Juan Alexander Movies
A man tries to leave his wild life behind him for the sake of a young boy in this comedy drama. Pedro (José Luis García Pérez) is a dentist who lives and works in Madrid. Pedro is also a "bear" -- slang for a gay man who is stocky and has lots of body hair. Pedro likes the company of other bears, and enjoys a freewheeling sex life until his sister Violetta (Elvira Lindo) arrives at his door with a special request. Violetta is traveling to India for two weeks, and wants Pedro to look after her son, nine-year-old Bernardo (David Castillo), while she's away. Pedro initially bristles at the idea of playing babysitter, but he soon warms to the situation, and develops a paternal bond his nephew. Pedro also gets some help from Manuel (Arno Chevrier), a former boyfriend who is looking to settle into a stable relationship. When Pedro gets word that Violetta has been arrested in India for drug smuggling and is likely to spend some time behind bars, he realizes that he's going to be stuck with Bernardo for a while -- and to his surprise, he doesn't mind the idea at all. But Doña Teresa (Empar Ferrer), the boy's paternal grandmother, openly disapproves of Pedro's lifestyle, and doesn't want Bernardo staying with his uncle. While Pedro is strictly mindful of his behavior around the house, he occasionally slips out for anonymous sex with fellow bears, and when a detective hired by Doña Teresa catches him in the act, it's an open question if he'll be allowed to have continued custody of his nephew. Cachorro (which translates as Bear Cub) received its American premiere at the 2004 Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- José Luis García Pérez, David Castillo, (more)
Spanish writer Ramón De España penned and directed this adaptation of his novel, a dark crime comedy about a young woman named Maribel who tires of waiting for her husband to die so she can collect the inheritance. After falling in love with a younger man, Maribel enlists the help of her new lover to hasten her husband's inevitable demise. Kill Me Tender was originally released as Haz Conmigo lo Que Quieras. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ingrid Rubio, Alberto San Juan, (more)
Directed by veteran Spanish helmer Vicente Aranda, Carmen revolves around a complex cast of characters, including Merimee (Jay Benedict), a writer and archeologist whose research in southern Spain circa 1830 brings him into contact with Jose (Leonardo Sbaraglia), a bandit. When Merimee meets the beautiful Carmen (Paz Vega) in a cathedral, Jose bursts in and orders Merimee to leave unless he wanted to be killed. Eventually, Jose reveals how he had met Carmen -- breaking up a fight between her and a co-worker who believed her to be a witch, and subsequently letting her off the hook rather than taking her to prison. When they next met, Carmen was working as a prostitute, which made Jose jealous enough to murder one of her clients. Afterwards, he dedicated his entire life to being with her, not caring who he killed along the way. The film also features Antonio Dechent, Joan Crosas, and Joe Mackay. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paz Vega, Leonardo Sbaraglia, (more)
The feature debut of writer/director Javier Balaguer, Sólo Mía opens on a scene of a relationship gone terribly awry. Some type of violence is occurring off-camera. Soon we see that Angela (Paz Vega of Sex and Lucia) has Joaquín (Sergi López of Dirty Pretty Things) bound and gagged. "Have you ever tried, just once, to see my side?" she asks him. The film jumps back in time, showing us the history of their tumultuous relationship. On the first day of her job as a receptionist at an ad agency, Angela meets Joaquín, who turns out to be her boss. He charms her, and after a whirlwind courtship, they get married. Angela quickly gets pregnant, and Joaquín insists that she quit smoking and quit her job. He wants to control her; she will not be controlled. Their arguments grow more heated. One day, when he finds a pack of cigarettes she's hidden away, he smacks her. He quickly apologizes, and she eventually forgives him, but things just get worse. He gets a promotion at work, where he works with Alejandro (Alberto Jiménez of El Bola). Joaquín gets more and more stressed out about what's going on at the office. One night, after their anniversary party, while their baby girl is at Angela's mother's (María José Alfonso), Joaquín drunkenly assaults Angela. Andrea (Elvira Mínguez), Alejandro's wife, eventually persuades Angela to leave Joaquín, but Joaquín is not ready to give up on their relationship, or give up his daughter. With the legal system unresponsive to her concerns, Angela is forced to take bold action to protect herself. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sergi López, Paz Vega, (more)
Daphna Kastner directed this romantic comedy-drama, set in Spain. Interviewing Madrid men, journalist Zoe (Kastner) intends to expand her magazine article into a book. Her own experiences with men, however, haven't exactly made her an expert, but possibilities arise when she meets straight-talking Antonio (Toni Canto) and former professor Carl Livingston (Martin Donovan), owner of a Madrid bookstore. Shown at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daphna Kastner, Toni Canto, (more)
- 1997
Featuring plenty of two-fisted action with romantic and political overtones, this intelligent thriller from Spanish director Daniel Calparsoro is set in the Basque region of northernmost Spain and centers on the clash between two Basque terrorists whose relationship becomes strained when the female starts refusing to kill their enemies. Unfortunately, for someone like her, leaving terrorism can be as dangerous as remaining in the fray. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Najwa Nimri, Alfredo Villa, (more)
- 1996
Fast-paced, funny and bursting with erotic joie-de-vivre, this outing from the always irreverent Catalan filmmaker Bigas Luna follows the lusty adventures of the bouncy Bambola and her peroxide-blond, gay brother Flavio. Their fun begins shortly after the death of their Mamma Greta, the owner of a ramshackle trattoria located beside the Po River on Italy's northern plains. Following the funeral, the two siblings decide to fix up the cafe, but first they need money. Their quest leads them to fatso financier Ugo. Barely able to control his lust for the buxom Bambola, he helps them, but when she starts batting eyes at the handsome swimmer Setimio (whom Flavio also desires), a tragedy ensues that results in Ugo's death and Setimio's incarceration. Brother and sister visit him in prison and one day, she attracts the attention of the beastly inmate Furio. Jealous of her relationship with Setimio, Furio orders him gang raped. The event is life changing for Setimio who suddenly looks at Flavio with new, wanting eyes. At the same time, Bambola goes to Furio's cell to engage in a fast, furious coupling that leaves her crazy for more. Upon his release, Furio heads for the trattoria to continue the affair. But trouble comes when Furio refuses to move the relationship beyond their beastly wrangling. He goes too far one night when he comes to bed with a live eel for Bambola to play with. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
