El Niño (I) (2014)

A nice Spanish thriller/action film featuring a fine cast , interesting screenplay and thrilling story ; dealing with a small-time trafficker working in the Gibraltar Straits . Studio Canal Plus and Fox released 'El Niño' punched Biggest Spanish Bow of 2014 , it had multiple box office winds its favor . Being based on real events , in fact these problems in the Strait of Gibraltar actually happen , as there abounds dope dealers , smugglers , drug lords , who carry out a dirty and dark work into a powerful machinery . As it is set in the Gibraltar Straits, which moves 500 tons of drugs a year between Morocco , Gibraltar and Spain . El Niño (Jesus Castro) is a young boy who lives in La Línea de la Concepción , close to Rock of Gibraltar , repairing and testing motorboats . After a night of party with his friend El Compi (Carroza) , they meet Halil(Saed Chatiby), a young Moroccan who has an uncle , Rachid (Moussa Maaskri), an important drug baron . Convinced by El Compi and helped by Halil , El Niño accepts to be a drug mule , crossing it from África to Spain in a motorboat but being pursued by the police helicopter . In the opposite side of the law is Jesús (Luis Tosar) , a two-fisted cop , his suspicious chief Vicente (Sergi López) and being supported by his colleagues Eva (Barbara Lennie) and Sergio (Eduard Fernandez) , all of them looking for El Inglés (Ian McShane) , a notorious drug dealer who operates in the Rock of Gibraltar . Meanwhile , El Niño falls in love for Muslim Amina (Mariam Bachir) , Halil's sister .

This exciting film packs noisy action , thrills , emotion , drama , car as well as motorboat chases , helicopter nocturnal pursuits and good pace . This is one of the most ambitious action thrillers ever from Spain , with spectacular action scenes concerning a small-time Moroccan drug runner speed boats across the Straits . Lavishly produced and intelligently written by Jorge Guerricaechevarría , Alex De La Iglesia's ordinary ; 'El Niño' marks a new hit for Telecinco Cinema and Fox , getting a big success , as it punched the best opening frame for any Spanish film this year , with a €2.9 million ($3.81 million) first weekend . The film was one of the most anticipated in a year where Spanish cinema should beat box office records . This intriguing flick concerns about two alternating stories that end up being the same along with inter-crossed roles filled with internal conflicts and ambitions . Very good acting by Luis Tosar as a veteran police officer and pretty well a young newcomer , Jesus Castro , in his film debut . Although overlong , it lasts more than two hours and some , the picture is very well realized , it has splendid action scenes with expert stunts and similarly to a USA production but without C.G.I .

Adequate and atmospheric musical score by Roque Baños (Fragiles , Machinist , Sexy beast , 800 bullets). The soundtrack is enjoyable , fits perfectly with the action scenes , and including Andalucia and Morocco sounds . Appropriate cinematography by Carlos Gusi (Torrente , Box 507) who photographs wonderfully the exteriors and interiors , being shot on location in Almeria , Tarifa , Gibraltar , Ceuta and Tangier , Morocco . The motion picture was well directed by Daniel Monzon , a former cinema reviewer , he undertakes a skill and agreeable filmmaking with some spectacular images such as the motorboat and helicopter scenes . Daniel Monzón was offered financing if he shot the movie in English but he refused because the story didn't make sense in English . He previously directed sword and witchery/fantasy (Heart of warrior) , suspense (The Kovak box), and wrote the thriller titled ¨Desvio a Paraiso¨ ; his greatest hit was the prison movie , ¨Celda 211¨ with Luis Tosar . Fox-distributed Telecinco Cinema production "El Niño," part of Studiocanal's Toronto slate , it has punched the best opening frame for any Spanish film this year . Along with fellow thriller "La Isla Minima" by Alberto Rodríguez , result to be two of the best recent works in Spanish cinema . Rating : Better than average . Indispensable and essential to see on the big screen . Well worth watching . The yarn will appeal to action enthusiasts and thriller genre fans .