Flamenco review

Carlos Saura, one of the granddaddies of Spanish cinema, was creating dark reflections of the nation while the likes of Almodóvar and Medem were still in nappies. A long-time associate of Luis Buñuel and Geraldine Chaplin, he was making moving and hard-hitting films right up until the '80s. And then he decided to film people dancing.

Flamenco is one such film. People dance flamenco. That's it. Singing and gurning out their potent passions, hammering their heels and flexing their tendons, all performed against glowy orange screens in some giant church hall. But despite the exciting routines it just becomes deeply monotonous. And even the appearance of familiar face Joaquín Cortes doesn't redeem things.

The thrilling, breathy, atmosphere of the dance can only really be experienced live. One for serious flamenco fans only.