The Mule (2013)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

The worst thing is that I can't find the movie, anywhere, searched far and wide - nothing. And I really think it would be a great movie, it would be much, much popular than this, but english talking people can't even find it, who are searching for it, I'm not even talking about the one's, who doesn't have a clue this movie exists.

This is serious/comical film and results to be a love story/drama/comedy flick . At the end of Spanish Civil war a Corporal called Juán Castro (Mario Casas) finds a mule in the war front . The soldier protects the mule and once finished war he will attempt to carry at home . Meanwhile , Juán falls in love for a young girl called Conchi (María Valverde) . Then , the National soldier Juán coming from a military camp across the frontline and infiltrates on the ¨Red¨ side and attempting to take the escaped mule . Juán will stop at nothing to accomplish his mule . Funny and entertaining War Dramedy based on the novel by Juan Eslava Galan , about a Nationalist soldier who along with a mule has to go through a series of ridiculous and fun events before they can get back to his village when war to be ended . Based on real events during the Spanish Civil War , it was shot in autumn 2009 . Produced by Gheko Films-Alejandra Frade, daughter of known producer José Frade . The Spanish producer Alejandra Frade accused Radford and the Irish and British Production companies of not supplying their respective part of the funding for the film , not paying the British film workers , not paying a personal loan she made to Radford and a breach of contract when he abandoned the shooting . It deals with a serious and thorny issue : the Spanish Civil War , but here developed in comedy style , including some tragic incidents as well as several offbeat and nutty characters and grotesque humor . The film has a nice cast plenty of a plethora of portentous actors who give sympathetic characters interpreting attractive as well as pathetic roles . Main cast is acceptable as Mario Casas and Maria Valverde , but both of whom have a strong Andalucian accent . At the time , they were a charming couple in real life ; though , subsequently , they broke their relationship and Maria Valverde married the prestigious composer Gustavo Dudamel . Support cast is frankly excellent , such as : the officer Teniente Coronel Troitiño well played by Luis Callejo as a Nationalist Commander who has to deal with his undisciplined underlings , Maite Sandoval , mother of Conchi , who doesn't want her daughter marries Mario Casas , Antonio Gil as Reporter Benavides and Tony Zenet as Colonel . Furthermore , the usual comedian Secun De La Rosa as the faithful partner to Juán and Jesús Carroza as Churri , Castro's friend who is unfortunately on the opposite side . The picture gives a hilarious rendition of how things might have been during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) . This ¨The Mule¨ belongs to Spanish Civil War sub-genre from a comical/serious sight-point similarly to ¨Biba La Banda¨ by Ricardo Palacios , it was made in imitation to ¨La Vaquilla¨ , it is a 1985 Spanish comedy film written and directed by Luis García Berlanga and Rafael Azcona , it was the first (¨Viva La Banda¨ was the second) comedy made about the Spanish Civil War and one of the most successful by the time , starring Alfredo Landa , José Sacristán , Adolfo Marsillach , Santiago Ramos , Guillermo Montesinos . ¨La Mula¨ film has an acceptable cinematography by Ángel Luis Fernández and Ashley Rowe ; shot in Granada , Córdoba, Montoro , Córdoba, Andalucía , with many locals as extras . Sensitive and evocative musical score by Oscar Navarro , including some war songs . The motion picture was regularly directed by Michael Radford , though in the sixth week of shooting with only one more week to shooting , the director abandoned the filming and he accused Frade of not signing some papers that will eventually release the funding already granted by the Irish Film Board and the UK Film Council . Radford is a director and writer, especially known for The postman and Pablo Neruda (1994), 1984 (1984) and The merchant of Venice (2004). He is very fond of directing "remakes" and book adaptations , as he has directed various book adaptations : "The White Bird Passes", "Another time, another place", "1984", "White Mischief", "Il Postino", "B. Monkey", ¨Elsa and Fred¨, ¨King Lear¨ , "The music of silence" and this "The mule". Although Radford has also directed 2 original screenplays "Dancing at the Blue Iguana" and "Flawless".