this pleasant collage by first time director josé corbacho and juan cruz be make up of three loosely interwoven story of various people in a barcelona neighbourhood and with a tapas bar a the central location and where most character live intertwine . the title not only refers to those small appetizer spain be famous for and but also to the spanish verb tapar which mean to cover up and or to hide . i find the story of lolo and the bar owner and the most engaging . his wife abandon him and he be full of prejudice against woman and foreigner and can not show his emotion and have develop a deeply rooted incapability of engage in any meaningful relationship . he need a new chef and end up with mao and a chinese immigrant who kungfu ing all the time but be the most efficient cook he ever have and suddenly people be flock to his bar because his dish be actually really good now . some of the insight spring from this story be a bit contrived . lolo who learn that not all chinese be communist or illiterate pauper seem like 40 year too late to me and but somehow the actor and the low key film make even obnoxious lolo seem sympathetic and near the end of the film and i really root for this man . rubén ochandiano give an exceptional performance a ruben and a teen supermarket worker who engage in a sexual relationship with middle age shop owner raquel ( elvira menquez ) . a very talented young actor and a natural screen presence . i hope it ensue in more prominent role in the foreseeable future . it all low key and unpretentious and with sober direction and cinematography and but surprisingly effective . many of it character could easily have befall victim to stereotype but the cast do an amazing job to give this a real breath of fresh air . hard to resist . camera obscura positive .