Kandido Uranga Movies
First-time 31-year-old director Koldo Serra's thriller The Backwoods (AKA El bosque de las sombras, 2006) re-charts thematic territory covered, in years prior, by such well-worn classics as Deliverance and Southern Comfort, and such B-grade horror pictures as Savage Island (2004). With their nuptials crumbling, a married couple from London in their early thirties, Norman (Paddy Considine) and Lucy (sensual Virginie Ledoyen of The Beach) opt to take some time out with a sojourn to northern Spain's Basque region, in the Pyrenees. They arrive at a renovated farmhouse run by Paul (Gary Oldman) and Isabel (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon) and are initially able to enjoy themselves, but the trip takes a decidedly ugly turn when Paul and Norman head out on a hunting expedition and discover a malformed, feral girl (an 'enfant sauvage') in a local cabin, apparently completely neglected. They transport her from the building in a sincere and honest attempt to help her, but only succeed in drawing forth the wrath of the savage and inbred local townspeople, who quake with rage at the thought of someone absconding with one of their own. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paddy Considine, Virginie Ledoyen, (more)
- 2005
A twenty-five year old country girl and hopeless romantic sets out for the city in search of the childhood boyfriend who never returned to her as promised, in the process finding love with a rising movie star who rejects the frivolity and fakeness of fame. Her mother having died giving birth, Venus (Alicia Perez) grew up with her beekeeper father (Kandido Uranga) in a remote valley deep in the Spanish countryside. Growing up, the only regular visitor to Venus' secluded home was the postman, whose son the young girl gradually fell in love with from a distance. One day, after announcing that he and his father were moving out of the valley for good, the young boy kissed Venus, and promised to return for her. Flash forward sixteen years later, and Venus (Muriel) still lives alone in the valley with her stoic father. She isn't very attractive, and when her father dies, Venus begins to wonder what the future may hold for her. Throwing caution to the wind, she eventually decides to travel to the city in search of her childhood love. But it isn't easy getting by in the city, and in order to make a living Venus accepts a position as a gardener in a run down mansion. Meanwhile, nearby, arrogant young actor David (Julio Perillan) is shooting his latest film, a sexy Hollywood romance titled "Dark Tale." Disillusioned by the tactics that the local movie bosses are employing in an attempt to turn him into the next big box-office draw, David is immediately drawn to Venus' unguarded sincerity, and an unlikely romance begins to develop between the pair. But is David the same boy who never returned to Venus as promised? As the ladies who live in the mansion and David's agent watch in disbelief, the homely country girl and the handsome movie star enter into a romance that quickly becomes the talk of the town. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Muriel, Julio Perillan, (more)
A thief discovers that crime runs in the family in this playfully dark comedy from Mexico. Inaki (Daniel Guzman) is a petty thief who makes his way pulling stickups with an elderly partner in crime (Francisco Rabal). The old man dies in the midst of a robbery, which attracts more police attention than Inaki is used to, and he flees to Mexico until things cool down. In Guadalajara, Inaki finds himself crossing paths with Patxi (Kandido Uranga), his father, with whom Inaki hasn't always been on good terms. Patxi and his brother, El Caiman (Rafael Velasco), live in a rooming house run by a cheerful drag queen, Aunt Carmen (Roberto Espejo). Inaki soon moves in as well, and begins dating Aunt Carmen's niece, Anita (Sara Ruiz), which pleases Carmen as he's certain Inaki is going to be a doctor some day. Patxi and El Caiman, however, have a different estimation of Inaki's talents; Caiman knows about his nephew's criminal career, and he'd like Inaki and Patxi to help with a bank robbery he wants to pull, in order to finance the upscale nightclub he's long dreamed of opening. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Guzman, Kandido Uranga, (more)
