When the Spaniards hear the name “Torrente,” they inevitably think of the cult character “who embodies the most hilarious and extreme version of anti-political correctness: a corrupt ex-cop, macho, homophobic, racist, nostalgic for Francoism,” according to the Madrid newspaper El País. For the most knowledgeable cinephiles, like the columnist from the site El Confidencial, Marta Medina del Valle, Torrente represents what opposes Pedro Almodóvar’s universe.
After twelve years away from the big screen, Torrente made his comeback in Spanish cinemas in the film “Torrente Presidente,” released on March 13th. El Confidencial was not mistaken in calling this sixth installment of the comical saga “the most anticipated film of the decade” beyond the Pyrenees, as it achieved one of the best openings in Spanish box office history, according to the media.
This is all the more significant considering that “no image or trailer” was released before the film’s premiere, as reported by the Barcelona daily El Periódico de Catalunya. The press also did not have the opportunity to see it before its theater release. “The character and the saga are so well-known – the previous five installments have earned over 80 million euros at the box office.”
