So much average

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Coming-up-age story in which a teen enjoys just two days of freedom that turns out to be a journey into maturity , everything is somehow different for him . It is summertime in a district of a famous city in the South of Spain : ¨Sevilla¨ , Andalucia . It is set in the posterior time to Expo in Seville and the massive 'cleanup' of the streets that occurred subsequently to the event . Tano (Juan Jose Ballesta) , a teenager currently serving in prison at a juvenile reform center , is given a 48-hour leave to attend his brother's wedding . Together with his best friend Richi , Tano schemes to enjoy his 48-hour pass to the limit, doing all the things he is usually prohibited from doing . He gets together with his friends in discoteque , swimming pool , wedding celebration and other places and carry out robbing , hold-ups and tiny crimes . He feels free and exerts that freedom with all the impulse and audacity of an adolescent . They are misunderstood teenagers from lower class living in a big city . They are unadapted and unknown children for their parents , brothers and themselves . By the end of his 48-hour pass, his emotional loneliness and isolation to be led to unexpected consequences . Tano has also witnessed the changing of all the things he takes for granted in his life : the neighborhood , friendship , his family relation including brotherhood , buddies and loved-ones .¨9 Virgins¨ is one of several movies dealing with Spanish adolescence and their particularities such as : rude education , jobless , sex , drugs and delinquency , all of them interwoven with problematic parents-children relationships . This genre achieved splendor during the 70s and early 80s such as ¨Perros Callejeros I and II¨, ¨Perras Callejeras¨ , ¨ Los Ultimos Golpes Del Torete¨, ¨Yo el Vaquilla¨, mostly realized by Jose Antonio De La Loma , ¨Navajeros , "Colegas", "El Pico 2" by Eloy De La Iglesia and especially ¨Deprisa , Deprisa¨ by Carlos Saura and later ¨La Estanquera De Vallecas ¨ , among others . These films were notorious in the years of the Spanish transition to democracy including provoking and polemic issues and played by unknown young people . Drugs , delinquency, and generational problems are the habitual subjects in these films and specially dedicated to the underworld of heroin and a very realistic look . In "9 virgins " there is a similar premise , as some unfortunate as well as hapless teenagers from lower class living hardly in a blue-collar , marginal district of a city in the South of Spain , then they pull off tiny crimes and misdemeanors and go into a mall where steal a purse , heist shops , and people hitting . We see their troubles with parents , brothers and colleagues , at the same time growing in such streets , slums or "barrio" from Sevilla outskirts and some fine locations . The director creates a sort of Spanish Neo-Realism by tackling the Spanish way of life of a group of teenagers in the streets from a sociological point of view ; being rightly portrayed the city of Sevilla of the 2000s , in the so-called popular neighbourhoods . Filmmaker Alberto Rodriguez shows the ugliness of those "barrios" , toughness and cold existence along with some social habits . The film works on many levels, but does have its flaws . The main cast is pretty well , including young and rookie actors . Nice acting by Juan Jose Ballesta as Tano ,a teen who gets drunk, takes drugs, steals, has sex and hangs out with his buddies but none of Tano's friends are professional actors . They were selected in auditions at local high schools. The support cast is formed by experienced players such as Ana Wagener and Julio Villagran who usually plays for the director ; furthermore an uncredited cameo by Antonio Dechent as a police .Colorful and appropriate cinematography by Alex Catalan , a good cameraman who has photographed a lot of successful films such as ¨Even the rain¨ , ¨Grupo 7¨, ¨Habitacion En Roma¨ and ¨Voz Dormida¨. Atmospheric and adequate musical score by Julio de la Rosa who also composed ¨Group 7¨ , including Andalucian songs . The motion picture was was well directed by Alberto Rodriguez . Alberto Rodríguez was born on May 11, 1971 in Seville , Andalucía, Spain . He is a good director and writer, known for Grupo 7 (2012), 7 Vírgenes (2005) and After (2009) . He previously realized ¨El Traje¨ and ¨Factor Pilgrim¨ . The latest from this director was the successful ¨Grupo 7¨ . To an outsider, someone who's not a fan of a particular genre, anything that looks somewhat familiar can be grounds for dialing the cliché delinquent genre , but I think results to be an entertaining film with several interesting scenes .

I am a big fan of European Cinema but did not know this young Spanish director (Alberto Rodriguez). I have to say that he is very good and now I can't wait to see his previous film: "The Suit"."7 Virgins" depicts the life of certain teenagers in Andalucia who live their lives to the limit because they feel they have nothing to lose. The young actors are fantastic. I'm not surprised that Juan Jose Ballesta won the Silver Shell at the San Sebastian Film Festival - well deserved! I remember reading that Angelica Huston, who was president of the jury back then, had said that Juan Jose Ballesta was the closest thing she had seen to being a real movie star.

Well... its generic, predictable, and well... living in Spain let me just tell you that this movie wasn't that hard to make and most of the characters in the movie are typical. It may impress foreigners but theses characters are stereotypes of Spanish cinema.Even so... Jesus Carranza does a neat job as Richi, proving that even the most superficial character if done with dignity can be interesting to watch and well... Juan Jose BAllesta probably had fun playing himself.If it wasn't for its twisted ending, the movie would be below average in my opinion, but everything must be said, Did anyone expect Richci to die?

Spain, 2005 (86 minutes)Monday June 5, 9:30pm The Neptune Wednesday June 7, 4:15pm Pacific Place"Dude, weren't you in the joint?" "I still am, this is an illusion."While free on a 48-hour pass from juvenile detention to attend his brothers wedding, Tano (Juan Jose Ballestra) makes the most of his time, drinking, clubbing, getting busy with his girl and getting into plenty of trouble in this "Muchachoz en la Hood" of sorts. Tano looks up his friend Richi (Jesus Carroza) and before long they are running through a shopping mall with a stolen wallet. Director Alberto Rodriguez' effective use of subtext presents an interesting alternative to what might have been a stereotyped and dull story of young hooligans. Tano picks up his girl Patri (Alba Rodriguez) and they ride off on his scooter. When they are first seen in private Patri is wearing Tano's shirt. The use of montage to bridge scenes is reminiscent of Michael Mann while the portrayal of thoughtless crime, hopelessness and devalued life could almost be a Spanish translation of S. E. Hinton.