Juan José Ballesta Movies

Having just recently been released from the orphanage where he spend the vast majority of his childhood, a young thief named Alex befriends a pretty kleptomaniac named Sara in this tender tale of love among the nimble-fingered. Ten years ago, Alex's mother taught him to be the perfect thief. Now, after growing up and striking out on his own, Alex ventures into the supermarket where burgeoning thief Sara is attempting to perfect her skills. Eventually entering into a "professional" agreement in which they partner in theft and subsequently split the take, Alex and Sara gradually find their attraction to one another eclipsing their criminal ambition. But the leap from partners in crime to lovers in life won't be an easy one, because despite the fact that Alex has little to lose and no prospects for the future, Sara comes from a respectable background with loving parents and a chance for further education. As the relationship becomes more intense, Alex soon finds himself forced to make Sara's decision for her. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Nearly a decade after making his feature directorial debut with the stylish psychological thriller Nobody Knows Anybody, Open Your Eyes's screenwriter Mateo Gil returns to frighten film lovers with this installment of the Six Films to Keep You Awake horror series concerning an ageing writer confronted by a lingering childhood obsession. Upon returning to the quaint coastal village where he was born and discovering that it has long since been turned into a tacky tourist resort, elderly writer Alejandro suddenly finds his thoughts drifting back to a painful experience from his past. As a young boy Alejandro met a mysterious woman he could never forget, no matter how hard he tried. Her beauty was hypnotic, and she was married to a local sailor. When rumors began to spread that she was seeing another man behind her husband's back, however, the community aligned themselves against her. Yet despite the fact that she was a virtual outcast in the village, Alejandro still remains under her captivating spell to this very day. One day, while walking through town, Alejandro catches a glimpse of a woman who is the spitting image of that beautiful pariah. But could it really be her? After all these years, she doesn't appear to have aged a day. A cauldron of pent up emotions boiling up within him, the elderly writer somehow summons the courage to follow the woman to her destination. But it isn't mere chance that brought Alejandro back into contact with woman he has tried for decades to forget; she's been patiently awaiting his return all along, and only by giving in to his overwhelming desire for her will he finally find out why. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The "amigos" of the title are four physically beleaguered teenagers who meet, serendipitously, in the trauma ward of a local hospital. Despite radically different backgrounds and world views among the patients, shared circumstances help forge the bonds of some very special friendships between the young men, and they quickly perceive, in each other, a temporary salvation and respite from the depressing quality of hospital life. Many uplifting and humorous escapades follow, from memorable late night excursions into the hospital, to a series of silly jokes played on the unsuspecting nurses and physicians. The experiences impart the patients with newfound hope and inspiration despite increasingly bleak prognoses for each one. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Fernando Trueba's El Embrujo de Shanghai (The Shanghai Spell) is a drama set just after the Spanish Civil War. Dani (Fernando Tielve) is a 14-year-old would-be artist who is hired to care for the elderly Captain Blay (Fernando Fernán Gómez). Blay convinces the young boy to paint Susanna (Aida Folch), a young woman from the local village. Susanna's father, Kim (Antonio Resines), is a rarely seen but beloved resistance figure, while her mother, Anita (Ariadna Gil), is considered the sexiest woman in town. One of Kim's associates shows up and begins an affair with Kim, while the two teenagers begin a tentative first romance with each other. The film is adapted from a novel by Juan Marse. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi