Fernando Leon De Aranoa has created a film showing the realistic struggles that might be experienced by anyone existing in society, particularly the lower class. Princesas follows the life of Caye (Played by Candela Pena), which I find interesting because "Caye" means "street", and Caye works the streets, and her friend Zulema (played by Micaela Nevarez). Caye is a citizen of Spain, raised in a middle-class family, and Zulema is an immigrant from the Dominican Republic. Zulema has come to Spain hoping to obtain a working license, and tries to save money to bring her son to Spain. There are other prostitutes who have immigrated to Spain and turned to prostitution as an occupation, and this creates tension with the prostitutes that are Spanish Citizens. Caye Spanish friends are all prejudice against the immigrant prostitutes, accusing them of stealing their jobs, and Caye struggles to maintain her friendship with both the Spanish prostitutes and Zulema. The friendship between Caye and Zulema grows stronger as the movie progresses, and their friendship helps them overcome obstacles.
During the day, the lighting in this movie seems very natural, as if the sun is the sole source of lighting. This gives an authentic feel to the movie, instead of Hollywood dramatization that can be caused by artificial lighting. The obstacles that the characters face are also realistic. They are not far fetched, and their situations could potentially happen to anyone in their shoes. This adds to the realistic feel of the movie. Most of the shots in Princesas are done at an eye-level angle, which allows the viewer to get absorbed into the movie, forgetting that it is just a movie and not reality. Whenever the characters have an emotional scene, the camera zooms in, showing a close up of their faces. This really emphasizes the emotion, whether it's sorrow, joy, or anger, and allows the viewer to feel more connected to the characters.
The authenticity of Princesas will draw you in, and the strong bond of friendship between two women as they struggle through life will keep you captivated, feeling their joy and sorrow as you follow their journey.
