22/03/2017 - With this naturalistic thriller boasting a well-known Spanish cast, Andrés M Koppel adapts Lorenzo Silva’s novel of the same name, set on the dank, claustrophobic and mysterious island of La Gomera

With several Goyas between them, Verónica Echegui, Quim Gutiérrez, Aura Garrido, Roberto Álamo and Marian Álvarez make up the talented, seasoned and appealing quintet at the heart of La niebla y la doncella [+see also:
trailer
interview: Andrés M Koppel
film profile], an adaptation of a novel written by Lorenzo Silva, published by Destino and brought to the big screen by half-German, half-Canarian writer Andrés M. Koppel. It was Gerardo Herrero, of Tornasol Films, who made the call to entrust the direction to Koppel, until now a writer and short film director who penned the screenplay for Adolfo Martínez’s recent debut, Rescue Under Fire [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (also featuring Roberto Álamo). Set on La Gomera in the Canary Islands, La niebla y la doncella is screening in competition in the official section of the 20th Malaga Spanish Film Festival.

Koppel has not really shaken things up with this adaptation, and seems to have limited himself to following established conventions, carrying out his task with skill and textual fidelity and with little risk or fanfare. The plot follows the investigation into the murder of a young man, never satisfactorily resolved and now reopened, three years later, at the request of the victim’s mother. The film abounds with gorgeous images of its island setting and benefits from the contained performances of the cast (with Aura Garrido standing out as usual), but it lacks the added ambiguity and macabre touch that you would expect from a story like this.

The writer/director has opted for an everyday, naturalistic portrayal of police work, and a slow-burning narrative pace that adds credibility but detracts from the rhythm and energy of the whole. The fog to which the title alludes makes its presence felt in many of the film’s scenes, obscuring secrets, hidden truths and appalling acts and helping to create a certain necessary atmosphere. It would have been nice, however, to see a bit more visual daring as we root through the secrets of a community insular in both senses of the word.

All in all, the film manages to maintain our interest for the most part, as we watch the investigation unfold. As with every thriller, the viewer takes on the role of investigator, looking out for and trying to unravel the clues revealed on screen in the hope of exposing the guilty party. It’s a model that has proved very popular with film and TV audiences in Spain as in the rest of the world, with a recent glut of series and films taking advantage of a genre that doesn’t seem to be falling out of favour, as demonstrated by the commercial success of titles such as Marshland [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alberto Rodríguez
film profile], May God Save Us [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
film profile] and The Invisible Guardian [+see also:
trailer
film profile], also based on a popular novel, this time by Dolores Redondo. But, like some of the films mentioned above, the final resolution of the case at the centre of La niebla y la doncella leaves the viewer feeling slightly flummoxed, with a rankling aftertaste of dissatisfaction.

La niebla y la doncella was produced by Tornasol Films, Hernández y Fernández Producciones Cinematográficas, Gomera Producciones and Atresmedia Cine, in association with Atresmedia and Movistar Plus+. It goes on general release in Spain on 8 September, distributed by DeAPlaneta. Latido Films will be handling sales.

(Translated from Spanish)