For fans of European slow cinema (think Force Majeure , The Broken Circle Breakdown , or A Separation ), this Mexican-Argentine co-production is an essential, overlooked entry.
The plot follows (José María de Tavira), a disillusioned novelist trapped in a monotonous routine with his wife, Amanda (Cecilia Suárez – known to Netflix audiences for La Casa de las Flores ). Simultaneously, it weaves the story of Flavia (Irene Azuela), a single mother and accountant who has erected walls around her own heart. When Igor abandons his family out of a mixture of cowardice and desperation, and Flavia begins a tentative affair with a co-worker, their parallel narratives collide thematically: both are searching for an escape from loneliness, only to find that darkness travels with them. las oscuras primaveras 2014 imdb exclusive
The alternate ending (available only via a private Vimeo link shared by the cinematographer on an IMDB forum in 2018) shows Igor five years later, working at a fish market. He does not reconcile with Amanda. He does not find Flavia. He simply exists, counting fish. It is, by all accounts, even more devastating than the theatrical release. For fans of European slow cinema (think Force
Another exclusive detail often overlooked is the that Contreras wrote the screenplay specifically for José María de Tavira and Cecilia Suárez after watching them improvise a fight scene in a previous workshop. The IMDB trivia page notes that the famous 7-minute single take of Igor walking through a rainy market was filmed in one attempt at 4:00 AM after the first five tries were ruined by a street dog. Why 2014 Was the Perfect (and Worst) Year for Its Release Las Oscuras Primaveras premiered at the Morelia International Film Festival in October 2014, followed by a limited theatrical run in Mexico in early 2015. 2014 was a banner year for prestige cinema globally: Birdman , Whiplash , Boyhood , and The Grand Budapest Hotel dominated conversations. For a quiet, melancholic Spanish-language drama about infidelity, finding oxygen was nearly impossible. When Igor abandons his family out of a