Patxi Bisquert Movies
First-time 31-year-old director Koldo Serra's thriller The Backwoods (AKA El bosque de las sombras, 2006) re-charts thematic territory covered, in years prior, by such well-worn classics as Deliverance and Southern Comfort, and such B-grade horror pictures as Savage Island (2004). With their nuptials crumbling, a married couple from London in their early thirties, Norman (Paddy Considine) and Lucy (sensual Virginie Ledoyen of The Beach) opt to take some time out with a sojourn to northern Spain's Basque region, in the Pyrenees. They arrive at a renovated farmhouse run by Paul (Gary Oldman) and Isabel (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon) and are initially able to enjoy themselves, but the trip takes a decidedly ugly turn when Paul and Norman head out on a hunting expedition and discover a malformed, feral girl (an 'enfant sauvage') in a local cabin, apparently completely neglected. They transport her from the building in a sincere and honest attempt to help her, but only succeed in drawing forth the wrath of the savage and inbred local townspeople, who quake with rage at the thought of someone absconding with one of their own. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paddy Considine, Virginie Ledoyen, (more)
- 1994
This action-filled Spanish melodrama takes dramatic license with the facts surrounding the illegal slave trade in early nineteenth century Cuba. It is 1820 and Amelia has recently been wed to Ton, a Cuban plantation owner whom she barely knows as part of a business contract. With Ton's sinister best friend as her chaperone, Amelia reluctantly leaves Spain. During the long sea voyage, Alfons leads a mutiny and the ship detours to Africa where they fill up the hold with slaves. In Havana, Amelia is appalled to find her husband has been sleeping with slaves and colonial wives. For revenge, Amelia attempts to expose Alfons' and Ton's illegal activities to the authorities and to their families. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, Fernando Guillen Cuervo, (more)
- 1989
At first it looks as though the Basque revolutionary who has returned home from exile in Mexico has come back to help further the Basque separatist cause. However, while he pals around with his old ETA buddies and generally gets caught up on his family and the current situation, it becomes clear that he is there because he and his Mexican wife are not getting along. This film is Basque all the way through: the actors, director, screenwriter, setting and language are all Basque. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pedro Armendariz, Jr.
- 1988
Aguirre (Omero Antonutti) leads 300 Spanish soldiers and 300 natives in his search for the legendary land of El Dorado in Peru during the year 1560. The expedition is attacked by hostile jungle tribes before mutiny breaks out among the soldiers. The unit is forced to kill and eat their horses to survive, but the leaders of the expedition are also targeted for assassination. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- 1985
- R
Leaving a lot of paths started but untrodden, this routine drama about a man fighting the system and losing flips back and forth between prison scenes, bank scenes, and what appears to be an incompetent Spanish court system. Cesar (Patxi Bisquert) is an up-and-coming banker, a champion of liberal causes, and a conscientious objector -- all rolled into one. After he discovers some irregularities in the bank's accounts, he tries to blow the whistle, but that only lands him in prison on the charge of forging a check. From that moment onward, things only seem to get worse. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pepa Flores, Patxi Bisquert, (more)
- 1985
The Basque country lies around the Gulf of Biscay, and one of its cities, Bilboa, is the setting for this turgid story of political intrigue. The Basque separatist movement has always been a point of contention in Spanish politics and provides the shady backdrop for this story about Lucas (Omero Antonutti), a Basque newspaper reporter who comes home after a long period in Argentina only to land in the middle of a conflict. He is badly beaten up but continues on to get a job with a newspaper unafraid of reporting on the factions that are a part of the Basque political scene. His lack of temerity, if not discretion, is certain to get him into even more trouble. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Omero Antonutti, Silvia Munt, (more)
- 1984
In a well-acted historical drama about clashes between opposite ends of the economic and cultural spectrum, a literal witch hunt in a Basque village sets orthodox religion against pagan beliefs, feudal lords against the impoverished peasantry, abusive men against defenseless women, and in some ways, Spaniards against Basques. The witches are female and from the lower classes, the persecutors are wealthy white Christians. The story revolves around Garazi (Silvia Munt) whose grandmother is burned at the stake when convicted by the Spanish inquisitor of being a witch, something that brings Garazi under suspicion and eventually into prison. She is tortured in prison and raped by her rejected suitor, the vicious son of a local landlord. While Garazi is suffering her own pain, a struggle on a much broader scale is in the offing. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Silvia Munt, Mary Carrillo, (more)
- 1984
In this slow-paced film focusing on Basque culture and politics, the life of Tasio (Patxi Bisquert), a man who works in the coal industry, is traced from his childhood (young Tasio is played by Garikoitz Mendigutxia), through his teen years (Isidro José Solano), to his adulthood. As Tasio grows up and learns about his world working on a coke pile, dealing with tragedy when deaths occur, or simply relating to his brother, best friend, or father, the issues of exploitation of the workers and the repression by the Spanish Civil Guard, and questions relating to the priesthood are brought forward. Both his home and family life as a husband and father, as well as his relationships to those around him, give a sympathetic and clear picture of Basque village culture, although the topic itself may limit interest in the film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patxi Bisquert
- 1983
King Carlos II of Spain (r. 1665-1700) once sent his brother Luis to lead a military expedition into Albania and conquer that land for the Spaniards. Since Albania was a part of the dowry of Luis' wife, it seemed like a reasonable idea at the time. While that expedition and its final battle is the subject of this historical film, the scale involved can hardly do justice to the concept. The protagonists talk incessantly, and by the time they get down to the final grand battle, it turns out to be a skirmish between several dozen men. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Xavier Elorriaga, Klara Badiola, (more)
