Victoria Abril Movies
One of Europe's most popular and respected actresses, Victoria Abril has made her mark in more than 60 films produced in France, Italy, and her native Spain. First introduced to American audiences through the work of Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, who directed her in the controversial Atame! (Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, 1990), the sensual, brown-eyed actress has gained a Stateside cult following, but remains thoroughly European in her choice of films and the roles she plays.Abril first earned wide recognition in Spain as a 14-year-old model on the popular television shows Uno, dos, tres, responda otra vez and 625 lineas. Born Victoria Merida Rojas in Malaga on July 4, 1959, she began studying as a ballet dancer at the age of seven, but following her celebrated turn on TV, segued into acting in the mid-'70s. Abril made her major screen debut in Vincente Aranda's Cambio de Sexo, a 1976 drama that cast her as an effeminate young man who undergoes a sex change. That same year, the actress made her first English-language film, Robin and Marian, in which she played the relatively minor role of a Spanish queen. She went on to do prolific work for the rest of the 1970s and throughout the 1980s, and in 1990 had her first collaboration with Almodóvar, for whom she starred as a drug-addicted porn actress taken hostage by an obsessive fan (Antonio Banderas) in Atame!. The film was a success in Spain -- where Abril earned a Goya Best Actress nomination for her performance -- and proved to be a controversial sensation in the States, where its plot outraged certain feminist groups. Abril collaborated with Almodóvar on two more films, Tacones Lejanos (1991) -- in which she played the estranged daughter of an actress (Marisa Paredes), and Kika (1993) -- in which she had a supporting role as an over-the-top tabloid TV program hostess.
Abril scored particular critical acclaim as a darkly amorous landlady in Vincente Aranda's Amantes (1991), winning a Best Actress Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival for her performance. Further acclaim came her way with Nadie Hablara de Nosotras Cuando Hayamos Muerto (1995), for which her portrayal of an alcoholic prostitute earned her a Goya and a Best Actress award at the San Sebastian Film Festival. A starring role in the French romantic comedy Gazon Maudit (1995), which cast her as a housewife torn between her unfaithful husband and a butch female truck driver, further increased Abril's popularity. She continued to star in films that emphasized her playful, flamboyant sexuality, maintaining her reputation as one of Europe's most colorful and vibrant performers. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
A slacker finds himself dealing with girl trouble he never knew existed in this offbeat comedy set in Iceland. Hlynur (Hilmir Snær Gudnason) is a 28-year-old layabout who lives with his mother, Berglind (Hanna María Karlsdóttir), in a run-down section of Reykjavík. Though he doesn't have a job, Hlynur makes enough off the dole to spend his evenings drinking beer, and has a girlfriend, Hofi (Thrúdur Vilhjálmdóttir), who regards his lack of ambition with a mildly annoyed tolerance. Berglind decides to take in a boarder, Lola Milagros (Victoria Abril), a lovely young woman from Spain who gives dance lessons. Hlynur is instantly captivated with Lola and begins making a play for her, even though she's an open and unapologetic lesbian. In the midst of a drunken New Year's Eve party, Hlynur wears down Lola's resistance, and the two ring in the new year having sex. Lola soon discovers she's pregnant, but Hlynur is startled to learn that Lola and Berglind are now lovers and they intend to raise the child together -- meaning he's not only competing with his mother for the same woman, but that his child will be brought up as his sibling. As if this weren't enough, Hlynur soon learns that Hofi is also carrying his child. 101 Reykjavík was the debut feature from writer/director Baltasar Kormákur, and received an enthusiastic reception at the 2000 Locarno Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victoria Abril, Hilmir Snær Gudnason, (more)
- 1989
This tepid actioner is taken from the popular comic strip by Francesco Altan. Ada (Marie Louisa) is the heir who promises her dying father she will look for the son he left behind in Africa 20 years before. Her scheming cousin Nancy (Charley Boorman) tries to get Ada disinherited. Ada runs into several colorful characters -- a homosexual couple who grow tomatoes and sell ivory, a Spanish Civil War veteran, and some nasty Nazis. She also contends with her pretentious Spanish maid Carmen (Victoria Abril) and the handsome native Bumbo (Isaach de Bankole). ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marie Louisa, Richard Bohringer, (more)
- 1985
In this otherwise routine film, John Hurt is outstanding as the deceptively unbalanced Peter, brother of Laurence (Julian Sands), an inmate for the last many years in a mental institution in Geneva, Switzerland. An unusual accident cost the life of Laurence's twin brother, when they were just little boys, and sent Laurence to the Geneva clinic. For reasons of his own, Peter, a respected anthropology professor, gets Laurence released from the institution's care and then sets them both up in a low-end apartment in the city. When Pascale (Victoria Abril), a young college student, starts to fall for Laurence, Peter's own mental state is called into question. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Hurt, Julian Sands, (more)
- 1982
When the lights go off at a meeting of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, no one suspects anything more than the usual power outage -- until the Secretary General, Santiago Carrillo, ends up murdered in that short span of time. The Party calls in a private investigator, and the government asks a rabid anti-communist to find out who committed this crime. From that point onward, the KGB and the CIA are somehow involved, and the climate degenerates into one of torture and sex, though not both at the same time. As the private investigator bumbles his way from one predicament to the other, the solution to the crime seems in no danger of immediate discovery. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Patxi Andion, Victoria Abril, (more)
- 1988
Antonio (Antonio Banderas) is a gigolo who is taken in by a wealthy middle-aged woman in this sultry crime drama. He moves into the posh apartment of Isabel Harris (Carmen Maura) and satisfies her sexual urges. When Isabel has reoccurring nightmares she is being raped, the couple visits a pretty female psychiatrist. After Antonio seduces the shrink, he and the psychiatrist plot to kill Isabel's husband, steal their money, and pin the blame on her. The three double-cross each other after the man's murder is investigated by the police. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas, (more)
- 1998
Often referred to as a cousin to Pedro Almodovar or Bigas Luna, Manuel Gomez Pereira has been covering up his sharp social satire behind nice exteriors in his previous five films. No more nice guy, says Pereira, in an erotic tale of sex-o-mania. And with who else but ravishing Victoria Abril in the role of radio show assistant Miranda who just can't get enough! Miranda meets budding screenwriter Javier (Javier Bardem) during a group therapy session for sex addicts. Javier cannot live without regular telephone sex, while Miranda goes out every night in search of quick sexual encounters. They make love in the back of an abandoned car which has a corpse hidden inside its trunk. Miranda's jealous husband is the cop investigating the case.and it soon looks like Javier has been framed. There is quite a bit of Hitchcock here, which is acknowledged by Pereira. But on the whole, the film does not have a strong structure to carry the weight; the sex addiction theme of the first part goes out of focus when several subplots (unidentified corpse, etc.) distract the audience, resulting in a soft porno picture with little plausibility. The redeeming factor is the convincing acting by the sensual Victoria Abril. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victoria Abril, Javier Bardem, (more)
- 1976
- R
Themes long forbidden in Spain under the Franco dictatorship began to be explored in the years just following his demise. In this 1976 film, an unhappy and very effeminate man (played by a woman, Victoria Abril), experiences one difficulty after another. As a boy in Cataluña, his father attempts to teach him to "be a man." These lessons include taking him to a big-city whorehouse to have sex. At the bordello, he successfully avoids having sex with a woman, but when he sees a transvestite revue which culminates in the actors revealing their actual genitalia, he is fascinated. He runs away from home, learns to be a hairdresser, and develops a transvestite act of his own. After numerous love affairs with men, he eventually realizes his transsexual nature and goes to another country to have a sex-change operation. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- 1994
- R
More than a dozen years ago, Patrick (Gerard Jugnot) and Alicia (Victoria Abril) began their relationship by chance at the Peace Inn Hotel on a Mediterranean island. However, despite the fact that they have returned to the place where they first fell in love, it will take more than that for their relationship to survive. For one thing, Alicia is not about to forgive him for the one episode of his infidelity that she knows about. For another, they are no longer wide-eyed young people. Others at the hotel have their own romantic preoccupations, such as the hotel's charming gay male owner, who is being beseiged by a clueless young woman who has developed a crush on him. Surely the people at the hotel long for this vacation to end, along most of the problems that have come with it, but they are taken hostage in a local civil war and have even more difficulties. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victoria Abril, Valérie Lemercier, (more)
- 2004
This way-offbeat comedy from Gallic director Jeanne Labrune concerns two young French women, best friends Léa and Jacinthe. While Jacinthe develops a fixation with the moths that begin to cluster in frightening quantities throughout her apartment, Léa finds herself drawn to a dim-witted fellow employed by a local supermarket, then impulsively decides to follow him home via train. When Léa mysteriously disappears during the days that follow, Jacinthe naturally grows concerned about her friend and decides to investigate. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victoria Abril, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, (more)
This violent spaghettiesque western was filmed in 3-D and chronicles the adventures of a brave gunslinger who is determined to save his fiancee from her abductors, a brutal group of white slavers. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tony Anthony, Gene Quintano, (more)
Two of Spain's biggest female stars headline this offbeat comedy about the battle of wills between good and evil. Heaven is not getting its fair share of business for the afterlife, so Lola (Victoria Abril), an angel who sings in a nightclub located beyond the pearly gates, is sent to Earth to drum up business by her boss, Marina (Fanny Ardant). Her first prospect is Manny (Demián Bichir), a prizefighter with an injury that could take his life at any time. As Lola tries to claim Manny's soul for the Lord, the wicked Jack Davenport (Gael García Bernal) believes that the Devil deserves the boxer's soul, and he sends one of Hell's waitresses, Carmen (Penélope Cruz), to seal the deal. On Earth, Lola takes the form of Manny's former love and urges him to mend fences with his mother, while seductive Carmen tries to persuade Manny to return to the ring, knowing that another fight would mean his death. While Lola and Carmen wage war over Manny's soul, they maintain their cover by working at a grocery store, where they both learn a few lessons about the pitfalls of earthly capitalism. Meanwhile, Manny is dealing with financial problems of his own -- he owes money to the city's corrupt police commissioner (Emilio Gutiérrez Caba), who is using his strong-arm men to "persuade" Manny to pay up. Released in Europe as Sin Noticias de Dios (which translates as No News From God), Don't Tempt Me was a box-office success in Spain when it was released in late 2001, though it wouldn't reach American theaters until 2003. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victoria Abril, Penélope Cruz, (more)
- 1977
Jose Luis Lopez Vasquez stars in Dona Perfecta as a young citizen of Madrid who responds to his aunt's summons to her village with curiosity and some skepticism. She has arranged for him to marry her daughter, his first cousin. Romantically, everything works out wonderfully, as the two fall in love and are completely willing to wed. However, a closer examination of the young city-dweller by his prospective in-laws has a quite different result on the family. The story of this film is based on a 19th-century novel by Benito Perez Galdo. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- José Luis Lopez Vasquez, Julia Gutiérrez Caba, (more)
Policemen everywhere are sometimes lampooned for their self-importance and pomposity, and it is not unusual for a particularly impudent thief to become a national hero. However, Spain's Guardia Civil in the 1960s were an unusually self-righteous lot, and the otherwise not particularly edifying real-life exploits of the young thief Eleuterio Sanchez, nicknamed "El Lute," thrilled the nation. This crime adventure drama retells his story. After being arrested for a robbery gone bad, the young thief refuses to finger his partners in crime even under torture. Despite this, they are rounded up and executed for the murder they committed while robbing a jewelry store. El Lute received a commutation from General Franco, and was on his way to prison when he escaped, eluding a nationwide manhunt for several weeks despite having a broken arm. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Imanol Arias, Victoria Abril, (more)
- 1976
On long summer weekends, Juan (Alfredo Landa) is in the habit of hopping on his motorcycle in Madrid and driving for many hours to Torremolinos, a popular hangout for foreign tourists. There, he indulges in his fondness for romancing foreign girls. In this movie, which won a Gold Prize at the 1977 Moscow Film Festival, the people he meets on his journey form a microcosm of modern Spain. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alfredo Landa, Paco Algora, (more)
- 197z
A troubled wife reminisces about the events from her marriage that may have led to her daughter's suicidal depression in this Spanish drama. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
In this French comedy, a man discovers that he has something unexpected in common with his wife -- they're both involved with another woman. Loli (Victoria Abril) is a woman of Spanish blood married to a French businessman, Laurent (Alain Chabat). Loli is not especially happy as a housewife, though she'd likely be even less happy if she knew that her husband is chronically unfaithful and has had a string of mistresses. Laurent, on the other hand, is convinced that his wife isn't the type who would never have an affair, and what she doesn't know won't hurt her. One day, a truck breaks down in front of Loli's home, and Marijo (Josiane Balasko) asks to use their phone. Marijo is a gruff-looking lesbian who works as a plumber; as it happens, Loli has a stopped-up sink, so in exchange for using the phone, Marijo gets Loli's drain back in working order. Soon Loli and Marijo are getting to know each other a bit better, and Loli discovers that she's powerfully attracted to her new visitor. Marijo becomes Loli's bedmate and a permanent guest at the house, which is more than a bit perplexing to Laurent, but after he accidentally reveals his infidelities to Loli, he's not in much of a position to pass judgement. Josiane Balasko, who plays Marijo, is also the film's director and co-screenwriter. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victoria Abril, Josiane Balasko, (more)
- 1991
- R
Written and directed by Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almódovar, Tacones Lejanos is a murder mystery centering on flamboyant actress Becky del Paramo (Marisa Paredes) and her daughter Rebecca (Victoria Abril), a television anchorwoman. After being estranged for 15 years, Becky re-enters Rebecca's life when she comes to perform a concert. Rebecca, she finds, is now married to one of Becky's ex-lovers, Manuel (Feodor Atkine). As the mother and daughter begin making up for lost time, Manuel is suddenly murdered at his home. Unfortunately, which of the ladies is responsible for the homicide remains unclear, even after one of them confesses. Released in the U.S. under the title High Heels, Tacones Lejanos was nominated for several Goya Awards as well as the Best Foreign Language Film at the 1992 Golden Globes. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victoria Abril, Marisa Paredes, (more)
This complex and confusing Spanish feature intercuts stories from 1936, 1940, 1970 and 1988, and has Victoria Abril play three different parts in them. The lives of many people are shown to be tangled together in nearly incomprehensible ways, and many of the characters are prone to engage in unsavory sexual acts involving fetishism and sadomasochism. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victoria Abril, Jorge Sanz, (more)
In this drama, a dying man makes a final, desperate bid to steal his ex-wife away from her new spouse. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victoria Abril, Imanol Arias, (more)
- 1982
A young woman is abandoned by her lover after she tells him she is pregnant. Deeply depressed and longing for home, she boards a train out of town. Unfortunately a terrible train wreck ensues. She survives and ends up taking on the identity of one of the dead passengers. Now comfortable and secure that her child will have some claim to legitimacy, the woman is happy. Unfortunately, her dead-beat lover shows up and promises to make trouble if she doesn't pay up. The melodramatic plot is based on a story by Cornell Woolrich and was made twice before as No Man of Her Own (1932 and 1949 respectively). In 1996 it was remade again as the romantic comedy Mrs. Winterbourne starring Riki Lake and Shirley MacLaine. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nathalie Baye, Francis Huster, (more)
Clad in a blonde wig, Joe Pesci stars as the title character, a luckless actor. Unable to make it in the real showbiz world, Jimmy starts fantasizing about fame and fortune. His delusions eventually turn into reality when, through a fluke, Jimmy becomes known to one and all as "Jericho," a Robin Hood-like vigilante. Victoria Abril appears in a supporting role and the film's climax features a number of cameo performances. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joe Pesci, Christian Slater, (more)
- 1988
Sara (Victoria Abril) and her co-star Bruno (Antonio Valero) are popular soap opera stars who try to take a quiet vacation in this screwball comedy. They escape to a remote mountain village but are recognized by the locals who faithfully watch the daily program. Plenty of sight gags and sexual situations occur along with the continual and unwanted appearances of the show's producer Tomas (Antonio Resines). ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victoria Abril, Antonio Resines, (more)
- 1993
Spanish director Pedro Almodovar returns to his recurring framework of offbeat sexuality and death with this colorful comedy. Kika (Veronica Forque) is a Madrid makeup artist who falls in love with Ramon (Alex Casanovas), a dead man whose face Kika is hired to prepare for a funeral. Kika's attraction resurrects Ramon, and the two begin cohabiting. Kika becomes embroiled in a pair of criminal schemes, one involving her maid Juana (Rossy De Palma) and Juana's amorous, retarded brother Pablo (Santiago Lajusticia), the other involving Ramon's father, Nicholas (Peter Coyote). After Kika is raped by Pablo, she learns the incident was videotaped by Ramon, the footage ending up on a tabloid television program hosted by Andrea Scarface (Victoria Abril). Kika and Ramon split, but the latter discovers his father's complicity in the demise of his mother, leading to a violent confrontation. Because of Almodovar's humorous treatment of the film's rape, Kika was his third feature in a row that resulted in critical accusations of misogyny and exploitation. His subsequent material became more dramatic and less tinged with black humor. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Verónica Forqué, Peter Coyote, (more)
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