Film festivals might not be the first place you look when searching for a good slapstick comedy, but the Seattle International Film Festival screened a really good one this past week. Called Spy Time, or Anacleto: Agente Secreto in its native Spain, it is the latest film from director Javier Ruiz Caldera.
Like the classic spoof Casino Royale (the old one, not Daniel Craig’s first turn as James Bond), Spy Time lovingly sends up the spy thriller genre. It features Adolfo (Quim Gutierrez), a 30 year old underachiever who works the night shift as a security guard, plays video games, and does little else. His girlfriend Katia (Alexandra Jimenez) is lovely and loving nurse, but her patience is wearing thin on a boyfriend that doesn’t even have a driver’s license. After she leaves him, and Adolfo doesn’t think things could get worse, his father, Anacleto, reveals that he’s been lying to him for his entire life. Anacleto does not make sausages, he is a legendary spy and his arch enemy escaped from captivity and is planning to exact revenge on Anacleto and Adolfo.
Legendary Spanish actor Imanol Arias, a favorite of Pedro Almodovar, plays Anacleto. I was surprised to learn that was his first real comedic role.
It has all the hallmarks of a great slapstick comedy with great puns and gags, excellent comedic timing, and a commitment to playing it straight in the face of absurdity.
If you’re disappointed to have missed Spy Time at SIFF, or live elsewhere, there is nothing to worry about as it is also currently available on Netflix in the US.
While Javier Ruiz Caldera was in Seattle to attend the two screenings of Spy Time at SIFF, he made time to sit down with me for an interview (which has been edited for length and clarity).
Can we talk about how the movie came to be and how you became involved with it?
Yeah, In Spain, when I was a child, I was a typical child who doesn’t like sports, I used read a lot of comic books. Like the Anacleto character was from a comic book of the 70s. Then I became a film director a few years ago and I was talking with a producer who had the rights to do the movie. We were talking a lot about Spy Time as comic book and to do an adaptation of the comic book to making a movie and finally we did it.
How long did it take you to make this film all together?
Maybe one year with a script. I was working with a script writer. Then in the productions maybe three months then the shooting two months. I mean seven weeks. Maybe two years since we have the idea to make a movie with the comic book and finally it was released in Spain.
Well, what is going to happen with this movie? I know you said it is on US Netflix now. Are you going to any more festivals after this?
I never know about the system. This is a very commercial movie in Spain and it has been with a big release and some kind of success and we never thought about festivals. Certainly they started to call and to say, “Oh we want to show your film on the festival.” Are you sure? Festival use our movie because it’s comedy and action. We were very surprised for the receptions in festivals and very happy and very proud. A few months ago we went to Miami and won a big award and we are here. It was six months more or less traveling around the world but I have to think about my next film. I have to stop making the festivals too because I have to work in Spain.
I love the actors that you had in the movie. How did you get them, the actor that played Adolfo and his father?
Yeah, for me it is very important. It is one of the main things when I making a movie because think about the plan very likely because they want to work with me. I called them and this is the very first time I ever met them. I didn’t know how to make any casting. When I write the script with the script writers, I always thought … I think it has to be in my own ideas and Adolfo, his son has to be Quim Gutiérrez. I called them, they said, “Yes.” Imanol Arias this is a very respected actor in Spain, he has … He worked through that with Almodovar and has that dramatic tradition. He told me, “Are you sure Javier you want to work with me. This is a comedy, I have never done a comedy ever in my life. In forty years of profession.” He is sixty years old, “I never did that comedy, really?” Don’t worry about it, one the greatest actor in the world and you have no problem with that. He is very happy with the result and I can’t imagine another actor you want in the movie.
Yeah, I thought he was just perfect. He fit the secret agent part, I thought, perfectly.
Yeah, Imanol Arias he is a great actor but he also has his passionate way of moving and he is like Lee Marvin with a Spanish face: sophisticated but also funny. I loved it.
Was he always surprised how funny he was in the movie?
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. He was really surprised in this movie. “I can’t believe people are laughing with my lines. It never happened to me in my life!” I said, “Don’t worry it is for the script. Don’t worry.” Because he plays so well. I don’t like those actors who try to make a comedy making exaggerations.. The audience will decide if it’s funny or not. Don’t make it obvious. That is the way I work with actors. They appreciate it very much and I do also.
What did you notice from the reactions from the American audiences to the movie?
I am very happy with the reaction because it is a very Spanish movie, it is an action movie. I love American action movies and I tried to make one action movie in a Spain, as a response for my love to action movies. For me it is very important because I grew up watching American movies. I love these American movies. For me it’s the way I understand the making of movies. When I saw that it works here, I felt very proud of my movie and very proud of myself. Because they understood very well what I was trying to say. It was great. I was here two days ago viewing the movie. I don’t usually do that because I have already seen the movie so many times and I don’t need to see it again. I planned stay for the first five minutes only to check if the song is okay but when they start to hear in Seattle people laughing. Okay, I will stay a little bit longer and then the whole movie because I was really enjoying listening the people laughing in that theater with five hundred people. Five hundred people laughing at the same time, for me, it was a great experience.
Anacleto triunfa en Seatle y su director Javier Ruiz Caldera aclamado. Vazquez forever! @ZetaCinema pic.twitter.com/CUJk0PN6lp
— carles santamaria (@carlescomic) June 9, 2016
You mention how you love American movies so much, were there any ones that were really that were your favorites or ones that really influence you?
I love all the genres. One of my favorite types of movies is the spoof movie. In fact my first movie was a spoof movie in Spain called Spanish Movie and I worked with Leslie Nielsen in my first experience that is how we met. Then I also loved John Carpenter movies, I don’t know, Woody Allen, but also J.J. Abrams, Spielberg. Polanski. I love comedy but I also love dramatic and action films.
Well, I think I probably have taken enough of your time. I just want to know if there is anything you want people to know about this movie or about your work that I didn’t ask about?
It is just they have to know Spy Time is an action comedy made within Spain and it is also about a father and son and it’s relationship and it’s sequence. I hope they enjoy it and they laugh because I did it for that reason.