Luis Ortega’s film could be just an ordinary production inspired by a real-life killer responsible for countless murders and robberies. Instead, co-produced by Pedro and Augustin Almodóvar, The Angel is a joyfully retro and daring journey that shows Carlos Robledo Puch’s path to the minefield of crime. Born in 1952, he became known in the national daily newspapers, in the midst of 1970s Argentina, as “The Angel of Death” and “The Black Angel” because of his baby-faced and cold blood to kill.
Image Source: Clarín Policiales
Played by Lorenzo Ferro, who collaborates with a stunning performance, Carlitos confirms his instinctively bad attitudes in the first minutes of the plot, since he cheats and steals with a latent sociopathic narcissism. “I am a natural-born thief. I don’t believe in this is yours, and this is mine”, he declares as he puts a pop music album to play and starts dancing during a robbery scene.
Carlos becomes especially intriguing because he’s thoroughly disregarding rules as a tempting free spirit. Mixing the coldness of a soulless personality with the innocence and dissimulation of a young teenager, as he approaches Ramon (Chino Darin) and his father Jose (Daniel Fanego), the robberies grow bigger. Together they execute risky plans involving millionaire assaults and leaving several fatal victims on the way.
Imagem Source: Film Factory Entertainment
Featuring a vibrant color palette, impeccable costumes and vintage set design (striking features of Almodóvar’s filmography), the plot provokes and at the same time entertains the viewer. Another big highlight of the film is the insertion of a surrounding soundtrack combined with a modern narrative, which brings a lot of fun and dynamics to the protagonist’s life. But the colorful screen is just the tip of the iceberg.
Besides being visually beautiful, this is also a very energetic film, once it churns with questions of sexuality, obsession and violence. The Angel is not here to preach or judge — it’s here to please and show us a dark story full of several complicated real characters. It’s particularly a portrait of a young man on a tight rope about to snap.