“Three Steps Above Heaven” is a Spanish romantic drama about two people from very different worlds falling for each other, and it mostly earns its title. The film, directed by Fernando González Molina and written by Ramón Salazar, is a remake of the Italian film of the same name, itself based on Federico Moccia’s 1992 novel. It runs 122 minutes and stars Mario Casas as H and María Valverde as Babi.
Trailer, via capelight pictures international.
H and Babi Meet
Babi is a sheltered upper-class girl who only goes to school, home, and fancy gatherings. H is a reckless rebel who spends his nights on illegal motorcycle races. When H teases Babi at a traffic light, the film sets up a collision between two people who should never cross paths.
The plot follows a familiar arc: H and Babi fall into forbidden love, then pull each other deeper into passion and risk. A party crash, a ruined friendship, and a night at a street race push the story toward its climax. The film is at its best when it lets H’s recklessness and Babi’s restraint collide, and at its weakest when the story slows down to explain things it should show.
The Supporting Cast
Álvaro Cervantes plays Pollo, H’s friend who drags him into trouble. Marina Salas plays Katina, Babi’s friend who dates Pollo and gets caught up in H’s world. Luis Fernández plays El Chino, H’s nemesis at the port race. Andrea Duro is Mara, and Nerea Camacho is Daniela, Babi’s sister. Cristina Plazas and Cristina Dilla play Babi’s parents, Claudio and Rafaela.
The supporting cast does real work here. Pollo’s friendship with H grounds the story in something beyond romance. Katina’s story, which takes her from Babi’s friend to a Siamese racer for El Chino, is where the film finds some of its best tension.
A Familiar Story
The plot borrows heavily from the Italian original and the novel it came from. Babi’s boyfriend drives off without her after a fight with H, leaving her stranded. H’s mother has a troubled relationship with him after he caught her with another man. These are familiar beats, but they land well enough here.
Where It Falls Short
The film leans on melodrama to carry its stakes. A damaged car, a chase, a fight on the road, and a police arrival all feel like familiar beats rather than surprises. The writing doesn’t always match the intensity of what the story wants to build toward. It is a remake, and it plays like one: mostly faithful to its source material, with some local color added along the way.
Verdict
“Three Steps Above Heaven” is a well-made, if predictable, romantic drama. Casas and Valverde sell the central romance, and the film’s best scenes come when it stops explaining things and lets the two leads actually face each other. It is not a film that pushes the genre forward, but it does not need to. It just needs to do what it sets out to do, and it mostly does.
| Element | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Lead performances | Casas and Valverde are convincing as H and Babi | None notable |
| Supporting cast | Pollo, Katina, El Chino add real tension | None notable |
| Plot | Follows the Italian original faithfully | Predictable at times |
- The motorcycle races give the film its visual energy
- Babi’s world and H’s world never truly meet on screen
- The climax relies on a chase H and his friends trigger
This is a film that knows what it wants to be: a romantic drama about two people who should not be together falling in love anyway. It is not a film that asks much of the viewer beyond that simple setup, and it does not need to. It is a solid, if not outstanding, example of the genre, and worth watching for the performances and the race scenes alone.
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