Fernando Leòn De Aranoa
Perfect Day

Damn, the first word. The alarm, respectively the second and third. It's not raining in the room, but the forehead is full of tiny droplets that nestle into the wrinkles, turning the creased skin into a small artwork that fades on the bed when the aching ligaments and numb muscles finally bring the body to an upright position. He dresses and while draping the tie on the shirt collar, his mind is already five, if not ten, minutes ahead and curses at the mere thought of the red traffic light and the traffic he'll inevitably encounter. He doesn't even hear the toast breaking into large pieces between his teeth; even the coffee that flows warm down his esophagus has a faded and blurred taste. He closes the door, but if this were a movie the shot wouldn't cut to the outside because after ten seconds, maybe less, it would reopen. Damn, the word with which he re-enters. Shit, looking at the clock, the one he says while leaving definitively running, with one more document in his left hand.
The clock hands seem like old folks close to being institutionalized, when contrasted with the relentless tapping of fingers on the steering wheel. A nervous ticking, devoid of rhythm and meaning that makes what the radio spits out at modest volume from the compact car's speakers slide into and devoid of any importance.
It starts to rain heavily, he runs and takes the stairs two at a time to get to the entrance: he slips, falling on his hip, attracting the attention of the general manager and colleagues who burst out laughing. The start of a perfect day: obviously a Monday.

PERFECT DAY

An old rope struggles unbelievably to lift too heavy a weight, breaks, and so the story begins! It's 1995 in the middle of nowhere, in the Balkans at the end of the conflicts that plagued Yugoslavia. The protagonists of this original film are unlikely humanitarian workers portrayed by Tim Robbins and especially by Benicio Del Toro, who manages to best portray a sad but never pathetic character. The film is liked and convincing because it boasts a particularly inspired, simple, and varied script that flows smoothly thanks to a rock, punk, and new wave soundtrack and enhanced by quality cinematography. For the most part, you'll find yourself laughing heartily, but there will also be moments of reflection on the nature of war and the absurdities of the bureaucratic machine, even in the context of peacekeeping actions. Perfect Day, by Aranoa, without giving overly high and rhetorical judgments, simply tells us an original story: its circular narrative advises us to face problems without fear, one by one, even when it seems events have taken out a permanent subscription to "Murphy's Law." An hour and a half that doesn't claim to be a masterpiece but, I am sure, could appeal to most of you.