Luis Miguel Cintra Movies

The unlikely romance between the Devil and a Spanish television journalist proves the catalyst for a series of incredible stories from director/screenwriter Pablo Llorca. Just a few years ago, the Devil fell deeply in love with television newswoman Almudena after the pair had a chance encounter in Beruit. Later, despite the fact that the pair had an unforgettable first date together and Almudena was indeed smitten by her infernal suitor, Old Scratch got cold feet when it came time to get serious. Years have passed since that fateful encounter though, and now the Devil is keen on recapturing his mortal soul mate. But Almudena has settled down a bit these days, and a complicated romance with the Prince of Darkness just might not be in the cards anymore. Now, if the Devil wants to make up for lost time, he's going to have to turn on the charm like never before. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Adapted from author Agustina Bessa-Luis' novel The Soul of the Righ, writer/director Manoel de Oliveira's Magic Mirror travels deep into the restless psyche of a well-to-do woman who longs to experience a divine vision. Previously imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, Luciano (Ricardo Trepa) emerges into the real world in desperate need of a sense of direction. Luciano is haunted by the death of his sister Camila, though he does his best to stay distracted from family ghosts by going to work at the manor house of malcontent rich woman Alfreda (Leonor Silveira). Married to the much older Bahia (Duarte de Almeida), Alfreda has no children and spends much of her time discussing religious issues with eccentric Bible scholar Herschel (Michel Piccoli). When man-in-waiting Luciano fails to convince Alfreda that her fixation on the Virgin Mary is merely a delusion brought about by mental malaise, he subsequently hires local girl Filipe (Luis Miguel Cintra) to pose as the Madonna as part of an elaborate, but obscure, ruse. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

This delicate and haunting fable from elder statesman of Portuguese filmmaking Manoel de Oliveira has been intepreted in many quarters as the director's response to the violence and brutality of September 11th; it also functions a poignant reflection on the birth and death of civilization. The film begins aboard a cruise ship that departs from Lisbon and is heading to Bombay, India, with many stops along the way. On board are Rosa Maria (Leonor Silveira) and daughter Maria Joana (Filipa de Almedia). As the tourists travel from county to country, Rosa Maria talks to her daughter about the myths and culture of various civilizations; stops include the Sphinx, the Acropolis, Istanbul and many other locales. Tourists board in several locations - many played by celebrities including Irene Papas, Catherine Deneuve, and Stefania Sandrelli - and they engage in lengthy, cultured, super-intellectual discussions with one another aboard the boat, mostly about the birth of civilization and the violence that must accompany it. In these discussions, each individual speaks to the others in his or her native language, sans any difficulty of understanding from the others. Then, a darker truth about the nature of the ship itself emerges, and sets the film up for an unexpectedly horrifying ending. A Talking Picture was shown in competition at the 2003 Venice Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

A good woman falls for a bad man and is at once unwilling and unable to break free in this intense drama. Rosa (Isabel Ampudia) is an attractive and sensible woman who waits tables at a coffee shop; she's engaged to be married, and she and her fiancé are saving their money with an eye toward buying a market. One day, Rosa meets a handsome man named Ivan (Alberto Jimenez), and all her plans go out the window; Rosa is immediately attracted to him, and once she's gone to bed with him, she leaves her fiancé behind without looking back. Rosa and Ivan go into business together running a bar, but she soon discovers that beneath his glossy surface, Ivan is a louse -- he's unfaithful, throws their money away, sells drugs on the side, and gambles compulsively. But Rosa is as addicted to Ivan as he is to games of chance, and no matter what he does, she's willing to pay his bills and take him back, becoming more deeply obsessed the more he hurts her. In time, Ivan has run up debts so high that Rosa opens a brothel to pay off the bills; in the process, Rosa becomes a shrewd business woman and independently wealthy, but she still can't bring herself to walk away from Ivan. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Ebullient drag queens do battle with repressive police in The Heart's Root, a fantastical film set in Lisbon. The city's protector, Saint Anthony, is the patron saint of lovers and also the inspiration behind "the brides of St. Anthony," a group of transvestites that dances through the city's streets in the name of freedom and liberation. They are threatened by Cato (Luis Miguel Cintra), a self-serving mayoral candidate who pines in unrequited love for Silvia (Joana Barcia), a friend of the aforementioned transvestites and protege of the formidable madam of one of Lisbon's brothels. Meditations on pornography, religion, fascism, and sex abound. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi

Portuguese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira examines the life of 17th century priest and activist Father Antonio Vieira in this biographical drama based on Vieira's own writings. As the film opens, Vieira (Ricardo Trepa) is a missionary working in Brazil who, in addition to spreading the word about Christianity, is passionately devoted to eliminating slavery and bettering the lives of blacks and indigenous peoples. Hoping to spread the word about his work, Vieira sails to Portugal, nearly losing his life when his ship sinks at sea. In Portugal, Vieira becomes so well respected for his work that he is named the confessor of the royal family, and gains the support of King Joao IV for his crusade. Years later, Vieira (now played by Luis Miguel Cintra) has continued to speak out in favor of progressive causes, his sermons attracting the attention of Queen Christina of Sweden (Leonor Silveira), who persuades Vieira to become her confessor. However, his controversial views raise the ire of Portuguese fundamentalists, putting the priest in great danger. In the film's final act, the elderly Vieira (Lima Duarte), despite poor health and failing eyesight, continues to fight for the causes he believes in as he struggles to complete a final literary work, "The History of The Future." Palavra E Utopia received its North American premiere at the 2000 Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The 89-year-old Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira wrote and helmed this Portuguese-French-Spanish-Swiss co-production, an anthology film drama featuring three tales linked by the theme of death. In "The Immortals," adapted from a Helder Prista Monteiro play, two famous doctors, an 80-year-old father, and his 60-year-old son, contemplate senility and death. "Suzy," from an Antonio Patricio story, is set in the '30s when a young courtesan dies on the operating table. "Mother of the River" is from an Agustina Bessa-Luis fable about eternal life. Shown out of competition at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

The musings of internationally renowned Portuguese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveiera on the power of thought and desire, and on good and evil, provide the underlying themes for this interesting reworking of the story of Faust. The story centers on the unconventional American professor, Michael Padovic, and his stunningly beautiful wife, Helene, who journey to an eerie Portuguese convent to prove that Shakespeare was in reality, a Jewish Spaniard. They journey to the spooky old convent of Arrabida where they are housed by the sophisticated, but rather creepy guardian of the monastery, Baltar, who immediately seems attracted to the cool Helene. In order to spend more time with her, Baltar arranges for Michael to spend all his time in the convent's great library; he is assisted by a beautiful young librarian. It is the wicked Baltar who tries to tempt Michael (in the way that Mephistopheles tempted Faust) into becoming immortal through his research and writing. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The human condition is examined in this Portuguese French film with opens with a warning that informs the audience that the following is not a documentary but a moral tale about the anachronisms of modern society. The story, set in an aging neighborhood filled with interesting characters, focuses upon an old blind man and his daughter. Every day, the blind one sits in a doorway sells thread and begs. The daughter spends her days ironing and complaining. Their neighborhood is not a wealthy one, and many passerby are envious of the old beggars' box of accumulated coins. It has been stolen before so the man and the daughter's boyfriend keep an eye upon it. Tragedy ensues when the box does indeed disappear. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this artful film by 85-year old director Manoel de Oliveira, the heroine, instead of being powerless in the face of a world ruled by men, finds herself to be far too powerful. Beginning when she was a child, Ema (Leonor Silveira as an adult) had the kind of looks and manner that could stop cars when she came up to a street -- or cause accidents. As time goes by, she explores her power over men and, as a mature woman, chooses to marry a man who has virtually no machismo so that she can continue having affairs and exploring this mysterious ability of hers. Eventually she seeks to transcend her unusual limitation and accomplishes her death with astonishing serenity. This haunting story is based on a novel by Agustina Bessa-Luis. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

This biographical drama was made especially to gratify devotees of the life and work of the 19th-century Portuguese writer Camilo Castelo Branco. Chief among the writers' admirers is this film's director Manoel de Oliveira, who has devoted two earlier films to stories by him. Branco is considered to be one of the greats writers in recent Portuguese history and was also (like his colleagues throughout Europe) much given to scandalizing society with a string of mistresses. In this film, he is shown to be a self-absorbed individual, much given to bouts of depression. During one of these, he shot and killed himself. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Episodes from entire military history of Portugal are told through flashbacks as a professorish soldier recounts them while marching through a Portuguese African colony in 1973. He easily draws his comrades into philosophical musings, and the little contingent suffers badly at the hands of the local military opposition. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi