Why you can trust 12DOVE
Though completed back in 1999, Benito Zambrano's Solas only gets a release now. However, this delay is not because of any doubts about the film's quality, but due to similarities with another Spanish movie, Pedro Almodóvar's well-regarded All About My Mother.
Like the Almodóvar, Solas is a tribute to the strength and solidarity of women. It centres on elderly Rosa (Maria Galiana), who stays with her daughter Maria (Ana Fernández) in the city while her husband (Paco de Osca) is in hospital there. The mother and daughter cannot connect, despite both having been dealt a bad hand in life.
Tackling alcoholism, physical abuse and abortion, one might expect the film to be melodramatic. Instead, the women's struggle is highly uplifting and inspirational, with Zambrano's heartfelt script and a performance of incredible dignity from Galiana giving a beautiful and enjoyable movie great depth.
The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.













Avowed has a Skyrim Easter egg that pokes fun at the RPG's most memed about companion NPC

Split Fiction director says he'd "really appreciate" winning GOTY again, but if GTA 6 comes out in 2025 "it's going to be really tough" and he's fine with that because he's "a huge fan"

A GTA streamer is trying to beat every single 3D entry without dying, and in 33 hours he's made it as far as San Andreas but keeps getting caught in Vice City purgatory