Spagvemberfest 2023 - or the crows will drink our beers

Dos hombres van a morir (1968) - Director: Rafael Romero Marchent - 6/10.

Though the story is not anything special, the good cast as well as the ever-reliable execution by Marchent firmly raise the work above the average. The superior quality of filmmaking manifests itself particularly in the way the movie progresses: the narrative flow turns out very smooth with no choppiness or jitters to be found along the way; even though the film itself might not stray from genre’s inveterate motifs too much, Marchent’s proficient touch ensures that the tale consistently rivets one’s attention and does not languish at any point by delving into some redundant impasses en route.

The straightforward story about a couple of lawmen who take on the corrupt mayor colluding with a group of local henchmen might not promote the flick to genre’s higher echelons, but at the end of the day, it works just fine and proves quite solid when combined with elements of a family drama as well as with the undercover agent subplot. Most crucially, though Martell’s character is technically the leading man of the yarn, it is Lulli who steals the show as the amicable law officer the treatment of which is further reinforced by the sound English dub for his part; the alacrity with which Lulli approaches the role basically carries this movie and it is through his participation that the film acquires the sparkle it comes to exhibit. The inevident, unconventional casting choice paradoxically works extraordinarily well and it is such a shame Lulli did not take center stage more often, as he fulfills the task most commendably here and displays his acting versatility with much verve and elan.

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