El aire de un crimen (1988)

Based on a novel by Juan Benet, the shadowy neo-noir El aire de un crimen (1988) focuses on a crime that rocks a small Spanish town in the mid-1950s. The convoluted criminal event--which involves money-grubbing land speculators, idle military men, brothel residents, and smugglers--so confuses local law-enforcement officials that they must scatter every which way to solve it. Critics faulted director Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi to falling prey to the same jumbled approach as the cops and robbers. Fortunately leading lady Maribel Verdú offers some clarity by stripping down for all to ogle.