– Dani de la Torre delivers a fast-paced spy thriller packed with action and plot twists, a film that easily holds its own against American blockbusters
Mario Casas and Luis Zahera in Zeta
Pure escapist pleasure, as you tuck into some popcorn and guzzle your favourite drink on a Sunday afternoon from the comfort of your sofa. That is precisely what Zeta promises. The film, directed by Dani de la Torre (a Galician filmmaker who made his name in action cinema with titles such as Retribution [+see also:
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interview: Dani de la Torre
film profile] and Gun City [+see also:
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film profile], as well as the series La Unidad [+see also:
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Starring Mario Casas, the ever-scene-stealing Luis Zahera and Cuban actress Mariela Garriga, this thriller whisks us through a range of locations across the globe, from Tallinn and Rio de Janeiro to Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha and, of course, Galicia.
All this is driven by a fast-paced script written by the director himself together with Oriol Paulo and Jordi Vallejo. The story begins with the murder of four former Spanish intelligence officers, killed within the first few minutes of the film and simultaneously in different cities around the world. The National Intelligence Centre (CNI) discovers that, 35 years ago, they all took part in the top-secret Operation Ciénaga, alongside a fifth officer, Ancares, the only one to escape the killers (a torrential Luis Zahera).
Tracking him down becomes the priority for the CNI (led by Nora Navas), who assigns the mission to its best agent: Zeta (played by the chiselled Mario Casas), who has taken refuge in the countryside to look after his ailing mother (played by Nieve de Medina). But he is not alone in his mission: Colombia is also tracking him down through one of its top agents, Alpha (Mariela Garriga), who seems to know more about Operation Ciénaga than anyone else. As Zeta and Alpha advance in their investigation, they face dangers and uncover long-buried secrets, one of which will have a particularly profound impact on the man who gives the film its title.
The surprises, dropped like little bombs throughout, are the film’s strongest point, fully embracing its fiercely commercial nature. The fight scenes, chase scenes and shoot-outs will constantly tempt viewers to look away from their mobile phones and instead be glued to the screen in their living room.
This is not a film of particular artistic or cinematic merit (although it does offer spectacular views of some of its locations). However, its production values are impeccable, its pace relentless and its editing frenetic, much like that of the James Bond or Bourne franchises – a comparison the filmmakers themselves are happy to make. Although the super-spy protagonist here is a sensitive, introverted man capable of abandoning everything and retreating from the world for personal reasons, which lends a touch of empathy and emotion to a film designed to help us escape reality for a couple of hours.
Zeta is produced by Fonte Films and Amazon MGM Studios.
(Translated from Spanish)
