Oscar Ladoire Movies

A hopelessly lovesick young man finds himself repeatedly cast into a platonic role vis-à-vis the girl of his dreams, in this contemporary romantic comedy from Spain. Lanky and awkward teen Chema (Gorka Otxoa) still struggles to come to terms with a recent break-up from Elisa (Barbara Santa Cruz). Evenings now consist of systematically combing the town with best pal Ruben (Julian Lopez) to try to find an adequate replacement. She arrives -- or so Chema thinks -- in the form of the gorgeous Argentine waif Claudia (Sabrina Garciarena), an aspiring hairstylist who asks Chema to let her try out her craft on him (when she suggests that they re-do his hair in the style of Enrique Bunbury -- a singer whom he detests -- he unflinchingly agrees). Unfortunately, viewing Chema as a boyfriend or a lover is the furthest thing from Claudia's mind, and she perpetually refers to him as a friend, treating him with tremendous insensitivity. Meanwhile, at Chema's house, his paternal uncle Jaime (Oscar Ladoire) repeatedly turns up, nurturing feelings for Chema's single mother, Gloria (Kiti Manver), and determines to win the woman's heart. Director and co-screenwriter Borja Cobeaga packs the film with dozens of gags from first frame to last, and renders his film unique by resisting crude and raunchy humor throughout, and instead opting for family-friendly wit. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Carlos Naranjo Estrella writes and directs this Ecuadorian omnibus film about contemporary life with a magical edge. In "Deborah," a female piano teacher arrives in a village populated largely by women only to fall victim to slanderous rumors. In "El escritor," an aspiring novelist and college lecturer obsesses about a female ghost that haunts the Guggenheim Museum. In the final story, "Guasango," a village couple finds excitement in mysterious ways. This film was screened at the 1999 Montreal Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Music and sex provide the motivation for this lively Spanish comedy that centers on 20-year old horn player, Pablo, who is nursing a broken heart after breaking up with his boyfriend. Following a failed audition for the National Youth Orchestra, Pablo encounters another musician, Salome who doesn't believe he is really gay and takes him to a psychiatrist to prove it. Pablo's domineering mother, a laundress who affects a vast musical knowledge, wants him to reunite with his former lover, but this does not stop her son from secretly wishing he could be with Salome who in the meantime, falls in love with Pablo's father, a music teacher, who has quietly used his influence to sneak his son into the orchestra after all. Mayhem ensues as Pablo simultaneously deals with his sexual ambivalence and a gentle rivalry for first chair in the horn section. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Oscar Ladoire stars as a hapless victim whose confidence is shaken after a series of luckless attempts at romance. A cross between Walter Mitty and Woody Allen, he emerges as a Ramboesque hero who helps a pretty female rocker avoid the glare of the spotlight. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

While at a Spanish resort town, a wealthy man is lifted of $3 million as part of a nefarious scheme. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

Directed by Fernando (Belle Epoque) Trueba, the Spanish/ French Opera Prima stars Oscar Ladiore as a young divorced employee at a news agency. Outside the subway one evening, Ladione chances to meet his beautiful cousin, played by Paula Molina (sister of actress Angela Molina). The two commence an affair, then drift apart. Molina, an aspiring musician, falls under the spell of her pretentious tutor. On the verge of leaving the country with her teacher, she is "rescued" at the airport by Ladiore. The title's significance can be explained by its literal translation, "First Effort" (it is the first romance for Ladione after his marital breakup), and by the fact that "Opera" and "Prima" are slang terms for "Subway" and "Cousin," respectively. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide