Maria Vazquez Movies
- 2007
Take My Eyes and Flowers from Another World director Icíar Bollaín takes the helm for this drama concerning a trio of female detective who are forced to turn their attentions inward if they hope to solve their latest cases. Ines, Eva, and Carmen are used to intruding on the privacy of others, but what happens when they have to use their well-honed sleuthing skills to tackle their own problems? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Najwa Nimri, Maria Vazquez, (more)
- 2006
In Manuel Iborra's period-dress comedy La Dama Boba (aka Lady Nitwit, 2006), two 17th century sisters actively flee the patriarchal chauvinism and insensitivity that plagues their era. Each woman opts for a different route to get away from her suitors: one becomes a bibliophile and thus evades social interaction, the other disguises her intelligence by pretending to be the titular nitwit. But soon, two prospective lovers turn their heads, and ignite a feisty, funny competition between the girls that neither woman could have foreseen. In time, the sister widely perceived as ignorant reveals herself as the far more ingenious and cunning of the two siblings. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Silvia Abascal, Jose Coronado, (more)
The Spanish-language psychodrama La Noche del Hermano (AKA The Night of the Brother, 2005) concerns two boys. Caught up in the throes of late adolescence and teetering on the cusp of adulthood, Jaime is still reeling from the malfeasance of his older sibling, Alex - a crime that promptly landed the young man behind bars. Meanwhile, on the outside, Jaime moves into the home of his grandfather and finds himself torn between two options: either taking responsibility for maintaining a vast (and productive) tract of land he has inherited, or selling the property to land developers. Naturally, when Alex learns of the inheritance, he demands a piece of it and begins to wield a deadly and disturbing level of control over Jaime's feelings and actions. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan Cornet, Maria Vazquez, (more)
- 2005
Juan Vincente Cordoba's drama By Force focuses on the lives of five young women who live in a run-down section of Madrid. Maria (Natalia Verbeke) trains at a local gym in order to protect herself after years of physical abuse from her family. Juanita (Juana Acosta) has to make difficult decisions after she becomes pregnant by one of the men who train at the same gym. Vicky (Marian Alvarez) is an ex-con. Nitzia (Zay Nuba) must contend with the social pressure of being an immigrant. These characters face a variety of social prejudices and realities. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Natalia Verbeke, Daniel Guzman, (more)
Madrid in the wake of the Spanish Civil War serves as the setting for this epic period romance, starring Leonor Watling of Talk to Her fame. Watling is cast as Elvira, a young woman still reeling from the execution of her father and the imprisonment of her politically outspoken husband, Julio (Ernesto Alterio). Desperate to make ends meet, Elvira takes a position as a maid with the mysterious Pablo (Leonardo Sbaraglia), about whom Elvira's mother-in-law (Norma Aleandro) has serious doubts. It turns out that the half-German Pablo is aiding the escape of several prominent members of the Nazi party, a fact to which Elvira is oblivious when she begins an illicit affair with him. When Julio is released from prison, tensions come to the fore for the extended family and the mysterious outsider among them. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leonor Watling, Leonardo Sbaraglia, (more)
