From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia El cónsul de Sodoma
El cónsul de Sodoma
The Consul of Sodom The Consul of Sodom (Spanish: El Cónsul de Sodoma is a 2009
Sodoma)
Spanish film directed by Sigfrid Monleón and starring
Jordi Mollà. It is a biopic of the Catalan poet Jaime Gil
de Biedma, based on a biography written by Miguel Dal-
mau.[2]
Plot
Jaime Gil de Biedma is a poet from Barcelona who belongs
to the Catalonian bourgeoisie. By 1959, he is in Manila on
business trip as director of the Philippine Tobacco Com-
pany during the day. At night, the poet gives free rein to
his homosexuality. This is how he meets Johnny, a young
man who works in an erotic nightclub and they have sex.
The poverty of Manila makes a deep impression on Jaime
and heightens his social conscience.
Back in Barcelona, the Spanish police interrogate
Jaime about some of his subversive friends who are still
dreaming of regime change in Spain. Ironically, he is re-
fused membership in the Communist Party because he
is gay. He visits his friend and editor Carlos Barral, and
Theatrical release poster meets Juan Marsé, a young writer about to publish his
Directed by Sigfrid Monleón first novel. At the same time as all of this, Jaime is trying
to save his relationship with Luis, his lover, but although
Produced by Andrés Vicente Gómez in love with him, Jaime treats Luis, who is of humble
Written by Miguel Dalmau background, with contempt. After a heated argument
Luis leaves him for good. Describing himself as "a Sunday
Screenplay by Joaquín Górriz
Miguel A Fernández
poet with a Monday conscience", Jaime mixes his weekly
Sigfrid Monleón working days for his family’s company with a bohemian
lifestyle on weekends. Don Luis, Jaime’s father, takes care
Based on the biography by Miguel Dalmau of Jaime’s trouble with the police, but he warns his son
Starring Jordi Mollà he has to sort his life out because he is putting his family
Bimba Bosé and the business in jeopardy.
Àlex Brendemühl By the mid 1960’s, society is increasingly becoming
Josep Linuesa
unstable and a new generation is meeting in the Bocaccio
Isaac de los Reyes
nightclub. There, Jaime meets the sexy and enigmatic
Music by Joan Valvent Bel, a divorced woman with two kids. They quickly es-
Cinematography Jose David Garcia Montero tablishes a relationship. Bel is entangled in a bitter battle
with her ex husband for the custody of her children.
Editing by Pablo Blanco Jaime buys an apartment and asks Bel to marry him, but
Distributed by Rodeo Media she turns him down: they are two free spirits getting
married would condemn their relationship to failure.
Release date(s) 11 December 2009 (2009-12-11)
Overwhelmed by events, Jaime loses himself in the night
Running time 112 minutes and gets very drunk. That same night, Bel dies in a tragic
accident. When he hears the news, Jaime becomes totally
Country Spain
desperate and tries to take his own life. However, he
Language Spanish manages to get back on his feet with the support of
friends and family. However, Jaime will never write poet-
Box office 335.848,24 € [1]
ry again. At the beginning of the 1970’s, Jaime goes to the
Philippines and has to deal with the economic changes
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia El cónsul de Sodoma
which the company is going through under the Marcos • Bimba Bosé - Bel
dictatorship. • Àlex Brendemühl - Juan Marsé
On his return, Jaime meets Toni, a young photogra- • Josep Linuesa - Carlos Barral
phy assistant of humble background, and they begin a • Isaac de los Reyes - Toni
sentimental relationship. In spite of his class awareness • Juli Mira - Jaime’s father
he seems to be attracted to men of humbler background. • Alfonso Bergara - Luis
Toni, for his part, insists on learning all he can from • Marc Martínez - Víctor Anglada
Jaime and asks him to introduce him into his sophis- • Isabelle Stoffel - Colita
ticated world, unknown to him. One day, at the beach • Vicky Peña - Jaime’s mother
with Tony and some friends, he gets moved watching the
freshness of a girl dancing with Tony. As a middle-aged
poet, Jaime becomes painfully aware of the passage of
Reception
time, his misspent youth, and the death that patiently The Consul of Sodom was shot on location in Madrid,
awaits him. He writes in a poem :"What do you want now, Barcelona and Manila. Shooting took place between 19
youth, you impudent delight of life?," "What brings you January 2009 and April 3 2009. The film premiered on
to the beach? We old ones were content until you came 11 December 2009. The film generally received good re-
along to wound us by reviving the most fearful of impos- views. It was nominated to six Goya Awards including
sible dreams. You come to rummage through our imagi- best actor for Jordi Mollà, but did not win any.
nations." The film caused a stir in Spain, with the real-life Juan
Jaime’s father dies and events pile up on each other Marse, now a revered novelist, expressing his strong in-
the growing tension between Jaime and Toni leads to a dignation in the national press. He referred to The Consul
violent confrontation in the country house which Jaime of Sodom as "grotesque, ridiculous, phony, absurd, dirty,
has bought as their love nest. Toni throws him out, and pedantic, directed by an incompetent and ignorant fool,
Jaime trips and is injured in the snow. He almost dies. badly acted, with deplorable dialogue. It’s a shameless
"The fact that life was to be taken seriously we under- film, with an infamous title and produced by unscrupu-
stand only later," he narrates in another poem. "Like all lous people."[3]
young people, I was going to change the world. I want-
ed to make my mark and withdraw to applause. Growing
old, dying, it was all a question of the size of the theater.
External links
But time has passed and I see the unpleasant truth. Grow- • The Consul of Sodom at the Internet Movie Database
ing old, dying, is the play’s only plot."
Now an old man, Jaime lives out his days with a young References
stage actor. He finds out that he has AIDS. The passing of
time and illness have left their mark on him. His friends, [1] "‘El cónsul de Sodoma’". http://fotogramas.esm/
who know that Jaime is dying, organize a poetry recital 2010/02/07/Peliculas/El-Consul-de-Sodoma/.
at Madrid’s famous Students Residence, which turns into Retrieved 15 March 2011.
a public acclamation of the poet. Now old and approach- [2] "Nominados a los Goya: ‘El cónsul de Sodoma’".
ing death, he still yearns for youth and beauty. He hires Jenesaispop. http://jenesaispop.com/2010/02/07/
a young male prostitute, but in a hotel room he can only nominados-a-los-goya-el-consul-de-sodoma/.
passive observe the young naked man dancing to The Pet Retrieved 15 March 2011.
shop Boy’s You were on my mind. [3] "Nominados a los Goya: ‘El cónsul de Sodoma’".
Jenesaispop. http://jenesaispop.com/2010/02/07/
nominados-a-los-goya-el-consul-de-sodoma/.
Cast Retrieved 15 March 2011.
• Jordi Mollà - Jaime Gil de Biedma
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_c%C3%B3nsul_de_Sodoma"
Categories: 2009 films, Spanish films, Spanish-language films
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