Antonio Saura Movies

One of Spain's leading chefs sets out to defend his nation's honor on the field of culinary battle in this documentary from filmmaker Jose Luis Lopez-Linares. Jesus Almagro is a master chef who was named proclaimed Spain's finest cook in a nationwide poll in 2006, and in 2007 he's chosen to represent the country in the Bocuse d'Or, an international competition held in France which pits chefs from around the world against one another. While Spain has never fared well in the contest, many believe Almagro is the country's best hope of finally bringing home the prize. In the Bocuse d'Or competition, chefs are given five and a half hours to create two original dishes using certain specified ingredients; the dishes should incorporate their homeland's traditional flavors within the framework of classic French cuisine. As Almagro and his competitors are given chicken for one dish and king crab and halibut for the other, he strives to dream up something original, creative and delicious, and during his off-hours from the test kitchen, he offers his own thoughts on the virtues on each of the featured foodstuffs (and encounters them while they're still "on the hoof"). El Pollo, El Pez y El Cangrejo Real (aka The Chicken, The Fish and The King Crab) was an official selection at the 2008 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

When a mysterious killer turns a small town's annual Easter celebration into a blood-soaked nightmare, it's up to Detective Maria Delgado (Mira Sorvino) to see that the homicidal maniac is apprehended and justice is served. As the winding and narrow ancient streets quickly fill with penitents, Detective Delgado's ominous task becomes as dangerous as it is seemingly impossible. With the body count quickly mounting and the frenzied killer's murderous antics holding the town in a horrific grip of terror, the pressure placed on Detective Delgado by the frightened townspeople plunges her headlong into a nightmarish confrontation with an unrelenting madman. This film also stars French actor Olivier Martinez. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Legendary Spanish director Carlos Saura adds to his long and varied career with the performance piece Salome, a filmed record of Dos y Danza company's flamenco ballet. Taking its narrative from the oft-told biblical tale, the performance opens with a documentary-style chronicle of the company's attempts to bring the tale to stage, leading up to a lushly filmed presentation of the complete piece. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

The seamy underside of drug dealing in Spain is explored in this Spanish drama. Thirteen-year-old Milio (Alberto Escobar) and his older brother Luis (Fele Martinez) run drugs in Madrid for wholesaler Don Vicente (Francisco Rabal). While their mother (Geraldine Chaplin) disapproves of their business, Luis tries to watch out for his little brother and shield him from the most dangerous side of the dope traffic. When one of their partners is killed, Luis becomes wary of the drug trade, and his girlfriend Sira (Silke) urges him to get out of the business while he still can. But Milio doesn't want to quit, and Luis isn't sure which way he should turn, especially after Don Vincente urges him to stay. Sira then tries to force Luis' hand by going out with another of Don Vicente's soldiers. The debut feature from Saura Medrano (son of the great Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura), Just Run! had its world premier at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A teenage boy comes of age at the hands of several older women while searching for his mother. Based on a best-selling novel by Stephen Vizinczey and set during the course of the Spanish Civil War, the drama begins when callow Andre is sent home to rejoin his mother when war breaks out. En route, he is waylaid by Republican soldiers who take him to their camp. There he encounters a coquettish British countess who offers him his first taste of sexual intimacy. Later the countess and her spouse return to England and Andre is sent to the home of Julia where he has his second experience. From there, he is captured by the fascists and only meets his mother after the war ends. Fortunately, for him, he has three more encounters waiting for him after that. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Circumstances force an unexpected maturity onto 15-year-old Tristan (Fernando Ramallo), an only child who had already been trying quite hard to "grow up" by losing his virginity. He accomplishes this easily enough by arranging for a prostitute to visit his home while his parents are off on a trip. But the life lesson he learns is different from what he'd intended when he learns of his parents' death in an airplane crash. When he moves into his grandparent's home, changes schools and falls in love for the first time, he is no longer able to keep intact his earlier snobberies and childish self-importance. This Spanish-language film is set in the later period of Francisco Franco's rule ('60s and '70s) and features excellent performances by its young cast. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Lisa is Swiss mountain climber whose life is destroyed when her philandering ex-boyfriend Rob drops a boulder of bad news upon her. The two broke up shortly after Lisa returned from a failed attempt to climb the Matterhorn and found Rob in bed with a stranger. To work off her anger and grief she rappels down the side of a tall hotel building. Just before the police catch her, she drops into the room of Sam, a serious young pianist preparing for an up-coming competition. An introverted mama's boy, Sam seems an unlikely candidate for being her next lover, but after Lisa gives Sam a few mountain climbing lessons, that is exactly what he becomes. Unfortunately, Rob has been trying to find her, not to win her back, but to inform Lisa that he has been diagnosed as HIV-positive. Lisa, too tests positive and now she must use her mountain-climbing skills to scale the high walls of the remote mountain monastery where Sam has gone to prepare for the semi-finals of his piano competition. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi