Felix Gonzalez Movies
The charmed life of a successful young engineer is thrown into chaos following a decidedly uncomfortable dinner with his powerful boss and the man's socially scabrous wife in With a Friend Like Harry director Dominik Moll's twisted, semi-supernatural thriller. Upon relocating to an ultra-modern community in the south of France with the promise of a lucrative position at powerful Richard Pollock's (André Dussollier) hi-tech firm, Alain Getty (Laurent Lucas) and his wife, Benedicte (Charlotte Gainsbourg), find their life together going better than they ever imagined. Happy in his work and deeply in love with his beautiful wife, Alain relishes his newfound success before a fateful dinner with Richard and his venomously eccentric wife, Alice (Charlotte Rampling), casts a dark thunderhead over Alain's azure skies. Unable to sleep after the troubling and abbreviated dinner and driven to repair the kitchen sink during a sleepless fit of late-night productivity, Alain is shocked to discover that a lemming has become lodged in the drainage pipes. As Alain attempts to discover just how a rodent native to Scandinavia found its way to a tiny drain pipe in France, a sudden revelation regarding the grim fate of Richard's troubled wife finds the once rational engineer struggling to maintain his sanity, and his marriage, against a malevolent and seemingly supernatural force. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Laurent Lucas, Charlotte Gainsbourg, (more)
Costa-Gavras's tense political drama opens in an unspecified South American country (though clearly intended to be Chile) in the throes of a military coup. American activist Charles Horman (John Shea), who has been a thorn in the side of the country's military ever since his arrival, suddenly disappears. In trying to find out what has happened, his wife Beth (Sissy Spacek) is stonewalled, not only by the ruling junta but by the American consulate. His father, staunchly patriotic Ed Horman (Jack Lemmon), joins Beth in her search. Ed and his daughter-in-law have never seen eye to eye politically, and he refuses to entertain the notion that his son's disappearance might be part of a larger conspiracy or cover-up. But as the days grow into weeks, Ed comes to the shattering conclusion that he and his family have been betrayed by the American government, on behalf of the "friendly" South American dictator who holds his people in a grip of iron. Adapted by Costa-Gavras and Donald E. Stewart from a book by Thomas Hauser, Missing was inspired by the true story of the late Charles Horman. In spite of (or perhaps because of) condemnation from certain high-ranking officials in the Reagan administration, the film went on to win an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, Sissy Spacek, (more)
- 1963
Boiling over with sexual shenanigans and general sleaziness the Mexico-set tale centers on a confused socialite who falls in love with an American engineer who was hired by her half- brother to oversee his mining outfit. At first the attraction between the girl and the Yank is purely sexual, but soon it turns to love. This causes the half-brother great torment, for he has fallen in love with his sister. Obsessed with jealousy, the conniving brother tries to bust things up by bringing in the girl's ex-lover. He is a cad and after trying unsuccessfully to seduce her, the creep results to rape. The next day, the despondent woman tries to kill herself, but the American shows up and reassures her that his love is true. This was the first film actress Merle Oberon had worked on in seven years and was filmed in her spectacular Mexican home. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Merle Oberon, Steve Cochran, (more)
- 1962
Popular Mexican star Elvira Quintana is featured in this tortilla Western as a female with power and influence who joins up with others to fight corruption in their town. Chief bad guy (Carlos Lopez-Moctezuma) is doubly villainous because he poses as an upstanding citizen, a posturing that fools everyone for awhile. But paraphrasing one of the presidents from that large country to the north, you can't fool all of the people all of the time. Sure enough, the hypocritical citizen is unmasked along with a cohort or two. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elvira Qintana, Joaquin Cordero, (more)
A rebellious young man sets out to find himself in this melodrama by Roberto Rodríguez (of the brothers Rodríguez, well-established in Mexican cinema). The setting is Acapulco and the young man is one of the divers who throw themselves off the incredibly high cliffs known as the Quebrada, for recompense from tourists. That calling is dangerous enough but the unhappy home life of the diver sends him away, looking for his niche in the world. Just because of his dysfunctional family he is not so good at engendering relationships himself and when he does meet someone interesting he hurts the woman's feelings -- which does not bode well for finding the love he needs. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rodolfo De Anda, Patricia Conde, (more)
La Carcel de Cananea is a well-wrought, finely acted Mexican western directed by Gilberto Gazcon and starring the popular Pedro Armendariz as a federal lawman on the trail of a young criminal. The youthful fugitive from justice (Augustin de Anda who died before the film was released) is at first an unknown quantity. But after he is captured by the persistent federal deputy, the two men begin to have a greater appreciation for each other. This friendship of sorts does not help while they both contemplate the prison that waits at the end of their journey. Fortunately for the story, there are no songs or musical numbers to interrupt the narrative. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pedro Armendáriz, Agustín de Anda, (more)
- 1958
This historical adventure recounts the many exploits of the notorious Mexican bandit Pancho Villa as he evolves from a womanizing thief to a passionate leader of the Mexican revolution. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brian Keith, Cesar Romero, (more)
- 1958
Scotty (Sterling Hayden), a charter pilot operating out of Mexico, is forced to join up with a criminal gang when his son is kidnapped. Cesar (Rodolfo Hoyos), the leader of the gang, wants Scotty to help the crooks escape to freedom with $250,000 in stolen money. The plane crashes, forcing Scotty and the gang to make the rest of their getaway on foot and in hijacked cars. Along the way, Scotty falls in love with Cesar's semi-honest daughter Teresa (Grace Raynor). From the looks of things, Ten Days to Tulara began as a documentary of Mexican native ceremonials and dances, with the plotline tacked on to keep the audience from nodding off. In any event, it's curious that the ABC network chose this very modest programmer as one of the entries in their 1962-63 Hollywood Special movie package, along with Inherit the Wind, The Magnificent Seven and On the Beach. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sterling Hayden, Grace Raynor, (more)
- 1954
This western offers one of Hollywood's more historically accurate accounts of the Battle of Little Big Horn. The story centers on a major in the cavalry who believes the Indians have the same rights as other Americans. Despite his efforts to stop Custer from embarking on his ill-fated mission, the general carries on. Later the major is court-marshaled for being a traitor and ends up sentenced to die. Fortunately, Sitting Bull sends a petition to the President and pleads for the good major's pardon. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dale Robertson, Mary Murphy, (more)
