They say crime doesn’t pay. And in the case of Luger, the energy expended ends up costing the characters more than they bargained for. Instead of reaping a huge haul a la Ocean’s 11, sometimes sacrifices have to be made. And it’s worth noting that anything remotely resembling a happy ending is unlikely to be found here at Fantastic Fest.
So enter Luger – a captivating and entertaining film on a number of levels. At first, it seems like a standard and solid throwback crime drama in present times. The opening sequence, set in a cafe no less, has all the earmarks of films in this genre. Then there’s the opening action element where our leads assert their criminal muscle with brutal speed and force. What follows is a sequence of them riding high on their win into the opening credits (replete with a stylistic retro title card). It feels familiar…until it isn’t. That’s when festival alum, Bruno Martín, subverts our expectations in several ways.
The plot synopsis can easily get you interested as there is mystique and wonder all over it. And there is a lot going for Luger to keep this from feeling predictable and one-note. From the get go, there are little details and hints that things aren’t what they seem. In a way, Luger is what you get if you mixed Layer Cake with Inception. And just when we think our two leads, stepbrothers Rafa (David Sainz) and Toni (Mario Mayo), are the top of their pyramid, things go south very rapidly.
They are, time and again, shown that there are meaner and nastier people around every turn. Things get deeper and more muddied every step of the way which makes me recall one of my favorite lines from Casablanca. “I beg of you, monsieur, watch yourself. Be on guard. This place is full of vultures. Vultures everywhere. Everywhere!” But all hope is not lost, dear viewer. Even when the duo are outmatched and outnumbered, they still show that they have a lot of fight in them, so don’t count them out.
We were excited to talk about everything that went into this film with director/actor Bruno Martín and co-writer Santiago Taboada, as well as stars David Sainz & Mario Mayo and executive producer Raúl Cerezo. So join us in the quicksand as we talk layers of crime, collateral damage and sacrifices on this episode of The GoSeeTalk Podcast Experience!
