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The Good Handwriting

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The Good Handwriting
Theatrical release poster
SpanishLa buena letra
Directed byCelia Rico Clavellino
Screenplay byCelia Rico Clavellino
Based onLa buena letra
by Rafael Chirbes
Produced byFernando Bovaira
Starring
CinematographySara Gallego
Edited byAndrés Gil
Music byMarina Alcantud
Production
companies
  • Misent Producciones
  • MOD Producciones
  • Arcadia Motion Pictures
Distributed byCaramel Films
Release dates
  • 15 March 2025 (2025-03-15) (Málaga)
  • 30 April 2025 (2025-04-30) (Spain)
CountrySpain
Languages
  • Spanish
  • Catalan

The Good Handwriting (Spanish: La buena letra)[1] is a 2025 Spanish historical drama film written and directed by Celia Rico Clavellino based on the novel by Rafael Chirbes. It stars Loreto Mauleón, Enric Auquer, Roger Casamajor, and Ana Rujas.

Plot

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Set in a Valencian village against the backdrop of the austerity of the post-War period, the plot tracks the plight of Ana and her family, as the Civil War have left them deeply wounded.[2] Muddling through work despite being in the vanquished side of the War, Ana and her husband Tomás protect Tomás' mother's psyche by delivering her letters impersonating the latter's younger son Antonio (reported missing), written by Ana imitating Antonio's calligraphy so the old woman believes her son is in exile in Argentina. With Antonio's eventual show up and his engagement to Isabel, the family fabric is shattered, as Ana sees her brother-in-law prosper without working hard and by making deals with Francoists.[3][4][5][6]

Cast

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Production

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The film is a Misent Producciones, MOD Producciones, and Arcadia Motion Pictures production, with the participation of RTVE, Movistar Plus+, and 3Cat and À Punt, and funding from ICAA, ICEC, and IVC.[8][2] Sara Gallego served as director of photography, using an Alexa 35.[9] Shooting locations in the Valencian Community included Petrés and Segorbe.[10][11] It features dialogue in Spanish and Valencian (Catalan).[12]

Release

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Celia Rico at the red carpet of the 28th Málaga Film Festival on 15 March 2025

The film was presented at the 28th Málaga Film Festival on 15 March 2025 in competition for the Golden Biznaga.[13][14] It also made it to the non-competitive strand of the 9th BCN Film Fest's official selection.[15] It is scheduled to be released theatrically in Spain on 30 April 2025 by Caramel Films.[12][2]

Reception

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Elsa Fernández-Santos of El País assessed that Rico nails the adaptation of Chirbes' work, from the simplicity and emotion of the film's script to the careful direction of actors.[16]

Reviewing in La Razón, Sergi Sánchez rated the film 4½ out of 5 stars, praising "the sensitivity of Rico's gaze, the powerful female portrayal and the work of all the performers".[17]

Raquel Hernández Luján of HobbyConsolas gave the film 85 points ('very good') summing up the film as "a small masterpiece that transcends costumbrismo to deliver a precise and precious audiovisual piece", also writing about a "sublime" Mauleón.[18]

Philipp Engel of Cinemanía rated the film 3½ stars, writing that "the intimate and the political are once again skillfully intertwined, and the cast is also quite appropriate", while noting that "the tragic end prevents the epiphany".[19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "La buena letra". London Spanish Film Festival. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Rivera, Alfonso (24 June 2024). "Celia Rico adapts Rafael Chirbes' novel La buena letra". Cineuropa.
  3. ^ a b Jiménez, Jesús (15 March 2025). "Celia Rico presenta 'La buena letra': "Durante la dictadura la mujer solo podía cocinar, coser y callar"". rtve.es.
  4. ^ Albero, Enric (15 March 2025). "El 'thriller' sobre desahucios de Daniel Guzmán inaugura un Festival de Málaga en el que brilla Celia Rico". El Cultural – via El Español.
  5. ^ Cano, Jose A. (15 March 2025). "Celia Rico y Loreto Mauleón hacen de la contención virtud en 'La buena letra' para retratar a una generación de mujeres". Cine con Ñ.
  6. ^ Blanes, P; Romero, Jose M. (15 March 2025). "Málaga 2025 | Celia Rico revive a Chirbes con 'La buena letra', una historia contra los silencios de la posguerra". Cadena SER.
  7. ^ a b c Úbeda-Portugués, Alberto (28 April 2025). "os estrenos del 30 de abril. 'La buena letra'. Mujeres invisibles". Aisge.
  8. ^ Mantilla, Daniel (6 June 2024). "Celia Rico Clavellino rueda ya su tercera película: 'La buena letra', adaptación de Rafael Chirbes". Kinótico.
  9. ^ "Se está rodando en Valencia 'La buena letra', nuevo largometraje de Celia Rico". Camera & Light Mag. 6 June 2024.
  10. ^ Contreras, Voro (12 May 2024). "Chirbes, cámara y acción: Empieza en Petrés el rodaje de "La buena letra"". Levante-EMV. Prensa Ibérica.
  11. ^ "Segorbe, de nuevo escenario de una película". El Periódico de Aquí. 27 May 2024.
  12. ^ a b "La buena letra". Caramel Films. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  13. ^ Chico, Fran (30 January 2025). "El Festival de Málaga 2025 presenta su primer avance con Gemma Blasco, Belén Funes, Eva Libertad, Gracia Querejeta y Celia Rico". Fotogramas (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  14. ^ "'La buena letra' se asoma a los traumas de la posguerra desde los cuidados en el Festival de Málaga". Europa Press. 15 March 2025.
  15. ^ "Ralph Fiennes se suma a Richard Gere como estrella invitada del próximo BCN Film Fest". Infobae. 31 March 2025.
  16. ^ Fernández-Santos, Elsa (30 April 2025). "'La buena letra': Celia Rico borda la caligrafía invisible de la posguerra". El País.
  17. ^ Sánchez, Sergi. "Crítica de "La buena letra": caligrafía de lo íntimo en la Guerra Civil ★★★★ 1/2". La Razón.
  18. ^ Hernández Luján, Raquel (30 April 2025). "Crítica de La buena letra, un delicado drama cargado de subtexto con una Loreto Mauleón sublime". HobbyConsolas.
  19. ^ Engel, Philipp (29 April 2025). "Crítica de 'La buena letra': lo íntimo y lo político vuelven a quedar hábilmente entrelazados". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
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