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Princesas

Written by Nobuhiro Hosoki

 

Picture the lower end of some streets in Madrid, where hypersexual females are plying their trade: strutting their legs and showing off their assets in tight-knit clothes. A daily dosage of life among the prostitutes isn't easy to swallow when you have to deal with frequent humiliation and physical abuse. And, besides the time spent under harsh neon lights, there's always the insecurity of ordinary human life.

Princesas, this Spanish satirical drama, takes us on a journey into the lives of two friends who establish a bond that is surprisingly secure and engaging. Meet Caye (Candela Pena), a sensitive woman whose youthful prime is slowly fading away and who even goes to the point of considering a breast implant as a way to holding on to her clients. Every Sunday afternoon, she dines with her estranged mother Pilar (Mariana Cordero), who tries to make peace with her deceased husband by secretly sending herself flowers accompanied by a note from her unsigned admirer. As much as Caye detests that notion of illusion, she gradually shifts her own life to mirror her mother's mind.

She meets a group of her friends at a hair salon where they discuss their fears over catty dialogue and complain of the undocumented female immigrants who have recently occupied the area and who have knocked off a few bucks to undercut the local hookers. Caye finally loses one of her clients to Zulema (Micaela Nevarez), a younger fox from the Dominican Republic.One night, Caye enters a stranger's apartment to complain about the loud music being blasted, and her destiny is changed forever when she accidentally finds a battered and trembling Zulema in the bathroom. The man who abused her had promised to get her immigration papers in exchange for her sexual favors. Caye takes her to the hospital, and a friendship starts to form, based on a straightforward honesty in which they open up to each other and maintain hopes for a better future.

Director Fernando Leon de Aranoa uses Cay's cellphone ringtone in order to mentally put us into the life of a prostitute, which is constantly being interrupted by this annoying sound. In spite of his subject matter, he takes the lighter side, and he dicided not to portray the scenes of actual intercourse or beatings. But definitely his heart is in the right place, particularly in avoiding all the cliches of call girls plastered in our heads. Instead, he presents us with sharp observations of those in their inner circle. As in every scene, Candela Pena articulates her feeling in ways that are sometimes heartbreaking. This establishes the credibility of her performance, making us think that she is firmly standing on her feet. In fact, hookers with hearts of gold don't exist in Hoolywood--only in men's selfish fantasies.

Written (in Spanish, with English subtitles) ,
and directed by Fernando León de Aranoa
Director of photography: Ramiro Civita
Edited by Nacho Ruiz Capillas
Music by Alfonso de Vilallonga and Manu Chao
Art director, Llorenç Miquel
Produced by Mr. Aranoa and Jaume Roures
Released by IFC First Take. At the IFC Center
Running time: 109 minutes.
This film is not rated.

Cast: Candela Peña (Caye)
Micaela Nevárez (Zulema)
Mariana Cordero (Pilar)
Llum Barrera (Gloria)
Violeta Pérez (Caren),
and Mónica Van Campen (Ángela).