Elvira Mínguez Movies
Svelte, distinguished Latinate actress Elvira Mínguez began her career almost exclusively in Spanish-language productions, made in her native Spain, that very infrequently traveled abroad to receive greater exposure. These included the 1994 Dias Contados, the 1999 Me Ilamo Sara, and the 2002 Canicula. Her audience exposure broadened considerably with a prominent supporting turn opposite Willem Dafoe and Brian Cox in the period whodunit The Reckoning (2004), and in 2008 she signed on for another supporting role as Celia Sanchez, under the directorship of Steven Soderbergh, in the massive, ambitious Che Guevara biopic Che. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 2008
- R
Nearly 40 years after Che Guevara's execution in Bolivia, director Steven Soderbergh retraces the life of the iconic Cuban revolutionary in this nearly four-and-a-half-hour saga. Part 1 begins on November 26, 1956, as Fidel Castro (Demián Bichir) sails into Cuban waters with 80 rebels in tow. Among those rebels is Argentine doctor Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Benicio Del Toro), a man who shares Castro's dream of overthrowing corrupt dictator Fulgencio Batista. As the struggle gets under way, Guevara proves an indispensable part of the revolution due to his firm grasp on the concepts of guerilla warfare. Guevara is heartily embraced by both his comrades and the Cuban people, and quickly rises through the ranks to become first a commander, and ultimately a revolutionary hero. Part 2 of the saga begins with Guevara at the absolute peak of his fame and power. Disappearing suddenly, Guevara subsequently resurfaces in Bolivia to organize a modest group of Cuban comrades and Bolivian recruits in preparation for the Latin American Revolution. But while the Bolivian campaign would ultimately fail, the tenacity, sacrifice, and idealism displayed by Guevara during this period would make him a symbol of heroism to followers around the world. Part 1 and Part 2 were screened together as Che at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, and also received a limited theatrical release under that same title in U.S. theaters later that same year. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Benicio Del Toro, Demián Bichir, (more)
- 2008
A kid who tries to turn the tables on a bully has his plan backfire on him in this comedy-drama from Spain. Gaby (Eduardo Gare) is a seemingly ordinary teenager attending high school, and like most kids in school he has to put up with bullies. Gaby has become a target for abuse from Guille (Eduardo Espinilla), a big and arrogant guy who has a handful of friends that help him play cruel but imaginative pranks on his classmates. Gaby's mother Merche (Elvira Minguez), the host of a local news show, and father Joaquin (Antonio de la Torre), who sells and installs security systems, are worried about their son's safety, though they're not sure what to do about Guille. As it happens, Guille's family isn't sure what to do either, and his father Guillermo (Lluis Homar), a loud-mouthed local politician, and mom Magda (Paz Padilla) are as frustrated as anyone else. One day, after an especially humiliating ribbing from Guille, Gaby finally loses control and punches him out, but clever Guille is able to persuade the school authorities that Gaby struck him without provocation, and suddenly Gaby finds himself singled out as the bad guy. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Part 1 of Steven Soderbergh's Che Guevara saga stars Benicio Del Toro as the legendary Argentine revolutionary. The film opens with Che as one of the important figures in the growing Cuban rebellion led by Fidel Castro (Demián Bichir). The movie charts how the two successfully built an underground army large enough to successfully overthrow the government of Fulgencio Batista. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Benicio Del Toro, Javier Bardem, (more)
Director/screenwriter Tristan Ulloa teams with co-director David Ulloa to adapt author Santiago Roncaglielo Alfaguare's novel about the tenderness of family relationships. Stuck in the throes of a mid-life crisis, middle-aged wife and mother Julia suddenly finds her woes compounded when her own mother dies and her marriage begins to fall apart. It seems that the troubles between Julia and her husband Juan are having a detrimental effect on the rest of the family as well. Their youngest child Sergio may have been adopted, yet the further that Julia and Juan drift apart the further Sergio drifts into a fantasy world of make believe. Sergio's older sister Marisa detests her younger brother almost as much as she detests her own body, and as puberty finally kicks in the young girl does her best to adapt to her sexual orientation. Of course no adult wants to depend on their children for support, but this is exactly what has happened in the case of Grandpa Salvador. In the evenings, when the family gathers around the dinner table, the atmosphere grows, the atmosphere in the house grows increasingly dense with each passing day. Perhaps sometime soon one member of the family will summon the courage to address the issue. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nancho Novo, Elvira Mínguez, (more)
Scottish filmmaker Paul McGuigan directs The Reckoning, based on the award-winning novel Morality Play by Barry Unsworth. Set in 14th century England, the story involves a priest named Nicholas (Paul Bettany) who leaves the church after committing adultery. He falls in with a troupe of traveling actors led by Martin (Willem Dafoe). Nicholas joins them and attracts the attention of Martin's sister Sarah (Gina McKee). The group ends up in a small town where a mute woman (Elvira Minguez) is accused of witchcraft and murder. Drawn to the woman, Martin suggests that the troupe re-create the events in hopes of drawing a crowd and solving the crime. Also starring Brian Cox, Ewen Bremner, and Vincent Cassel. The Reckoning premiered at the Palm Springs Film Festival in 2004. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul Bettany, Willem Dafoe, (more)
Written and directed by Alex van Warmerdam, Grimm is an absurdist, decidedly black take on the Hansel and Gretel story. Set in modern day Holland, Grimm centers around siblings Marie (Halina Reijn) and Jacob (Jacob Derwig), who were sent to the forest under the pretext of gathering firewood while, unbeknownst to them, their impoverished family left for parts unknown. Before long, Marie and Jacob learn of their abandonment; all that is left from their parents is a brief note advising them to go to Spain and take up residence with their uncle. The first setback comes in the form of a smarmy farmer (Frank Lammers) who forces Jacob to have sex with his obese wife (Annet Malherbe). Shortly afterwards, Marie turns to prostitution, but Jacob intervenes before she goes too far. Eventually, the siblings find a moped and take off for Spain -- only to find out that their uncle has died. When a wealthy surgeon (Carmelo Gomez) falls for Marie, the broke siblings' prospects seem to be looking up once gain. Unfortunately for them, the ultimate consequence of Marie's quickie marriage is nothing either of them would have imagined. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Halina Reijn, Jacob Derwig, (more)
Actor John Malkovich made his directorial debut with this tense political thriller, set in an unnamed Latin American nation and based on a novel by Nicholas Shakespeare. Agustin Rejas (Javier Bardem) is a former lawyer who became a police detective as a more direct way of dealing with crime and justice. Rejas has been assigned to investigate a group of terrorists who are determined to up-end the current government through any means necessary, from revolting pranks (such as leaving dead animals, painted with revolutionary rhetoric, around the capitol building) to bombings and assassinations. Rejas knows little about the terrorists, and no one on the force is certain of the identity or whereabouts of the group's leader, who calls himself President Ezequiel. As Rejas learns more about Ezequiel and his group, they begin stepping up their actions, making his investigation all the more urgent. Meanwhile, Rejas is a man whose daughter is taking dance lessons from Yolanda (Laura Morante); as Rejas and Yolanda get to know one another, a romance begins to grow between them, but in time, Rejas begins to suspect that the woman he loves is working with the terrorists he's been trying to ferret out. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Javier Bardem, Juan Diego Botto, (more)
- 2002
As a collection of unrelated characters gather under the hot summer sun in the Spanish capital of Madrid, a series of unlikely events form a chain reaction that will resonate in each of the strangers' lives. Director Alvaro Garcia-Capelo's comedy drama shows that even the slightest action can affect the lives of others and that we are all held together by a fragile web of complex interactions. It seems that everyone will be caught in this web until the dog days of summer have drawn to a close. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sergi Caklleja, Farid Fatmi, (more)
The feature debut of writer/director Javier Balaguer, Sólo Mía opens on a scene of a relationship gone terribly awry. Some type of violence is occurring off-camera. Soon we see that Angela (Paz Vega of Sex and Lucia) has Joaquín (Sergi López of Dirty Pretty Things) bound and gagged. "Have you ever tried, just once, to see my side?" she asks him. The film jumps back in time, showing us the history of their tumultuous relationship. On the first day of her job as a receptionist at an ad agency, Angela meets Joaquín, who turns out to be her boss. He charms her, and after a whirlwind courtship, they get married. Angela quickly gets pregnant, and Joaquín insists that she quit smoking and quit her job. He wants to control her; she will not be controlled. Their arguments grow more heated. One day, when he finds a pack of cigarettes she's hidden away, he smacks her. He quickly apologizes, and she eventually forgives him, but things just get worse. He gets a promotion at work, where he works with Alejandro (Alberto Jiménez of El Bola). Joaquín gets more and more stressed out about what's going on at the office. One night, after their anniversary party, while their baby girl is at Angela's mother's (María José Alfonso), Joaquín drunkenly assaults Angela. Andrea (Elvira Mínguez), Alejandro's wife, eventually persuades Angela to leave Joaquín, but Joaquín is not ready to give up on their relationship, or give up his daughter. With the legal system unresponsive to her concerns, Angela is forced to take bold action to protect herself. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sergi López, Paz Vega, (more)
A former football star finds himself weighing difficult options in this period drama from Spain. Ramiro Forteza (Carmelo Gomez) was once the goalie for a championship soccer team in Madrid, but as Spain struggles to get back on its feet following the Civil War, he's reduced to traveling the countryside, hustling money from strangers who think they can get a penalty kick past him. Ramiro finds himself in a small Asturian town, where he becomes infatuated with Manuella (Maribel Verdu), a single mother who watches over her young son Tito (Adrian Ramirez) and her brother Nardo (Eduard Fernandez), who is still nursing wounds he suffered as a soldier with the Resistance. Manuella also has to contend with Lopez (Julio Velez), a member of the Civil Guard who makes no secret of his sexual interest. Ramiro decides he'd like to stick around for a while, so he takes a job doing chores for Don Constantino (Roberto Alvarez), a rough-hewn but good-natured Catholic priest; soon, though, Ramiro gets a troubling offer from Sgt. Andrade (Antonio Resines), leader of the local branch of the Civil Guard. Andrade would like Ramiro to represent the Civil Guard in a local penalty kick competition, and while he's in no position to refuse, he's also not sure he wants to accept. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Carmelo Gómez, Maribel Verdú, (more)
- 2000
Somewhere in 19th-century Cantabria, Adelaida (Elena Anaya) meets and falls in love with Eusebio (Eduardo Noriega). Unfortunately, Eusebio is drafted for the Spanish-Cuban war. When news comes that he has died, Adelaida refuses to believe it, and her repressive family throws her into the local nuthouse, where, after a time, she realizes that she can do some good and rebels against her family. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elena Anaya, Eduardo Noriega, (more)
- 1999
- NR
A college instructor tries to deal with the frustrations of her life as she drifts uncomfortably into middle age in Me Ilamo Sara. Elvira Minguez plays Sara, a 40-year-old single mother who teaches at a university while sharing her home with her teenage daughter Virginia (Elena Castells) and her boyfriend Adrian (Francois Eric Gendron). Lately, Sara has not been getting along well with her friends and has very mixed feelings about Virginia's openness about her sex life; these dilemmas are compounded by the death of her father. Me Ilamo Sara was the debut feature for writer and director Dolores Payas. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elvira Mínguez, François-Eric Gendron, (more)
Lagrimas Negras is a psychological drama about love, but also the story of a young man who leaves his normal existence behind to embark on a journey which ends in violence. The opening sequences show apprentice filmmaker Andres (Fele Martinez) editing a documentary whose images set the bleak tone of the film. He spends a night with Alicia (Elena Anaya), a girl he has known since childhood, and later gets attacked on the street by two young women. His obsessive search for the assailants leads him to one of the women, Isabel (Ariadne Gil), who comes from a wealthy family and suffers from a split personality. Andreas gets involved with her, which totally changes his life until he finds it impossible to live in two different worlds. He is convinced he can help Isabel set her life straight and gives up everything he has to see things through the bitter end. Ariadne Gil's performance is remarkable as the disturbed Isabel and her alter-ego, Ana, but Martinez is weak as Andres. Long dialogue sequences distract the audience from director Franco's main theme -- the damage lurking behind the façade of respectability. The film will be remembered, not so much for its artistic merits, as for the fact that director Ricardo Franco died during the shooting; Fernando Bauluz, his assistant, had to complete the film. Lagrimas Negras was screened as part of the Panorama section of the 49th International Berlin Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ariadna Gil, Fele Martínez, (more)
- 1997
Based on a true story, much of this somber drama centers on Rafael, a kindly but emotionally-distant butcher who has avoided people after accidentally castrating himself while cutting meat several years before. He has since considered himself unmanned and therefore undesirable to women. One day he sees a young man beating up his lover and can't help but intervene. Taking pity on the girl, he takes her to his home. Her name is Marina and she tells Rafael how she and her boyfriend Daniel grew up in a terrible environment without parental guidance. She also tells him that she is pregnant. Rafael treats the troubled girl with kindness and she responds by proving that there is more than one way to be a man and to experience love. In this way, the two find healing and happiness raising Marina's daughter. Years later, their happiness is nearly destroyed by the sudden return of the ultra macho Daniel. Caring nothing for Marina, nor his child, he only wants a place to live. Though he knows that Marina has strong, unresolved feelings for Daniel, Rafael does not want to lose her and so allows Daniel to stay. With only lifetimes of strife in common, the three lonely, disaffected adults thus form an uneasy family which must cope with painful issues and choices. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Imanol Uribe's Dias Contados recieved widespread critical acclaim for its compassionate but unsentimental, multi-layed analysis of the tumultuous relationship between a Basque terrorist assigned to bomb a Madrid police station and the neighboring prostitute with whom he falls in love. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Carmelo Gómez, Ruth Gabriel, (more)
