Nobody Will Talk About Us When We Are Dead

((NADIE HABLARA DE NOSOTROS CUANDO HAYAMOS MUERTO))

(SPANISH) Produced by Flamenco Films, Xaloc and Cartel in collaboration with Sogepaq and Canal Plus. Executive producer, Edmundo Gil Casas. Directed, written by Eduardo Diaz Yanes.

Gloria Duque ... Victoria Abril
Eduardo ... Federico Luppi
Dona Julia ... Pilar Bardem
Oswaldo ... Daniel Gimenez Cacho
Dona Amelia ... Ana Ofelia Murguia
Evaristo ... Guillermo Gil
Maria Luisa ... Marta Aura
Mani ... Bruno Bichir
Omar ... Demian Bichir
Juan ... Angel Alcazar
Ramiro ... Saturnino Garcia

Having his first go at directing, screenwriter Eduardo Diaz Yanes ("Baton Rouge,""A solas contigo") has combined elements of black comedy, noir thriller and social concern in a blend that proves traditional genres can still be milked with surprising results. Well-received at the San Sebastian fest, where it nabbed the Special Jury Prize, pic should have staying power on domestic screens and at least some possibilities elsewhere.

Thriller blasts off with a riveting sequence that would give Quentin Tarantino a run for his money. In Mexico City, down-on-her-luck prostitute Gloria Duque (Victoria Abril) is hired to perform oral sex on a bunch of sleazy characters while a dirty deal is being made. Suddenly the deal goes wrong and a pair of crooked DEA agents (Bruno and Demian Bichir) and a Mexican gangster (Guillermo Gil) are killed. Surviving Argentine hitman Eduardo (Federico Luppi) spares Gloria, who returns to Madrid with the list of worldwide money-laundering businesses given to her by one of the agents.

An incurable alcoholic whose husband (Angel Alcazar) is a comatose bullfighter, Gloria clearly needs a break. Her sole support comes from her noble , stoic mother-in-law Dona Julia (Pilar Bardem), who tries to convince Gloria to stop drinking and get an education and a regular job. But Gloria firmly believes in her motto that "the poor are princes who have to reconquer their kingdom," and she sets out to score big bucks in a wild attempt to rip off a fur store that belongs to the money-laundering ring.

At the same time, Eduardo is sent by ruthless Mexican crime figure Dona Amelia (Ana Ofelia Murguia) to retrieve the missing information and eliminate Gloria. But the hitman, like the Samuel Jackson character in "Pulp Fiction," undergoes a religious revelation and thinks God wants him to stop murdering people. So, with a final sacrifice by Dona Julia, redemption is a possibility for Gloria.

Jumping from one quirky incident to another, pic remains unpredictable, if a bit uneven in its narrative pace. Diaz Yanes' accomplishment is to set even the most outlandish situations in a believable, everyday context, which also helps to build convincing characters that are more complex than the usual genre stereotypes. Especially moving is Bardem's Dona Julia, whose strong sense of dignity forms the film's emotional core.

Thesping is outstanding, with Abril's winning portrayal of Gloria yet another example of her amazing range. In a bravura performance, she captures all the fiery determination of a sorry loser bent on changing her fate. Top-notch Mexican actors like Murguia and Daniel Gimenez Cacho also lend able support.

Camera (color), Paco Femenia; editor , Jose Salcedo; music, Bernardo Bonezzi; art direction, Benjamin Fernandez; costume design, Jose Maria de Cossio; sound, Goldstein/Steinberg; makeup, Ana Lozano; special makeup effects, Carlos Paradela; special effects, Reyes Arades; associate producers, Manolo Matji, Javier Ramos. Reviewed at San Sebastian Film Festival (competing), Sept. 16, 1995. Running time: 104 MIN.

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