Modesty (film)

Set in Gijón^{[n. 1]} and dealing with the theme of family isolation,^[2] the plot tracks the plight and secrets of a number of characters, including lonely boy Sergio (inclined to talk to the dead), dying father Alfredo (diagnosed with brain tumour), anonimously sexted adoptive mother Julia, self-hating lesbian sister Marisa, and the widowed grandfather.^[3][4]

Penned by Tristán Ulloa, the screenplay is an adaptation of the novel Pudor by Santiago Roncagliolo.^[6] The film was produced by Tesela PC (José Antonio Félez [es]), with the participation of TVE and Canal+.^[3] Shooting locations included Gijón.^[7]

The film was presented at the 10th Málaga Film Festival in March 2007.^[8] Distributed by Sogepaq,^[3] the film was theatrically released in Spain on 13 April 2007.

Jonathan Holland of Variety deemed the film to be "gritty, sometimes grueling and with a tendency to over-schematize", but "absorbing" nonetheless owing to "superb across-the-board perfs and a script that slowly winds its emotional spring to a cathartic final scene".^[3]

Fausto Fernández of Fotogramas rated Modesty 3 out of 5 stars, singling out the portrayal of the "viscerality and fragility of the characters" as the film's standout, while citing the "insistence" on the homosexual subplot as a negative point.^[4]

• List of Spanish films of 2007