Life Leaves Marks

Running time: 105 mins

Pedro Salazar has been away from home for a long time. Too long. Alone and immersed in his shady business, he has managed to save enough money to return and start a new, normal life, if possible. His brother, Fito, has led a different life: married with one child, he owns a truck that would provide them with enough for their needs, if it weren't for his gambling problem. His wife, Juana, tries to help him the way she knows best, by loving him more. But the situation is on the verge of exploding when Pedro arrives home. For a time, the trio undergoes one of the biggest tests: that of love and sacrifice, from which they emerge with the scrapes and scars that show life leaves marks. "The delicately impressive, offbeat drama Life Leaves Marks represents a new direction for Enrique Urbizu... The film's multiple merits include a gold-plated, lovingly-worked script, a confident, leisurely pace and the full capacity to exploit minimal elements to the dramatic full. Carles Gusi's sunlight-drenched lensing is beautifully crisp and airy, in keeping with the film's generally stark, clean-lined look." -- Jonathan Holland (Variety) - Al Owens