Lovers: A True Story

Paco has just finished his military service and is looking for work in Madrid. His fiancée Trini works as a maid in a house and they are saving to marry. Looking for somewhere to stay, Paco rents a room from a widow named Luisa. Luisa lives by small frauds, is sure of herself, and is like nothing Paco knows. An affair starts between them quickly. When Luisa runs out of money she asks Paco to get what Trini has saved. Vicente Aranda's film rests on a murder that actually happened in Madrid in the 1950s. The narrative does not judge the triangle morally; all three act inside their own helplessness and the outcome becomes unavoidable. Victoria Abril plays Luisa, Jorge Sanz plays Paco, and Maribel Verdú plays Trini. Abril won the best actress award at the Berlin Film Festival in 1991. Who it's for: Viewers who like Spanish cinema, true-crime adaptations, and noir structure. Who it's not for: The sex scenes are direct and frequent. The ending is also extremely harsh.