The Wishful Thinkers

The Wishful Thinkers (Spanish: Los ilusos) is a 2013 Spanish independent drama film directed and written by Jonás Trueba. It is shot in black and white. The cast features Francesco Carril, Aura Garrido, Vito Sanz, Mikele Urroz, Isabelle Stoffel, and Luis Miguel Madrid.

The Wishful Thinkers
Film poster
Spanish	Los ilusos
Directed by	Jonás Trueba
Written by	Jonás Trueba
Produced by	Javier Lafuente Jonás Trueba
Starring	Francesco Carril [d] Aura Garrido Vito Sanz Mikele Urroz Isabelle Stoffel Luis Miguel Madrid
Cinematography	Santiago Racaj
Edited by	Marta Velasco
Release date	12 April 2013 (2013-04-12)
Country	Spain
Language	Spanish

Plot

The plot follows the experiences of a group of film lovers living in Madrid.^[1]

Cast

• Francesco Carril [d] as León^[1]
• Aura Garrido as Sofía^[1]
• Mikele Urroz [eu]^[1]
• Vito Sanz as Bruno^[1]
• Isabelle Stoffel [es] as Lilian^[1]
• Luis Miguel Madrid [es] as Perucho^[1]

Production

Footage for the film was shot from November 2011 to June 2012.^[2] The film was shot in Madrid in black and white on 16 mm.^[3][4] The Madrid's Plaza Mayor features in the film.^[5]

Release

The film premiered on 12 April 2013.^[6] It did not have a conventional theatrical release, but it was self-distributed, with screenings in specialised theatres and film archives, in presence of the director.^[7]

Reception

Jonathan Holland of The Hollywood Reporter summed up the film in a bottom line as "an engaging, free-rolling and faux-shambolic 16mm homage to lives lived for film far beyond the outer reaches of the film industry".^[1]

Jordi Costa of Fotogramas rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, praising its stylistic bet as an standout while warning that the film's self-absorbed nature may work against it.^[8]

Andrea G. Bermejo of Cinemanía rated it 4½ out of 5 stars, concluding that Trueba found his own Antoine Doinel in Francesco Carril.^[9]

Jordi Costa of El País, considered that Trueba advances his discourse and manners in relation to his debut film, yet [the director] essentially remains the same, also underscoring that he "has not made a film: he has gone out to look for one and what he has found is valuable".^[10]

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2013	15th Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema	Best Actor	Francesco Carril	Won	[11]
	16th Toulouse Spanish Film Festival	Golden Violet		Won	[12]
		Best Actor	Francesco Carril	Won
		Best Original Score	Abel Hernández	Won

See also

• List of Spanish films of 2013

References

1. Holland, Jonathan (18 October 2013). "The Wishful Thinkers (Los ilusos): London Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
2. Belinchón, Gregorio (11 April 2013). "Pegotes de realidad". El País.
3. B, F. (30 May 2013). "La Tristura actúa y Jonás Trueba proyecta en 'Los ilusos' en La Rambleta". El País.
4. Reviriego, Carlos (29 March 2013). "El tiempo de Los ilusos". El Cultural – via El Español.
5. Aertsen, Víctor; Gámir, Agustín; Manuel, Carlos (2018). "La imagen cinematográfica de la Plaza Mayor de Madrid" (PDF). Ciudad y Territorio. Estudios Territoriales. 50 (197). Madrid: Ministerio de Fomento: 553. ISSN 1133-4762.
6. "2013. Películas españolas estrenadas" (PDF). Academia. Revista de Cine Español (204). Madrid: Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España: 75. 2013. ISSN 2174-0097.
7. Medina de la Viña, Elena; Fernández García, José (2014). "Nuevo cine español: cine, cine, cine, más cine, por favor" (PDF). Fonseca, Journal of Communication (9): 85–117. ISSN 2172-9077.
8. Costa, Jordi (28 March 2013). "Los ilusos". Fotogramas.
9. Bermejo, Andrea G. (12 April 2013). "Los ilusos". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
10. Costa, Jordi (12 April 2013). "Mecano para la utopía". El País.
11. "Genios, no; enamorados, tal vez". Clarín. 22 April 2013.
12. ""Los Ilusos", de Jonás Trueba, triunfa en el festival Cinespaña de Toulouse". La Razón. 5 October 2013.