good back-story, and good acting

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Did you people see the same film I saw?

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

This perceptible drama is based on Benito Perez Galdos's (author of Episodios Nacionales) novel and adapted by Horacio Valcarcel. The countess Lucrecia (Cayetana Guillen Cuervo) along with his two daughters(Alicia Rozas, Cristina Cruz) return to City of Jerusia. But also the grandfather (Fernando Fernan Gomez)goes back Spain after traveling America looking for the Dorado, but he is now ruined. The old man wants reckoning , because his son died and left a will stating which one of the two daughters is an illegitimate little girl . Later on, the elderly count is obligated by the Mayor(Fernando Guillen, Cayetana Guillen's father), the priest(Francisco Algora), the administrator(Agustin Gonzalez) and doctor(Juan Calot) to remain at a Monastery led by the prior(Francisco Piquer) but Don Rodrigo escapes.This is a thought-provoking drama filmed with great sensitivity and feeling. It's an intelligent and touching story although sometimes is slow moving and tiring but is finely developed with sense of style and sensibility. In the picture are treated ethics and morals themes developed with great sense of fairness and ductility.Excellent acting by Fernando Fernan Gomez as an embittered man who will must face the traumatic truth and choose between honor and love. Special mention to Rafael Alonso as unfortunate elderly man who is mistreated by his six daughters . Besides exceptional and awesome cinematography by Raul Perez Cubero as is reflected on the marvelous outdoors of the countryside and brilliant interiors . Wonderful musical score by Manuel Balboa and the symphonic orchestra of Madrid with haunting leitmotif. Well filmed on marvelous locations as Niembro, Llanes, Pola De Lena, Church of Valdedios and Santa Cristina Lena (Asturias) and Monastery of Santa Maria Vid (Aranda Duero). Spectacular production design by Gil Parrondo who formerly achieved two Oscars (Patton, Nicholas and Alexandra). The motion picture is accurately directed by Jose Luis Garci (El Crack I, II, Luz Domingo) who won one Academy Award for ¨Volver a Empezar¨. Rating : Better than average and well worth seeing.For these reasons is essential and indispensable watching and is better than first version titled ¨La Duda¨ by Rafael Gil with Fernando Rey (Fernando Fernan Gomez role), Analia Gade (Cayetana Guillen character),Pilar Bardem, and again Rafael Alonso as Senen Corbacho (Agustin Gonzalez role).

The flaw with this movie is: the question that directs the whole affair is put much too simply. The most immoral characters in this film is made out to be the one who gives and receives love the most. It is a cr@p idea and must have come from a cr@p novel written by a cr@p writer who wants the cr@p bastards he or she grew up with to be loved as much as legitimate children that he probably envied as a child.The Countess, who married into money and prominence, spends the movie playing dirty tricks to keep the grandfather from finding out which granddaughter is legitimate. First, she denies and lies about her childbearing affair. Then, she tries to have him imprisoned in a monastery. Then, she plays the dirtiest trick of the movie by giving him the granddaughter that he mistakenly believes is his, because after all, it is all about love, no matter what else is true.The problem that I have with this movie is not that it wasn't well made or well acted - it was both. But, I think that it was really made for two audiences: women (especially for women who sin prominently) and those crazy old foggies who think that it is important to know which of your children and grandchildren are actually yours (what an outdated, anachronistic idea!).The moral is as sophisticated as the lie that it is all predicated on, that love is okay as long as it is love.Meanwhile, the Grandfather, obsessed with determining paternity, is supposed to represent the viewer. He vagabonds through his old province and spouts moral lessons, gleans family history, learns the ins and outs of the local characters, all the while reading clues to determine which daughter is of his oh-so-sacred bloodline. We are supposed to follow his journey and come to the same conclusion that he comes to by the end of the movie.So the audience is slowly tricked into believing that it is okay to cuckold or be cuckolded as long as you love the children it produces. I get the movie. I get the moral. But, I have to say that I find it morally and ethically objectionable to trick a grandfather into raising and caring for a child that is not his, when the only thing he wants is to bestow his aging sense of honor onto his true heiress. What kind of moral is that?

Among the many strengths of this movie: excellent dialogues-better if you understand Spanish-, superb acting even by children, touching and comic -not corny- story, magnificent landscapes and atmospheres. Definitively, an intelligent movie with a big heart.

This is a very unusual story, set in a different time and place than what I normally see. I found it hard to get into the story at first since I did not understand the motivations of the characters for the first 30 or 40 minutes of the film. Once the characters were more revealed, the film told a fascinating story of family ties and honor. Beautiful scenery added to my pleasure.