Jaime de Armiñán Movies

A woman losing her grip on her sanity discovers that the caring stranger who comes to her aid may ruin her life in this thriller. Fernanda Segovia (Cuca Escribano) and Enrique Gonzalvo (Fele Martinez) are a pair of editors and literary agents who have guided the career of writer Camila Ponte (Julieta Cardinali), transforming her into one of Europe's leading literary celebrities on the strength of her wildly successful first novel. Camila has been working on her second book, but stress, depression and writers' block have stalled the project, and Fernanda and Enrique fear Camila is on the verge of an emotional collapse. A benefactor arrives at Camila's doorstep in the form of Vera Galindo (Ana Torrent), a keen admirer of her work who offers to take her away from the pressure of life in the city. Vera escorts Camila to a beautiful hotel in a small country town, where innkeeper Palmira (Angela Molina) offers her customers peace, quiet and solitude. Camila thrives in her new surroundings, and Fernanda and Enrique are happy to hear that she's become newly productive since getting away from it all. But Fernanda and Enrique soon learn Vera is not as benevolent as she seemed -- she has evidence that proves Camila's first novel was actually the work of her father, and that the successful author is in fact a fraud. 14, Fabian Road was written and directed by Jaime de Arminan; it was his first feature film since El Palomo Cojo in 1995. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This Spanish film, shot in the lovely Huesca region, pokes gentle fun at the showbiz aspirations of five monks in a lonely monastery. When the grouchy old screenwriter cannot meet his deadline for the script for a new and already dull movie, he and his partner end up sequestered in a Spanish monastery. The five monks cannot help but add their two pesos worth every chance they get. The screenwriter also finds unwanted advice from the town baker who believes the script, which was set in 19th-century Scotland and written for Sean Connery, would be more interesting if it were a modern Spanish story with local settings. The baker, a pretty young woman, has many great ideas for the film. She, the screenwriter and his partner end up in a triangle that parallels the triangle in the story. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

An accomplished and "enchanting" fantasy-romance, this story of a couple's love for each other and a pixie's benevolent intervention in their lives is entertaining from beginning to end. Cesar (Francisco Rabal) is a fake sorcerer and travels with his wife Pilar (Concha Velasco) in a combination bus and house, performing magic shows for the public. One time when they are stuck in a ditch in the middle of nowhere, a young woman named Saga (Victoria Abril) helps them get out and back on the road again. It soon becomes clear by her actions that Saga is a friendly pixie-witch. She and her warlock cohort cause Cesar's fake magic to really work -- and that is just the beginning. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

This story is ostensibly about a down-and out press agency in Madrid that is struggling to keep its last legs from buckling under when a young photographer snaps a picture of a corporate leader hurt in the foiled robbery of a massage parlor. From that premise, the story shifts to the personnel at the press agency itself, and in particular, the sometimes conflicted relationship between the photographer, his boss, and the boss's daughter. Before all this can be straightened out, the boss is in an elevator when its suspension cable is cut and it crashes multiple floors down. Does this mean the boss has actually died or is this rendition of the press agency and its leading characters a sub-plot in someone's fertile imagination? The final scenes hint at the answer. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

The complex relationship between a thirteen-year-old girl (Ana Torrent) and an old man living in lonely but wealthy splendor is the focus of this drama. Alejandro (Hector Alterio) spends his time playing chess on a computer, riding his horses, or enjoying classical music. His life starts to change under the influence of young Goyita (Torrent) who slowly becomes a friend and then begins to impose on him in not-so-subtle ways. First she wants him to burn his dead wife's clothing, and before long she intends to involve him in a plot of revenge against a Civil Guard. Torrent received a 1980 Best Actress award at the Montreal Film Festival for her performance. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

In this bizarre Spanish film, a kindly 73-year old spinster finds herself fixated with a newlywed couple in the apartment across from hers. She can see right into their window and spends many hours watching them. She soon gets acquainted with them, and frequently drops by, especially when the wife isn't there. During one visit, she steals a wedding picture of the two and substitutes the wife's picture with one of her own. One night she eavesdrops upon their lovemaking, and later believes that she has gotten pregnant. Strangely enough, a doctor corroborates this miracle. She is indeed with child. Her family is amazed. Meanwhile, the newlyweds begin fighting when the wife begins suspecting that her husband is already philandering. He is not. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The title of this quirky Spanish melodrama translates to Carole by Day, Carole By Night. The titular Carol, played by Marisol, is the heir to a fortune. As is customary in films of this nature, Carole finds her life in danger so long as she remains in close proximity of her fortune. Thus, she flees her native country and heads to Spain. Here Carole gets a job in a seedy nightclub, which opens her eyes to world she never dreamed existed. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi