Juan Diego Botto Movies

As directed by Greek filmmaker Iannis Smaragdis and co-adapted by Smaragdis and Jackie Pavlenko from Dmitris Siatopoulos's heavily-fictionalized biographical novel Greco: The Painter of God, the (largely) English-language biopic El Greco tells a colorful version of the titular 16th Century Spanish Renaissance painter's life story. Born Domenikos Theotokopoulos on Crete in 1541 and portrayed here by Nick Ashdon, El Greco writes out his story as he sits in prison awaiting execution by the Spanish Inquisition, and the events of his life play out in extended flashbacks. The tale itself begins on the isle of Crete in 1566, when Domenikos falls for sensual Venetian Francesca (Dimitra Matsouka), daughter of the Cretean governor. Domenikos's father, however, attempts to lead a political rebellion on the island, which forces the young painter to be shuttled off to Venice and away from the young lass. Once there, his path intersects not only with the famed artist Titian (Sotiris Moustakas) but Nino de Guevara (Juan Diego Botto), a Spanish priest with not-so-subtle homosexual designs on this new arrival. Nino's actions spiral downward into destructive malevolence, and in time, he turns up as the chief Inquisitor in one of history's bloodiest and most notorious debacles - spurned, roiled by the knowledge that El Greco has taken a female partner, and itching to dole out a fatal reprisal on the painter who never became his lover. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

A professional actor shocked at the unexpected appearance of his grown, but long estranged son finds his life suddenly thrown into chaos with the arrival of the handsome seducer in director Victor Garcia León's bitterly funny comedy drama. Santiago (Juan Diego) makes a modest living as an actor -- his latest role being that of supporting player in a conventional farce which finds him cast opposite his decidedly younger live-in girlfriend, Ana (Cristina Plazas). When Santiago's thirtysomething son, Guillermo (Juan Diego Botto), suddenly appears on his doorstep without so much as a word of warning, the aging actor is eager to give the boy the boot despite the objections of his charmed girlfriend. Though it soon becomes obvious that Guillermo is a compulsive liar who makes no bones about using his good looks to get in good with the ladies, the roles of father and son gradually begin to shift as Santiago falls into a self-destructive pattern of impotence and self-pity and Guillermo is forced to take care of his troubled dad. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The infamous man from La Mancha and his devoted sidekick embark on a new quest in this slightly off-kilter version of author Miguel de Cervantes' classic novel Don Quixote, as envisioned by director and screenwriter Manuel Gutierrez Aragon in his 2002 adaptation entitled Don Quixote, Knight Errant. Around the year 1615, Don Quixote (Juan Luis Galiardo) and Sancho Panza (Carlos Iglesias) enjoy the lives of celebrities, as the public was made well aware of their exploits thanks to the writings of De Cervantes. Now well into the twilight of his life, the eccentric nobleman gets the notion that a horde of angry Turks are about to launch a naval attack and Quixote decides it is once again time to suit up in the name of honor. As Quixote and Panza head out to meet their "foes," the anachronistic duo draws the attention and derision of their fellow countrymen. But no matter, Panza is perfectly content to let Quixote do his own thing -- even going so far as to instigate the knight's sense of daring-do, as the men head out to for what may be their final adventure together. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide

Noted Basque-born director Daniel Calparsoro spins this high-octane crime thriller set in Madrid. The film opens with a violent car wreck witnessed by stunning Lucia (Najwa Nimri) and her thuggish boyfriend Chino (Gustavo Salmeron). Just before Chino, Lucia, and their buddy Charly (Juan Diego Botto) rob a wealthy Frenchman at gunpoint, the couple makes noisy love as their pal looks on. The rich man gets shot in the process of the robbery. Thinking that they killed him, the three promptly flee. Meanwhile, Chino's elder cop brother Antonio (Alfredo Villa) tries to steer his rebellious sibling toward the straight and narrow -- until Chino finally gives in and tips off the cops about a drug deal between Charley and a crime boss. This film was screened at the 2000 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

In this farce, noted Spanish director Joaquin Oristrell sets his sights on a raving sexist and the aftermath of his misdeeds. Ex-athlete and restaurateur Arturo splits his time between training his slow-witted son Arturito in the finer points of speed walking and having an affair with his attractive young cook, Cristal, whom he promises to marry. Of course, the latter activity is hardly popular with his beleaguered wife Paz, who seeks comfort with Cristal's father. When Cristal discovers Arturo and Paz having sex in the kitchen, she plots her revenge by attempting to seduce Arturo's son, until she finds herself falling for the naïve boy. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

A teenage boy comes of age at the hands of several older women while searching for his mother. Based on a best-selling novel by Stephen Vizinczey and set during the course of the Spanish Civil War, the drama begins when callow Andre is sent home to rejoin his mother when war breaks out. En route, he is waylaid by Republican soldiers who take him to their camp. There he encounters a coquettish British countess who offers him his first taste of sexual intimacy. Later the countess and her spouse return to England and Andre is sent to the home of Julia where he has his second experience. From there, he is captured by the fascists and only meets his mother after the war ends. Fortunately, for him, he has three more encounters waiting for him after that. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Three aimless, unemployed and penniless youths hatch a devious plot in order to escape their nowhere lives in this lively Spanish thriller that begins as Rober and Max rob a supermarket owned by their cohort Ona's parents. Their next target is Daniel Peligro, the biological father of Max. Peligro, a prominent, wealthy theater director, has never seen his own son, nor does he even acknowledge his existence. The trio are committing these crimes to quickly earn the cash Rober needs to start his dream restaurant. Fearing that Max will be too emotional seeing his celebrated father for the first time, the three decide that Rober should change the color of one of his eyes (Peligro has one blue and one brown eye) and masquerade as Max. It turns out that the director welcomes his estranged off-spring into his home and even offers him the lead in his latest play. Meanwhile Rober makes hay with Peligro's beautiful girl friend. Not wanting to leave such a luxurious new life, Rober lies to the patiently waiting Max and Ona, telling them he needs more time to plan the crime. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Despite regulations that prohibit male and female inmates from communicating, the dangerous mental patient Pedro and his beloved Esperanza, a woman who is prone to setting houses on fire, somehow manage to communicate their love for one another. Difficult and tragic conditions in Venezuela's mental health facilities are clearly illuminated in this well-regarded drama. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This is an enigmatic tale of a man's attempt to regain a lost period of youthful happiness. Peter (Bruno Ganz) and his somewhat broken-down wife arrive at a friend's house for an extended visit. Peter has been attracted to the woman of the house; he also once spent an idyllic summer here. He takes up with the couples' three children and engages them in games and child's play, partly as an attempt to regain the joy of that one summer. As the relationships between Peter and the other three adults shift around, his own objective for this visit remains well-hidden from view. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Berta is a young teen experiencing all the changes that occur when childhood is left behind and life as an adult woman begins to dawn. This first film by novice director Jose Luis Guerin is excellently structured around action and events, gestures and facial expressions, that subtly reveal the differences in Berta's expanding life. In black and white with a soundtrack that enhances the simple story, the movie is minimalist, but effective.
~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Actor John Malkovich made his directorial debut with this tense political thriller, set in an unnamed Latin American nation and based on a novel by Nicholas Shakespeare. Agustin Rejas (Javier Bardem) is a former lawyer who became a police detective as a more direct way of dealing with crime and justice. Rejas has been assigned to investigate a group of terrorists who are determined to up-end the current government through any means necessary, from revolting pranks (such as leaving dead animals, painted with revolutionary rhetoric, around the capitol building) to bombings and assassinations. Rejas knows little about the terrorists, and no one on the force is certain of the identity or whereabouts of the group's leader, who calls himself President Ezequiel. As Rejas learns more about Ezequiel and his group, they begin stepping up their actions, making his investigation all the more urgent. Meanwhile, Rejas is a man whose daughter is taking dance lessons from Yolanda (Laura Morante); as Rejas and Yolanda get to know one another, a romance begins to grow between them, but in time, Rejas begins to suspect that the woman he loves is working with the terrorists he's been trying to ferret out. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide