Javier Albala Movies

Helmed by Borja Manso, the Spanish-language omnibus feature Real: The Movie (aka Real, La Pelicula) pays homage to the Madrid-based Real soccer club, its superstar player, David Beckham, and its tie-in of international Real apparel, with a series of five fictional shorts and one documentary segment, connected only by their shared theme of the club itself. The first segment, set in Madrid, involves a rather low-key and ineffectual schoolteacher, Tomas (Javier Albala). At a loss to explain the enormous, sweeping popularity of Real, he decides to solve the mystery of the club's rabid fan base by going straight to the heart of the action. The second, set in Japan, involves the insecure Koji (Keiichirou Sasaki), made increasingly jealous by his girlfriend Sayaka's (Ari Ohta) preoccupation with Beckham. The third, set in Manhattan, involves amateur soccer player Megan's (Jessica Bohl) crippling injury, and the inspirational stories of Real team member Ronaldo that help her bounce back. In the fourth, Maxi (Guillermo Herrera) and his grandfather Paul (Manuel Escolano), research the little-publicized 1963 kidnapping of Alfredo di Stefano. In the fifth, set in Senegal, die-hard Real fan Ansou must endure a two-day walk, once per week, just to reach a television set and catch a glimpse of his favorite team. And the closing number, set to inspirational music à la John Williams, houses tightly edited-together documentary footage of a shoot-out between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Throughout the effort, Manso intercuts a substantial amount of never-before-seen footage that depicts Real off the field. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Gerardo Vera directs this romantic drama about self-destructive love and sexual confusion. Alberto (Jordi Molla) is a respected aeronautical engineer married to artist Elena (Ariadna Gil) and has a son. Yet Alberto soon finds himself seduced by the wiles of hunky orthopedic surgeon Diego (Javier Bardem). Alberto admits to being unfaithful to his wife -- after she confronts him with incriminating evidence -- but he does not reveal that he cheated on her with a man. Seeking revenge, Elena goes out and sleeps with her co-worker Rafa (Javier Albala). Later, though Elena tries to welcome her errant husband back, he continues to shuttle between her and his gay lover. This film was screened at the 2000 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Based on an idea by noted Spanish filmmaker Ricardo Franco, this gritty rural drama is directed by Daniel Cebrian. Failed singer Luz (Pilar Punzano) reluctantly returns to her hometown after being raped by record company honcho Fredy Barleta (Jose Coronado). Of course, home is not much better for the lass -- her ex-cop father is so profoundly depressed that he does not speak, and her jealous childhood boyfriend is still angry with her for leaving. Meanwhile, Luz's best friend Cascabel (Irene Visedo) longs to flee her psychotically possessive father Tadeo -- who makes her wear a bell so that he can locate her. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

As it lays rusted and burning (thanks to the bored young punks who set it ablaze) in a grungy urban town square, a once-glorious white 1959 Chevrolet recounts its life story. Thus begins the film that marked the return of noted Spanish journalist, novelist and occasional filmmaker Javier Maqua to feature-film directing after a 17-year absence. Hard case drug dealer Brujas takes up residence in the lonely car. His only real friend is Gaspar, a former movie director for whom Brujas once worked. Gaspar suffers from similar hardships and works as a rat catcher at a nearby church. Together the two revere the Chevy as a symbol of their earlier affluence. Lucia is a middle-aged streetwalker who befriends the two and shares her dream of marrying an African immigrant who lives in the neighborhood. Trouble comes in the form of Turk, the local crime lord who wants to collect on a debt owed to him by Brujas. The first parts of the film are quite slow-paced, but matters become more exciting when a group of violent Neo Nazis show up and murder a friend of Lucia's. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Set in the mid-1980s, this sitcom-like domestic comedy centers on a bright young man's endeavors to escape his crazy family life. Jorge's ordeal began when his recently-widowed mother Carmen moved herself, him and his brother Alvaro into her parent's comfortable but strange middle-class home. Their grandfather is a stern Francoist general suffering from alcoholism, memory loss and an earnest desire to launch a military coup. Their grandmother is stone deaf, domineering and has not spoken to her husband in years. Duli the maid never stops smiling. An introverted intellectual sort in his late teens, Jorge finds the situation difficult to accept. His rebellious brother Alvaro, who wants to be a Mod and turn Madrid into a riotous version of Brighton Beach during the mid- '60s, also hates it there, but as their mother is busily studying for her college degree, they have little choice. Jorge turns to stealing money from his increasingly forgetful grandfather in order to escape the crazy household. While Jorge busily makes himself rich, the grandfather somehow manages to pull off his coup. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide