Nadie Conoce a Nadie (1999) from Tuna

Nadie conoce a nadie, which means Nobody Knows Anybody, is a nifty Spanish thriller which takes place in Seville amid the Easter Week celebrations and processions.

Someone is killing prominent Catholics, and involves Eduardo Noriega, crossword author for his paper and would-be author in what seems to be some huge game, using the city of Seville as a gaming board, and the people of the city as game pieces. Every time we think we know who is to blame, something happens to change our mind. I liked this a lot, and don't want to write a spoiler.

NUDITY REPORT
Natalia Verbeke shows breasts and buns in a brief sex scene with Noriega.
not available in the USA
 Why hasn't this film been released in the US? It is a unique concept, well written, well acted, and beautifully photographed. It won a Goya for special effects. I liked this more than most of the thrillers I see. It had more than enough suspense and dramatic tension, and a believable resolution.

The Critics Vote

  • General consensus: three stars. Ebert 3/4, Berardinelli 3/4,

  • It won the Goya for Best Special Effects

The People Vote ...

  • IMDB summary. IMDb voters score it 6.4/10, including 8.3 among US voters. So why not release it in the USA, which has about as many Spanish speakers as Spain?
  • with their dollars: a very solid hit in Spain, with 1.4 million admissions. Taking into account the difference in population, this is about equivalent to a $90 million picture in the USA.
IMDb guideline: 7.5 usually indicates a level of excellence, about like three and a half stars from the critics. 6.0 usually indicates lukewarm watchability, about like two and a half stars from the critics. The fives are generally not worthwhile unless they are really your kind of material, about like two stars from the critics. Films under five are generally awful even if you like that kind of film, equivalent to about one and a half stars from the critics or less, depending on just how far below five the rating is.

My own guideline: A means the movie is so good it will appeal to you even if you hate the genre. B means the movie is not good enough to win you over if you hate the genre, but is good enough to do so if you have an open mind about this type of film. C means it will only appeal to genre addicts, and has no crossover appeal. D means you'll hate it even if you like the genre. E means that you'll hate it even if you love the genre. F means that the film is not only unappealing across-the-board, but technically inept as well.

Based on this description, this film is a B-.

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