THE INVISIBLE GUEST/ CONTRATIEMPO
Spain, 2017, 106 minutes, Colour.
Mario Casas, Anna Wagener, José Coronado, Barbara Lennie.
Directed by Oriol Paulo.
The Invisible Guest is an intriguing murder case. There is a strong Spanish atmosphere about the film, about contemporary business, about legal structures, about prosecution and defence. There is also the atmosphere of the Spanish countryside as well as of the cities.
The film initially focuses on Adrian, Mario Casas, accused of murdering his lover in a hotel. His lawyer has been on the case, getting information, altering situations like hotel and flight bookings, covering up. Very strong and strong-minded woman advocate arrives at Adrian’s hotel, Virginia Goodman (Anna Wagener) and puts Adrian through his paces in order to prepare for his defence in court and the arrival of a surprise witness.
Adrian has been lying but Virginia Goodman draws out his narrative about what happened, his rendezvous with a lover, their driving back to the city, a deer running across the road, an accident, a car skidding and a young man dead. Adrian explains how Laura, the lover, took control of the situation and he went along with it, including pushing the car with the dead body into a lake.
There is also the theory about the father of the dead man, who had assisted the lover in the repair of her car, tracking down Adrian, setting up meetings in a hotel, attacking Adrian, killing the lover, and how he got out of the locked room.
However, Virginia turns the tables and raises a different hypothesis, the film visualising how Adrian was in charge and control the whole situation, even to killing his lover and setting up the story about the vengeful father.
There is what seems an extraordinary revelation at the end, a dramatic twist to what is an absorbing drama. Some have complained that the screenplay is, in fact, full of plot holes and, therefore, implausible. However that may be, the whole film is nevertheless intriguing.
1. Police investigation? Legal defence? Reality and hypotheses?
2. The Spanish settings, the city, offices and business, socials? The countryside, hotels, the roadside? The musical score?
3. The title, the killing in the hotel? The locked room?
4. The focus on Adrian, how sympathetic a character? His business achievement? Connections with Asia? Businessman of the year? His marriage, child? His relationship with Laura, the rendezvous in the countryside, not going to Paris? Ending the affair or not?
5. The drive back, the deer, the car skidding, the dead man? The dilemma for Laura? For Adrian?
6. The opening of the film with Virginia Goodman, strong presence, arriving early for Adrian? Her role, her career in defence, never having lost? Her last role and determination? Her personality, the discussions with Adrian, penetrating, getting him to tell the truth, alternate hypotheses? The information from Felix? The surprise witness and being prepared?
7. Adrian, his lies, gradually telling the story to Virginia, Laura taking charge, the driver passing by, pretending to exchange insurance information? Driving the car, Adrian saying it was stolen from the airport? Laura making Adrian put the body in the boot of the car, his decision, reluctance, pushing the car into the lake? Phone calls, reassuring Sonia?
8. Virginia, challenging Adrian, the locked room, the hypothesis of Thomas Garrido following Adrian? His wife working at the hotel? The booking, the phone calls, Laura setting up the situation, Thomas and his wife helping, the locked window, the key to open it and lock it again? His getting into the room, attacking Adrian, killing Laura? The crowds outside? The police, suspicions, arresting Adrian? The large bail?
9. Adrian’s story tying in with what the audience saw initially?
10. Virginia, turning the tables, the visualising of a different scenario, Adrian taking charge, Laura upset, the victim? The young man still alive in the car? Adrian a murderer? Adrian doing the arranging for the meetings? His upset with Laura? Killing her?
11. The Garridos? Their son, the crash, his death? The story of Laura transferring the money from his bank making him guilty? Laura and the encounter with Thomas, going to his house, fixing the car, the difficulties with their son’s mobile phone ringing, her saying that the car was her sisters?
12. Thomas and his wife, her being in hospital, the pursuit, the inconsistencies about the car, ownership, adjusting the driver seat, the phones?
13. Virginia pointing out Thomas at the window opposite the hotel? His following Adrian?
14. Felix, the law, altering evidence, paying off the driver who stopped to help?
15. The final revelation, Virginia removing her make-up and mask, the fact that she was Thomas’s wife – and their background in theatre? Her performance as Virginia? Their both at the window watching Adrian?
16. The arrival of the actual Virginia?
17. The credibility of the plot, the connections, far-fetched or possible?
