On a rainy autumn afternoon in Madrid, two strangers offer to take Mercedes (Angela Molina) in their car to her house. Ramón (Imanol Arias) is serious and formal young and Miguel (Antonio Banderas) is a bohemian painter and carefree artist to whom she is immediately attracted. However, Mercedes accepts Ramon's offer, which gives her a comfortable and very different life from the one she would have had with Miguel, whom she has not could forget. The film makes us see what would have been her life if she could have chosen another partner. We all carry two lives inside... the one we live and the one we could have lived...!
There are funny dialogues, the montage is sharp, cinematography is brilliant, the cast is marvellous , and it is still an agreeable film with this peculiar premise: Mercedes nostalgically recalls her years of marriage with deadly-dull Ramón from an upper-class family and after showing us what life would have been like with the other suitor, Miguel. The film was unevenly and professionally directed by the actor, costume designer, set designer and scene director Gerardo Vera. It is an adaptation of Edgar Neville's comedy, ¨La Vida En Un Hilo¨, which was also made into a film by Neville himself in 1945 with Conchita Montes, Rafael Durán, Guillermo Marín, Julia Lajos and it is considered a classic of Spanish cinema. However, this more modern adaptation is clearly inferior to the classic, and in which only the luxurious and well remastered photography, the elegant costumes, the three leading actors: Arias, Molina, Banderas and an impressive supporting cast with the best supporting actors of Spanish cinema of the time stand out. These secondary actores are the following ones: Kiti Mánver, Marta Fernández Muro, Mary Carmen Ramírez, Carlos Hipólito, Jeannine Mestre, Manuel Alexandre, Mary Carrillo, Mayrata O'Wisiedo and Conchita Montes herself who starred the vinatage and Javier Gurruchaga who acts as a narrator of the film happenings.
It contains an atmospheric score by Mariano Diaz, including a song ¨Los ejes de mi carreta¨ lyrics by Romildo Risso and music by Atahualpa Yupanqui. As well as the colorful and picturesque cinematography by José Luis López-Linares. The motion picture was regularly shot by Gerardo Vera , being filmed in his usual formal and stylistic scholarship, without leaving a trace the thought-provoking issues, in terms of dramatic and narrative excitement. Being nominated in Bogota Film Festival 1993 Nominado Golden Precolumbian Circle Best Film Gerardo Vera and Fotogramas de Plata Antonio Banderas 1993 Nominated Fotogramas de Plata Best Movie Actor. It was notorious producer Andrés Vicente Gómez who encouraged director Gerardo Vera to make this movie . Gerardo Vera was born in Madrid (1947-2020) , where he often shot his films. He is a good filmmaker , production designer and costume designer , known for Deseo (2002) , Tattoo (1999) , Segunda Piel (1999) and, La Celestina (1996). Gerardo Vera is particularly famous as a prestigious Production designer , being known for El Pecador Impecable , Fuego Eterno , Mitad del Cielo , Tasio , Feroz and La Niña De Tus Ojos (1998). Rating: 5.5/10. Acceptable and passable, but the film is especially directed for the fans of the wonderful protagonist trio, Imanol Arias, Angela Molina, Antonio Banderas.
