Arcelia Ramirez Movies

An aging artist and a young prostitute fight for survival as their realities begin to shift. Homero is a successful artist from Querétaro. He's in his late forties when he discovers that he has inherited a rare form of blindness that will gradually steal the primary colors from his vision before robbing him of sight altogether. Accepting of his fate yet unwilling to let go of the art that has given his life so much meaning, Homero attempts to stay connected to the world by adopting a stray dog, talking with prostitutes, and memorizing texts to recite to his blind father. In the process of committing those texts to memory, Homero falls deeply in love with his reading instructor, a pretty nun named Irma. Meanwhile, 17-year-old Mei is abandoned by her mother -- a famous prostitute -- at the China Galleon, a former railway station in the Mexican desert that has been converted into a whorehouse. Mei's mother has left for the United States, and she's left her daughter to work as a servant in exchange for food and lodging for her and her elderly grandparents. In order to earn some extra cash, Mei begins raising moths and sewing their elaborate wing patterns as embroidered works. She gets along well with the prostitutes, and before long, she's fallen in love with a handsome young store clerk. Later, when Homero is almost completely blind, a sympathetic taxi driver offers to take him to the China Galleon. There, kindred spirits Homero and Mei will meet either by fate, or by chance. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Ulrich Noethen stars in this Spanish-language espionage thriller from Mexican director Eva López Sánchez. Fleeing Germany for Mexico, spy Helmut (Noethen) is tapped by the Mexican secret service to go undercover as a professor to help bring down a group of local militants. Unfortunately, Helmut becomes emotionally involved with one of the extremists, thus complicating matters. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

Familial dysfunction and widespread crime conspire to destroy the life of one young woman in this topical drama from Mexico. Yessica (Ximena Ayala) and Mariam (Nancy Gutierrez) are two girls in their early teens growing up in a poor, crime-ridden neighborhood in Mexico City. Both girls are products of broken homes; Mariam is being raised by her mother (Arcelia Ramirez) since her parents broke up, while Yessica's mom (Maria Rojo) divorced her daughter's father and has since married a single father (Eligio Melendez), giving Yessica a stepbrother, Jorge (Luis Fernando Pena), who has a job with the city bus company. Jorge and Yessica have become bitter rivals, and one day Jorge offers to help one of the bus line's drivers rape his stepsister for the right price. Yessica is emotionally scarred by the assault, but paralyzed by fear and guilt, she refuses to report the crime to anyone; the rape remains a secret until tragic circumstances bring the crime into the open. Perfume De Violetas -- Nadie Te Oye received an enthusiastic reception at the 2001 {~Guadalajara Film Festival, where Ximena Ayala's performance earned her honors as Best Actress. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

As the world spins ever faster into turmoil, two lovers find their place in one another's hearts in a romantic drama that spans the borders from Mexico to Russia. As the proliferation of oil producers leads a Mexican ecologist to speak out about his environmental concerns, a Russian immigrant and his recently-widowed daughter prepare to move back to their homeland. Just when it seems that all hope for a happy future has been lost, the power of love offers newfound hope for a brighter tomorrow. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A thespian's greatest role becomes a tragic parallel to real life in this drama. Gilberto Cortes (Alberto Estrella) is a Mexican actor who is raising a young son, Mario (Imanol), on his own. After years of struggle, Gilberto is beginning to achieve success in a play called "The Black Flag," in which he plays a father trying to spare his son's life after the young man is sentenced to death. While Gilberto's star begins to rise, Mario is emotionally scarred after he falls victim to a child molester, and the boy is never the same again. After leaving home in his teens, Mario (now played by Abraham Ramos) relocates to Texas, where he begins attending college. Difficult circumstances befall Mario, and he is convicted of a crime that carries the death penalty in Texas, and Gilberto finds he must reenact in real life the role he perfected on stage -- that of a father pleading for the life of his son. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This soapy Mexican melodrama chronicles two young women and their long-term friendship. The story is set in the city of Guanajuato after the revolution. The friends, Rebeca and Valentina have known each other since they were children. Rebeca and her mother are thrown out of their home after her father dies. It is then that Rebeca learns that she was born out of wedlock. Valentina's father Gregorio offers to help Rebeca reclaim her house. He is a gubernatorial candidate and knows much about politicking. Unfortunately, Gregorio is also a womanizer. Rebeca falls for his seduction and winds up pregnant. He eventually has to face up to his moral and political corruption. He must also confront his conflicting feelings about love and betrayal. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

When he's not in his store working with his sharp-tongued, disagreeable sister, Benjamin, who never married, hangs out with his cronies. However, whenever the lovely and virginal teenager Natividad walks by, a hush falls over his group. Benjamin's gaze, in particular, remains fixed on her departing figure. The lads have noticed this and teasingly suggest that the overweight, fiftyish bachelor should kidnap her. One day, he actually does this. However, once he has her in his rooms he is much too shy to do anything with her. On the other hand, the far-from-innocent Natividad considers him to be a much better catch than anyone else she has seen in town (including her current boyfriend), and he appears to be someone who can be easily manipulated, so she refuses to leave. Instead, she quickly makes herself the dominant figure in his household. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Romelia's granddaughters have always believed that granny (Dolores Beritain) was a widow. When they accompany her to her hometown to look over a property she has recently inherited, they are surprised to discover that for all those years she was only separated from from her husband, Dr. Roman (Pedro Armendariz, Jr.), and that it is he who has only recently died and left her the inheritance. There is a mystery here that goes back to the 1930s, and through a series of flashbacks, the story is told. This multi-generational drama of revenge and honor is based on Roman, The Widower, by Rosario Castellanos. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide