Alex Brendemühl Movies

An angry man with a secret becomes a silent witness to the life of strangers in this drama from Spanish filmmaker Sebastian Cordero. Jose Maria (Gustavo Sanchez Parra) is a South American exile who has emigrated to Spain in search of a better life. Jose is working in construction when he meets Rosa (Martina Garcia), a fellow exile who is a maid for a wealthy couple who live in a rambling mansion that has seen better days. Jose has an uncertain temper and when a conflict with his boss turns violent, he finds himself wanted by the law. Adding to Jose's problems, he's in the country illegally, and when he turns to Rosa for help, she hides him in the attic of the home where she works. Rosa's employers (Concha Velasco and Xavier Elorriaga) are none the wiser as Jose slips in and out of the house's many hiding places, spying on their every move as he tries to satisfy his curiosity while remaining out of sight. But the couple has a son (Alex Brendemühl) who is attracted to Rosa, and when he tries to seduce her, the young man doesn't realize a jealous man with a violent streak is watching. La Rabia (aka Rage) received its North American debut at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Director Silvia Munt teams with screenwriter Eva Baeza for this drama that interweaves two parallel tales - one concerning a theater director making preparations for the premiere of her latest play, and the other concerning her husband's experiences as an employee in a nearby geriatric hospital. Viena (Munt) and her husband Daniel (Ramon Madaula) have just had a major row over Daniel's refusal to attend the opening of Viena's latest stage play, entitled "Pretexts." As a result of the argument, Viena is driven deeper into the arms of neurotic lead actor Ricardo (Francesc Garrido), who stars opposite the equally hysterical Marta (Merce Llorens). Meanwhile, at the hospital where Daniel works, meek night nurse Eva (Laia Marull) tends lovingly to her elderly patients, lending an especially gentle touch to the frail Claudio (Manuel Alexandre). Though it's plain to see that Eva's patients adore her, the quiet nurse still suffers from a crippling case of low self-esteem. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Two lovers living in Barcelona find their relationship on a gradual descent in Chilean director Matias Bize's intimate study in the death of love. Alejandro (Zlex Brendemuhl) and Vera (Vicenta Ndongo) are about to part ways, but before that happens the pair will share a few last moments together. It was Vera's decision to end the relationship, and as she seeks the support of her best friend Mara (Toni Gonzalez) Alejandro does his best to deny that anything is amiss. Later, as they gradually begin to part ways, both Vera and Alejandro think forward to the day they will correspond and share stories about their future lives. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

As a dog is abandoned one snowy winter night near a local bus stop, three characters awaiting the bus do their best to ignore the situation. Thus begins Judith Colell's film 53 dias de Invierno (53 Winter Days). The film subsequently delves into the life of each passenger, and becomes a trio of stories on conflict - the first psychological, the second emotional, and the third social. Because Colell recounts the tales one-after-another but never intersects or overlaps the narratives per se, her film becomes a foray into the hidden stories that lurk behind the eyes of three strangers, whom we might come across on any random street corner - and who only happen, cosmically, to be sharing the same bus stop at the same moment but may never know one another. In the psychological segment, we meet Mila (Mercedes Sampietro), a local teacher reeling from an assault at the hands of a student, who has taken a yearlong sabbatical to recover; the arc of her story involves her gradual attainment of self-assertion and courage. Segment number two - the segment on emotional conflict - follows Valeria (Aina Clotet), a cellist immersed in an adulterous relationship with her married professor, Hugo (Joaquim de Almeida). The instructor decides to break off the relationship but sends his wife to do the dirty work; meanwhile, Valeria's mother (Silvia Munt) sits at home and struggles to contend with her husband's abandonment of her. And in the third segment (which pertains to social conflict), married security guard Celso (Brendemuhl), struggles to make ends meet - a goal that looms impossible as he discovers his wife, Angela's, (Maria Pau Pigem) expectancy of twins. He foolhardily tries to pocket a necklace from the department store where he works, as a gift for his wife, but is promptly discovered, fired, and thrown out onto the streets - where the terror of confessing his misdeeds to Angela keeps him from heading home. Gemma Ventura penned the script. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Writer/director Fernando de France collaborates with screenwriter Chico Ocaña for this tale of two amateur filmmakers (Vicenta Ndongo and Paul Berrondo) who set out on a two-year journey to document the rise of a flamenco fusion band and the charismatic front-man who describes their unique sound as "flamenco-billy." After making a particularly powerful impression on a Cuban rooftop, the band next sets their sights on a popular music festival in Italy. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Convinced that she has found a means of escaping her miserable existence after a million stolen euros landed in her lap, Julia discovers that money can sometimes cause more problems than it solves when the criminals who stole the cash in the first place come gunning for the fruits of their unlawful labor. But Julia is determined to reap the rewards of her windfall even if it kills her. Now, as her life becomes a deadly game of deception, murder, and treachery, it begins to look as if Julia's greed will lead her directly to the grave. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A web of romantic entanglements covers a growing circle of friends in this romantic comedy drama from Spain. Tomás (Alex Brendemühl) is a college instructor who has been secretly dating one of his students, Ana (Miranda Makaroff). Making the matter more complicated is the fact that Ana's uncle is Mario (Eduard Fernández), one of Tomás' best friends. Mario has long been involved with Sara (Vicenta N'dongo), but he has reason to believe she is having an affair, and he's desperate to hold on to her. At the same time, Mario has met Cristina, and is trying to fight his interest in her. Irene (Mònica López) and Manu (Chisco Amado) are another seemingly happy couple fighting infidelity when she begins having second thoughts about their relationship. And Andres has fallen for Sofia (María Pujalte), a clerk at his favorite bookstore, but he learns she's still pining for Eric, who talked her into bed one night but has yet to come back to her. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Writer-director Agusti Vila explores destiny, coincidence, and love in this romantic comedy set in Barcelona. After getting dumped by his girlfriend, Juan (Alex Brendemuhl) decides to sit in the same park bench at the same time each day in order to improve his odds for a chance encounter. Soon his efforts pay off and he finds himself in the company of the assertive, prickly Alicia (Victoria Freire) and bookworm Ana (Monica Lopez). With each woman, he shares his idiosyncratic ideas on romance and communication. Un banco en el parque was screened at the 1999 San Sebastian Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi