Unit 7

2012 [SPANISH]

Action / Adventure / Crime / Drama / Thriller

3
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 53% · 4 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 53% · 100 ratings
IMDb Rating 6.5/10 10 6600 6.6K

based on true story bad cop drugs seville, spain 1980s

Director

Alberto Rodríguez Photo
Alberto Rodríguez

Top cast

Joaquín Núñez Photo
Joaquín Núñez as Mateo
José Manuel Poga Photo
José Manuel Poga as Miguel
Julián Villagrán Photo
Julián Villagrán as Joaquín
Lucía Guerrero Photo
Lucía Guerrero as Lucía
720p.BLU
875.59 MB
1280*542
Spanish 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  es  
24 fps
1 hr 35 min
Seeds 6

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by ma-cortes 7 / 10

A police unit formed by four members is assigned to clean Sevilla about to celebrate the 1992 Universal Expo

Gripping and stirring picture inspired by actual deeds , in which there's a fine line between genre conventions and outright clichés . It is a crime thriller set in the lead-up to Expo 92 in Seville and the massive 'cleanup' of the streets that occurred leading up to the event . Unit 7 has a tough mission : to clean the most dangerous drug trafficking networks out of the city and bring an end to the corrosive power that has taken hold of the streets . A detail of four , the unit is led by Ángel (Mario Casas), a young cop aspiring to detective , and Rafael (Antonio De la Torre), a tough , relentless yet efficient cop along with Mateo (Joaquin Nuñez) . The four team members go after nasty delinquents , druggies and drug dealers . They track down dangerous smugglers but abusing the outlaws' civil rights. But UNIT 7s modus operandi is proceeded by violent methods . For them, anything goes . Rule-breaking Unit 7 strides grimly throughout slums and streets in pursuit the hoodlums , pimps , and junkies , including some exciting action scenes . As they gain ground in their mission, the two officers head in opposite directions . Angel who is a family man married to Elena (Imma Cuesta) takes path of ambition and police excesses while Rafael will begin to change as a result of his feelings for beautiful, enigmatic Lucia (Lucia Guerrero). Formula thriller plenty of gritty action , crisply edition , tension, suspenseful and lots of violence . Interesting theme about a group of cops who carry out their objectives by whatever means , including violence , slipping outside the bounds of the law through their use of force , coercion , lies and half-truths ; however this issue has been previously treated in many other films , especially American ones . It has emotional or aesthetic resonance , even comforting in some ways, and partly because is just more attuned to nuanced variations on what might appear to be mere formula . This moving motion picture contains stylistic boldness and energy, its evocation of a particular time and place , Seville of 20+ years ago . Good acting by Antonio De La Torre as an arrogant , tough officer as well as sensitive man and Mario Casas as a youth but very violent cop . Appropriate and atmospheric musical score by Julio De Rosa . Colorful as well as dark cinematography by Alex Catalan . The latest from the director of ¨7 Virgins , El Traje , Factor Pilgrim¨ , this Grupo 7 or Unit 7 was well directed by Alberto Rodriguez. To an outsider, someone who's not a fan of a particular genre, anything that looks somewhat familiar can be grounds for dialing the cliché police , but I think results to be an entertaining film with several scenes that'll have you on the edge of your seat.
Reviewed by larry-411 7 / 10

Based on actual events, a gritty, gripping action thriller that runs on all cylinders

Flash back to Seville, Spain, in the late 1980s as the city prepares to welcome millions of visitors to Expo '92, The Universal Exposition of Seville. In order to present a modern, safe image to the world, the government wisely decides to try and rid the downtown area of its rampant drug crime. "Unit 7" is created, an elite group of narcotics officers with a mandate to use whatever means necessary to wipe out drug trafficking. Just make sure it's legal and, if not, that nobody finds out.Based on actual events, the original story was penned by Rafael Cobos and Alberto Rodriguez. Cobos developed the screenplay and Rodriguez directed. This is their third collaboration.The four team members, Ángel (Mario Casas), Rafael (Antonio de la Torre), Mateo (Joaquín Núñez), and Miguel (José Manuel Poga), are predictably thrown together with the typical rookie vs. veteran, family man vs. womanizer dynamic that sets up what could be clichéd character arcs. The fact that they're not owes much to Cobos' taut script, to be sure, but the narrative's spark of authenticity is mainly due to the heartfelt performances and obvious on screen chemistry of the actors.Despite its ensemble setup, the star of the film, in reality, is Mario Casas. With his adoring wife, newborn baby, and, of course, a sweet doggie at home, Ángel is the soul of Unit 7, and the story is told primarily through his eyes. He's lit like an angel in a stained glass church window and behaves like one, to boot. It's established from the start that the appropriately and not coincidentally named Ángel, as the most sympathetic character, is the one to watch.His transformation from baby-faced naif to wannabe Clint Eastwood is what the audience expects, and Casas delivers, yet still surprises at many turns. He's a worthy protagonist in an otherwise Central Casting narc squad. Poga, Núñez, and de la Torre do an admirable job as contrasting characters and in comic relief. But without Casas, while this would be a fine project, it would lack the humanity he brings to the story.Technical elements are superb with big budget production values. Single-point lighting is favored in the officers' homes, with soft shadows and a warm color palette bathed in amber, reflecting the safe, comfortable environment they have to look forward to at the end of the day. Stark street exteriors are cold and pushed blue, mirroring the vulnerability and harsh reality of the workplace where there's little safety and notorious drug gangs lurk around every corner.Julio de la Rosa's incessantly pounding score perfectly matches the brutally fast-paced action. When the "drug bust theme" kicks in you know there's some major whuppin' about to go down.Cinematographer Alex Catalán sticks to stationary tripod shots in the characters' "safe places," at home and at the police station. As the action moves outdoors and into the streets, the camera-work phases into Steadicam and hand-held. The action sequences are filled with heartstopping crane and helicopter shots, along with a copious amount of hand-held closeups, coordinated to the throbbing drug bust theme. There's a grainy grindhouse feel to these scenes which is evocative of the thrilling police dramas of the 70s. Never lost is the breathtaking landscape of the city and its beautiful surroundings, captured elegantly in Catalán's lens as a loving postcard from Seville.This Spanish entry in an otherwise well-worn genre could have been formulaic but, with passionate performances and Cobos' smart and witty script, it remains focused and compelling. "Unit 7" is a gritty, gripping action thriller that runs on all cylinders.
Reviewed by antoniojoy 7 / 10

Realistic and tough

The city of Seville was about to celebrate the 1992 Universal Expo when a unit of police tried to clean the city of drugs with some controversial methods.The movie describe perfectly the environment of the oppressed neighborhood in the south of Spain and the behavior of the people.Very good performances by side actors and a great directing, a chance to know a different side of the Spanish films.The star Mario Casas usually play the same old role of the charming guy in commercial teenage movies or TV shows but this is not a bad start to a more important career.
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