The Anonymous Queen
The Anonymous Queen is a 1992 Spanish fantasy drama film directed by Gonzalo Suárez starring Carmen Maura and Marisa Paredes.
Plot
Upon meeting a strange woman claiming to be her neighbor, the anodine life of housewife Ana Luz takes a wild turn, experiencing a series of surrealist and crazy situations that she is unable to control, with a further set of bizarre characters breaking into her residence.
Production
The screenplay was penned by Gonzalo Suárez. Produced by Ditirambo Films and Lola Films, the film boasted a 250 million ₧ budget. Filming began on 25 May 1992. Regarding the labelling of his film, Suárez stated that he was "not interested in discussing what La reina anónima is. I usually say it is a tragedy disguised as a comedy, or a psychological drama. But in the end they are nothing more than jests".
Release
The film screened in the Golden Shell competition of the 40th San Sebastián International Film Festival in September 1992. It was released theatrically in Spain on 16 October 1992.
Reception
of El País assessed that despite the film boasting certain assets such as "expressionist sets", "excellent craft on the part of the cast", and "a dense and brilliant literary base", it has "little, if any, sense of ellipsis", thus damaging the whole.