In Aida and Back, chaos erupts during the production of the Spanish television series "Aida." Complications arise when someone on set is accused of inappropriate behavior. Screenwriter and director Paco León and co-writer Fernando Pérez have created a light and mildly amusing satire with touches of Almodóvar, but it's tonally uneven and not funny, quirky, or witty enough.
Carmen Machi, reprising her role as Aida, is the film's best asset with her charismatic performance that brings nuance and depth. Viewers who have seen the Aida series will appreciate the inside jokes and seeing all the familiar faces, but those unfamiliar with it will find little to engage them, especially since all the inside jokes will be incomprehensible. Furthermore, the tone is very inconsistent, with some serious moments causing an abrupt shift in register, and there are too many underdeveloped subplots.
Director: Maryam Touzani
Writers: Nabil Ayouch, Maryam Touzani
Stars: Carmen Maura, Marta Etura, Ahmed Boulane
However, the final minutes are among the few surprisingly touching and memorable moments. Aida and Back is ultimately as boring, superficial, and forgettable as Charlie XCX's satire, The Moment. Running 1 hour and 30 minutes, it opens at Village East by Angelika courtesy of Outsider Pictures.
79-year-old María (Carmen Maura) refuses to leave her apartment in Morocco when her daughter, Clara (Marta Etura), announces she's selling it on Málaga Street. Clara places her in a nursing home, but she soon escapes and returns to the apartment where she had lived for four decades. Screenwriter and director Maryam Touzani and co-writer Nabil Ayouch have created a bittersweet but tedious and unengaging drama, elevated by Carmen Maura's warm and radiant performance.
There's very little narrative drive and too many underdeveloped subplots, such as her friendship with Absalm (Ahmed Boulane), an antique dealer from whom she tries to buy back all her belongings. Their friendship (or is it something more?) feels forced. The same is true of her friendship with Sister Josefa (María Alfonsa Rosso), a nun who listens to María's emotional confessions without responding. María comes across as stubborn, lonely, and somewhat sad, although the film avoids exploring her sadness or her past in any depth. There are no flashbacks, and the exposition is minimal.
Fortunately, Carmen Maura shines with a genuinely moving performance that provides the emotional depth the script lacks. She is the heart, mind, and soul of the film. It's a shame the script doesn't delve deeper to make the film a more impactful experience. Running 1 hour and 56 minutes, Calle Málaga opens at Film Forum courtesy of Strand Releasing.
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