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Review Summary

If peace lies in acceptance, then no one told the Spanish filmmaker Daniel Sánchez Arévalo, whose first feature, “DarkBlueAlmostBlack,” portrays repressed longing with been-there, done-that assurance. At the hub of this tenderhearted drama is Jorge (Quim Gutiérrez), a reluctant janitor caring for his dementia-addled father (Héctor Colomé). Next door is the beautiful neighbor (Eva Pallarés) he feels is too good for him; on his wall is the business degree he yearns to use. So when his imprisoned brother (Antonio de la Torre) makes a shockingly personal request, Jorge obliges: after all, he’s accustomed to pleasing everyone but himself. Elegantly shot by Juan Carlos Gómez, “DarkBlueAlmostBlack” juggles characters trapped by circumstance and poor choices, trying feebly to free themselves from dead-end lives and low self-esteem. — Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times