This is a touching look at multiple sclerosis (MS) and how it gradually wreaks havoc on a family, but ultimately helps build the family's unity and sense of belonging, too. Dani Rovira is very good in the central role, and he is capably seconded by his father in law, played by Elejalde, and his wife, played by the beautiful Alexandra Jimenez, who shows what a woman's quiet and unwavering love can do for a man.
There are many memorable sequences in the movie, but I liked in particular the exchanges among the MS patients who congregate for treatment. Life is a very flimsy and wanton thing, and watching this movie only heightened my perception of how privileged I am to be alive, healthy, and with my own beloved wife and family.
Plot summary
Ramón Arroyo is a man who lives in Bilbao (Basque Country, north to Spain) with his wife Inma working as CEO in an important company with friends and job partners as Mario. But his daily life ends when one day he wakes up to find himself briefly paralyzed, being unable to stand up from the bed. Trying to know what happens, Inma and Ramón go to the hospital, where the revelation couldn't be worse: Ramón is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a muscular degeneration that progressively will stop any movement of his body, leaving him in a wheelchair the rest of his life. Starting a treatment in the hospital to minimize the symptoms, where he meets other patients with a more advanced state of the disease, Inma has her own troubles due her father Manolo, who has tried commit suicide in his country house where he lives alone after the death of his wife and Inma's mother. Moving Manolo to the city to live with them, things complicate by the so much bad relation between Ramón and Manolo, causing the frustration and desperation in Inma. But things change the day that Ramón reads in the hospital an info post about an Iron Man competition, a race where the participants must to be 3,8 km (2.3 miles) swimming, 180 km (112 miles) cycling and 42 km (26 miles) running to end it. Determined to win it, Ramón enlists to participate, receiving an unwanted help of Manolo, a former professional athlete in his youth days. Unable to training him in the city, Manolo moves with Ramón to the country house, where Ramón discovers casually that the reason of Manolo's failed try of suicide is his pain by his wife's loss. Meeting a few later the charming Noelia in the beach during a training, Ramón decides deceive Manolo to date her hoping help him. According the Iron Man's date is coming, Ramón looking for the way to prove that the real Iron Man aren't superheroes embodied in a metal suit, but ordinary people ready to fight until the end to defeat their inner evil and show that human being can be extraordinary.
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Honest, touching, fresh take on life
A sensitive and thought-provoking film , very good directed , and being based on real life events.
Based on the incredible and touching true story of a Spanish young with multiple sclerosis . A business man , Manolo : Dani Rovira , who has his woman pregnant : Alexandra Jimenez , undergoes a terrible illness : multiple sclerosis . As the hospital scanner gives him a sad diagnosis that disturbs his family , as we watch how it gradually wreaks havoc on the united group . At hospital he meets other sick people : Alba Riva , David Verdaguer , Bruno Bergonzini and befriend to them , most of them submitted to wheelchairs . Then , to better himself and overcome obstacles , as he is helped by his beloved wife and a grumpy old man who results to be his grizzled , father-in-law : Karra Errejalde , he is a fashioned man who grows medical marijuana and hides dark secrets . Then Manolo himself makes a bet , to finish a difficult Triathlon , an Iron-Man feat : 3,8 km swimming, 180 km cycling and 42 km running. And he was told that he could not make 100 metres. ¡ Everybody suffers an incurable and degenerative illness: Life ¡ . ¡ Giving up is not an option ¡
This great picture involves deep drama, emotion , love story , family , human values and a provoking story about people who surmount their vital difficulties .This is a stirring and sensitive look at multiple sclerosis (MS) and , but ultimately attempts to construct family's unity and sense of love , friendship , to improve themselves , and belonging , too . The film is pretty good , but relies heavily on the relationships between husband-wife along with the father in law . Dani Rovira and Alexandra Jimenez deliver top-drawer interpretations as the enjoyable marriage whose lives go wrong when receive the fateful fate . Karra Elejalde gives a splendid as well as sympatheric acting as the angry widower , as usual , creating an awesome chemical with his son in law/Dani Rovira . Karra suggested Dani Rovira for the lead role when he was offered the project. Support cast is frankly excellent , such as : David Verdaguer , Clara Segura as Dra. Berta , Alba Ribas , Bruno Bergonzini , Andrés Velencoso and Maria de Medeiros who long years ago co-starred along with Karra Elejade : Airbag . Furthermore , the extras of the hospital scenes are, actually, real patients and real doctors from the Institut Guttman. Most of the extras of the Iron Man scenes are also actual athletes too.
Xavi Gimenez cinematography is excellent creating an adequate environment , , he's expert on sombre photography as well as frightening and scary atmosphere ( Machinist , Transsiberian , Fragile , Intact , Nameless , The secret of Marrowbone ) but he has photographed spectacular and sunny films ( Agora, Libertador , La gran aventura de Mortadelo y Filemón) , too . Being shot on location in Tavertet, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain (exteriors, top of the mountain) , Calella, Barcelona, (exteriors, Iron Man scenes) Parc Natural del Monseny, Barcelona, Creixell , Sant Just Desvern, Gualba, Barcelona, Catalonia, and Tarragona Catalonia, Spain .The picture was partly inspired from director Marcel Barrena , who wrote too , basing on real events . Marcel won Gaudí Award with his movie debut, the acclaimed TV movie "Cuatro estaciones".Nominated for Goya Awards for the Best Documentary for his first movie for theaters. In fact , "Món Petit" is one of the most successful documentaries in Spanish cinema. His first three movies (one for television and two for cinemas) has been awarded by the Catalan Academy with the Gaudí Award. His two movies for cinemas, "Món petit" and "100 metros" has been nominated for the Spanish Academy, Goya Awards. "Món petit" is considered one of the best documentaries in Spanish cinema. And ¨100 Metros¨was Winner CinEuphoria Top Ten of the Year - National Competition : Marcel Barrena ; Best Ensemble - National Competition ; Gaudí Awards 2017 Best Actor in a Supporting Role : Karra Elejalde , Best Actress in a Supporting Role : Alexandra Jiménez ; Nominee Gaudí Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role : Bruno Bergonzini , Best Actor in a Supporting Role : David Verdaguer , Best Actress in a Supporting Role : Clara Segura , Best Screenplay : Marcel Barrena , Best Production Manager : Teresa Gefaell ; Nomine Goya Best Supporting Actor : Karra Elejalde ; José María Forqué Awards 2017 Nominee José María Forqué Award Values Education Marcel Barrena Castelao Pictures ; Portuguese Film Academy Sophia Awards 2018 Nominee Sophia Best Original Music Rodrigo Leão ; Toulouse Cinespaña 2017 Winner Audience Award Best Film : Marcel Barrena . In addition , Spanish Neurologist Society awarded the movie for its contribution with Multiple Sclerosis .
Life with multiple sclerosis
It is a film that is based on real events and deals with the subject of multiple sclerosis in an interesting way; the plot is moving, the performances are excellent, the music is good, and the cinematography is decent; it is a very motivational experience.