Christian Valdelievre Movies

Ashley (Abbie Cornish) is a twentysomething mother still reeling from losing her son to social services when a surprise visit from her truck-driver father presents an opportunity to make some quick cash as a coyote. Having recently lost her job at a big-box store in Austin, she quietly begins smuggling Mexicans over the border in the hope of staying afloat financially. Then, one night, she encounters a young girl whose mother vanished while crossing a river. Determined not to get involved, Ashley tries in vain to keep a distance from the girl, but eventually she finds her conscience stirred by the innocent child's plight. Over the next few days, she joins the frightened girl in an attempt to locate her missing mother. In time, Ashley discovers her untapped maternal instincts and gradually learns to take control of her own fate. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

At a time when the growing chasm between the rich and the poor appears to be slowly tearing Mexico - and many other Latin countries - apart, first time filmmaker Rodrigo Plá highlights just how isolationism breeds fear in many wealthy communities. Alejandro (Daniel Tovar) lives with his father Daniel (Daniel Giménez Cacho) and his mother Mariana Maribel Verdú) in an isolated community known as La Zona. La Zona is home to the most privileged citizens in Mexico, but with all of the gates and closed circuit cameras it feels more like a million dollar prison than a typical neighborhood. Eventually, a group of disadvantaged teenagers manage to break into La Zona. As the members of the community scramble to protect their families at any cost, one of the teenaged burglars, a frightened boy named Miguel (Alan Chávez), seeks cover in the basement of Alejandro's home as his friends scatter. Later, when Alejandro discovers the young fugitive, the privileged boy's growing empathy for the petty thief and murder suspect leads him to question the values imposed on him by his father as well as the many other isolationists who have taught him to fear his fellow countrymen. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A typical lazy Sunday gives way to an introspective look at what it means to grow up for two 14-year-old boys left alone for the afternoon in director Fernando Eimbcke's gentle coming-of-age comedy. With the parents away and the Xbox all to themselves, best friends Flama (Daniel Miranda) and Moko (Diego Cataño) plant themselves in front of the television and prepare for a fun afternoon of junk food, soda pop, and video games. As the battle to the death rages on the television, Flama's 16-year-old neighbor Rita (Danny Perea) knocks on the door to ask if she can use Flama's oven to bake a cake. When disaster strikes in the form of a deathmatch-killing power outage, Flama and Moko hang up the video-game controllers and call the local pizza parlor in hopes that the delivery man won't make the 30-minute guarantee and they will get a free pie. With a stopwatch in hand and the clock ticking, hapless delivery driver Ulises (Enrique Arreola) arrives precisely 11 seconds late. As the power flickers back on and the stubborn boys insist that their pizza should be free, Ulises contests their claim before agreeing to battle Moko in a video soccer match that will determine once and for all if the boys will pay for their pizza. Their game foiled by yet another unexpected blackout, the bored teens begin contemplating the strange behavior of adults, and the role that a painting of ducks plays in the bitter divorce of Moko's parents. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The romantic foibles of two young couples in Mexico -- whose professional success has not led to personal satisfaction -- forms the basis of this comedy with serious undertones. Carlos (Victor Hugo Martin) is a student of new age spirituality, while his wife Ana (Susana Zabaleta) is a good bit more interested in the pleasures of the flesh, leading to no small amount of conflict. Tensions increase when Tomas (Demián Bichir), an old friend of the couple and Ana's former lover, comes to pay an extended visit. Elsewhere in the neighborhood, Andrea (Cecilia Suarez) is angry with her husband Miguel (Jorge Salinas), who doesn't appear to put much stock in monogamy, and she's even more annoyed when he announces that his former girlfriend Maria (Monica Dionne), who has just left her husband, will be their house guest for a while. After a great deal of arguing and soul searching, a temporary agreement is reached between the two couples and their friends -- the men will stay in one apartment while the women will stay in another until cooler heads prevail. Sexo, Pudor Y Lagrimas/Sex, Shame and Tears was written and directed by Antonio Serrano, who adapted his own successful stage play. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi