The Dinner (2025) YIFY - Download Movie TORRENT

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by 7 / 10

A parodic mockery with no fear of Franco.

A parodic mockery of Franco and his dictatorship that, far from opting for solemnity, chooses to blow up the past through dark comedy. And the premise itself is, in a way, a provocative gesture: a group of communists forced to prepare dinner for the dictator. A synopsis that practically works as a conceptual joke. Ironic, attention-grabbing, also designed to attract those curious about Spanish history and who enjoy humor with no safety net. But what's interesting isn't just the idea-it's how it's executed.The best part is its effect. At the start, it achieves something I truly expected: it makes me feel oppressed. From that tension of having to measure every word to avoid severe punishment. There's something unsettling about imagining oneself in that historical context, where language could be a trap and silence a survival strategy.Of course, the film doesn't aim to be a treatise on Francoism, but it does play fearlessly with the characteristics of the era. It allows itself to use dangerous and uncomfortable expressions, doing so confidently and making clear what it wants to convey. There's no timidity. There's a conscious desire not to self-censor.For a good portion of the runtime, I wondered if the dictator would appear physically or if he would remain reduced to that threat suspended in the line: "Tonight, Franco will dine here with his generals." I wonder this, of course, from the perspective of assessing the courage to show him-that is, whether one fears censorship or not.I wanted to see him as an embodiment of horror, at the level of intensity that Asier Etxeandia can convey at his best: someone who instills fear just by being in the frame. However, as expected, the film chooses a different path. I then understood that its essence leans more toward the mocking spirit of 'Scary Movie' than psychological portraiture. Here, the dictator is reduced to the joke, the caricature, the laughter. And his exaggerated appearance reinforces that parodic gesture.Mario Casas has solid moments, but sometimes he feels forced, as if the intensity isn't always well calibrated. There are scenes I like and others where I simply think: "meh."In contrast, I repeat, Etxeandia surprises me. He has the ability to sustain the tone even when the film borders on absurdity. He's one of those actors who elevate the material simply with his presence. The rest of the cast understands well what they're doing and how to do it.I didn't laugh out loud, but I did enjoy myself. And in a film that constantly treads on bad taste and incorrectness, that's saying something.I confess I studied Spanish history to pass exams, not to learn. Today, I regret not having applied the interest I now have in discovering my country's historical roots. 'La cena' doesn't aim to be educational, far from it, but it dares to apply itself in context. That is something I value enormously. Explicitly showing Franco and not limiting himself to a mere mention takes courage-especially when it concerns such sensitive territory.It has its flaws, I don't like it all the time, and the humor doesn't always land for me. But I'm fascinated by how everything is approached. It's one of those Spanish films I'll always remember. Not for what it tells, but for how it tells it.

Reviewed by 6 / 10

Fun comedy plenty of humor , emotion , mayhem and a Spanish-star-cast.

Set two weeks after the end of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), this is a story of humor, drama, war, dictatorship, and repression. General Franco orders celebrate a dinner at the Hotel Palace. But the hotel, reconverted as field hospital, isn't ready for that and part of the staff is anti-Franquist. The film stars a young lieutenant (Mario Casas), a meticulous maître (Alberto San Juan), the latter's daughter (Nora Hérnandez) who performs as a singer, a group of Republican prisoners (led by Antonio Resines) who are experts in cooking, and some Francoist waiters and cooks. They must all prepare an impeccable banquet in record time. Everything seems to be going smoothly, but something more than just a menu is afoot in the kitchen; in addition, a tyrannical and cruel Falangist officer (Asier Etxeandia) appears, using violent methods against everyone.¨The Dinner¨ is Manuel Gómez Pereira's return to top form, with an intelligent and engaging script which uses amusing situations to give us a decent movie in a high sense and intimate sensitivity and that kept me entertained for the almost two hours of duration . Rightly enjoyable and fun-filled , milestone comedy which neatly combines humor, war, entertaining situations and amusement. Nominated for 8 Goya Awards including Best Film, Original Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor. Alberto San Juan and Mario Casas lead the ensemble cast of "La Cena" (The Dinner), an anti-war comedy of errors in which a young lieutenant and a meticulous culinary expert or maître, a group of prisoners attempting to escape, and Falangist kitchen experts and waiters must organize, by Franco's express orders, a celebratory dinner at the Palace Hotel, which in 1939, just after the war ended, has been converted into a hospital. The only flaw I can find is that some of the story lines are left unexplained, the excessive manichaeism and some character arcs end up being implausible. Some situations are laugh out loud ridiculous and the story proceeds at a breakneck speed that never flags . This movie is a lot of fun and well worth the time.Based on the play "La Cena de los Generales" (The Dinner of the Generals) by José Luis Alonso de Santos and skillfully directed by Manuel Gómez Pereira ("Entre las piernas" (Between the Legs), "Boca a Boca" (Mouth to Mouth)). And screenplay by the notorious trio Yolanda García Serrano, Joaquín Oristrell and director Manuel Gómez Pereira himself; these three screenwriters have created a lot of good comedies throughout their long careers. It is fundamentally a funny comedy about a bizarre and very tragic event that elegantly and tastefully mixes entanglement and ambiguity, perplexity, in a vaudeville style with doors that open and close including the subsequent entanglements and confusions. But all this must be added to a frankly superb ending in the form of a frenetic thriller full of suspense along with hilarious elements.There's an evocative and sensitive musical score by composer Anne-Sophie Versnaeyen, adding the classic song 'Soldadito Español' , which is an essential part of the plot.. As well as colorful and brilliant cinematography by cameraman Aitor Mantxola. The motion picture was well directed by Manuel Gómez Pereira though has some failures. He usually writes his films and occasionally for other directors as "What Makes Women Laugh?" by Joaquin Oristell who in "Love Can Seriously Damage Your Health" is screenwriter and producer ; both of them are ordinary collaborators . Pereira is an expert on comedies as ¨¨Rose sauce¨, ¨Why do they call it love when they mean sex ?¨, ¨Mouth to mouth¨ , "All Men Are the Same" , though he also has made some drama as ¨The hanged man¨ and ¨Between your legs¨ . His latest projects, however, tanked as "Off Key" starred by an American-all star cast but was a failure both economically and artistically or simply didn't deliver as "Atrévete y Verás" . Nowadays , he mainly directs TV chapters as ¨Gran Reserva¨ , ¨Cheers¨, ¨Cable Girs¨, ¨Velvet¨, ¨Gran Hotel¨, High Seas¨ series .

Reviewed by 8 / 10

Go back to 1939

A film by Gómez Pereira, showing a great proficiency in the staging and selection of shots, mixing genres: comedy, terror, drama, biopic and others.The plot focuses on the sudden announcement of an urgent supper for General Franco & some other generals at the end of the Spanish Civil War, when the war has just finished, the cruel Spanish Civil War.Excellent performances by the three main actors and humorous depictions of Carmen Polo and Francisco Franco.Different influences in this film (De Palma, Berlanga, Buñuel), a good atmosphere and art direction.Go back to 1939, suffering and enjoying the story at the same time.

The Dinner

2025 [SPANISH]

Comedy / Drama / History

The Dinner

2025 [SPANISH]

Comedy / Drama / History

Plot summary

Director

Top cast

Tech specs

Movie Reviews

A parodic mockery with no fear of Franco.

Fun comedy plenty of humor , emotion , mayhem and a Spanish-star-cast.

Go back to 1939

No comments yet