
Life on the Edge
Spain, 2007 | 90 min. | Dir. Ventura Pons
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Ventura Pons has directed 100 films—okay, more like 18—but Life on the Edge has all the energy of a first feature. The plot is a wisp of a thing, but Pons has a blast recounting the early-1970s story of a ditch digger who falls under the sway of a professional gambler. The filmmaker poaches from Scorsese and De Palma, but turns to jazz instead of rock to amp up the atmosphere. It's a minor effort from Catalan's finest, but Óscar Jaenada makes a vivid impression. Spain's next Sergi López? Could be.