a “thriller” in Gaudí’s Barcelona

The embryo of this series yet to be produced is also the fault of Torregrosa himself, since he is responsible for grafting between the folds of the detective intrigue which organizes the story archive images which, without the need for additional commentary, show us the urban transformation of Barcelona, notably post-Olympic, and the consequences that this had not only on its physiognomy but, above all, on the living conditions of a very specific layer of Barcelona society (that corresponding to the least favored, for a change).

These documentary annotations at the bottom of the page unexpectedly connect the new Netflix series to certain novels by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán – I am thinking of the farcical “Olympic Sabotage” and all the comments that the creator of Pepe Carvalho included in the later novels of the saga concerning the metamorphosis that the city of Barcelona on the occasion of the splendor of 92 and its beneficiaries – or even with Long journey to anger (Llorenç Soler, 1969).

These are, I repeat, little notes that I like to read as an invitation to someone to develop a project on such a delicate issue; or perhaps an exaggerated desire on the part of the person signing this to find some referential incentive to cling to, tired as he is afterwards take on the umpteenth adaptation of a successful novel.

This minimal element of genius, almost a little note of color that gains integers because of the way it was edited, is the only really interesting thing in city ​​of shadows, For the rest, a criminal story easily interchangeable with another of the hundreds of rehearsals with police officers and murderers involved which are stored in the Netflix container (Lauchhamer, Murder for Beginners, The Glass Dome, The Past Does Not Sleep, The Trail or the three hundred series based on the novels of Harlan Coben).

Let’s focus. It all starts with the murder of a well-known builder. His body appears burned on the facade of La Pedrera, the emblematic building designed by Gaudí located on Passeig de Gràcia.

Those responsible for solving the case will be inspector Milo Malart (Isak Férriz), until now suspended for indiscipline in the Mossos d’Esquadra and immediately reinstated in the service, and sub-inspector Rebeca Garrido (Verónica Echegui), who actually acts as guardian of her insubordinate partner.

It will be only the first in a series of ritual crimes whose staging includes a burning corpse placed in one of the Catalan architect’s modernist creations.

The climax will of course take place in the Sagrada Familia, coinciding with the visit of Pope Benedict XVI (the story takes place in 2010). He serial killer will receive the name of Gaudi’s shadow we therefore risk confusing it with a diligent secretary or with the penultimate eyeliner released by Margaret Astor.

City of Shadows suffers from oversaturation. Without wanting to spoil anything, we will say that a link is being established between real estate speculation of all kinds – from the expansion of the city for the Olympic Games to the extensions of the Sagrada Familia or Park Güell and the forced expropriations that followed – with a corruption plot that includes child abuse.

If anyone thinks they see some sort of equivalence with what I explained Group 7 (Alberto Rodríguez, 2012) regarding the 1992 Seville Universal Exhibition, let’s forget it.

Milo Malart’s composition perfectly demonstrates the excesses that the series generates.

Suspended for assaulting a superior, traumatized by the suicide of his nephew, son of a schizophrenic father and with a brother who suffers from the same illness, separated from his wife, who wants to sell the apartment they shared and with a former father-in-law whom he loves as much as Mia Farrow loves Woody Allen… Does anyone give more?

The series also numerous construction problems. Already at the beginning, a clever ellipse prevents us from seeing how the murderer is able to transport an inert body to the top of Casa Milà and hang it on the facade after passing all security checks.

Later we will be informed that the dupe made copies of all the keys and entry cards, but at no point are we explained how this was possible and, above all, how he is able to bypass the surveillance measures of several facilities (the most plausible answer is that the security company in charge is the TIA).

Let’s say that the scripts always try to justify these inconsistencies by resorting to all sorts of subterfuges to make us believe that Doraemon looks like Bugs Bunny.

From this “mosso”/file rat who warns the inspectors of the death of an old lady in a church by saying “it may just be a coincidence” – verbalizing inconsistency to create a suspension of disbelief effect– which will be the key to solving the case, until the recurring appearance of worthless characters (the former father-in-law, the former commissioner) who always provide valuable information at the right time.

It is also surprising that everyone knew of the dark inclinations of Félix Torrens, the second victim, and that it was so difficult for the police to discover them.

The dosage of information is unwise, since the identity of the villain is hidden from us only to reveal it to us in the fifth chapter: would it not have been better to show all the cards from the start or, on the contrary, to let the inspectors find the criminal and not the screenwriters?

There is no shortage of famous products either. flashbacks whose textures seek to imitate archival material, because in our time, you have to tell everything about everyone (all those who refer to the death of Malart’s nephew are… give it the adjective).

This expansive need also includes a whole subplot featuring the devious journalist played by Manolo Solo… because we also have to talk about the sensationalism that journalists like Susanna Griso bring every morning to their television show, on which Julia Valle played by María Adánez, host of the program for which the reporter Mauricio Navarro (Manolo Solo), smuggler of the leaked exclusives, works.

Regarding the production of Jorge Torregrosa, once again mediated by the Netflix style book to which we have already alluded on previous occasions, I will only cite Malart’s presentation sequence.

We see him on a cliff overlooking the sea, distraught, perhaps thinking of committing suicide. To capture this feeling of overwhelm, up to four shots are used (three with a drone) with their respective montages: one with a frontal approach; another, in a slight dive, approaching from behind; a medium shot of his neck and a top-down shot, before moving to a close-up of his tormented face (which would be the fifth).

Are five shots really necessary to convey this feeling? What dramatic rationale lies behind these visual decisions? If anyone knows it or finds it, I’d be happy to hear from you.

For the rest, Isak Férriz and Verónica Echegui, whose robotic interpretation suits their character like no other, support the performance as best they can – when they see the scenes of Malart confronting his brother, they will understand him better.

Nor should we undermine the good work of the majority of secondary school staff, a small justification of the Catalan school represented here by performers from very different generations such as Irene Montalà, Àgata Roca, Marc Clotet, Aina Clotet, Pep Munné, Vicky Peña or the usual dubbing actor Juan Carlos Gustems. Besides, it is appreciated that the series embraces bilingualism with total naturalness.

City of Shadows is the posthumous project of the unfortunate Verónica Echegui. Beyond the final result, the document must be used to assess your interpretive versatility, Well, here he evolves in a register that has nothing to do with the one he used in some of his most recent works (To death)in detective series like Fortitude (VV.AA., 2015-2018) or in dramas as remarkable as Half of Oscar (Manuel Martin Cuenca, 2010).

And now let’s see if anyone digs deep into these archives and unearths the almost hidden history of the excesses that made the Barcelona Olympics possible.