Juan Diego Botto Movies

As directed by Greek filmmaker Iannis Smaragdis and co-adapted by Smaragdis and Jackie Pavlenko from Dmitris Siatopoulos's heavily-fictionalized biographical novel Greco: The Painter of God, the (largely) English-language biopic El Greco tells a colorful version of the titular 16th Century Spanish Renaissance painter's life story. Born Domenikos Theotokopoulos on Crete in 1541 and portrayed here by Nick Ashdon, El Greco writes out his story as he sits in prison awaiting execution by the Spanish Inquisition, and the events of his life play out in extended flashbacks. The tale itself begins on the isle of Crete in 1566, when Domenikos falls for sensual Venetian Francesca (Dimitra Matsouka), daughter of the Cretean governor. Domenikos's father, however, attempts to lead a political rebellion on the island, which forces the young painter to be shuttled off to Venice and away from the young lass. Once there, his path intersects not only with the famed artist Titian (Sotiris Moustakas) but Nino de Guevara (Juan Diego Botto), a Spanish priest with not-so-subtle homosexual designs on this new arrival. Nino's actions spiral downward into destructive malevolence, and in time, he turns up as the chief Inquisitor in one of history's bloodiest and most notorious debacles - spurned, roiled by the knowledge that El Greco has taken a female partner, and itching to dole out a fatal reprisal on the painter who never became his lover. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

A professional actor shocked at the unexpected appearance of his grown, but long estranged son finds his life suddenly thrown into chaos with the arrival of the handsome seducer in director Victor Garcia León's bitterly funny comedy drama. Santiago (Juan Diego) makes a modest living as an actor -- his latest role being that of supporting player in a conventional farce which finds him cast opposite his decidedly younger live-in girlfriend, Ana (Cristina Plazas). When Santiago's thirtysomething son, Guillermo (Juan Diego Botto), suddenly appears on his doorstep without so much as a word of warning, the aging actor is eager to give the boy the boot despite the objections of his charmed girlfriend. Though it soon becomes obvious that Guillermo is a compulsive liar who makes no bones about using his good looks to get in good with the ladies, the roles of father and son gradually begin to shift as Santiago falls into a self-destructive pattern of impotence and self-pity and Guillermo is forced to take care of his troubled dad. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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

In the wake of the Spanish Civil War, a number of the Republican guerillas who fought against Franco's fascist army went into hiding and continued their battle as resistance fighters hiding out in the mountain ranges of Spain; this drama offers a glimpse of life in a rural Spanish community under Franco's rule as the "Maquis" plot their next move in their battle against Franco. It's 1944, and Lucia (Lucia Jimenez) arrives in a small town to take a job at a tavern run by her aunt Teresa (Mercedes Sampietro). Politically, the community is torn between those who have retained their loyalty to the former Republican leadership and those who have embraced fascism under Franco. Lucia becomes fast friends with Lola (Maria Botto), a local girl whose brother Manuel (Juan Diego Botto) is a blacksmith with ties to the Maquis. As Lucia falls in love with Manuel, the Maquis come out of hiding and stage a raid on the town, freeing a number of Republicans who have been jailed for their support of the old regime; as one might expect, this attracts the attention of Franco's Civil Guard, which quickly sets out to neutralize Manuel and the rebels. Silencia Roto was directed by Montxo Armendariz, who previously made the international success Secretos Del Corazon. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Romance and murder walk side by side in this psychological drama from Spain. A serial killer has been plying his grisly trade in a small town in Spain, murdering young girls and leaving their bodies in a nearby forest. A police inspector (Miguel Angel Sola) is sent in to investigate -- his first case outside tumultuous Basque County in 14 years. The detective has problems dealing with the stress of his job, and he finds little consolation in his off hours: he's been fighting a drinking problem for some time, and his wife (Charo Lopez) is in a mental hospital after murder threats against him led her to a nervous breakdown. As the inspector looks at the evidence in the latest killing with the help of Ferreras (Chete Lera), the city's coroner, he pays a visit to the school where the victim was studying. There he meets Susana Grey (Adriana Ozores), a teacher and single mother whose husband left her several years earlier to run off with Ferreras' former girlfriend. The inspector and Susana display an immediate interest in each other, and soon find themselves edging into a tentative romance, while the detective tries to stay on the trail of the murderer. Plenilunio was screened in competition at the 2000 San Sebastian Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Acclaimed directing duo Alfonso Alacete and David Menkes's third cinematic effort is an outrageous romantic comedy about a widow and a gay man. Youngish and very pregnant Marga (Emma Suarez) mourns the sudden death of her husband in a car wreck. After having the baby, she casts about looking to reinvent her life when she meets up with the gay Inaki (Juan Diego Botto). The two establish a clear emotional bond, but soon more than mere emotional sparks start to fly. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

A teenage boy comes of age at the hands of several older women while searching for his mother. Based on a best-selling novel by Stephen Vizinczey and set during the course of the Spanish Civil War, the drama begins when callow Andre is sent home to rejoin his mother when war breaks out. En route, he is waylaid by Republican soldiers who take him to their camp. There he encounters a coquettish British countess who offers him his first taste of sexual intimacy. Later the countess and her spouse return to England and Andre is sent to the home of Julia where he has his second experience. From there, he is captured by the fascists and only meets his mother after the war ends. Fortunately, for him, he has three more encounters waiting for him after that. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Three aimless, unemployed and penniless youths hatch a devious plot in order to escape their nowhere lives in this lively Spanish thriller that begins as Rober and Max rob a supermarket owned by their cohort Ona's parents. Their next target is Daniel Peligro, the biological father of Max. Peligro, a prominent, wealthy theater director, has never seen his own son, nor does he even acknowledge his existence. The trio are committing these crimes to quickly earn the cash Rober needs to start his dream restaurant. Fearing that Max will be too emotional seeing his celebrated father for the first time, the three decide that Rober should change the color of one of his eyes (Peligro has one blue and one brown eye) and masquerade as Max. It turns out that the director welcomes his estranged off-spring into his home and even offers him the lead in his latest play. Meanwhile Rober makes hay with Peligro's beautiful girl friend. Not wanting to leave such a luxurious new life, Rober lies to the patiently waiting Max and Ona, telling them he needs more time to plan the crime. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Set amidst the gender-bending tumult of the Madrid nightclub scene, this black and twisted Spanish comedy features excerpts from the lives of a number of offbeat characters. First there is Max, a gigolo who has returned to Madrid to rekindle an affair with Yeye, the lover he betrayed. Max is a murder suspect and is pursued by a psychotic cop. Yeye's roommates are the nymphomaniacal Monica and lovesick Maria, who yearns for the love of her neighbor Carlos. Then there is Alberto, a gay fellow who finds innocent solace in the arms of the heterosexual David after learning that his latest lover Alex is married with children. The main character's lives converge at a series of parties and club hopping sprees all of which are presided over by a trio of lavishly made-up drag queens. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The apparently self-destructive debauchery of the eternally bored, nihilistic youth of Generation X is chronicled in this European drama set in Madrid. The stories concern a group of friends in their early 20s who frequent a local bar at night where they drink, do drugs and have meaningless sexual encounters. Much of the story centers on Carlos who has distanced himself emotionally from his comfortably middle-class family; the only one among them he can relate to is his grandfather who seems to understand the hopeless outlook that Carlos and his friends have about their future. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Despite regulations that prohibit male and female inmates from communicating, the dangerous mental patient Pedro and his beloved Esperanza, a woman who is prone to setting houses on fire, somehow manage to communicate their love for one another. Difficult and tragic conditions in Venezuela's mental health facilities are clearly illuminated in this well-regarded drama. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi