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The Motive

Play trailer Poster for The Motive 2017 1h 54m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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60% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 49% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
A man causes conflicts around him to use in his writing.
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The Motive

Critics Reviews

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Michael Rechtshaffen Los Angeles Times 08/17/2018
Cuenca for the most part keeps this sinewy tragicomedy tightly cranked and effectively commanded by Gutierrez... Go to Full Review
Dennis Harvey Variety 09/21/2017
Cuena's neutral tone does little to maximize the black comedy or suspense in the story, making for a film with a great hook that plays as just a mildly outré divertissement. Go to Full Review
Jonathan Holland The Hollywood Reporter 09/12/2017
A high-risk shot at a screen adaptation of a novel within a novel, The Motive is entertaining and buzzes with fun ideas, but as an involving drama, it never gets past the first chapter. Go to Full Review
Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com 10/10/2019
2.5/5
What begins as a cynical and overtly snarky portrait of the selfish possibilities of the creative process eventually spoils as a monotonous rendition of a man who turns out to be more sociopathic than creative. Go to Full Review
Antonio R. Jiménez Espinof 08/02/2019
Despite its flaws,'The Motive' is a fascinating narrative maze in which it is worth getting lost. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Michael McNeely That Shelf 02/02/2019
The film sets out a challenge by explicitly defining drama and discussing what makes a good story, but, unfortunately, fails to provide either. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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T T 03/10/2023 I started watching this movie with very low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised. This dark comedy was funny, in a disturbing way. It was engaging from the beginning until the end. That said, I didn't like seeing Alvaro's and Portera's private parts. The nudity in this movie was not the erotic kind. It was gross. Alvaro's character is, by design, very despicable and awful. It's a well-acted and enjoyable movie. There are a few nice plot twists in the end. See more 10/28/2021 So long and boring and gives you absolutely no answers. See more 10/12/2021 Pena de Álvaro, o incompreendido, lembra aquelas pessoas na vida real que não conseguem alcançar o sucesso, afinal "O sucesso acontece quando a preparação encontra uma oportunidade". A cena que ele literalmente "botou o pau na mesa" uau, adorei, não só pelo nu frontal muito belo, mas pela intensidade da angústia do personagem, e o tutor dele, um pé no saco, desmotivador, a nudes é todo bela nesse filme, e o caráter de Álvaro, passamos da pena ao asco… Que desfecho, ótimo plot twist... See more 09/10/2021 A serious character study marred by a laughably absurd ending. See more Sam A 07/18/2021 In this dark comedy, the main character manipulates others lives to suit his own selfish purpose, he is trying to write a novel, and eavesdrops on conversations and manipulates the landlady for info on the tenants in the block of apartments. He then steals this material for inspiration for his novel and it becomes more twisted when he messes with his neighbours lives to get better material for his masterpiece he wants to write. I found this a cleverly written, entertaining and 'novel,' (excuse the pun) film. See more 05/31/2020 Álvaro (Javier Gutiérrez Álvarez) es un empleado de una escribanía en Sevilla, pero su sueño es escribir. Para ello concurre hace tiempo a un taller de escritura dictado por Juan (Antonio de la Torre, el de La trinchera infinita), donde no logra crecer como escritor. Luego de una crisis matrimonial con Amanda (María León), quién, también escritora, irónicamente alcanza el éxito con un best seller, se va a vivir solo y comienza a inspirarse para escribir en sus nuevos vecinos, no dudando en interactuar con ellos a esos fines. Asistimos así a una suerte de notable comedia negra, con toques de La ventana indiscreta y Dans la maison de Ozon, donde Álvaro pone en juego toda su vocación (y acaso un perturbador resentimiento) en aras de la inspiración. Los métodos de un resentido........................................................................... Los vecinos constituyen una notable galería de personajes, descollando una arrasada Lola (la portera) a cargo de Adelfa Calvo, que comparte por lo menos dos escenas memorables con el protagonista. La película de Manuel Martín Cuenca cuenta con un notable guión, un excelente timing, audacia, bellos hallazgos formales y agudos apunte políticos. PD: no lean el resumen de Netflix. See more Read all reviews
The Motive

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Movie Info

Synopsis A man causes conflicts around him to use in his writing.
Director
Manuel Martín Cuenca
Screenwriter
Manuel Martín Cuenca
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
European Spanish
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 17, 2018
Runtime
1h 54m
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