Días contados

Días contados (English title: Running Out of Time; literally: Numbered Days) is a 1994 Spanish thriller film directed and written by Imanol Uribe. It features Carmelo Gómez, Ruth Gabriel, Candela Peña, and Javier Bardem, among others. It is based on the novel of the same name by Juan Madrid.^[1]

Días contados
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Imanol Uribe
Screenplay by	Imanol Uribe
Based on	Días contados by Juan Madrid
Produced by	Imanol Uribe Andrés Santana
Starring	Carmelo Gómez Ruth Gabriel Candela Peña Karra Elejalde Elvira Mínguez Javier Bardem
Cinematography	Javier Aguirresarobe
Edited by	Teresa Font
Music by	José Nieto
Production companies	Aiete Films Ariane Films
Distributed by	United International Pictures
Release date	6 October 1994 (1994-10-06)
Running time	93 minutes
Country	Spain
Language	Spanish

Plot

Antonio, a brazen, individualistic ETA terrorist, travels with two fellow cell members, Carlos and Lourdes to Madrid, where they intend to carry out a terrorist attack on a police station. Just like Lourdes, with whom he shares a complex romantic liaison, Antonio is caught in a downward spiral of disenchantment and despondency with respect to the organization and the life he has led so far.

He moves into the area under the guise of an unassuming photographer for the press, and finds himself falling for his neighbor, Charo, a naive prostitute with an impending drug problem who is unaware of Antonio's activities. She reciprocates, and Antonio uses her whimsical desire to have their first tryst in Granada as an excuse to flee Madrid right after he shoots a police officer. Meanwhile, matters become complicated when Antonio's identity as a terrorist is made public and Charo's sleazy, drug-addicted acquaintance Lisardo, incidentally an informant, gives Antonio's identity away to corrupt police officer Rafa.

The film ends on a tragic note as the car bomb (containing 100 kg of explosives) and the police car carrying Charo haplessly converge in front of the police station. Fuelled by his love, a self-destructive streak, or both, Antonio follows the car to the station gate right as Carlos presses the detonator.

Cast

• Carmelo Gómez as Antonio^[2]
• Ruth Gabriel as Charo^[2]
• Candela Peña as Vanessa^[3]
• Elvira Mínguez as Lourdes^[2]
• Javier Bardem as Lisardo^[2]
• Pepón Nieto as Ugarte^[2]
• Karra Elejalde as Rafa^[2]
• Chacho Carreras^[4]
• Joseba Apaolaza^[1]

Production

The film is an Aiete Films and Ariane Films production.^[5] Ruth Gabriel was barely eighteen years old at the time of filming. The film contains several nude scenes of the young actress, who insisted on filming them in the presence of the crew members, in order to give the sequences the greatest authenticity.^[6]

Reception

Días contados was nominated for Goya Awards in 19 categories and won for the following:

• Best Actor (Carmelo Gómez)
• Best Director (Imanol Uribe)
• Best Editing (Teresa Font)
• Best Film
• Best New Actress (Ruth Gabriel)
• Best Screenplay – Adapted (Imanol Uribe)
• Best Special Effects (Reyes Abades)
• Best Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem)

See also

• List of Spanish films of 1994