Gossipy

It spins its title out in the cord of an iron, Novelara, "Busybody" per the subtitles, "Gossipy" another attempt at rendering a word whose clarity belies its complexity. Every country, language, has something of that ilk. Consider Umarell, gentleman of retirement age who watch construction and offer unwanted advice. Here we have "curtain-twitcher". These are as nothing to these ladies. They bring cushions to their Juliet balconies to better supervise the goings on.

Heart is introduced to the family, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Iron all tucked away in the pillbox. As well given the stresses to come. Kidnapping! Our protagonist, Nona, calls the police. They know her well, too well to believe her. The bank raid that was renovations is not the half of it.

Her only assistance is a new delivery driver. "Dead people don't need to hydrate," she tells him, but a water bottle proves handy in a pinch. With some genuinely amusing physical comedy, I laughed out loud a few times. When they tell you to lift with the knees they mean yours, not the body's. Then there's the business of giving directions. I can feel the pain of attempts to get useful information, flashbacks to being told things are beside branches of stores that closed long before my memories begin.

Lorenza Machin Alarcon's Nona is a solid comedy creation, and while this owes a debt to fare like Rear Window it more resembles mid-budget sitcom. Inventiveness with camera in what feels like location shooting rather than two-camera studio gives it a versimilitude that helps carry its comic elements. The greater weakness is its resolution, subtly constructed with a silent revelation that's then either underscored or undermined by explanatory (and exculpatory) radio-chatter over the credits.

Alphie Velasco's film entertains, but if it has a weakness it's the pursuit of certainty in its resolution. Left as vague as the world to Nona without her glasses it would gain as much depth as was lost from its field. As it stands it has enough to get your teeth into, though like many sweet things to denture-wearers it might be a bit too sticky.