In this sharp, darkly funny new film from acclaimed director Manuel Martín Cuenca, aspiring novelist Álvaro (Javier Gutiérrez, The Olive Tree) leads a daily existence that seems to offer precious little in the way of inspiration. Working as a notary while the writing career of his beautiful wife, Amanda (María León), takes off, Álvaro keeps a cool distance from the rich messiness of life—not to mention his dreams of one day being an acclaimed author of high literature. But when he catches Amanda with another man, Álvaro quickly finds himself in a bachelor’s flat in downtown Seville, surrounded by a rich tapestry of complicated characters. From Irene and Enrique, an immigrant couple facing serious financial challenges, to Lola, the lonely superintendent whom he seduces in order to gain information, Álvaro begins to coolly manipulate his neighbors’ fates in service of his novel—with surprising results.

Winner: FIPRESCI Jury Award – Special Presentations, Toronto

In competition for the Cine Latino Award.