Simon Andreu Movies

Agusti Villaronga directs this intensely morbid love story about fascist executions, disease, bloody animal abuse, and violent homoeroticism. Set in a small village on the island of Mallorica during the Spanish civil war, four children witness the execution of leftists at the hands of pro-Franco villagers. In a desperate act of revenge, one of the children kills the son of the lead executioner. Ten years later, the three survivors of the incident find themselves recuperating in a sanitarium. Fragile Manuel (Bruno Bergonzini), who suffers from TB, has fervently embraced Christianity, while violent Andreu (Roger Casamajor), who also suffers from the disease, boasts about his womanizing exploits while secretly longing for Morell (Juli Mira), an elderly male black marketeer. The third survivor is Francisca (Antonia Torrens) who, after losing her virginity to Andreu, became a nun working as a nurse at the institute. As the two young men's sickness deepens, they grow increasingly tormented. Manuel violently reacts to his attraction to Andreu by growing even more fanatically religious, while Andreu's sexual frustration results in him brutally killing a cat. This film was screened at the 2000 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

A glorious dancer and a beautiful actress, Marquise (originally known as mademoiselle Du Parc) won the hearts of some of mid-17th-century France's brightest lights, including Moliere, the actor Racine and even the Sun King himself, Louis XIV. Beginning with considerable comedy and ending with almost Grecian tragedy, this lush costumer recounts the story of her life amidst the muck and splendor of medieval Paris and beyond. It was Moliere and his companion Gros-Rene who discovered Marquise dancing in the rain before an eager crowd of men. The girl's father collects the money they offer while she dutifully services each and every one. Moliere, Gros-Rene and their acting troupe pause briefly to watch her dance. The rotund comic Gros-Rene immediately falls head over heels, and even though she is with an old man he rushes up to propose and offers to steal her away to Paris. Marquise accepts and so launches her career. Though there will be many other men in her life, she keeps a special place in her heart reserved only for her unlikely spouse. Marquise later becomes involved with Racine. The two work together often, but as his career takes off towards the stars, hers goes in another direction, one that leads to tragedy. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this keen-witted, darkly comical Spanish allegory, the death of the family dog nearly destroys a successful businessman's well-ordered middle-class life. Up until the dog gets mysteriously ill, Andre led an idyllic suburban existence with his wife and two kids. Concerned for the ailing pet, he brings it to the veterinarian who tells Andre that the dog is terminally ill and must be put to death without delay. In his shock, Andre agrees and the dog dies swiftly, but then another problem arises: the vet has no way to dispose of the body because it is a weekend and so Andre must do it himself while feverishly thinking of a way to tell his family. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In 1946, Darman (Terence Stamp) followed orders from his Communist Party superiors, and went to Spain to kill someone the party had designated as a traitor, and he hasn't been comfortable with himself ever since. Now, it is 1962, and he receives word that he is wanted to perform a similar service. Obediently, he leaves his cozy, book-lined cottage in Britain and heads to Poland, where he gets his orders in some detail. Then he heads for Madrid, evading the Falangist regime's police forces and contacting the city's underground communists. He continues going through the motions of locating his victim, even though he is still very ambivalent about his assignment. At the end, he gets off the hook because another communist does the job. The complex situation grows more complex, leading to a final shootout. This political thriller is based on a novel by Antonio M. Molina and was quite well received in Spain. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

The spirit, hopes, and failures of a troupe of itinerant performers in the 1950s create a poignant, humorous leitmotif in this drama by Fernando Fernan-Gomez. The story of the wandering players is told in flashbacks, as Carlos Galvan (Jose M. Sacristan) reminisces about the good times while under therapy with a psychiatrist in a senior citizens' home. Carlos and his lover Juanita (Laura del Sol), his teenage son, his father, and a few other actors try to eke out a living by putting on shows in small towns and villages. No one has very much money, but life is lived to the hilt, and Carlos himself has some pretty tall tales. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

In this actioner, a stuntman endeavors to purloin the highly valuable "Golden Mask of the Duct Tomb" for his employer. An exciting chase ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A married professional man and an equally married woman become lovers in the last days of Franco's rule in Spain. The two were an item when they were in college, and both of them are bored with their married state. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

On long summer weekends, Juan (Alfredo Landa) is in the habit of hopping on his motorcycle in Madrid and driving for many hours to Torremolinos, a popular hangout for foreign tourists. There, he indulges in his fondness for romancing foreign girls. In this movie, which won a Gold Prize at the 1977 Moscow Film Festival, the people he meets on his journey form a microcosm of modern Spain. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

An Israeli doctor (Helmut Griem) is working with guerrillas at an enclave when the Palestinians attempt to blow up a dance-hall. The doctor is stunned to discover an old friend among the terrorist dead. ~ John Bush, Rovi

Vicente Aranda directed this erotic horror film, continuing themes which he had explored in the previous year's Exquisite Cadaver. Alexandra Bastedo stars as a lesbian vampire who woos frigid newlywed Maribel Martin away from her husband Simon Andreu on their honeymoon. Aranda fills the film with haunting imagery, gorgeously photographed by veteran cinematographer Fernando Arribas, and the story's sometimes illogical twists are compensated for with heavy, skillfully-crafted atmosphere. The American video print of this stylish vampire film is missing almost 20 minutes, so viewers are advised to seek out an uncut version. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi