Al final del camino (2009)

Simply A Masterpiece

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Nice and funny Spanish comedy starred by good actors , including ridiculous situations , entertainment , amusement and with a distinctly Spanish sense of style . The story takes place in spring , Northern Spain , along Camino Santiago and everyone knows that until you reach Santiago, anything can happen . It is a diverting story about friends, and the challenges we face while navigating this ever-agreeable as well as complicated voyage . It covers the pilgrim route from Cebreiro to Santiago De Compostela where at the end of the movie the protagonists arrive and watch the wonderful cathedral . It deals with a peculiar couple, as Nacho (Fernando Tejero and Malena Alterio ,they have been coupled in two very famous TV comedy series , such as : La Que Se Avecina) , he's a photographer while Pilar is a reporter . They're forced to pretend to be a loving couple when their magazine managing editor assigns them a traveling assignment . They hate each other and seem to have an uncertain and troublesome future . The couple has to endure their different personalities to carry out the respective journey . As they're sent to cover the story of Olmo, a guru (Diego Peretti) who resolves relationship crises of couples doing the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela by a huge amount of money : 20.000 Euros . But then it appears José (Javier Gutiérrez) , Nacho's best friend , and the events get worse . In their 6-day adventure trip across Galicia they become involved into love , delusion , threesome and many other things . Later on , there appears her former boyfriend (Javier Calleja) and Pilar is still in love with him . Nothing should be taken at face-value ; nothing should be taken seriously .Spanish comedy with humor , fun , entertaining situations and ordinary actors . Funny comedy with romantic touches here and there ; being full of entertainment , humor and sheer amusement . The main premise is the following : our two antagonists get mixed up in all kinds of absurd , hilarious and even romantic incidents . The principal issue about the continuous meetings and ongoings disagreements between the protagonists and their intertwined loves , it is so repetitive and that makes it a little boring . This is a slightly bemusing film with entertaining events , giggles , emotion and an agreeable love story . Humor is sometimes cheesy and gross-out with numerous picaresque situations such as sex jokes , profanities and absurd scenes . The film explores the relationship among a motley quartet and their triangular love story , being well played by known actors . However , it moves in fits and starts most of which would be desirable , with more traps the viewer resists any kind, and some moments of enjoyment and others quite a few embarrassing ; so, the tone of the film is light-hearted and the most part results to be rich in implausibilities and absurdities . This is a 2009 typical Spanish comedy with the customary ingredients such as enjoyable humor topped with a little bit of original touches here and there ; including mayhem , confusion , loving triangles and a lot of fun . The picture benefits a likable main cast such as Fernando Tejero , Malena Alterio ; besides , Diego Peretti , Luis Callejo , Irene Escolar who round out the protagonist duo . Special mention to Javier Gutierrez , as a pesky guy , he steals the show as as a crazed-sex man who often gets into trouble with his friend so that he can get to regain new lovers . The movie is played mostly for laughs as the boy get into scrapes trying to score with the girl . A few of the scenes are amusing , they elicit chuckles but no serious laughter . The picture attempts to spread optimism about the events of life , friendship and love , including its amusing sides . The roles in this film are all lovable despite being rather pathetic and silly .The cinematography is glimmer as well as colorful and shows the beauty of the Camino and the marvelous city of Santiago De Compostela including its impressive cathedral . This evocative photography was well made by a good cameraman called by Juan Antonio Castaño who has photographed various films of filmmaker Roberto Santiago . Atmospheric musical score , adding catching songs that protagonists sing while they are walking . The motion picture was professionally written and directed by Robert Santiago . He is an expert comedy director such as ¨Hombres Felices¨, ¨Club De Suicidas¨ , ¨El Penalti Mas Largo Del Mundo¨, ¨El Sueño De Ivan¨ , ¨Solo Para Dos¨ , and this ¨Al final del Camino¨ ; many of them starred by his fetish actor , Fernando Tejero .

The story of a photographer and journalist paired to join a love guru , who is doing a boot camp for couples in trouble along The Camino, to cover the story for a women's magazine. During the trip, the not-very-talkative guru, lead the couples through the Camino giving them tasks to connect to each other and try to solve their problems.The performances are all mediocre. The leading couple, Malena Alterio and Fernando Tejero, are well known actors in Spain, where they have been paired in two very famous TV comedy series, always playing a couple that hates each other but feels inexplicably attracted to each other. They play the same sort of couple in this movie, but, unlike their TV shows, the script is weak, the jokes old, the situations seen too often, and the story not funny enough overall.The cinematography is very pretty and reflects the beauty of the Camino and of Northern Spain in spring, and also the sort of people and atmosphere that you find in the road. However, as the story goes, it seems that the movie is promoting the Camino as a sexual sort of road trip. Was it necessary to have the couples go through the Camino? Why not placing them on a cruise, an exotic resort, or a simple mountain escapade where these sort of stories would have been more credible and funny? The movie looks more apt for a TV special than for the big screen because, what is acceptable for a TV show, does not always work out for the big screen. The movie does not make any favor to the leading couple, either, who keeps playing the same role over and over. It is time to grow as an actor, guys! A completely forgettable movie that is not worth the ticket price.

Pilar, a writer for a Madrid based magazine, catches her boyfriend cheating on her. Sometime later, while having dinner at a restaurant she notices two couples at the next table, obviously two friends and their dates. While the women go the bathroom, Pilar listens in disbelief what the two men are planning to do with the women. As the girls return to the table, Pilar joins them and proceeds to tell her, point blank, what they can expect from these men.Something funny happens when Pilar is told by her boss she has to cover a pilgrimage some kind of a guru is planning to take couples in Northern Spain on a trip of discovery about themselves, a sort of therapy that is worth a mere twenty thousand Euros to join the group. Little does Pilar know the photographer assigned to accompany her for this experience is Nacho, one of the two guys she help unmask at the restaurant! This is the weak premise of this Spanish comedy directed by Roberto Santiago, who also worked on the scrip with Javier Gullon. The problem with this film, as most of the comedies from that country, present situations that show some promise, but in the end, the whole thing is bogged down by a situation that sounds ridiculous, at best, with characters that are poorly written. The setting is obvious because of the financial help from the government of the province of Galicia, probably to show the glorious backgrounds where the film was shot.Malena Alterio shows the makings of a good screen comedienne, and it would be interesting to see her in a better vehicle. Diego Peretti, the Argentine actor is totally wasted as Olmo, the guru.

This review is targeted at two potential groups wondering whether or not to watch this film, i.e. for those who enjoy Spanish comedy, but are wary of the film's religious backdrop, and for those interested in the Camino de Santiago as an ancient Christian pilgrim route which still continues to attract thousands of physical and spiritual pilgrims every year.The Al final del Camino is a Spanish comedy about love, sex and marriage, set against the backdrop of the Camino. There are moments when it is extremely funny, with some slapstick comedy that is well done and beautifully timed. The film benefits from Roberto Santiago's crisp direction, the cinematography is wonderful and the editing sharp.The film has some delightful comic performances, especially by the two leading players, Fernando Tejero and Malena Alterio; they absolutely shine. Diego Peretti is suitably sinister and controlling as Olmo, a guru and relationship counsellor.Being a modern comedy, the language is strong in places and there is brief male nudity. Many of the characters have a morality which is decidedly non-Christian, which leads to various sex scenes, though they are discreetly shot and visually inoffensive. If you are broad minded you will enjoy this film very much, but if you hold traditional values about sex and marriage, then this is a film to steer clear of. Depending on your point of view the film has a happy ending or a questionable resolution of the issues. Those who regard the Camino as a Holy and Sacred Space may find the film offensive. The film is shot on location and covers the pilgrim route from O Cebreiro to Santiago. The indoor scenes were clearly shot in genuine pilgrim hostals and have an authentic look and feel to them. Anyone who has walked the Camino Francés will recognise most of the locations.Many people walk the Camino for spiritual and religious reasons. Be warned; this film has no interest in that aspect of the Camino whatsoever.For those who want an insight to the Camino as a spiritual place, I warmly recommend Laurence Boulting's film, "Within the Way Without" (available on DVD) and found at imdb.com/title/tt0856280/.Overall, I enjoyed this morally flawed film very much, but as an insight to the spiritual purpose of travelling the Camino, which is the raison d'être of the route, it is well wide of the mark.