Released in 2016, Spanish filmmaker Raúl Arévalo’s thriller ‘The Fury of a Patient Man’ (Original title: Tarde para la ira) is probably one of the finest in the genre-bending exercise. Antonio de la Torre’s performance, remarkable characterization in a tightly written script, and a swiftly paced narration make it a must-watch.
The film’s English title, however, doesn’t do justice to the story as we see a lot of things happening on screen. From impressive individual characters to the depiction human psyche and love for family, ‘The Fury of a Patient Man’ is more than just a simple revenge drama.
Here is the movie trailer of Spanish film Tarde para la ira (The Fury of a Patient Man)
Set in 2007, the storyline starts with a confusing tone when we get introduced to multiple characters, but later things start falling in the right place to make sense. The first on the list is CURRO who got arrested by the cops when a robbery attempt in a jewelry store goes wrong. He is the only one arrested and sentenced while his mates flee the scene.
For the next eight long years ANA, CURRO’s girlfriend, lives as a single mother to a son. She runs a cafe with her brother Juanjo while waiting for her man to come out of the prison. Then enters JOSE, a man with no background as such, who becomes friends with Juanjo, and later both ANA and JOSE get attracted to each other.
This is where the film takes its swift turn as CURRO comes out of the prison and at the same time, we get to sense the real motives of JOSE who happens to be a relative of one of the victims killed in that jewelry store robbery.
‘The Fury of a Patient Man’ (Tarde para la ira) is one of those films that keep us engaged as we wonder about the real motives of the man in question. Moreover, Spanish actor-turned-director Raúl Arévalo’s narrative style and the idea to give the key character the least dialogues make the whole experience suspenseful and at times confusing.
There we have two men on the screen facing each other: one is volatile, violent and who has served in prison and now out to have a peaceful life of his own; and the other, a well-cultured and quiet man, but has lived long with revenge in his head. Still, at times, we are not too sure what would happen the next moment, whether or not one of them would accept the reality and make an effort to move on, leaving behind the past.
By the end of the story, ‘The Fury of a Patient Man’ reminds us of the fact that humans are capable of anything and we can do anything for the sake of the family. In doing so, sometimes the lines between good vs evil or hero vs villain become blurred. In the end, it all boils down to the psychology of those complex characters or the person who actually gets to live the hard times.
Overall, it’s not a simple story as we expect in most thrillers. It, of course, starts as a thriller, but becomes a family drama kind, then turns the table with elements of mafia cinema, and even with a momentary love triangle, but it has enough to surprise us by revealing more on the complex human psychology.
The Fury of a Patient Man (2016)
Genres: Revenge Drama, Thrillers, Crime Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Spanish Movies
Cast: Antonio de la Torre, Luis Callejo, Ruth Díaz, Raúl Jiménez, Manolo Solo, Font García, Pilar Gómez, Alicia Rubio.
Directed by Raúl Arévalo
Written by Raúl Arévalo and David Pulido
Awards: The film has won four Goya Awards, including Best Film, Best Supporting Actor (Manolo Solo) and Best New Director (Raúl Arévalo).
‘The Fury of a Patient Man’ is now streaming on Netflix. If you have watched the film, please let us know your review in the comment section below.
Where to watch The Fury of a Patient Man (2016)
