Agustin Gonzalez Movies

José Luis Garci's romantic drama Story of a Kiss follows two different stories that take place decades apart from each other. Julio (Carlos Hipolito) attends the funeral of the uncle who raised him. After reminiscing with his uncle's friends, Julio remembers his childhood. At that time, his Uncle Blas (Alfredo Landa) fell in love with a much younger women who made him realize how dispassionate his life had become. The adult Julio also attempts to romance a fellow teacher. Director Garci previously made the Oscar winner Starting Over. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

This lively western from Spain centers on the exploits of a wealthy young troublemaker who escapes from a Franciscan monastery and teams up with a handsome country boy who has run away from the Army. Together the two try to become outlaws and pose as gang members under the notorious El Argentino, an outlaw who plies his trade upon the border of Portugal and Galicia in northern Spain. The two "bandidos" steal horses and rob a taxman as they flee for the border. Along the way another fellow joins them. Much to their surprise, the fellow turns out to be a female reporter for the New York Times, hoping to interview El Argentino. Unfortunately, the outlaws have never met him. They meet him soon enough when he captures them. Proving to be a vain but basically good-hearted outlaw, he spares them and together they all take off with the Civil Guard hot on their trail. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this mystery, a Picasso painting has been stolen. Various people are involved in the resolution of the story, including a lawyer with an eye for the women, and that lawyer's diffident shy client who winds up with the lawyer's gorgeous girlfriend. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

This confusing and meandering mystery concerns a double crime committed in a rural village in 1956. Greedy land speculators, soldiers on leave, a house of prostitution, and a smuggler with a mentally challenged daughter are the focus of this crime drama that lacks suspense and suffers from being to disconnected. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

This drama concerns a seven-year-old boy, Pepe Luis (Lucas Martin, as the younger Pepe and Paco Rabal Cerezales as Pepe at ten) who lives through the rise of Franco and the ensuing years under the fascist dictator. Presented from the perspective of the young Pepe, the Civil War and Franco are irrelevant to his own concerns: daydreaming about a pretty girl he likes, fighting with other boys, helping the priest at a funeral service, and similar activities. Pepe lives with his uncle and grandparents, and whether he is aware of it or not, the war impinges on their lives in several ways. The title of the film derives from little Pepe's contention that God is not responsible for the war, just some "bastard brother" of the Creator. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

After their wealthy fascist father dies, Ana and her sister Laura have the job of settling his estate. The two sisters have not seen one another for some time and imagine they have nothing in common. Ana stayed at home and married a pretty ordinary middle-class man, Laura moved to Paris and lives a far more glamorous life. Complicating their difficult task is the fact that it is taking place during Holy Week, and all sorts of processions and ceremonies are taking place in the streets around them, and ordinary commercial life is at a standstill. The tension between the two women eases somewhat as they come to grips with their common past and, along with their father, bury some of the myths that have overshadowed both of them. The director of this film, Rafael Azcona, is known for his penchant for mocking conservative Spain's many sacred cows, and he continues that tradition in this occasionally comic drama. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

José Maria Gil Ramos (Patrick Newell) is a noted attorney who agrees to defend a minor government official accused of stealing 4,000 tons of oil. As Ramos investigates, the trail leads to possible wrongdoing orchestrated by the brother of military dictator Franco. High government officials try to impede the investigation and derail the defense of Ramos' client. This intricate investigative drama is based on a 1972 incident which was investigated by the famous Spanish liberal Gil Robles. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

La Corte de Faraon is a romp of a zarzuela ("operetta" is a loose translation) that first appeared in 1910 (original libretto by Guillermo Perrin and Miguel de Palacios, original music by Vicente Lleó). The Pharaoh rewards his victorious general Putifar (Josema Yuste) with a new bride, Lota (Ana Belen), but the general is more intrigued with his own ego on his wedding night, and in the morning he dashes off. Along comes Friar José (Antonio Banderas) with his soulful eyes and innocent sexuality, and Lota aggressively goes after him. He escapes, but when brought before the Queen, she follows Lota's precedent and the poor Friar barely escapes a second time with his virtue intact. (In the original the Friar is none other than Joseph of the colored coat.) In this updated version, the troupe of zarzuela players gets in trouble with the police, and the whole lot of them are hauled in for scandalous behavior. Between the on-stage and off-stage insanity, the singing, the dance numbers, the music, the slapstick, and the slams at censors, police, and political repression -- this zarzuela upholds the tradition of pleasing all types of viewers. Except Franco, that is -- he banned the operetta. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

The poetic and iconoclastic lights of Bohemia have been dimmed in this interpretation of the original play by Ramon Valle-Inclan. Set at the turn of the 20th century in Madrid, the focus is on a perpetual drunk, the blind Max Estrella (Francisco Rabal) and his verses, sayings, and total disregard for his wife and daughter as he pursues both the bottle and the muse. His friend, Don Latino (Agustin Gonzalez) accompanies Max on his travels through the city. Max is rarely sober and can be found in unlikely situations, such as dressing down a government minister for his bourgeois success or commiserating with an anarchist in prison. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

This fictional treatment of an actual incident in Barcelona, Spain involves a man who brutalizes his family and those who work underneath him with no concern for anyone except himself. The story may not be far away from the truth for many families in many countries. Costa (Agustin Gonzalez) is a member of the former right-wing extremists Fuerza Nueva and has built a little empire for himself in the construction and real-estate business. He freely and frequently abuses his wife and four children, and in fact only one daughter is not terrified of him. Costa goes around with a bodyguard -- since even he is aware of the hatred he engenders -- but his ultimate mistake lies in assuming that the victims of his vicious temper may not be quite as weak as the spineless jellyfish he sees in them. The result of his excesses finally culminates in an irreversible act of violence that may -- or may not -- result in court action. Although a little flawed by technical problems with the sound and a somewhat disjointed, episodic telling of the tale, this drama is sure to keep viewers involved in the action.
~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Meant to reflect the harsh realities of segments of society in 1960s, Franco-era Spain, this slow-moving, drawn-out story is about a struggling, impoverished family who work on the estate of a wealthy aristocrat. Paco (Alfredo Landa) is the head of his small family who constantly tries to placate his irascible overlords and also teaches them how to hunt birds. His wife Régula (Terele Pávez) is as subservient as Paco. The family is rounded out by a mute, crippled daughter, a son away at military service, and Azarias (Francisco Rabal), an uncle whose mental stability is in question. These individuals are contrasted with Señor Iván (Juan Diego) who rules over them with a detached incomprehension that brands the family as not much different than the animals he hunts. The señor has no compunction about shooting Azarias's pet bird, or forcing Paco to continue with a bird hunt even though he has fallen and broken his leg. Given the insane behavior of the aristocratic Iván, the half-crazy Azarias might be the only one to get through to him on his own level. The 1984 Cannes Film Festival awarded Alfredo Landa and Francisco Rabal a shared "Best Actor" Award for their roles in this film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi