One of the better films of Edgar Neville, and one that should be more well-known, "La vida en un hilo" tells the now classic story of a woman that, in a certain time of her life, takes a decision that defines the rest of her fate completely, and at the same time we see the what-ifs of the other decision. What makes this movie different from Sliding Doors is that the what-if is told by a fortune-teller that our main star meets in a train.
The movie itself has another quality that sets it apart from many Spanish movies: the well known fascination of Edgar Neville with Hollywood classic film-making. He treats this story in a screwball fashion, very similar in tone to Mitchell Leisen or (and) Preston Sturges, laughing with all the characters but not being very cruel with them, and leaving them talk with intelligent dialogs. Gags are funny, the editing is sharp, the cast is wonderful, and it is still the best of the films with this premise. Very recommended, though, as usual with sought-after Spanish films of that era, it is preserved in a pitiful state.
The movie itself has another quality that sets it apart from many Spanish movies: the well known fascination of Edgar Neville with Hollywood classic film-making. He treats this story in a screwball fashion, very similar in tone to Mitchell Leisen or (and) Preston Sturges, laughing with all the characters but not being very cruel with them, and leaving them talk with intelligent dialogs. Gags are funny, the editing is sharp, the cast is wonderful, and it is still the best of the films with this premise. Very recommended, though, as usual with sought-after Spanish films of that era, it is preserved in a pitiful state.