David Silva Movies

In 1974, not long after the death of Portuguese dictator Salazar, who had ruled Portugal from the early '30s to the late '60s, a group of disgruntled Army officers held a coup. They were even more disgruntled when they realized how the coup was being manipulated by leftist officers to instigate genuine elections and establish a constitution for the first time in Portuguese history. Though their intent was to form a radical socialist state, circumstances prevented this, and a genuine parliamentary democracy emerged. This film explores the circumstances of a right-wing businessman during those times. The man is an old-fashioned authoritarian, whose attentiveness to the needs of his mistress, wife and son is crude where it exists at all. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

The Mexican comedy Cargando Con El Muerto concerns a pair of dim-witted movers who end up unwittingly becoming involved with nefarious figures in organized crime. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

This violent and allegorical Mexican western attracted a cult following in its day. It is the story of El Topo, a gunslinger who sets out for revenge against the outlaws who slew his wife. He ends up getting his revenge and saving the life of a woman who is being terrorized by bandits. She leads El Topo (which means "the Mole" in English) on a search for the region's top four gunfighters. But before they set off, Topo leaves his young son in a monastery. He and the woman hook up with another female and begin their search. During one battle, El Topo is wounded and the women leave him to die. His comatose body is found by a strange group of cave dwelling people who take him to their subterranean home. He does not wake up for many years. When he does, he is enlisted to help the clan dig an escape tunnel. Later they come to a tiny town where the residents belong to a weird religious cult and El Topo's son has become a monk. The townsfolk are terrorized by a sadistic sheriff. When the clan members come into the town, the stage is set for a blood-soaked tragedy. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This crime drama was co-scripted by Alberto Ramirez de Aguilar who got the idea for the story from an actual case history of a murder. Ramirez de Aguilar, himself a crime reporter, places his main protagonist in that same profession. The reporter (Armando Silvestre) has custody of the bereaved mistress (Lilia del Valle) of the murder victim. Even though he seems overly rough around the edges, the reporter is portrayed as having enough ~chutzpah~ to take on the task of proving that the mistress has to be innocent of the crime. To that end, several red herrings and suspenseful situations unfold before the real evidence is tracked down. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Flor de Duranzo (Peach Blossom) was based on a novel by Hugo Wast. Though the original story was set in Argentina, it has been effectively transplanted to Mexico in this screen treatment. Fernando Soler stars as a grieving rancher who cannot get over the death of his beloved wife. Soler shuts himself off from the rest of world, demanding that his pretty daughter Esther Fernandez do the same. Eventually escaping her father's forced solitude, Fernandez heads to Mexico City, where her idealistic notions of romance are destined to be dashed. Wast's novel was decidedly downbeat in its outlook and denouement; the film version of Flor de Duranzo is a lot more optimistic. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

From Mexican writer/director Roberto Gavaldon comes this 1948 Spanish-language musical-drama about tragic love. Yolanda Montes stars as an exotic dancer who has found true love. Unfortunately the news is unwelcomed by her boss and a jealous magician. Han matado a Tongolele also stars David Silva and Lilia Prado. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

The Mexican Humo en Los Ojos was released above the border under the literally translated title Smoke in the Eyes. The film serves as an excellent showcase for singing stars Agustin Lara and Tona de Negra at the peak of their popularity in 1946. The story isn't quite up to the singing, what with a plenitude of heavy-breathing melodrama, capped by a climactic shootout. Mexican moviegoers chose to ignore the plot and concentrate on the music, which was all for the good. Director Alberto Gout has a good visual sense, but isn't quite as adept at pacing and rhythm. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This drama is a screen adaptation of the traditional Spanish pageant that describes the shepherd's journey to Bethlehem as seen through the eyes of a modern young girl. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A hard-boiled cop (Mexican wrestling star Mil Mascaras) risks his life putting a notorious criminal behind bars, only to discover that his troubles are just beginning when the crook's girlfriend sets out seeking bitter revenge. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

As can be gathered by its title, the Mexican Los Miserables is still another adaptation of Victor Hugo's mammoth novel Les Miserables. At 103 minutes, it is also one of the shortest versions of the Hugo classic, telling its complex, multicharactered story with admirable precision and economy. Dominguo Soler plays the unfortunate Jean Valjean, who after serving a long prison sentence for stealing a loaf of bread is hounded by obsessive police inspector Javert (Antonio Bravo). Once he comes to realize that the whole world isn't against him, Valjean starts life anew as a prosperous merchant, but this tranquility is shattered by the diligent Javert, who intends to throw Valjean back in jail for violating parole. The ironic finale is both imaginitively and satisfying staged by director Fernando Rivero. The film's only real shortcoming is the impossibly hammy performance of Antonio Bravo as Javert--though as Charles Laughton and Robert Newton proved in other adaptations of Les Miserables, the role is virtually impossible to play in a subtle, sophisticated manner. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This suspenseful drama from Mexican director Gilberto Gazcon stars Glenn Ford as Reuben, a doctor who has accepted a job at a construction site south of the border following the death of his wife during childbirth. Devastated by grief, the widower is also drowning his sorrows in booze. Then a man comes stumbling out of the desert, dying from rabies, and Reuben is bitten by the same rabid dog. After delivering a baby for Pancho (David Reynoso), Reuben takes off on a mad dash across the desert to find medical aid before the rabies kills him in 2-3 days. Accompanied by the grateful Pancho and the beautiful prostitute Perla (Stella Stevens), Reuben suddenly finds himself fighting to live as time runs out. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi