The Great Vazquez
The Great Vazquez () is a 2010 Spanish biographical comedy-drama film directed and written by Óscar Aibar which stars Santiago Segura as the title character alongside Álex Angulo, Mercè Llorens and Enrique Villén. Plot. Set in 1960s Barcelona, the plot follows the vicissitudes of Vázquez, a cartoonist and wastrel whose rogue way of living is threatened by the arrival of a foe, Peláez, an accountant hellbent on setting things right in the publishing house. Production. The film is a Distinto Films, Tornasol Films and Castafiore Films production, with the participation of TVE, TVC and Canal+ España. Shooting  locations included Barcelona and the Ciudad de la Luz studio in Alicante. Release. "The Great Vazquez" was presented at the 58th San Sebastián International Film Festival in September 2010, screened as part of the festival's main competition. It was theatrically released in Spain on 24 September 2010. Reception. In the view of Mark Adams, of "ScreenDaily", the film constitutes "a delightful mixture of genial period comedy mixed with comic strip characters bouncing out of the screen". Carlos Marañón of "Cinemanía" gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, presenting it as a "Lopezvazquez-esque version of "Catch Me If  You Can" full of city guards", considering that the imbrication of the setting with the lead character's spirit is so-so, while the supporting cast performs well. Sergi Sánchez of "Fotogramas" score 3 out of 5 stars, considering that the "faithful portrayal" of the working environment in Franco era and Santiago Segura's "spectacular performance", balancing "tenderness and cynicism", make the film a "pleasant surprise", while considering the animated segments to be "expendable".