There’s nothing easy about turning over a new leaf, and there’s little that’s simple about trying to leave a life behind, realities that Julián (Álex González, X-Men: First Class) learns. As he becomes Scorpion, transitioning from a gung-ho thug to a wannabe boxing contender, he desperately tries to shed a venomous skin. His trajectory may seemingly contradict his adopted moniker, but his efforts are a product of trying to escape a difficult past to start a fresh future. One way of violence is traded for another – the destructive for the cathartic.
Entrenched in a Spanish Nazi faction that enacts every intolerant whim of its charismatic leader (Javier Bardem, The Counsellor), Julian prowls around with his like-minded brother-in-ideology, Luis (Miguel Ángel Silvestre, I’m So Excited!), using his fists and his feet as weapons against the already marginalised. His move from the streets to the ring is sparked by wanting more than following fanatical orders. When boxing gym owner Pedro (Hovik Keuchkerian, Anna) agrees to let him train, and former contender Carlomonte (Carlos Bardem, Transgression) assists in teaching him the tricks of the trade, Julian makes the steps necessary to funnel his aggression into sport, not discrimination. Alas, his new cohort barely trusts him, and his old pals are overt in their disapproval.
The title of Santiago Zannou’s film, Scorpion in Love (Alacrán enamorado), appears to make plain the role of romance in Julian’s transformation, with his warming to gym receptionist Alyssa (Judith Diakhate, Blind Alley) a key driver of the narrative. Off screen as well as on, labels can be deceiving, as the subtly-handled relationship thread proves just one component of the protagonist’s changing fortunes. What the feature is most concerned with is not a particular instance of affection, but openness as a mindset. Its lead character moves from a head filled with hate to an outlook that imbues him with the capability for love. Echoes of American History X are evident in the familiar themes; however this is no mere rehash or meandering derivation.
Scorpion in Love started life as a book by the elder Bardem brother, Carlos, before making its way from the page to the screen. Crafting his sophomore fictional effort after the Goya Award-winning The One-Handed Trick, writer/director Zannou co-adapts the novel with an eye for grit and struggle as a visual and storytelling tool. In his images as well as the feature’s main tale, there’s an evident roughness around the edges. The film doesn’t lack polish, but embraces a dark colour palette and purposefully intimate framing to draw focus to every one of its protagonist’s problems and imperfections.
Switching between force and fragility, González conveys the complexity of the lead role with the requisite moodiness and brooding, yet he always makes Julián more than just an expected archetype of attempted redemption. Although surrounded by a similarly nuanced cast of new and experienced players, his efforts simmer as they stand out, eliciting empathy for his character’s difficult circumstances. Carlos Bardem provides the grizzled counterpoint, in an attentive embodiment of the consequences of bad choices and new beginnings. Indeed, in Scorpion in Love, there may only be tough decisions, but there’s also hope and thoughtfulness.
Rating: 3 ½ out of 5 stars
Scorpion in Love (Alacrán enamorado)
Director: Santiago Zannou
Spain, 2013, 100 mins
Spanish Film Festival
www.spanishfilmfestival.com
Sydney: 29 April – 18 May, Palace Verona and Palace Norton Street
Melbourne: 30 April – 18 May, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth & Kino Cinema
Brisbane: 1 – 14 May, Palace Barracks and Palace Centro
Canberra: 1 – 14 May, Palace Electric Cinema
Perth: 6 – 21 May, Cinema Paradiso
Adelaide: 6 – 21 May, Palace Nova Eastend Cinema
Byron Bay: 8 – 14 May, Palace Byron Bay
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