directed by Roderigo Grande.
Tunnel of the title is a complex range of tunnels under a building, aiming towards bank falls for a robbery. There are many digging scenes, as expected.
However, the plot is rather different insofar as the focus is on a paraplegic man who lives in the building above the tunnels. He is a loner, an expert on surveillance, and is able to film and record the work of the robbers and their conversations.
A further complication is his advertising space for a lodger and a dancer from a local club coming with her daughter (who hasn’t spoken for two years) and taking up residence. As a drama with the interaction between the dancer and the paraplegic, the film works quite well. Also the issue of the daughter who bonds with the paraplegics dog and even talks to him (and this is recorded).
However, the dancer is the girlfriend of the of the head of the robbery team. And the team is governed by a corrupt policeman. Which all builds up to the intervention to thwart the robbery, taking of money and significant documents, and confrontations all round.
- A bank robbery thriller with a difference? Tunnelling, Joaquin and his paraplegic, Berta and her daughter?
- The confined setting, the opening with the street, the bank, the action in the interiors in Joaquin’s house, the basement, the tunnels? The finale in the streets? The musical score?
- The setting up of the robbery, the group digging, their relationships, the control of Guttman, the revelation of his police connections, his motivation, the documents, the robbers and their experience, money? The detail of the digging, the maps, mistakes, the using of explosives? Cautions, the roof? The interactions while digging?
- Joaquin, paraplegic, his background, loner, his basement, computers and surveillance, his hearing the robbers, the cameras, the audio? His following the digging? The effect on him, motivations, money issues?
- The advertisement, Berta and Betty, Berta and her background, dancer, Betty not talking for two years, moving in, dominating, Joaquin and his response? The discussions with Bert, his past, relationships? Her past, boyfriend?
- Joaquin, realising she was a plant, treatment of her? Her taking turns, injections? Berta and her daughter, her concern about her not speaking? Betty, at home in the house, the attraction towards the dog, bonding with him, talking with him and Joaquin recording this, Berta’s reaction?
- The progress of the digging, the deadlines, the decisions, Guttman and his control?
- Betty, going down, taking the watch? Joaquin bringing her up again? Reassurance?
- Joaquin, going down, taking the money, the documents? Hiding?
- The water, flooding the tunnel, the drowning of the robber, her asking to be saved, Joaquin putting on the cover? The others, the empty boxes? The increasing flood, Joaquin’s basement?
- The authorities arriving, Guttman and his presence, curbing the flood, the police interrogating Joaquin, the search? Guttman arriving, giving his phone number? The robbers arriving, the confrontations, guns, wanting the truth? Joaquin and his stories, Betty appearing, finding Bert?
- The technique of Joaquin setting them against each other, the target, accusing it of collusion, betrayal, the producing of the watch? The shootings? The leader, his being shot? Guttman, the hold over each other, Joaquin and the documents? Giving Guttman the bag, the crash, the body in the car trunk, the explosion?
- The finale, the three together, the money, a future?