With Easter coming up,I decided that instead of getting an egg,I would give a friend a number of obscure titles on DVD as an Easter present.Taking a look at a DVD's seller's page,I was surprised to find a title that came from the Neo-Realist genre, which instead of coming from Italy, (where the genre's most well known films are from)was a Neo- Realist movie from Spain,which led to me exciting getting ready to take a look at the Neo-Realist genre for the first time.

The plot:

After his matador career has become completely washed up,Jacinto decides to move away with his young nephew Pepote to a small town in the middle of nowhere.As time goes by,people begin to forget that Jacinto ever existed,with even the lowest promoter not bother to track down Jacinato for a minor-league bull fight.

Keeping every penny that they can,Pepote one day walks to a shop to pick up a quarter of a pint of milk for Jacinto.On his way to the shop,Pepote is shocked to discover that someone has left a letter addressed to Jacinto.Rushing back with the letter,Jacinto opens it,and is left speechless,when he discovers that the letter contains an offer for him to do a bull fight.Initially thinking that it must be a joke,Jacinto decides to ring the promoter,who tells him in no uncertain terms that it is not a joke,and that he will pay good money for the event.

Heading out to the big city to buy a matador suit thanks to Jacinto having sold his ages ago,Pepote and Jacinto are left speechless by the high prices being charged for the loaning matador suit.With there only being a few hours to go until the event,Jacinto and Pepote decide that they will have to do every odd-job available on the street,in order for Jacinto's matador to make his grand return on time.

View on the film:

For the screenplay of the film,co-writer/( along with Andres Laszlo,Jose Santugini and Max Korner) director Ladislao Vajda smartly places Jacinto and Pepote's matador dream right to the end of the films world,so that it shines as a distant dream on the horrors that they are facing in their reality.Giving Pepote and Jacinto terrific side stories by filling the big city's streets with endless rows of shady characters,the writers brilliantly show the characters struggle to gather cash as something which brings them closer together,with Jacinto's initial carelessness over Pepote slowly disappearing,as he finds himself having to put on a brave face for Pepote,after the title has delivered its surprisingly downbeat ending.

Limiting the use of Roman Vlad's score to scenes that give the title a breezy atmosphere,director Ladislao Vajda fills the soundtrack with bustling sounds of pedestrians running across the street,which along with perfectly expressing the films non-studio based location,also puts the viewer into Jacinto and Pepote's desperate shoes.Along with the excellent soundtrack,Vajda also displays a sharp eye for shadow,with Vajda expertly draping the movie in darkening shadows,to show the down- trodden world that Pepote and Jacinto find themselves locked in.

Reuniting with Vajda after working with him on 1955's Miracle of Marcelino,Pablito Calvo gives a tremendously mature performance as Pepote,with Calvo showing Pepote's childhood innocent smile to fade away,as he starts to relies that he must carry Jacinto to the finish line of their dreams.Joining in on the reunion,Antonio Vico gives a brilliant performance as Jacinto,thanks to Vico showing that despite the bull fighting dream in the distance,and Pepote giving all the support he can,that Jacinto is unable to pull the Matador outfit out of the doom,laden shadows.

This is a sensitive story proceeded in simplicity and delicacy by Ladislao Vadja . Second film in the trilogy with the child Pablito Calvo and directed by the Hungarian Vadja for Chamartin Production Company ; resulting to be among the best of Spanish cinema . Jacinto (Antonio Vico) is a bullfighter long ago withdrawn , who lives with his small niece . The little boy named "Pepote" (Pablito Calvo) has lost his parents and become a pure and simple heart . Jacinto receives a letter reminding that needs to be submitted in a bullfight that is next to celebrate . Meanwhile , Jacinto and Pepotte share their time collecting cigars butts in the vicinity of the Bullring of "Las Ventas" . There Peppote watches the cartel in which is announced the following bullfight where appears his uncle Jacinto , when actually is a Charlotada , including clowns .

Interesting drama/comedy (Dramedy) dealing with Madrid habits , bullfighting , uncle-nephew relationship and many other things . It turns out be an awesome film , likeness to masterpieces ¨The Bait¨ and ¨Marcelino Bread and Wine¨ ; and even superior to ¨An Angel over Brooklyn¨. This an enjoyable and feeling movie full of mirth , humor touches and agreeable message based on a story and screenplay by Andrés Laszlo who also wrote ¨Paco el Seguro¨ . At the same time the film gives us an ample panorama about Madrid life , its pity and goodness ; furthermore, showing the citizens , men at work , swindlers , thieves , rascals and various situations happen in this big city . The scenarios in which develops the deeds are perfectly designed , a Madrid in the 1950 where lived all kinds of pickpockets , street vendors , counterfeiters , waifs and a host of roles that are cropping out in the movie . The main role "Jacinto" is played by Antonio Vico in a phenomenal manner , can be said that the same is perfectly adequate to his measure . ¨Pepote¨ his nephew , is masterfully acted by Pablito Calvo . Right developing resides on superb characters well performed by all casting and the sympathy , simplicity of Pablito Calvo . There appears notorious secondary actors , acting to perfection , such as José Isbert, this is one of the major actors in the Spanish cinema , Rafael Bardem , Jose Calvo , humorists as Miguel Gila and Luis Sanchez Pollack and Italian players as Paolo Stoppa and Walter Chiari . Special appearance by prestigious Spanish secondaries who also participated in ¨Marcelino Bread and Wine¨ such as Juan Calvo , Mariano Azaña, Adriano Dominguez , Jose Marco Davo .

Musical score by Roland Vlad responds appropriately to the ambient , originating a careful atmosphere . Precious and luminous cinematography by Enrich Guerner (Vadja's ordinary) who gives us an accurate scenario of the times is developed . Guerner or Heinrich Gärtner was a magnificent cameraman , and similarly to Ladislao Vadja with the arrival of the Nazis and with his Jewish origin, he went in Spain in 1933 ; that's where he worked for the rest of his life and even took the Spanish nationality . He became there a very influential cinematographer and trained many of the Spanish cinematographers who worked with him as assistant cameramen like José F. Aguayo . The motion picture was excellently directed by Ladislao Vadja , born in Hungary, he's author of sensational movies , such as 'The Bait', and 'Cord of prisoners', and three with Pablito Calvo: 'An Angel over Brooklyn'(along with Peter Ustinov) and 'Uncle Jacinto' . The filmmaker Ladislao Vadja succeeds in this picture , obtaining a great achievement , managing perfectly to the performers and taking advantage of them , giving the best of his acting . In my opinion this is one of the best films to come out of Europe in the decade of the 50s . The picture touched the hearts of numerous spectators around the world . Rating : Above average for its worthwhile mingle of drama , comedy , sentimentalism and good feeling .

I can't believe I'm one of the only people commenting on this. Even though this ain't the best movie I ever saw, it deserves more reviews.

After 'Marcelino pan y vino', Ladislao Vajda brought us this, completely different (and unrelated too) but without abandoning the same minimalist philosophy.

This film tells the story of an uncle and a nephew who are like father and son because of their relationship and because they live under the same roof.

In the story they spend a whole day walking (mostly by foot) through the streets of Madrid. They experience several events, some of them together and some of them on their own. One of the most hilarious is when Pepote calls «Mentiroso!» out loud with his husky voice to a kid who wouldn't let him play and then he takes a little "revenge" for fun by wetting the kid with water from a truck. And it's so hilarious when Pepote keeps saying «Papa, tengo hambre!».

Antonio Vico as Jacinto does his job well. Pablito Calvo is simply splendid as little Pepote.