The Odd-Job Men (Catalan: Sis dies corrents; lit.'Six Normal Days') is a 2021 Spanish-French comedy-drama film directed by Neus Ballús which stars Mohamed Mellali, Valero Escolar and Pep Sarrà.
Plot
A dramedy blurring the limits between a fiction film and a documentary,[1][2] the film exposes racist prejudices in the Catalan society.[1][2] It tracks the day-to-day life of three plumbers/electricians (performed by semi-professional actors) in the outskirts of Barcelona.[1] It features dialogue in Spanish, Catalan and Amazigh.[3]
The screenplay was penned by the director Neus Ballús alongside 'Margarita Melgar' (a collective pseudonym for Montse Ganges and Ana Sanz-Magallón).[4]
The film was produced by Distinto Films and El Kinògraf alongside Slot Machine, with the participación of RTVE, TVC, Movistar+ and support from ICAA and ICEC.[1]
Beatriz Martínez of El Periódico de Catalunya gave the film 5 out of 5 stars, deeming it to be a "film made out of commitment and vindication that is so full of nobility and that is capable, through its humour and humanity, of connecting in such a sincere way with the audience".[7]
Àlex Montoya of Fotogramas gave it 4 out of 5 stars highlighting the light tone and the charisma displayed by the three leads.[8]
Sergi Sánchez of La Razón gave it 3 out of 5 stars, praising the performances by the semi-professional actors, while negatively considering that the underlying thesis behind the film is laid out "with excessive naivety".[9]
Jessica Kiang of Variety considered it as a "charming, slight yet sharp Spanish odd-couple comedy".[3]