Simple (Spanish: Fácil)[1] is a 2022 Spanish comedy television series created by Anna R. Costa for Movistar Plus+ based on the book Easy Reading by Cristina Morales. It stars Natalia de Molina, Anna Castillo, Anna Marchessi, and Coria Castillo as four women with functional diversity trying to live in an apartment in La Barceloneta.
| Simple | |
|---|---|
_poster.jpg) Promotional poster | |
| Spanish | Fácil |
| Created by | Anna R. Costa |
| Based on | Lectura fácil by Cristina Morales |
| Screenplay by |
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| Directed by |
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| Starring |
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| Country of origin | Spain |
| Original language | Spanish |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Sandra Hermida |
| Running time | 30 min (approx.) |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Movistar Plus+ |
| Release | 1 December 2022 |
Plot edit
The plot concerns about the mishaps of four women with functional diversity (Nati, Marga, Patri, and Àngels) trying to live in a supervised apartment in La Barceloneta.
Cast edit
- Anna Castillo as Nati[2]
- Natalia de Molina as Marga[2]
- Anna Marchesi as Patri[2]
- Coria Castillo as Àngels[2]
- Bruna Cusí as Laia Buedo[3]
- Martí Cordero as Kevin[4]
- Eloi Costa[5]
- Cesca Piñón[5]
- Clara Segura[5]
- Ágata Roca[5]
- David Bagés[5]
- Albert Pla[5]
Production edit
Simple is based on the book Lectura fácil by Cristina Morales.[6] Consisting of 5 episodes featuring an average running time of 30 minutes, it is a Movistar Plus+ original series, produced in collaboration with Destrucción y Salvación.[7] Sandra Hermida is credited as producer.[7] The series was shot in late 2021 in Barcelona, including locations such as La Barceloneta Beach, Rambla de Catalunya, el Raval or the Montjuïc Cable Car.[8]
Release edit
The series was presented at the 70th San Sebastián International Film Festival on 20 September 2022.[9] It will debut on Movistar Plus+ on 1 December 2022.[6] Beta Film nabbed the international distribution rights.[10]
Reception edit
Enric Albero of El Cultural pointed out that the series ("a luminous comedy that reduces the ideological feverishness of the original") comes nowhere near the incendiary nature of the source material, even if it incorporates some political (anti-establishment) charge via the characters of Marga and, particularly, Nati, with the series otherwise managing to balance points of view and display an "agile" pace.[11]
Reaction by Morales and answer by Costa edit
The author of the original work, Cristina Morales (using the pen name 'Crispina Modales') denounced the whitewashing of the institutional violence exercised by social services (represented in the series by the character portrayed by Bruna Cusí) in the series so the latter could "reach the great democratic public, that great public that endows social services with messianic powers of integration in the shitty capitalism in which we live and that deliberately conceals the true nature of social workers" and derisively renamed the series as 'Nazi'.[6] Costa explained that instead of the case of Morales' original work of all the characters working in such institution being "evil", she was interested in something "radically opposite" since the inception of the series.[6][12] In Costa's vision, "institutions are one thing and the people working in them are another [different one]", thereby justifying the deviation from the original work by Morales.[3] Upon the harsh criticism of the series by Morales, Costa also said that she "sincerely believed" that Morales' stance was "purely aesthetic", and claimed that Morales had previously told her that she had enjoyed the series and laughed a lot with Marga even if she did not agree neither with the portrayal of Nati nor with the absence of institutional violence.[6][2] Costa also told that Morales "can shove the Nazi thing [down/up/in] wherever it fits her".[13]
Accolades edit
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 |
28th Forqué Awards | Best Television Actress | Anna Castillo | Nominated | [14] |
| Natalia de Molina | Nominated | ||||
2023 |
10th Feroz Awards | Best Comedy Series | Nominated | [15] | |
| Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series | Coria Castillo | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay in a TV Series | Anna R. Costa, Cristina Pons | Nominated | |||
2024 |
25th Iris Awards | Best Actress | Anna Castillo | Nominated | [16] |
References edit
- ^ "Fácil / Simple". San Sebastián International Film Festival. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Martínez, Beatriz (20 September 2022). "Anna R. Costa expande el concepto de 'normalidad' en 'Fácil'". El Periódico de Catalunya.
- ^ a b "Una serie nada 'fácil' de hacer". San Sebastián International Film Festival. 20 September 2022.
- ^ García Higueras, Laura (30 November 2022). "'Fácil', la serie que demuestra que no solo viven tuteladas las personas con discapacidad". vertele! – via eldiario.es.
- ^ a b c d e f "'Fácil': una serie sobre la diversidad, en Movistar Plus+". Diez Minutos. 1 December 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Medina, Marta (20 September 2022). "Cristina Morales trata de "nazi" la adaptación de su libro y la directora responde: "Son maneras de hombre malo"". El Confidencial.
- ^ a b ""Fácil", de Movistar Plus+, se estrenará el 20 de septiembre en el Zinemaldia". Noticias de Gipuzkoa. 24 August 2022.
- ^ "Movistar Plus+ anuncia 'Fácil', la nueva serie de Anna R. Costa con Anna Castillo y Natalia de Molina". vertele!. 30 May 2022 – via eldiario.es.
- ^ Navas, Miguel (22 September 2022). "La adaptación de 'Lectura Fácil', la novela de Cristina Morales, se presenta en San Sebastián envuelta en polémica". Granada Hoy. Grupo Joly.
- ^ de la Fuente, Anna Marie (23 September 2022). "Germany's Beta Film Swoops on New Movistar+ Original Series 'Simple,' Sells Crime Series". Variety.
- ^ Albero, Enric (21 September 2022). "'Fácil': anarquismo pop". El Cultural – via El Español.
- ^ "Anna R. Costa replica a Cristina Morales por su rechazo a 'Fácil': "De lo único que puede hablar es de lo que ha cobrado"". Vertele!. 20 September 2022 – via eldiario.es.
- ^ Mantilla, Daniel (20 September 2022). "Anna R. Costa ('Fácil'): "Que Cristina Morales se meta lo de nazi por donde le quepa, así de claro lo digo"". El Español.
- ^ Yuste, Javier (18 December 2022). "'As bestas' vence en los Forqué y apunta a los Goya". El Cultural – via El Español.
- ^ "Premios Feroz 2023 | Palmarés completo: empatan 'As bestas' y 'Cinco lobitos' en cine y 'La ruta' y 'No me gusta conducir' en series". Cinemanía. 29 January 2023 – via 20minutos.es.
- ^ "Premios Iris 2024: Todos los ganadores con 'La Unidad Kabul' como gran triunfadora". El televisero. 17 January 2024 – via HuffPost.