Julia (Carmen Maura) is going through a rough patch after her husband (Jesús Bonilla) loses his job so like any good middle-class housewife, she gets a real estate license. One of the first places she shows is so nice, she decides to temporarily move in, only to discover that the upstairs tenant has died. As the firemen cart off his body, Julia finds what appears to be a treasure map. The old man had won the lottery and then hidden his money in his apartment. Now Julia finds herself in opposition to the other residents in the building as they each feel entitled to the cash.
This was a little slow for me at first but when it does pick up, it goes off the rails really quickly. Julia is not sympathetic but she is entertaining and the Spy vs Spy machinations between her and the other residents go from comical to bloodthirsty at the drop of a hat (or an elevator).
Maura is the centerpiece of this film and I don't think it would have worked without her. She is pitch-perfect and even when she is making every single bad decision possible, it feels organic and true to the character. She could have made Julia a greedy, vicious shrew but instead lands on this delusional optimism of just trying to have a better life. She's an opportunistic inveterate liar but she's not a bad person.
Unfortunately, you're going to have to dust off a VPN or shell out some pesetas of your own to watch it. It's only available to rent or buy. If you liked The Burbs or wished Mouse Hunt wasn't so fucking stupid, give this one a shot.
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