Montxo Armendáriz Movies
One of Spain's hottest directors of the 1990s, Montxo Armendáriz directed the internationally acclaimed Secretos del Corazon, a subtle social drama of a young boy's quest for the truth about his mysterious family while visiting relatives in a deceptively peaceful small town. Before becoming a filmmaker, Armendáriz studied electronics in Pamplona. He started out making three short Basque films, and in 1984, made his feature film debut with Tasio (1984). Ranked among New Spanish cinema's more liberal filmmakers, Armendáriz's films frequently deal with the darker side of urban life, as in 27 Horas (aka 27 Hours, 1996). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In the wake of the Spanish Civil War, a number of the Republican guerillas who fought against Franco's fascist army went into hiding and continued their battle as resistance fighters hiding out in the mountain ranges of Spain; this drama offers a glimpse of life in a rural Spanish community under Franco's rule as the "Maquis" plot their next move in their battle against Franco. It's 1944, and Lucia (Lucia Jimenez) arrives in a small town to take a job at a tavern run by her aunt Teresa (Mercedes Sampietro). Politically, the community is torn between those who have retained their loyalty to the former Republican leadership and those who have embraced fascism under Franco. Lucia becomes fast friends with Lola (Maria Botto), a local girl whose brother Manuel (Juan Diego Botto) is a blacksmith with ties to the Maquis. As Lucia falls in love with Manuel, the Maquis come out of hiding and stage a raid on the town, freeing a number of Republicans who have been jailed for their support of the old regime; as one might expect, this attracts the attention of Franco's Civil Guard, which quickly sets out to neutralize Manuel and the rebels. Silencia Roto was directed by Montxo Armendariz, who previously made the international success Secretos Del Corazon. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucia Jimenez, Juan Diego Botto, (more)
A young boy's fascination with the deaths of several people close to him spark his growth from boyhood in this Spanish drama from writer-director Montxo Armendáriz. The hometown of nine-year-old Javi (Andoni Erburu and his brother Juan (Alvaro Nagone) is a rural farming village in the early 1960s. Their father, they are told, accidentally killed himself while cleaning his gun, and the room where the death occurred has been declared off limits to the boys. Juan tells his younger brother that ghostly sounds can be heard in the room, but when Javi sneaks in and hears the unearthly moans, it's really the sound of their mother making love with their uncle Tio (Carmelo Gomez). Javi's friend Carlos (Inigo Garces) has also suffered the loss of a parent, his mother, who committed suicide. Javi and Carlos sneak into a haunted house, also rumored to be a site where spectral sounds can be heard, and they overhear something in the basement. His adventures inspire Javi to question the deaths of his father and Carlos' mother, leading to a revelation. Secretos del Corazon (1997) was the winner of four Goya Awards, as well as an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- 1997
As it lays rusted and burning (thanks to the bored young punks who set it ablaze) in a grungy urban town square, a once-glorious white 1959 Chevrolet recounts its life story. Thus begins the film that marked the return of noted Spanish journalist, novelist and occasional filmmaker Javier Maqua to feature-film directing after a 17-year absence. Hard case drug dealer Brujas takes up residence in the lonely car. His only real friend is Gaspar, a former movie director for whom Brujas once worked. Gaspar suffers from similar hardships and works as a rat catcher at a nearby church. Together the two revere the Chevy as a symbol of their earlier affluence. Lucia is a middle-aged streetwalker who befriends the two and shares her dream of marrying an African immigrant who lives in the neighborhood. Trouble comes in the form of Turk, the local crime lord who wants to collect on a debt owed to him by Brujas. The first parts of the film are quite slow-paced, but matters become more exciting when a group of violent Neo Nazis show up and murder a friend of Lucia's. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Javier Albala, Manuel de Blas, (more)
- 1994
The apparently self-destructive debauchery of the eternally bored, nihilistic youth of Generation X is chronicled in this European drama set in Madrid. The stories concern a group of friends in their early 20s who frequent a local bar at night where they drink, do drugs and have meaningless sexual encounters. Much of the story centers on Carlos who has distanced himself emotionally from his comfortably middle-class family; the only one among them he can relate to is his grandfather who seems to understand the hopeless outlook that Carlos and his friends have about their future. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1990
After paying people-smugglers everthing they could afford, a mixed group of Africans and Arabs are brought to an abandoned beach in Spain and are left there to fend for themselves. Alou, who is from Senegal, is one of them. He actually manages to get by doing menial jobs, and gradually learns enough Spanish to have a modest social life. However, he has a quick temper, and easily interprets the actions of the well-meaning folks around him as slights and insults. As a result, he moves around a lot. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eulalia Ramon
- 1986
A hopeless, bleak mood hangs over this heavy drama about three teens in San Sebastian, a port city on the Bay of Biscay in the Basque country of Spain. Covert references are made to political issues like the miseries of shipyard workers and to the police as rather brusque and hard-nosed. Drugs are rampant in the lower orders of city life; one of the teens has dropped out of high school and is a user, as is his girlfriend. He survives by stealing and by handouts from his family, who nevertheless want nothing to do with him. No matter how much a third teen friend tries to get this couple to give up the habit, nothing works. The ultimate question, though not emphasized here, may be who is really responsible for what happens to this unfortunate young couple. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martxelo Rubio, Maribel Verdú, (more)
- 1984
In this slow-paced film focusing on Basque culture and politics, the life of Tasio (Patxi Bisquert), a man who works in the coal industry, is traced from his childhood (young Tasio is played by Garikoitz Mendigutxia), through his teen years (Isidro José Solano), to his adulthood. As Tasio grows up and learns about his world working on a coke pile, dealing with tragedy when deaths occur, or simply relating to his brother, best friend, or father, the issues of exploitation of the workers and the repression by the Spanish Civil Guard, and questions relating to the priesthood are brought forward. Both his home and family life as a husband and father, as well as his relationships to those around him, give a sympathetic and clear picture of Basque village culture, although the topic itself may limit interest in the film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patxi Bisquert
