This, the second of the 'Baztán Trilogy, opens nine months after the events depicted in 'The Invisible Guardian. Police officer Amaia Salazar is in court a man accused of murdering and mutilating his step daughter commits suicide; a note baring the single word 'Tartallo' is found in his pocket. The shock causes Amaia to go into labour; she gives birth to a son, Ibai.
Four months later she returns to work and is soon investigating two cases which, on the face of it are quite different; a suicide in prison where the man wrote 'Tartallo' on a note to be passed to Amaia; and the desecration of a church where the arm bones of a baby were left on the alter. Inevitably she establishes a link. We also learn the meaning of Tartallo; a mythical being from the time when the Inquisition was persecuting those who still held on to their pagan beliefs. As the investigation progresses is becomes more personal for Amaia as she and her baby son are placed in real danger. To make matters worse the river waters are rising, threatening to flood the town.
I enjoyed 'The Invisible Guardian' so was keen to see this; if anything I enjoyed this even more. No time is wasted reintroducing key characters, so I'd certainly recommend watching 'The Invisible Guardian' first even though this features a new case. Once again there is a great atmosphere; the rain and rising waters later on only add to the sense of danger. Elements of the case are somewhat disturbing but nothing graphic is shown. As the story progresses we learn quite a lot more about Amaia's family history; things she didn't know about. The cast does a solid job, most obviously Marta Etura, who plays Amaia. Overall a solid second instalment in the trilogy; I'll certainly be watching 'Offering to the Storm' fairly soon.
These comments are based on watching the film in Spanish with English subtitles.
Plot summary
Pamplona (autonomous community of Navarra's capital; north to Spain). One year later of Basajaun's crimes, a nine-months pregnant Inspector Amaia Salazar is on the city court waiting for the trial to Jason Medina, accused to rape, mutilate and kill her stepdaughter Johana Márquez. But just before of the trial, Medina is found on the court's bathroom after commit suicide cutting his veins, leaving a little note in a pocket of his jeans with just one word written: "Tarttalo". It causes that Amaia's breaks waters to birth his son Ibai, making happy her and sculptor and artist gallery James Westford, Amaia's husband. Reinstated to the active service four months later, Amaia is called by her superior to give two different cases: Monseñor Landero and Padre Sarasola requested Amaia specifically to investigate with secrecy the profanation of a little church where it was left a baby's amputated arm in the altar, and a man incarcerated in Logroño (autonomous community of La Rioja's capital) by his wife's killing has sent her a note revealing where is his wife's corpse with "Tarttalo" in the message, committing suicide after to give the note to a prison guard. Finding the corpse in Elizondo's surroundings, Amaia and Ibai back to her natal town where she meets again with tarot's card caster Aunt Engrasi, and her older sisters Flora and Rosaura, happy by the new member of the family. Discovering that the two women killed were amputated of their right arm after the crime, it matches with the church's profanation, after to learn that all arms were cut with the same pattern and weapon. Finding that it's related with the Agotes, a tribe pursued in the Middle Age by the Spanish Inquisition due to its pagan beliefs and rites, and that Tarttalo is the name of an ancient myth (a giant who eaten Christians),Amaia asks help by video-conference to her former mentor and FBI's agent Aloisius Dupree, at the same time Aunt Engrasi uses tarot to predict what could will be happen and judge Javier Markina follows with the investigation attentively. Therefore, it causes a cold in James and Amaia's relation, despite he moves Elizondo to be closer of his wife and son. However, the case makes a dramatic twist by double-entry: amputated baby's arm is revealed to be Amaia's twin sister she never knew that existed, and Amaia's mother Rosario, secluded in a mental hospital from many years ago after she tried kill Amaia at child, has killed a male nurse writing with blood "Tarttalo" under the bed, causing of re-apparition of the enigmatic and too psychiatrist Padre Saralosa, interested in Rosario and convincing Amaia to move Rosario to Saralosa's hospital university he leads. Forced to look into her family past, Amaia not only will discover the relation between her mother and a sect dedicated to a pagan cult that included human sacrifices, but that all the crimes have a too much personal connection with her. While Elizondo is in danger by an incoming flood, Amaia must solve the case and identify the killer before the most beloved for her be the next victim.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
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Movie Reviews
The Legacy of the Bones
One major flaw detracts
Personable characters (especially the elderly aunt) enhance the story (and unlike the previous film it wasn't raining 90% of the time.) The plot is a little convoluted and far-fetched, and I groaned at the end when a tiresome trope of mysteries was sprung on us (not the one where the usually female hero goes after the criminal single-handedly),When she has a chance, Amaia fails to shoot and kill both her mother who is about to kill Amaia's child, and the man behind all the gruesome killings over the preceding years (and who tried to kill her moments before.) Would have been justified and saved so much trouble.
A missed oportunity.
Marta Etura must be the worst Spanish actress I've ever seen. Expressionless, dull, unable to elicit sympathy or at least, interest.. It doesn't help that her charachter is the most unlikable and bad-written one in the whole trilogy. I've never seen a movie where every single other character is more likable, interesting and worth watching than the protagonist. I haven't read the books, so I cannot say if the story is to blame, but judging the movie by itself, it is just a hollywood wannabe, plus horrible dialogue (Gosh, Etura butchering the English lines was painful to watch, and especially, to hear). Scenes stolen straight from American movies that just don't work. Over the top, farfetched plot, laughable drama and little subtlety make what could have been a decent noir into ridiculous borefest.