Just the mention of the city of Barcelona evokes romance and the classicism of old world beauty. But in the darkly explorative "A Slice of Life in Barcelona," this historic epicenter of culture hosts the exploration of emotional relationships as they unravel in the city's seedy, lesser-seen underbelly.
Molly and Christina (Madalina Pirvanare and Jessica Hernández) are lovers thrown into turmoil after Christina's inebriation leads to an affair. That infidelity triggers their stories to intertwine with those of Paula and Anna (Anneke Necro and Irina Fernandez), a tandem of chronic thieves who too are lovers. It's under the resulting strain of these converging, war-tested relationships where "A Slice of Life In Barcelona" clenches its teeth and finds its sublime footing.
That's because "A Slice of Life in Barcelona" thrives in the darkness -- the nocturnal cityscape itself, but more too in the human condition. It's a resoundingly bleak film at times (see: "Requiem For A Dream"). Yet the story is emotionally well-honed, and while never constructed to uplift, there are very intentional moments of terrific craft installed here in which a light pokes through the despair. "A Slice of Life in Barcelona" is what uncompromised indie storytelling can look like when crafted by the right hands.
