Gracia Querejeta directs the comedy 2+2
- Diego Martín, Natalia Verbeke, Marta Hazas and Sebastián Martínez star in a story that explores the limits of love and fidelity in a relationship
Madrid-based filmmaker Gracia Querejeta (a two-time winner of the Golden Biznaga Award in Málaga with Héctor and 15 Years + 1 Day [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gracia Querejeta
film profile]; awarded in San Sebastián for the screenplay of Siete mesas de billar francés; and last seen in Spanish cinemas with La buena suerte) has directed 2+2, a comedy shot between Pamplona and Madrid in November and December. The film explores the complexities of modern relationships, examining the erosion caused by routine and the taboos surrounding openness within romantic relationships.
The leading quartet is made up of Diego Martín (recently seen in the series Muertos S.L. and La academia [+see also:
trailer
series profile]), Natalia Verbeke (who has appeared in the series El refugio atómico and the musical film Todos los lados de la cama), Marta Hazas (recently in Playa de los lobos) and Colombian actor Sebastián Martínez (the series Medusa, Accidente and Pálpito).
The film introduces Adrián (played by Diego Martín) and Julieta (Natalia Verbeke), a model couple... at least on the surface. He is a prestigious plastic surgeon with a volatile ego; she is a television presenter who has been forecasting emotional storms at home for years. After seventeen years together, their conversations resemble a fierce boxing match more than a romantic date.
Everything changes during a dinner with their best friends, Tomás (Sebastián Martínez) and Silvia (Marta Hazas), who casually announce—glass of wine in hand and with radiant smiles—that they are swingers: they swap partners and have never been happier. Between Adrian's scepticism and Juliet's dangerous curiosity, the idea begins to hover over the dinner table like a fly. What initially seems like immoral madness soon turns into an unexpected opportunity to rekindle the spark—or trigger a short circuit. With sharp dialogue, characters who love, hate and need one another at the same time, and situations in which dignity is left at the door, 2+2 asks whether keeping desire alive in a relationship can be a risky game—one in which you might even lose your friends.
Querejeta approaches the film as a reflection on the foundations of enduring long-term relationships: “Is it possible to keep passion alive? Is love enough to hold a couple together? Where is the limit?” asks the director. “This is a story with one clear protagonist and three characters who move with the ebb and flow of their emotions. Order versus chaos, routine versus pleasure. The yin and yang of life come together in this comedy, where the characters are ultimately forced to confront their own contradictions. The film invites the viewer to join the game with a simple question: How far would you be willing to go to keep your partner?”
2+2 is produced by Mario Real for La Pirueta Films and Xosé Manuel Zapata for Sygnatia, plus La pirueta2mas2 AIE, with the participation of Prime Video and A Punt Media, and funding from the ICAA.
(Translated from Spanish)
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.
