Just perfect...

How sad is this?

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

"El cochecito" ("The Little Coach" in English) is the first Marco Ferreri movie that I've ever seen. And it's certainly a good one. Ferreri was Italian, but this black comedy is Spanish-made, focusing on an elderly handicapped Madrilenian and his acquaintances. This is one of the only looks that I've had directly into Franco-era Spain (although little if anything focuses on Franco's rule). The protagonist feels ostracized by society, but has some surprises in store for everyone.So, I don't know if I would call this a great movie. I got the feeling that the content, which did in fact have trouble with the censors, may have influenced Pedro Almodovar. But that's just conjecture, so don't quote me. Either way, a pretty good movie.

All of the friends of Anselmo (Pepe Isbert, a genius) have their own disabled-adapted little cars, they go anywhere they want: to the main square, to the country... Anselmo's on his own, and he feels lonely. No way! He decides he also wants one of those cars (doesn't matter if he's not a disabled person) and he'll do ANYTHING to get one: to pretend he's been left paralyzed, to steal... WHATEVER it takes. "El cochecito" is nothing but a classic of Spanish cinema (or of cinema in general) and such a referent of European realism. It is a so funny comedy written by Rafael Azcona (maybe the best Spanish scriptwriter ever) and placed on the impoverished streets of Madrid (late 50's). You MUSTN'T miss this one (not if you love cinema).*My rate: 9/10

Only the fusion of two genius -the director Marco Ferreri and the script writer Rafael Azcona- could have created this magnificent movie. If we add to this duet the acting of Pepe Isbert (possibly one of the best Spanish actors ever) the combination could not have been better. This is a dark movie about characters usually scorned by the society. Characters normally separated by the rest just because they are old or handicapped. All this tension developed between this two poles of the society ends in a brutal and nonsense murder. This chapter of the movie was censored by the Franco´s regime who could not bear such brutality. In any case the result is a dark movie who lets us see how were the darker years of the Spanish recent history.

If you like dark comedies, this is a fine film to watch. Some of the nuances may be lost to those that , have not experienced Spanish society/culture first hand, specifically during the Franco regime. The element of selfishness runs through very clearly - the young(er) treating the old as necessary nuisances, the old trying to squeeze the last few drops from life. Funny but dark.