Latino Classics
National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 - October 15. To celebrate, we've put together a list of classic Latino movies, from revered titles of early cinema to more modern fare. If you want to see them all in the next month, you better start adding them to your Queue today!
Three people travel from their small home town into the outside world in search of answers and adventure in this bittersweet comedy drama. Don Justo (Antonio Benedictis) used to run a market in a small community in Southern Argentina, but failing eyesight and the loss of his driver's license has led him to retire. However, when he learns that the dog he lost several years ago was seen in San Julian, the closest significantly larger city, Don Justo sets out to find his dog, determined to travel to San Julian on foot if no other transportation is available. Roberto is a traveling salesman who is infatuated with a woman whose husband, one of his clients, has recently passed on. Hoping to win her heart, Roberto decided to bring a birthday cake to her child's birthday party in San Julian; however, his search for the ideal cake is complicated when he realizes he isn't sure if the child is a boy or a girl. Maria (Javiera Bravo) is a wife and mother who has been struggling to hold her family together after her husband lost his job. Maria is invited to appear on a television game show, and hopes to win the grand prize of a new food processor, but while lady luck at first smiles on her, fate has slightly different plans. Historias Minimas received its American premiere at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Javier Lombardo, Antonio Benedictis, (more)
The forsaken world of Bolivian silver miners is brought to the screen in this powerful documentary. Basilio Vargas is a 14-year-old boy living in the impoverished Cerro Rico region of Bolivia. Since the death of his father, Basilio and his younger brother Bernardino are the breadwinners in his family, and they support their mother and siblings working in the Cerro Rico silver mines. Basilio is one of 800 children who regularly work the mines, and it's indicative of the danger and physically punishing nature of the work that the miners swear fealty to "Tio" -- the Devil -- because it's believed God would never enter such a place. Cerro Rico's silver miners have an average life expectancy of 40 years or less, thanks to the poisoned air, the constant heat, the use of explosives, the primitive and unsafe equipment, and the long hours demanded of the laborers (most are sent into the mines for 24-hour shifts, and both children and adults often chew coca leaves to ward off hunger and fatigue). While Basilio's more fortunate classmates make fun of him when he's able to attend school, he realized his family need the money and he's willing to endure the agony for the small wage he makes every day. The Devil's Miner chronicles several days in the life of Basilio Vargas as a document of the inhuman conditions he and his fellow miners face, as well as the young man's bravery. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
The ups and downs of one's family's life are reflected in their adventures with a rattletrap used car in this comedy drama from Colombia. Twelve-year-old Paola (Zaira Valenzuela) is the youngest in a family of five, with her working-class mother (Lully Bossa) and father (César Badillo) struggling to support her along with older siblings Andrea (Andrea Gomez) and Oscar (Diego Cadavid). Paola is trying to sell tickets for a prize drawing at her school, with the winner receiving a new car; she isn't able to persuade her father to take her last ticket, but the family across the street does, and to their surprise they win the new auto. To show their gratitude, the winners offer to sell Paola's folks their old car, a vintage Chevrolet convertible that's seen better days. While Mother is initially against the idea, Father (who loves the old clunker) and Oscar (who believes having a car is essential to making time with the girls) persuade her to liberate the family's savings, and soon the Chevy is theirs. Paola isn't happy about this decision at first, since the garage that had been her bedroom will now be home to the car, forcing her to share a room again with Andrea, but in time the car becomes a part of the family, taking them on dozens of small adventures, giving Oscar a place to be alone with his girl, and even jump-starting Mother and Father's romance. El Carro (aka The Car) was the first feature film from director Luis Orjuela. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lully Bossa, César Badillo, (more)
Two generations of a damaged family are brought together in this emotional drama. Einar Gilkyson (Robert Redford) was a once successful rancher whose spread went to seed after he developed a serious drinking problem. Now on the wagon, Einar looks after what's left of his spread with his friend Mitch (Morgan Freeman), a one-time cowhand who never fully recovered after being mauled by a bear. Einar once had a son named Griffin, but he died in a car wreck while Griffin's wife, Jean (Jennifer Lopez), was driving; Einar never forgave her for the death, and he had never met the granddaughter she was carrying until she arrived at his doorstep 11 years later. Jean has become involved with a violent man named Gary (Damian Lewis), and seeks refuge on Einar's ranch for the safety of her daughter, Griff (Becca Gardner). Einar reluctantly takes in Jean and Griff, giving them a place to stay as Jean looks for work and tries to put her life back together. But old trouble makes its way back to town in two ways -- Gary tracks down Jean and wants to make her pay for leaving him, while the bear who attacked Mitch comes down from the mountains looking for new prey. An Unfinished Life was adapted from the novel of the same name by Mark Spragg. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, (more)
Sergio Cabrera's adaptation of Perder Es Cuestion De Metodo stars Daniel Gimenez Cacho as a reporter who comes across a corpse than has been dispatched in a gruesome manner. He and an office clerk end up discovering some of the worst aspects of Bogata while investigating the death. Leading them through the underground is a prostitute. They soon discover that the murder may have been politically motivated. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Jiménez Cacho, Martina García, (more)
Accomplished British screenwriter Christopher Hampton directs the political drama Imagining Argentina, based on the novel by Lawrence Thornton. Set during the unsettling disappearances in Buenos Aires during the dictatorship of the 1970s, the film involves theater director Carlos Rueda (Antonio Banderas) and his wife Cecilia (Emma Thompson). Shortly after Cecilia writes an editorial commentary questioning the mysterious abductions, she is herself abducted and taken into police custody. Soon Carlos develops the supernatural ability to see into the future and he imagines his wife meeting an awful fate during an escape attempt. To make matters worse, their teenage daughter Teresa (Leticia Dolera) is also kidnapped. Imagining Argentina was nominated for the Golden Lion at the 2003 Venice Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Antonio Banderas, Emma Thompson, (more)
The romantic comedy Con la Musica por Dentro stars the popular actor Tin-Tan as a man who juggles being a lowly gardener with a life as an aristocrat. His outlandish behavior earns him the love of a pretty girl. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
The black comedy Esperame en Siberia Vida Mia concerns a wealthy man who is manipulated into taking a bride, the daughter of a nefarious doctor. The doctor attempts to get his hands on the fortune by convincing the wealthy man he should end his own life rather than face a terminal disease. Soon the doctor must hire help to finish off the man who they are having a very difficult time finishing off. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
In 1995, the United States Border Patrol began employing new strategies in guarding the border between the U.S. and Mexico as part of a bid to reduce the number of illegal immigrants coming into America. While the Border Patrol's plan enjoyed some success, it also created a new problem -- with the easiest routes from Mexico to the United States now heavily guarded, mojados (Mexican slang for the illegal immigrants) began following roundabout paths through the mountains and wastelands, which caused a growing number of travelers to die en route due to exposure, exhaustion, or lack of food and water. First-time filmmaker Tommy Davis, who grew up in a Texas border town and became concerned about the growing fatalities among illegal immigrants, traveled to Michoacan, Mexico, and returned to Texas in the company of four men making the dangerous voyage across the border. Serving as a one-man camera and sound crew, Davis shot Mojados: Through the Night during a 120-mile trip through the desert as Oso, Guapo, Viejo, and Tigre attempt to make their way into Texas -- some have done it before, and all are looking to find work so they can better support their families at home. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
A pair of childhood friends find that their bond has not weakened with the passing of years in this affecting drama from filmmaker Daniel Barone. For nearly a decade, Jaoquin (Adrian Suar) has suffered from depression, but when his childhood friend Mara (Leticia Brédice) returns home after eight years away, the clouds soon begin to part for Jaoquin. As the old friends share memories of the past and visit the place where time seemed to stop for them as children, an old bond once again grows strong and the caring friends take solace in the familiarity of their surroundings. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Adrian Suar, Leticia Brédice, (more)
Oso (Julio Chávez), also known as "The Bear," is released from prison after seven years. In flashback, we see the robbery and shoot-out with police that led to his arrest, which took place on his daughter's first birthday. He returns to his hometown, a depressed suburb of Buenos Aires, fully aware that his wife, Natalia (Soledad Villamil), has moved on and is living with another man, Sergio (Luis Machín). But he's determined to establish a relationship with Alicia (Agostina Lage), his daughter, and to collect the money owed to him by an oily local crime lord known as "The Turk" (René Lavan). Of course, things don't go exactly as Oso would like. Natalia, knowing that Sergio feels threatened, is conflicted about allowing Oso to see Alicia. Oso soon learns that Sergio is unemployed, and gambles away what little money he has, amassing a sizeable debt with a thuggish bookie. The Turk, meanwhile, will only pay his debt if Oso agrees to be the getaway driver on one last big job. For her part, Alicia seems fascinated with her father, though, and makes him promise never to go away again. Co-written and directed by Adrián Caetano (Pizza, Birra, Faso), Red Bear was shown at New Directors/New Films in 2003. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Julio Chaves, Soledad Villamil, (more)
Filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar takes a look at his own adolescence as well as confronting the issue of sexual misconduct in the Catholic Church in this stylish drama, which was chosen to open the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Enrique Goded (Fele Martínez) is a Spanish filmmaker who is having trouble settling on a new project when he's approached by Ignacio Rodriguez (Gael García Bernal), who was his close friend when they were schoolboys. Goded, who fell in love for the first time with Rodriguez, barely recognizes the man as his former crush, but agrees to read the short story he's written. The tale turns out to be an semi-autobiographical account of their days in a Catholic boarding school, in which a cross-dressing night-club performer named Zahara (also played by Bernal) hooks up with a man named Enrique (Alberto Ferreiro), who turns out to have been his first lover when he was a student. Recalling their school days, Zahara tracks down Father Manolo (Daniel Giménez Cacho), one of his teachers from school with pedophilic tendencies, and threatens to expose the priest's attempts to seduce him and ruin his relationship with Enrique years ago. Goded decides to use the story as the basis for his next film, and Rodriguez, an out-of-work actor, makes it clear he's eager to play Zahara. However, Goded isn't certain if Rodriguez is the right actor for the role, or if he's even the man he claims to be; an angry conflict with Rodriguez leads Goded back to the real Ignacio's mother (Petra Martínez). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Fele Martínez, Gael García Bernal, (more)
A seemingly idyllic childhood is shattered in a nation torn apart by civil war in this powerful drama from Peru. Juan was an 11-year-old boy living in a small rural community when the town's corrupt mayor was killed. Local authorities believe that the murderers are part of the "Sendero Lumino" (meaning "Shining Path"), an underground revolutionary army dedicated to bringing down the government, and Juan's father, Fermin (Aristoteles Picho), is arrested for suspected involvement with the group. As Juan tries to adjust to life without his father, he's abducted by Wilmer (Sergio Galliani), a Sendero Lumino organizer who is grooming children of the movement into a guerilla army, though Juan has no inherent desire to fight. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Antonio Callirgos, Eduardo Cesti, (more)
Brazilian director Walter Salles Jr. follows up the Golden Globe-nominated Behind the Sun with this filmed adaptation of Argentinian-born Cuban revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara's journals of the same name. The Motorcycle Diaries stars Gael García Bernal (Y Tu Mamá También, Amores Perros) as a young, pre-revolution Guevara, a 23-year-old medical student in 1952 traveling across South America on a motorcycle with his friend Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna), who co-wrote the source material. As they embark on their journey, both young men come of age and find their individual world views broadened farther than they ever expected. The Motorcycle Diaries premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gael García Bernal, Rodrigo de la Serna, (more)
Argentine director Juan Carlos Desanzo offers a grim variation on the classic tale of Oliver Twist with this gritty tale of a young orphan who falls in with a decidedly undesirable crowd. A resourceful street kid who earns his keep as a subway busker after fleeing from his abusive parents, the young runaway is soon bestowed with the moniker of "El Polaquito" due to his faithful renditions of the popular Polish tango singer's enduring ballads. Despite his rebellious nature and distaste for authority figures, El Polaquito soon finds employment with the shady Rengo - a thuggish criminal who employs a variety of child prostitutes, beggars, and thieves. Though he would like nothing more than to break free from Rengo's suffocating grip, El Polaquito finds his options frustratingly limited due to the fact that both his sister and the object of his affections are also employed by Rengo. Now, as he makes a valiant effort to break away and take along the two people he cares about most, El Polaquito is about to discover if he truly has what it takes to survive in an uncaring society in which the death of a common street child is a casual, everyday occurrence. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Abel Ayala, Marina Glezer, (more)
A man on the brink of suicide regains the will to live under decidedly unusual circumstances in this drama from Mexico. A quietly despondent man (Alejandro Ferretis) leaves behind the city for a journey into a quiet village in the valley, telling anyone who cares to know that once he's settled in, he intends to kill himself. The man takes a room with Ascen (Magdalena Flores), and elderly woman who lost her husband some years ago. Keeping to himself, the man paints, thinks, and prepares himself for death, while Ascen slowly becomes aware of the depth of his depression. As Ascen's nephew attempts to rob her of her share of the family estate, the man feels a desire to live waking inside him again -- as well as the desire for a woman. Improbably, the man turns to Ascen for physical affection, and sensing his need for comfort, she complies, though the seduction lacks a great deal in the way of romance. The first feature film from writer and director Carlos Reygadas, Japon received an enthusiastic response when it was screened as part of the Directors' Fortnight series at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alejandro Ferretis Elizondo, Magdalena Flores, (more)
A heartless killer receives an ominous message after killing his old partner with a car bomb in director José Miguel Juárez's mysterious thriller. Unbeknownst to Miguel Gironza, Remedios and Nemesio have witnessed the violent murder. When the elderly witnesses appear at the funeral with a young girl and tell Gironza that all of his dreams will come true when he sees a black cat with a full moon on its forehead, the confused Gironza ponders the price he will have to pay for such an extravagant fantasy. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jose Sancho, Manuela Arcuri, (more)
- 2004
- PG13
- Add Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights to Queue Add Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights to top of Queue
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)
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