Spanish Movies

The oppressive air over a small fishing village begins to lift after a neglected wife convinces a local witch to secretly replace the patron of their church with the Black Witch. Though the founder of the village approves the change, it's performed without the knowledge of the general population. Once the ritual has been completed, tensions around the village begin to dissipate and love fills the air. But just as the woman who invoked change prepares to spread the secret of true happiness, a group of young children accidentally destroy the image of the Black Virgin, and the town experiences a disturbing shift in mood. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A poor boy from Caracas falls in love with a beautiful girl, and stumbles into an explosive plan to overthrow the government in this freewheeling comedy from Argentina. When lowly Manuel meets middle class Lucia, it's love at first sight. Unfortunately for Manuel, Lucia is the daughter of a devoted extremist plotting to overthrow the government. Unwittingly drawn into the conniving terrorist's explosive plan, apolitical Manuel plays along with the ruse in hopes of gaining paternal approval. But later, as the plot gets underway, Manuel is forced to choose between thrusting his city into total chaos, and preventing the attack even if it means letting love slip through his fingers. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A supermarket security guard forms a powerful fixation on the pretty cleaning woman who scrubs the aisles during the graveyard shift in this deeply personal tale of obsession and voyeurism from first-time feature filmmaker Adrian Biniez. When the sun goes down, Jara (Horacio Camandule) clocks in to monitor the security cameras at a suburban Montevideo supermarket. The job can be pretty dull at times, so in order to keep himself occupied, Jara often passes the time watching videos, doing crossword puzzles, and playing music. One night, as Jara glances at the monitors, pretty cleaning woman Julia (Leonor Svarcas) wanders into frame and the portly security guard is immediately transfixed. With each passing day, Jara's fixation on Julia grows stronger, to the point where he eventually begins following her outside of work, as well. Before long, Jara's entire life is centered on Julia's daily routine; he watches as she lounges on the beach, goes to a movie, and even as she meets with another man. When rumors of layoffs begin circulating around the supermarket and Jara discovers that Julia is one of the workers about to be handed her walking papers, the smitten security guard must choose between letting go of his obsession and laying bare his suppressed feelings for the object of his affections, or remaining silent and letting his one chance at happiness slip away. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Juan José Campanella helmed this crime thriller about judicial cover-ups and corruption in Argentina. Ricardo Darín stars as Benjamín, a former criminal court employee who wants to write a novel about an Argentine case from the 1970s in which a woman was raped and murdered. He confides his intentions to a judge with whom he's been secretly smitten for years, Irene (Soledad Villamil), but she expresses reservations about the idea, for reasons that eventually become apparent. Meanwhile, flashbacks set up the central story, unfolding in 1970s Argentina. In that narrative, Argentina has fallen under the control of a military junta and a fair trial has become an increasingly uncommon event in that nation's courts. A woman is found raped and murdered while her husband was at work, and two immigrant workers are essentially forced into confessing to the crime. Benjamín then teams up with his colleague and friend, the lush Pablo Sandoval (Guillermo Francella), and the two go about identifying and tagging the perpetrator of the original crime. Subtle detail in a photograph alerts Benjamin to the possibility that a man named Gómez (Javier Godino) may have been the real culprit, but finding Gómez and obtaining conclusive evidence against him is no simple task. Moreover, as Benjamín and Pablo struggle to have the case reopened, they also find that bureaucracy and power in Argentine government have made this close to impossible. El Secreto de Sus Ojos (aka The Secret in Their Eyes) received its North American premiere at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Forced into a heterosexual relationship after her mother finds her with another woman, gorgeous Uruguayan artist Valentina struggles with her sexuality as her male alter ego begins to take over. Valentina lives in Berlin with her wealthy yet overbearing mother, who threatens to cut her free-spirited daughter off financially after discovering that she is a lesbian. In order to appease her mother, Valentina enters into a heterosexual relationship. When Valentina brings another man into the bedroom, the weight of the situation becomes too much to bear, and the emotionally-fragile woman begins to take on the persona of a man. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Not to be confused with the 1981 Jean-Jacques Beneix film of the same title, this Divã actually constitutes a witty and warm Portuguese-language comedy from Brazil. Lilia Cabral stars as Mercedes, a 40-year-old housewife and mother of children who feels vaguely dissatisfied with life and decides to enter therapy with a local analyst. Lying on the couch, she expostulates constantly about her marriage and personal dissatisfaction and ultimately decides to forge a new direction in her life. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

A disgraced Dominican cop fights to clear his name and avenge his father's death in this gritty revenge thriller from director Joshua Crook (Salvage, Rockaway). Luisito's father was an honest butcher who valued hard work. He was a positive role model for a kid from the slums, and Luisito's life was forever changed when notorious drug dealer Rafa (Paul Calderon) shot him down in cold blood. Flash-forward two decades, and Luisito is doing his part to keep the Dominican Republic safe from the criminal element. He's been carefully molded into the perfect crime fighter thanks to the charismatic General Colon (Juan Fernández), who exploited Luisito's childhood trauma before inducting him into the secret police. As a young boy, Luisito fell deeply in love with Jenny. But when Jenny's family moved to New York shortly after Luisito's father was killed, they lost touch. Now, Jenny (Denise Quiñones) is back in the Dominican Republic, and her feelings for Luisito are stronger than ever. If only Luisito could find a way to tell her about his work, perhaps they could find a way to make love work. Unfortunately for Luisito and Jenny, an investigation into General Colon's recent activities reveals an epic betrayal, and sets the stage for a tragic confrontation. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

In this road movie from Colombian filmmaker Ciro Guerra, Ignacio Carrillo (Marciano Martinez) has been a traveling musician most of his adult life, playing his accordion for anyone who will listen as he wanders from town to town. But after the death of his wife, Ignacio has fallen into a deep depression, and he decided to give up music. As he gives up his old way of life, Ignacio sets out on a journey to give his instrument back to the man who taught him to play many years before, but a young man named Fermin Morales (Yull Nunez) invites himself along for the ride. Ignacio doesn't have much use for Fermin, and while the young man is eager to learn the accordion, it's obvious he has no aptitude for music. But Fermin is persistent, and when bandits steal Ignacio's instrument, the youngster sees an opportunity to prove himself by recovering the lost accordion. Los viajes del viento (aka The Wind Journeys) was an official selection at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, where it was screened as part of the "Un Certain Regard" program. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Love makes life complicated for one man as his country is thrown into chaos in this drama from director Pablo Larrain. It's 1973, and Mario (Alfredo Castro) makes his living assisting a coroner in Chile. The nation is in turmoil, as the leadership of Salvador Allende is on the verge of being toppled in a coup d'etat, and Allende's leftist supporters are fighting with soldiers on the streets. However, Mario's thoughts are elsewhere, as he's fascinated with Nancy (Antonia Zegers), who lives in his neighborhood and dances in a seedy nightclub. While Nancy usually shows little interest in Mario, she accepts when he offers to give her a ride home one evening, and he thinks fate is smiling on him until they're caught up in a demonstration on their way and Nancy is spirited away by Victor (Marcelo Alonso), a pro-Allende activist. Later that evening, Nancy pays Mario a visit when she discovers her father is hosting a meeting of Union supporters acting against the coup; Mario is happy to see her, but over the next 24 hours matters turn ugly as Nancy's father and brother are killed and he's summoned in to work to help deal with the bodies left behind by the military takeover. Post Mortem received its North American premiere at the 2010 New York Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Aspiring nine-year-old goaltender Manuel finds human conflict intruding on his dreams of soccer greatness in this affecting drama from Colombia. Manuel has the dedication and devotion of a great athlete. When his father gives him a soccer ball, the excited young boy begins diligently developing his skills in front of the net. When Manuel's ball lands in a nearby minefield, the headstrong youngster convinces pals Julián and Poca Luz that it's worth risking death to recover his prized possession. Just then, the first signs of a violent struggle cast a dark shadow over the dangerous endeavor. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Two men find love in defiance of convention in this drama from writer and director Aluizio Abranches. Six-year-old Thomas (Gabriel Kaufmann) is best friends with his half-brother, twelve-year-old Francisco (Lucas Cotrim). Julieta (Julia Lemmertz) is delighted that her son Francisco gets along so well with her second husband Alexandre (Fabio Assuncao) and his son Thomas, but a few neighbors wonder if the boys are closer than is healthy. As the boys grow older, the bond between them grows stronger, and after the death of their parents, 21-year-old Thomas (Rafael Cardoso) and 27-year-old Francisco (Joao Gabriel Vasconcellos) are finally willing to acknowledge their physical attraction to one another. After they've become lovers, Thomas gets some exciting news -- a competitive swimmer, he's been accepted to join Brazil's Olympic team. However, as part of his training program, he's expected to spend the next three years at a camp for championship swimmers in Russia. Can Thomas stand to be taken away from the support of his friend, his brother, and his lover? Do Começo ao Fim (aka From Beginning to End) was an official selection at the 2010 San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Two Buenos Aires denizens find the architecture of the city and emerging technologies affecting their lives in a way neither ever dreamt possible in this romantic comedy that combines live action, animation, and graphic art to paint a vivid picture of life in a bustling city. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Two friends from Cuba hatch a plan to launch a zombie extermination service after their picturesque island is overrun by the living dead in this satirical horror film from director Alejandro Brugués (Personal Belongings). It's the anniversary of the Cuban Revolution, and as the hungry undead make an unwelcomed appearance, best friends Juan (Alexis Días de Villegas) and Lázardo (Jorge Molina) decide to parlay their skills for dispatching zombies into a professional career. As the government attempts to maintain public order by blaming the fracas on Americans who they claim are attempting to topple the current regime, Juan and Lazardo rally the troops, gather their weapons, and prepare to make a killing by ridding Cuba of zombies one shambling, flesh-eating corpse at a time. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi