Diego Luna Movies
By the time director Alfonso Cuarón's Y Tu Mamá También took stateside arthouse theaters by storm in the early months of 2002, actor Diego Luna had been a fixture of Mexican film and television for nearly a decade. Though his breakout success could only be hinted at when he appeared in director Julian Schnabel's critically acclaimed drama Before Night Falls the previous year, it was his turn as a naïve, sex-starved teen in Cuarón's coming-of-age comedy drama that catapulted him to international stardom.A native of Mexico City whose mother died in a car accident when he was a mere two years old, Diego Luna was left to be raised by his father, Alejandro -- widely renowned as one of Mexico's most talented set designers. The draw of the entertainment industry, to which his father's work exposed him, proved too irresistible for the talented aspiring actor, and before long, Luna was refining his skills on both stage and screen. Following his debut in the 1991 short film El Último Fin de Año (The Last New Year), Luna appeared opposite childhood pal Gael García Bernal in the popular television soap opera El Abuelo y Yo (1992). His star quickly rising, Luna was soon noticed by casting directors, and in 1996, he took the lead for the musical drama El Cometa and the thriller Un Dulce Olor a Muerte (both 1999). To those who saw the films, it was obvious that the young star had leading-man talent, though it was a partnership with longtime friend Bernal that truly sparked both actors' careers.
Y Tu Mamá También was released in Mexico in June of 2001 to huge box-office success, and it didn't take the rest of the world long to wonder what all of the fuss was about. Alternately funny, moving, sad, and affecting, the story of two hormone-fueled friends (Luna and Bernal) who hit the road with a sexy free spirit (Maribel Verdú) drew controversy for its overt sexuality. But those willing to look past that aspect were treated to a touching tale of friendship, loss, and the importance of living every moment of life to its fullest. With international offers subsequently flooding his doorstep, Luna remained in Mexico for a trio of films before accepting supporting roles in Frida and Vampires: Los Muertos in 2002. His status as an international star was confirmed when director Kevin Costner cast Luna in the 2003 Western Open Range. Following high-profile roles in Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights and Criminal (both 2004) the young star stepped before the camera for none other than Steven Spielberg for the 2004 drama The Terminal, which was inspired by the true-life tale of Iranian refugee Merhan Karimi Nasseri. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2012
- R
- Add Contraband to Queue
A former smuggler from New Orleans faces ruthless drug lords, vicious criminals, corrupt officials, and trigger-happy hit men after getting back into the business to help his brother-in-law settle a deadly debt. When it came to transporting illicit goods under treacherous circumstances, Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) used to be the best in the business. But all of that changed when he chose to give up his life of crime to start a family with Kate (Kate Beckinsale). Chris learns that leaving his past behind is easier said than done, however, after Kate's brother Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) goes to work for ferocious drug lord Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi), and drops the ball on a major deal. Now, in order to set things right, Chris must smuggle millions of dollars in counterfeit bills from Panama into the United States. And if anything goes wrong, Tim will target his entire family for death. With his best friend Sebastian (Ben Foster) by his side and a crackerjack crew along for the ride, Chris heads to Panama for one last job. Later, with time running out and a treacherous maze of desperate criminals to navigate, the job gets complicated, and Chris must race to reach his family before Tim gets to them first. Lukas Haas, Diego Luna, and J.K. Simmons co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster, (more)
- 2011
- R
Aspiring beauty queen Laura Guerrero (Stephanie Sigman) finds her dreams of becoming Miss Baja California dashed after witnessing a nightclub bloodbath, and becoming hopelessly caught up in a raging drug war. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stephanie Sigman, Irene Azuela, (more)
- 2010
- NR
Actor Diego Luna stepped behind the camera to direct this warm drama about a young boy whose emotional problems take him in an unexpected direction. Abel is an unstable child whose issues have only gotten worse since his father walked out on the family. No one in the household is sure what to do for Abel or how they should behave around him, and a stay in a mental hospital does little to ground him. However, one day Abel wakes up and decides that he's the man of the house, and begins acting like his absent father rather than the youngest child. To the surprise of everyone, adult responsibilities agree with Abel, and the family seems significantly happier with his new personality. But this proves to be short-lived when Abel's real dad unexpectedly returns, and the two vie for the status of head of the household. Abel received its world premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jose Maria Yazpik, Karina Gidi, (more)
Ten Mexican filmmakers consider their nation on the centennial of the revolution in this anthology feature. For Revolucion, ten directors were asked to each contribute a ten minute film that in some way dealt with Mexico, its people, its national character and the legacy of the revolution. Actor Gael García Bernal directed Lucio, in which a young boy who is practicing the flag salute for school is confronted by his irreverent brother and must consider his views on patriotism and faith. Mariana Chenillo's La Tienda de Raya (aka The Estate Store) concerns a woman working for a discount store that pays her in company script rather than cash, making it even harder to climb out of poverty. Fernando Eimbcke directed La Bienvenida (aka The Welcome), in which a small town musician patiently waits for his opportunity to perform for a visiting dignitary. Two children come to the rescue of a priest tied to a tree in El Cura Nicolas Colgado (aka The Hanging Priest), a surreal episode by Amat Escalante. Rodrigo García's La 7th y Alvarado (aka At 7th and Alvarado) is an impressionistic piece in which the revolutionaries who fought for freedom and justice in Mexico pay a visit to modern day Los Angeles. Diego Luna's Pacifico tells the story of a man who takes some time off from his family only to discover how much they mean to him. A man trying to get medical help for his injured friend is forced to take desperate action in Gerardo Naranjo's R-100. Rodrigo Plá's 30/30 follows an elderly relative of Pancho Villa who is invited to a public celebration of the revolution but doesn't get the reception he expects. Este Es Mi Reino (aka This Is My Kingdom) by Carlos Reygadas observes a curiously aggressive holiday celebration in which natives and American visitors go on a tear while the community's poor look on. And in Lindo y Querido (aka Beautiful and Beloved) from Patricia Riggen, a family of Mexican expatriates living in America head home to honor an elder's final request. Revolucion received its world premiere at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Director Gerardo Naranjo transplants the myth of the last romantic couple to upper middle-class Mexico City with this vital and hectic tale of a young couple who throw caution to the wind and set out in search of their true fate. Román is the son of a contemptible, right-leaning congressman. Recently enrolled in a new high school, the rebellious teen clumsily attempts to hang himself on-stage at the big talent show. Maru is the sole member of the audience to applaud, earning both students a day of detention. After bonding during the course of their punishment, Román and Maru grab daddy's gun, steal a Volkswagen, and hit the road bound for nowhere. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Maria Deschamps, Juan Pablo De Santiago, (more)
Carlos Cuarón, who co-wrote the script for his brother Alfonso Cuarón's breakthrough hit, Y Tu Mamá También, makes his feature directorial debut with Rudo y Cursi. The film also reunites the stars of the earlier film, Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, and is the first release from the production company Alfonso started with Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro González Iñárritu, Cha Cha Chá. Rudo y Cursi depicts the changing relationship between two brothers who become soccer stars. Beto (Luna), the goaltender, is nicknamed "Rudo" because of his hard-nosed style of play, while Tato (Bernal), a forward, gets the nickname "Cursi" for his flamboyant goal celebrations and his flashy lifestyle. They both start out picking bananas in remote Tlachatlán, where they share a devotion to their mother. Then Batuta (Argentinean comic Guillermo Francella), a charmingly shiftless professional scout, happens by. He can only sign one of the brothers, so they battle it out on the pitch to see who gets his break. Instead of throwing the match to his brother as plan, Tato scores a goal and is on his way to stardom. He's more interested in becoming a pop star than a soccer star, but when he meets Maya (Jessica Mas), a famous TV hostess he's dreamed about for years, he begins to enjoy the trappings of fame. Meanwhile, resentful Beto waits for his chance. When he finally gets his break, he leaves his disapproving wife, Toña (Adriana Paz), and his kids to sneak off to Mexico City. The brothers' fortunes rise and fall, with Tato distracted by a demanding girlfriend and a hopeless singing career, while Beto deals with marital strife and a serious gambling problem. Rudo y Cursi had its New York Premiere at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, (more)
Academy Award winner Sean Penn takes the title role in Gus Van Sant's biopic tracing the last eight years in the life of Harvey Milk, the ill-fated politician and gay activist whose life changed history, and whose courage still inspires people. When Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, he made history for being the first openly gay man in American history to be voted into public office. But the rights of homosexuals weren't Milk's primary concern, as tellingly evidenced by the wide array of political coalitions he formed over the course of his tragically brief career. He fought for everyone from union workers to senior citizens, a true hero of human rights who possessed nothing but compassion for his fellow man. The story begins in New York City, where a 40-year-old Milk ponders what steps he can take to make his life more meaningful.
Eventually, Milk makes the decision to relocate to the West Coast, where he and his lover, Scott Smith (James Franco), found a small business in the heart of a working-class neighborhood. Empowered by his love for the Castro neighborhood and the success of his business, Castro Camera, Milk somewhat unexpectedly begins to emerge as an outspoken agent for change. With a growing support system that includes both Scott and a like-minded young activist named Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), the charismatic Milk decides to take a fateful leap into politics, eventually developing a reputation as a leader who isn't afraid to follow up his words with actions. In short order, he is elected supervisor for the newly zoned District 5, though this seeming triumph is in fact the catalyst for a tragedy that starts to unfold as Milk does his best to forge a political partnership with Dan White (Josh Brolin), another newly elected supervisor. Over time it becomes apparent that Milk and White's political agendas are directly at odds, a revelation that puts their personal destinies on a catastrophic collision course. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Eventually, Milk makes the decision to relocate to the West Coast, where he and his lover, Scott Smith (James Franco), found a small business in the heart of a working-class neighborhood. Empowered by his love for the Castro neighborhood and the success of his business, Castro Camera, Milk somewhat unexpectedly begins to emerge as an outspoken agent for change. With a growing support system that includes both Scott and a like-minded young activist named Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), the charismatic Milk decides to take a fateful leap into politics, eventually developing a reputation as a leader who isn't afraid to follow up his words with actions. In short order, he is elected supervisor for the newly zoned District 5, though this seeming triumph is in fact the catalyst for a tragedy that starts to unfold as Milk does his best to forge a political partnership with Dan White (Josh Brolin), another newly elected supervisor. Over time it becomes apparent that Milk and White's political agendas are directly at odds, a revelation that puts their personal destinies on a catastrophic collision course. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, (more)
Student Academy Award winner Cary Joji Fukunaga makes his feature directorial debut with this epic dramatic thriller following a Honduran teenager who reunites with her long-estranged father and attempts to emigrate to America with him in order to start a new life. Inspired by the director's firsthand experience with Central American immigrants, Sin Nombre opens to find dejected teenager Sayra (Paulina Gaitan) biding her time in Honduras while dreaming of a brighter future. Upon reuniting with the father she hasn't seen in years, Sayra seizes the opportunity to finally make her dreams a reality. Her father has a new family in the United States, and he's preparing to travel with her uncle to Mexico, where they will then cross the border to freedom. Meanwhile, in Mexico, Tapachula teen Casper (aka Casper, played by Edgar Flores), has gotten caught up with the notorious Mara Salvatrucha street gang. He's just delivered a new recruit to the Maras in the form of desperate 12-year-old Smiley (Kristyan Ferrer), and though the youngster's initiation proves particularly rough, she adapts to gang life rather quickly. As involved as Casper is with the Mara, he does his best to keep his relationship with girlfriend Martha Marlene (Diana Garcia) a secret from the gang. Just as Martha encounters ruthless Mara leader Lil' Mago (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) and suffers a grim fate at the hands of the gang, Sayra and her relatives arrive at the Tapachula train yards and prepare to rush a U.S.-bound freight train with a horde of other immigrants. Rather than attempting to gain access to the cars, Sayra and the rest of the immigrants decide to ride atop the train. Little do they realize that their lives are now in danger, because Lil' Mago has recruited Casper and Smiley to rob the immigrants as they make their way to the United States. When dawn comes and Lil' Mago makes his move, Casper finally decides to stand up to the tyrannical gang leader. Now, as the train winds though the Mexican countryside, Sayra's only hope of surviving the journey and making her way to a new beginning is to align herself with Casper as he flees from the most feared gang in Tapachula. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paulina Gaitan, Edgar Flores, (more)
This tense and brutal, Spanish-language crime thriller from Mexico concerns four female bank robbers (Pilar Lopez de Ayala, Ariadna Gil, Victoria Abril and Elena Anaya) whose latest heist puts them in a head-to-head clash with the local mob in Mexico City. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victoria Abril, Ariadna Gil, (more)
Y Tu Mamá También star Diego Luna makes his directorial debut with this documentary tracing the life and career of Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez. From his very first bouts to his unforgettable matches against such formidable opponents as Oscar De La Hoya and Kostya Tszyu, Luna's film merges past and present by following the legendary Chavez as he prepares for retirement and begins training son Julio César Chávez, Jr. to carry on the fighting family tradition. It isn't every day that a boy who spent his youth in a boxcar in Mexico rises through the ranks to become a six-time world champion, yet somehow Chávez managed to beat the odds to become one the most respected boxers in the history of the sport. Interviews with the pugilist's family and friends reveal the fascinating details about Chávez's rise from poverty, with an examination of the fighter's questionable association with Mexican president Vicente Fox and an ill-conceived "farewell tour" highlighting how social controversy can be as devastating as even the most solid left hook. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2007
Y Tu Mamá También star Diego Luna makes his directorial debut with this documentary tracing the life and career of Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez. From his very first bouts to his unforgettable matches against such formidable opponents as Oscar De La Hoya and Kostya Tszyu, Luna follows Chavez as he prepares for retirement and begins training son Julio César Chávez, Jr. to carry on the fighting family tradition. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
When a Michael Jackson impersonator (Diego Luna) living in Paris falls for a Marilyn Monroe impersonator (Samantha Morton) during a performance at a retirement home, the lovestruck pair retreats to a seaside castle in the Scottish highlands populated by a commune of reclusive impersonators. Earning a living can be a difficult endeavor in the City of Lights, and in order to make ends meet, one man has turned to mimicking the King of Pop. One day, while doing the moonwalk in an old folks home, Michael meets a beautiful Marilyn Monroe look-alike. When Marilyn suggests that Michael join her in traveling to the Scottish Highlands and move into a castle populated entirely by celebrity doppelgangers, the would-be gloved one readily accepts her invitation. Shortly after arriving at the castle, Michael and Marilyn find the commune preparing for their first-ever gala -- a lavish affair featuring appearances by Abe Lincoln, the Three Stooges, Buckwheat, Shirley Temple, Madonna, Sammy Davis Jr., and Charlie Chaplin. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Diego Luna, Samantha Morton, (more)
- 2007
Y Tu Mama Tambien star Gael García Bernal makes his feature directorial debut with this study of the class system in Mexico centered on a rowdy house party. Cristobal (García Bernal) is a privileged rich boy who loves a good party almost as much as he loves hip-hip. Cristobal has made plans for a barbecue at his parents' weekend home, but his younger sister (Camila Sodi) and her friends will be staying at the house that weekend as well. Cristobal's sister's friends are more hippie than hip-hop, and as the party begins to get underway it's obvious that these two groups are incapable of seeing past their differences. Likewise, gardener Adán (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) has known Cristobal since the two were just children, yet despite being the same age the two old friends have now been drawn into the same system of class consciousness that divides the entire country. While Cristobal has also invited his girlfriend Mafer (Ana Serradilla) to the highly anticipated shindig, a chance meeting with Argentine beauty Dolores (Luz Cipriota) prompts the deceitful lothario to purposefully give Mafer bad directions in order to get better acquainted with the lovely new object of his affections. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gael García Bernal, Camila Sodi, (more)
- 2006
Two young indigenous brothers from the La Sierra Tarahumara region of northwest Mexico return home from Benito Juarez elementary boarding school, only to find their fates pulling them in opposite directions in director Laura Amelia Guzmán's dramatic meditation on the value of culture and the cost of progress. Evaristo and Luis Antonio Lerma Batista have graduated from boarding school. Though 12-year-old Evaristo would like nothing more than to continue his education, learn Spanish, and lead a bicultural existence, his 11-year-old sibling couldn't see things more differently. Antonio is thrilled to be finished with school. Despite being a considerably bright student, Antonio would much rather spend his days on the family ranch than in the classroom. As both brothers take their tentative first steps into the adult world, they are assigned the task of delivering a package to a faraway community and lent the family horse to get the job done. After taking a wrong turn down a narrow and winding canyon, Evaristo and Antonio decide to tie the horse to a tree and attempt to find a way out. Upon returning some time later, the brothers discover that the horse is missing and they decide to split up. Now, as Antonio searches for the horse and Evaristo sets out to deliver the package, these two brothers will experience a side of Tarahumara culture that can't be taught in a classroom. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Luis Antonio Lerma Batista, Evaristo Lema Batista, (more)
Unable to cope with the fact that his girlfriend cheated on him with his best friend, a twenty-two year old schizophrenic sets an elaborate revenge plan into motion before taking his own life. Gregorio has been in and out of mental hospitals for years. During Gregario's time away, his girlfriend Tania and their good friend Manuel (Diego Luna) began an illicit affair. Before long Tania and Manuel have fallen in love. Though Gregario and Manuel seem to reconcile after Gregario is discharged from the hospital, everything changes with Gregario commits suicide. Upon Gregario's death, Manuel inherits a box of notes, lyrics, and other curiosities from his old friend. Later, Manuel begins receiving unsigned letters quoting Gregario's writings and starts hearing excerpts from the letters in conversation and in the media, leading the unscrupulous friend to fear for his own sanity. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Diego Luna, Liz Gallardo, (more)
A screen legend is drawn into a murder mystery that reaches to the highest ranks of the entertainment industry in director Oliver Parker's 1940s-era thriller featuring a sleuthing Orson Welles (played by Danny Huston). The year is 1948 and, having just suffered a breakup with Rita Hayworth and a falling-out with Hollywood, Welles arrives in Rome to appear before the cameras in Black Magic. Though Welles' primary concerns on the set of his latest film are to forget his troubles back home and secure financing for his next directorial effort, the on-set murder of a supporting player proves but the opening act of a much larger mystery. Subsequently enlisting the aid of his faithful driver, an ex-policeman named Tommaso (Diego Luna), Welles discovers a hit list that includes his name and points to a deadly and far-reaching conspiracy. As the first democratic elections draw near and old vendettas slowly begin to surface, Welles and his sleuthing companion are about to come into the company of some very dangerous people. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Danny Huston, Diego Luna, (more)
A simple homeless man in search of a warm place to sleep is exploited by politicians eager to prove that poverty in Mexico has been eradicated in Herod's Law director Luis Estrada's caustic satire concerning the effect of globalization on Mexican citizens. A press conference has been held to proclaim that there are no more poor people in Mexico, but homeless Juan Pérez (Herod's Law star Damián Alcázar) still can't seem to find a place to rest his weary head. After wandering into the World Financial Center headquarters and ending up on an elevated window ledge, Juan awakens to find that the public and press assume he is making a political statement against the powerful institution's neo-liberal stance. As Juan is swept up by the political machine that remains unwilling to admit their claims of conquering poverty may have been made in haste, the wandering tramp is given a spotless home in the suburbs and thrust into the international spotlight. But fame is a fickle thing in the 21st century, and rising to the top only means that one has farther to fall when the next media distraction takes center stage. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Damián Alcázar, Cecilia Suarez, (more)
For his sophomore effort, Drama/Mex, writer-director Gerardo Naranjo (Malachance) juxtaposes three back-to-back stories, set in the once lush and exclusive - now over-commercialized and garish - resort town of Acapulco, over the course of the same long, hot night. Naranjo mounts an experimental narrative structure, with each successive tale set backward in time just prior to the end of the last story - a "relay-style" structural experimentation that mirrors and recalls Fernando Mereilles's City of God). The first tale involves a thief Chano (Emilio Valdés who crops up and threatens the sanctity of ex-girlfriend Fernanda's (Diana García) relationship with Gonzalo (Juan Pablo Castañeda), even breaking into her house to win her back. In the second story, someone tips Gonzalo off that Fernanda has been seen kissing Chano in a crowded restaurant. In desperation, Gonzalo hires a mariachi band and serenades Fernanda outside of her house. The third tale concerns Jaime (Fernando Becerril) who, after lifting the company payroll and using part of it to rent a beachfront property, contemplates suicide - until a relationship with an equally dishonest fifteen-year-old runway and scam artist, Tigrillo (Miriana Moro) grants him a new lease on life. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Fernando Becerril, Diana Garcia, (more)
Diego Luna Daniel Martinez, and Laura Hidalgo headline writer director Kurt Hollander's hyper-stylized tale of an ageing pool hustler whose life seems to fall apart just as he hits his late career stride. El Vago (Martinez) has recently won an old-fashioned billiards hall in a heated contest with the joint's former owner El Mexicano (Jesus Ochoa). The first order of business: El Vago enlists the aid of ambitious assistant El Perro (Luna) in shooting an instructional billiards video. Trouble soon begins to brew, however, as El Perro is repeatedly distracted from his camera duties by El Mexicano's sexy daughter La Pujara (Hidalgo). Increasingly aggressive in his attempts to transform the venerable gaming establishment into a techno-throbbing youth hot spot, El Perro later crosses the line when he uses his lens to shoot a pornographic video with willing exhibitionist La Pujara. As an impressive array of billiards champs descend upon the pool hall for a high profile tournament, El Mexicano comes into possession of the steamy sex tape and flies into a vengeful fury. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Martinez, Jésus Ochoa, (more)
- 2005
A man in love uses a woman's misfortune to get to know her better in this romantic drama. Dolores (Alice Braga) is a student from Brazil who comes to California to study at San Diego State University. Damian (Diego Luna) is a Mexican journalist who has become infatuated with the lovely Dolores. One evening, Dolores and a handful of her classmates head down to Tijuana for an evening of partying, and Damian tags along. While dancing at a nightclub, Dolores drops her passport; Damian finds it later on and is planning to give it back to Dolores the next day when he gets a phone call from her -- she needs to go to Mexico City as soon as possible to replace her passport, and wants to know if he'd be willing to give her a ride. While giving Dolores back her passport would mean seeing her for a few minutes, driving her to Mexico would mean spending a day or maybe two with her, so he volunteers to give her a lift, wondering when or if he should tell her the truth. Sólo Dios Sabe (aka Only God Knows) received its North American premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Diego Luna, Alice Braga, (more)
Not a sequel, not really a prequel, sort of a remake, more of a re-imagining, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights follows the blossoming love affair of young couple Katey (Romola Garai) and Javier (Diego Luna) against the backdrop of the Cuban Revolution in 1958. Katey is an American girl living in Cuba with her parents who meets Javier, a local. Javier takes Katey to a nightclub where he teaches her how to dance dirty Cuban-style. The two grow closer and closer, but when Castro takes over, Katey's parents decide to flee for the U.S., leaving Katey to make the ultimate decision. Tying the film together with the classic 1987 original is Patrick Swayze who reprises the role of Johnny Castle in a cameo. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Diego Luna, Romola Garai, (more)
Shot almost entirely on a two-and-a-half-story recreation of a full-size operating airport terminal, this romantic comedy from director Steven Spielberg revolves around an Eastern European man by the name of Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks), whose plans of immigrating to New York were hastened by a violent coup in his home country. Unfortunately, Viktor finds himself on the wrong end of a nasty technicality while en route to America: His passport was issued from a country, which, during its upheaval, ceased to exist in an official capacity. Unauthorized to leave Kennedy Airport upon his arrival and unable to return home, Viktor finds himself exiled inside the terminal's international transit lounge. Though airport official Frank Dixon (Stanley Tucci) views Viktor as an annoying bureaucratic glitch, other airport employees -- including a beautiful flight attendant by the name of Amelia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) -- come to see him as a welcome, if unofficial, addition to their numbers. As the days stretch on into months, the terminal transforms from an intimidating atmosphere of forced assimilation into a country within itself, complete with culture, ambition, status, complex diversity, and the need for love. The supporting cast includes Diego Luna, Chi McBride, Kumar Pallana, Zoe Saldana, Eddie Jones, and Jude Ciccolella. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, (more)
A con artist finds family squabbles are getting in the way of a major payday in this sharp blend of comedy and suspense, based on the Argentinean hit Nueve Reinas (aka Nine Queens). Richard Gaddis (John C. Reilly) is a smart-suited confidence man who knows how to run a big con but prefers to pull off a number of small scams over the course of the day, cheating a lot of folks out of a little instead of taking one or two for a lot. One day, while looking for marks at a gambling casino, Gaddis spies Rodrigo (Diego Luna), a fellow grifter with little polish but obvious talent. Gaddis takes Rodrigo under his wing, and after showing him a few tricks, the two begin working as a team. A golden opportunity presents itself when Gaddis learns the whereabouts of an incredibly valuable antique bank note just as an ideal customer is passing through town; Gaddis and Rodrigo quickly try to set up a deal that will separate cash from customer without the note actually changing hands, but the scheme proves complicated enough that others have to be brought in, causing each individual's share of the loot to dwindle. Adding to Gaddis' annoyance is the appearance of his sister Valerie (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who works at the hotel where the deal is to go down and isn't especially happy with her brother and his attempts to get his hands on the family's fortune. Criminal marked the directorial debut of Gregory Jacobs, who previously distinguished himself as a producer and assistant director. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- John C. Reilly, Diego Luna, (more)
The perfect crime goes horribly, absurdly awry in this Spanish-language tale of avarice starring Y Tu Mamá También's Diego Luna. Told in real time, Nicotina charts the different paths taken by eight characters over the course of a botched diamond heist masterminded by tech geek Lolo (Luna), Tomson (Jésus Ochoa), and El Nene (Lucas Crespi), each of whom has his own Achilles' heel when it comes to committing crime. For Lolo, it's his incessant, unrequited attraction to his neighbor Andrea (Marta Belaustegui); for El Nene, it's his overwhelming need to look cool as a neophyte gangster; and for Tomson, it's his loose-cannon demeanor that threatens to do him -- and everyone else -- in. Over the course of an hour and a half, the trio becomes intertwined with a variety of mobsters, shop owners, and not-so-innocent bystanders, each encounter bringing unexpectedly violent obstacles to securing the precious gems. Nicotina premiered in North America at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival before heading to the AFI film fest. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
