Time: 92 Minutes
Age Rating: M – Violence
Cast:
Arturo de Córdova as Francisco Galván de Montemayor
Delia Garcés as Gloria Vilalta
Luis Beristáin as Raúl Conde
Director: Luis Buñuel

I went into Él not really knowing what to expect. The only thing I knew was that it was directed by Luis Buñuel, and I had liked Belle de Jour from him. Having seen it now, I think that Él is pretty good.

I’ll admit that at first, Él didn’t really engage me and it was on the more melodramatic side. However, it really picked up in the second half, in which it leans more into thriller territory. It’s also a film about a lot of things. Of course it’s about jealousy, paranoia, narcissism, obsession, and domestic abuse, but it’s also about societal norms, institutional misogyny, class and religion, including the complicity of the church. The story felt timeless and real, despite the melodramatic execution at times.

Arturo de Córdova and Delia Garcés are great in their parts. Córdova particularly does well, conveying the outer appearance of being respectable, honourable and virtuous, while actually being jealous, egotistical, narcissistic and a control freak.

Él is well directed by Luis Buñuel. Much of his work is very standard, but it is elegantly shot. In the second half, they play around with the style and visuals and perspectives, especially in the third act.

Él takes a while to get going, but overall it is a suspenseful, well directed and performed melodrama.