Issa López Movies

Mexican director Issa López's show business-themed comedy drama Casi Divas (Road to Fame) follows the adventures of four aspiring actresses clamoring for a coveted part in a hotshot producer's new movie. The producer in question launches a national talent search to find his dream actress, which pits the quartet of hopefuls in a spate of intense competition against one another -- despite the rumor that the producer's girlfriend will land the part by default. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Mexican director Fernando Sarinana's comedy Charm School (aka Niñas Mal) represented the first feature to be produced by Columbia Films Producciones Mexico. This Spanish-language teen film follows the adventures of 18-year-old Adela (Martha Higareda), a terminal misfit whose parents ship her off to Mexico's only remaining preparatory school for young ladies. They want to prevent her misbehavior from standing in the way of her father's election as governor of Mexico City. Upon enrollment, Adela experiences an endless series of comically outrageous clashes with the school's headmistress. Camila Sodi and Blanca Guerra co-star. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

A gal gets a crash course in love as her wedding day draws near in this romantic comedy from Mexico. Alicia (Ana Claudia Talancon) is a pretty but eccentric young woman, who was powerfully effected by Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland as a child, and who today makes her living as an artist, creating drawings that betray the influence of the classic fantasy tale. Alicia is engaged to marry Fabian (Fabian Corres), the publisher of a successful lifestyle magazine, but Alicia is rather naïve in the ways of love and is still a virgin. Alicia is also unaware that Fabian has been having an affair with Ana (Ana de la Reguera), an editor at the magazine who would love nothing more than to have Alicia out of the way and Fabian all to herself. Hoping to disrupt Alicia's bridal shower, Ana hires a hunky male stripper for the occasion, Rocco (Luis Roberto Guzmán), but while Alicia is embarrassed by his performance, she's also intrigued by him, and she finds herself striking up an unexpected friendship with Rocco that soon takes an unexpected turn. Ladies' Night was screened as part of the 2004 Los Angeles Latino Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi