Martina García & Clara Lago in "La Cara Oculta" [2011 Colombia, Spain]

Andrés Baiz (credited Andi Baiz) has used a minimal cast to create his fine thriller, "La Cara Oculta" [Eng. Title: The Hidden Face] in this Spanish-Colombian co-production.

Storyline:

Adrián and girlfriend Belén move to Colombia from Spain, so that he could pursue his career as conductor in the Colombian philharmonic orchestra - Belén works from home as a fashion designer. She soon suspects Adrián might be having an affair with one of the musicians in the orchestra, and after some thought, hatches a plan - she would leave him a message that she's leaving, and instead move into a secret bunker originally built by the house landlord to see his reaction. The bunker is soundproof, bullet proof, and is hidden right next to the master bedroom and bath, with a secret entrance through one of the mirrors which one can see through from the inside, but is just a plain mirror when viewed from outside. After recording her message she moves all her belongings into the bunker to give the impression that she'd indeed moved away and shuts herself in. Thd only problem is it could be opened only through a key to get out, the key which she'd forgetfully left on top of the bed before locking herself in. She realises her mistake only when she decides to end the act and come out to console Adrián who finds it hard to cope with her leaving. But one day Adrián meets and brings home waitress Fabiana, only to be watched helplessly by Belén from inside the bunker. The rest of the film is of her bearing witness to goings on in the bedroom while desperately trying to let herself out to freedom.

I wasn't expecting too much from the film when it started off predictably and full of clichés. But soon realised it to be one of those original films that get better as the plot thickens. The best part of the film for me though was creating situations where events are simultaneously viewed and experienced from two different viewpoints - the drama contained there in is very well executed. It is also constructed like an old fashioned thriller a la early Claude Chabrol. I'm glad films like these still do get made, and I find myself in renewed appreciation of Baiz's work. The cinematography and editing is top notch, as is the direction and performances by the three key characters. But the best of the three performances undoubtedly belongs to the beautiful, incredibly sexy and talented Spanish actress Clara Lago who plays Belén. This is a neat little film with some original ideas, and therefore, Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link

Compilation: Martina García and Clara Lago

I mixed the sequence of some scenes and even omitted some additional nude footage so as to not give too much of the plot away. This film is definitely worth checking out if you like well built thrillers.

Scene Guide:

• Adrián invites waitress Fabiana home after a bit of getting to know each other - he's desperate to move on after Belén had 'left' him - only Belén is an unintentional captive in a hidden bunker and forced to witness goings on she's unable to control. Sometimes being a voyeur can mean absolute torture. Fabiana is played by possibly one of the most ravishing Colombianas ever - Martina García.
• While in the bath, Fabiana begins to wonder if the mansion Adrián lives in is haunted. Hmmm, perhaps...
• Police suspect that Belén who disappeared off the face of the earth may even be murdered. When they discover a (not so) disfigured body, they ask Adrián to identify her. He categorically states that it is not Belén. The corpse is played by an uncredited actress, totally naked - come on guys, I'm only cataloguing the nude scenes here..! :)
• We see snapshots of happier times between Adrián and Belén when they first moved into the house. Belén of course is played by the talented, guapa Clara Lago - it's only a matter of time before she's gonna bag a Goya.
• Brief scene of Belén cleansing herself in the bunker.

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María León in "La Voz Dormida" [2011 Spain]

Having enjoyed watching his previous two feature films, I'm surprised Benito Zambrano hasn't made many more. There's great deal of attention paid to composition and lighting in his films and he certainly wants his audience to remember the scenes long after leaving their seat. Just in his latest prison drama, "La Voz Dormida" [Eng. Title: The Sleeping Voice] - some of the scenes are truly memorable. But my favourite however remains his debut feature "Solas", for its exquisite screenplay and direction, not to mention the strong performances all around - do not miss it if you get an opportunity.

This film too has some exceptional performances from its main cast, particularly from the talented and beautiful newcomer María León who deservedly won a Goya for the best new actress of the year. The film won further awards for original score and supporting actress. Needless to say, Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon.es DVD Link




Storyline:
Set during the aftermath of the Spanish civil war when Francisco Franco's regime systematically purged remnants of the erstwhile left-wing republicans by imprisoning and executing people connected with communists, we follow the fate of Hortensia, the imprisoned and pregnant wife of a communist commander (ably played by Inma Cuesta). Her younger sister Pepita arrives in Madrid to seek help in whatever way she can to get her released, but inevitably gets involved with the communists when she couriers messages between Hortensia and her husband in hiding. Hortensia's fate is nevertheless sealed and hers will be one of several executions of men and women held after mock trials during the turbulent period. Pepita's only solace will be a reminder of her sister in the form of Hortensia's newborn baby.




Compilation: María León
In one particularly nasty scene, Pepita is tortured by authorities while asked to identify a commander from a group of men captured along with her brother-in-law. She is left naked in a cell until the father of her employer, a close associate of Franco gets her released after making sure she didn't implicate his son, a former doctor and left-wing sympathiser in any way. María León gives a heart-felt and convincing performance as Pepita.





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Aina Clotet in "Elisa K" [2010 Spain]

Before "Elisa K", I'd seen only one other film of veteran Catalan writer-director Jordi Cadena (from the 'destape' years, starring a young Ana Belén). For this film however, the directorial credits are shared with Judith Colell whose filmography I'm totally unaware of. The film can also be divided into two parts. The first, substantial part that covers two thirds of the film is shot in monochrome - events relating to the past. The final part is set in present day Barcelona.

Storyline:
Elisa visits her dad ever other weekend along with her brother and sister - her parents are divorced. Her father would take them out along with his jeweller-friend and children. When she's twelve, something terrible happens during one of the visits, events which her mind will block from memory. Until after more than ten years, as a carefree and ambitious university student, painful memories come flooding back one day and it is time to face up to and come to terms with what actually happened. Since both the parts' respective timelines are linear, we are privy to events as they happen. The rest of the film is a study in the manner in which Elisa shields herself by failing to register what happened, and the pain and suffering later in life when she remembers the day, and her quest for a 'closure' of sorts, to put this behind her and move on...

Catalan cinema is fascinating to watch as it often has a different way of looking at and showing things, bolder and edgier than its Castillian cousin. The first part of the film, substantial as it is, can actually even stand as the main film, with the second part acting as an epilogue. The cinematography, pace and direction in the first part is simply enchanting, and you if briefly would wish it had ended with that, because the second part is its opposite, even if it is just as well made and the performance by Aina Clotet, who plays the adult Elisa, heartfelt and intense - the jarring images and Elisa's pain put you ill-at-ease. It is nevertheless a compelling piece of cinema and therefore, Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link




Scene: Aina Clotet
The first two minutes or so has no nudity but I felt it necessary to show Elisa's reaction gradually taking shape due to a sudden vague recollection. Elisa is played by a beautiful, talented, and totally immersed-in-character Aina Clotet. It requires 'balls' to appear in front of the camera totally unglamorous, unkempt and utterly defenceless - Srta. Clotet sure has them in good measure..!





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Manuela Vellés in Julio Medem's "Caótica Ana" [2007 Spain]

With "Caótica Ana" [Eng. Title: Chaotic Ana], I've covered to-date the entire feature-length filmography of maestro Julio Medem. I took my time posting this review mainly for two reasons - I wanted this to coincide with the release of his latest film (jointly credited with six other directors that also includes Gaspar Noé), "7 días en la Habana", out middle of March. The other reason is that this happens to be my least favourite Medem.

I'm not implying that this is in any way a terrible film - far from it. Made after a gap of nearly six years, the previous one being his critically acclaimed Lucía y el Sexo, it has all the intense passion and graceful beauty we've come to expect from Julio Medem's films, his brilliant cinematic-eye even experiments with some outrageous camera angles here, the music is magical, and Jocelyn Pook would also later collaborate in Medem's next film Habitación en Roma. The snappy comic-book style editing by Medem himself also helps  narrate the film effectively. This may even be his most expensive production judging by the vast number of locations used - Ibiza, Madrid, New York and Arizona to name a few.

The reason for this film not featuring among my favourites is perhaps the screenplay that seems to tackle too many themes with equal intensity that makes it difficult for us to reflect upon the titular character's complexity. That may well be the intention of the director, to show the 'chaotic' nature of the main character, but it doesn't engage us beyond the visual level to the extent his earlier classics did, perhaps because there wasn't enough time, and consequently depth. A case in point is the idea of 'opening doors' to face up to past ghosts, which I'm sure would have been more rewarding if additional screen time was dedicated. Having said that, the film is replete with flashes of Sr. Medem's genius, notably the manner in which the opening scene of the hawk and dove sets up the penultimate scene 'poetically'. Also, Medem's cheeky sense of humour is amply evident throughout the film - the charmer that he is, he knows how to push the boundaries without causing too much alarm. Needless to say, Recommended Viewing..!




DVD Details:
As I mentioned in an earlier Medem review, you get great value for money by buying the Julio Medem 6-DVD box-set rather than buying his films individually. That's the one I recommend again.

Amazon 6-DVD Box set Link




Storyline:
Ana lives with her father in a cave in Ibiza - they make a living selling Ana's paintings to tourists (the artworks were originally by Medem's late sister Ana, to whom this film is also dedicated). Justine, a patron of arts sees her work and invites Ana back to Madrid, where she could live and work alongside other talented young people to explore her artistic potential. While having an optimistic (and at times naive) outlook on life in general, Ana also possesses acute senses, to the extent that she could even see herself and people across earlier lives and times. She meets fellow student Said and falls in love with him instantly, sensing a deep connection between them. After Said leaves unexpectedly, Ana continues to follows her instincts, which leads her to New York. Medem describes the film as a journey, a voyage of discovery Ana undertakes to understand herself, and the world around her.




Compilation: Manuela Vellés



Scene Guide:

• Brief scene, no nudity but interesting nevertheless, at a club in Ibiza. Ana has this special faculty to recognise people from their past lives, After showing us a Roman centurion and a Napoleonic soldier who she finds instinctively repulsive, she sees a guy who was apparently a horse in earlier life..! :D
• It appears Ana is the only nudist at the beach. Ana is played by the charming actress with the most disarming smile, Manuela Vellés.
• Ana in one of the school plays.
• Ana and Said hit it off and end up in bed. There's an air of tenderness despite the apparently intense love making.
• Later that night Said is restless and had to be consoled by Ana in the bathroom - disturbing dreams, he says.
• Stowing away in the yacht of her best friend's estranged dad, Ana acts the catalyst to reconnect him to parenthood.
• A revelation - a distraught Ana realises what her actual connection with Said in a previous life was.
• New York. Ana is part of the catering crew for a senator who allegedly was largely responsible for the decision to wage war on Iraq. She offers herself readily and the dialogues are in English, so you'll get the idea of what's going on. It starts out in a kinky fashion but soon turns ugly and unpleasant, after Ana's 'poetic act' goes unappreciated..!
• Full circle, Ana at the beach again to finish things off nicely.

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Maribel Verdú in "El Beso del Sueño" [1992 Spain]

I'm glad to have finally kick-started the nude filmography of one of the exceptionally talented (and unassumingly sexy) actresses from Spain, Maribel Verdú. I chose one of her early films, writer-director Rafael Moreno Alba's romantic thriller, "El Beso del Sueño" [Eng. Title: Dream Kiss, aka The Goodnight Kiss]. It is also an ideal film to see Sra. Verdú in the prime of her youth, despite there being more successful films of hers from around the period. Having said that, this is not a film easily available in Europe, mine is a NTSC edition too. Maribel Verdú is one of the finest actresses today, not that she wasn't talented back then - I may have seen only three of her films prior to this film, but her charisma in all of them is just as alluring as ever. Even back then, she could do comedy, melancholy, serious roles, and also play the seductress with equal panache. She remains one of my favourite Spanish actresses, and I hope to discuss more about her in future posts.

Storyline:
We follow Salvatierra and Margot's life independently until their paths cross during a train journey. Salvatierra is a alcoholic ex cop, now working at the other end of law with a banker named Delgado - helping launder money. Margot is a thief who plies her trade on luxury cabins of trains, in order to take care of her dad suffering from dementia. After Delgado falls out with one of his associates who is now travelling to Belgium with a horde of cash, Salvatierra is assigned to follow the guy and inform him to authorities just when crossing the border - he get's a cut from the reward that the Government gives out to informers. During the journey however, the associate's Rolex watch and smart suit catches the attention of Margot, who happens to be working the train that day. She drugs him during their 'train date' and runs off with all the money. When Salvatierra realises his target victim had been robbed, he knows who it is - he had been watching Margot all evening flirting with the man - and decides to follow her. He uses an excuse to get himself acquainted with Margot, and after deceiving her, even manages to retrieve the money. But he also gets more than he bargained for - when he falls head-over-heels in love...

Granted - this isn't the cleverest of thrillers - I wouldn't have otherwise thrown so many spoilers away - but this film has its other reasons for buying - I think the editing and sound is pretty good for what is an average thriller. But then there's one senorita sexy Maribel Verdú who plays Margot - she is definitely the main reason for owning the DVD, one that's therefore obviously Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link




Compilation: Maribel Verdú
Made from several scenes - some have no nudity but are certainly worth watching, and as an added bonus we also have some unintended slips and upskirts.



Scene Guide:

• No nudity but sexy - we see how Margot goes about her business in posh trains. Margot is played by the talented, young and sexy Maribel Verdú.
• After a day's work, I'm sure Margot requires a long shower and a thorough scrub.
• Margot with the banker's associate travelling in her train - and while it all seems demanding, she's such a trooper - even when she runs out of room to stash her loot she knows how to improvise. You'll just love this if pantyhose is your thing ..! ;-)
• Margot concealing a secret in her bra, lest anyone notices.
• Salvatierra plays the honourable gentleman and walks out of his bedroom after Margot had to crash in his room - her flat has just been trashed. This however doesn't stop him sneaking in after she'd fallen asleep in the nude, but seems far more interested in the bra than the glorious view in front of him.
• No nudity but a nice upskirt when Margot discovers that someone had been fiddling with the aforementioned bra.
• Salvatierra returns with flowers while Margot is in the bath - she asks him in.
• This scene may only be a few seconds long, but for me at least, the highlight of the film, as we see Margot get off the bath and rush towards the door.
• And straight into the groping hands of Salvatierra...
• There's a post-coital scene after this which I left in - some may find it interesting (but I couldn't bother capping in the graphic).
• Margot had been manhandled, drugged and left for dead by the banker's thugs (who else?). Salvatierra arrives on time but struggles to keep her awake until the doctor arrives. There's no overt nudity in the scene, but plenty unintended thanks to Margot's ridiculously sexy undergarment. :)

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Penélope Cruz & co in "Jamón Jamón" [1992 Spain]

It is the 100th Spanish language film to be reviewed in the blog - about time I introduced one major actress named Penélope Cruz here...

It's a special film too, for many reasons. Perhaps Bigas Luna's most widely known film outside Spain, "Jamón Jamón" [Eng. Title: Jamon Jamon] was also the cinema debut for Penélope Cruz, one which also saw her nominated for a Goya, and one which also introduced her to future husband Javier Bardem. Of course she'd go on to win many more awards including Oscar, but this is where it all began for an eighteen year old starlet.

And what a film too - completely twisted in Luna's inimitable style! Right from the first shot of the film - panning from behind a huge cut-out of a Spanish bull to reveal its cracked balls, this is a film teeming with machismo and testosterone, only to be mocked at the same time. He transgresses ingrained traditional values and customs by questioning their purpose, be it the courting ritual, their sense of honour, pride, and vengeance. The point the film tries to make is that we humans think we know what we want, but then again, we might not know for sure. This is told through a bizarre merry-go-around of coupling and sexual antics.

Storyline:
Silvia works at an underwear factory and is in love with José Luis, the owner's son, and he loves her back, also wanting to marry her. But this is vehemently opposed by his mum Concha, because Silvia's mother Carmen is a prostitute. Carmen and José Luis' father have a history too - they were once in love long ago - she turned to prostitution after they went their separate ways and her husband abandoned her and the child. Add to this, José Luis also visits Carmen to use her services from time to time. Concha plots to break the young couple apart, and hires Raúl, local hunk and ham delivery boy who also models for her male underwear. She instructs him to seduce Silvia. The plan works, initially, but when Concha starts having an affair with Raúl and wants him to end his relationship with Silvia, things become murky as they're both already in love. To complicate things further, Silvia is already pregnant through José Luis, whose father also wants to climb onto the merry-go-around now..!

One of Luna's trademarks is the manner in which he peruses food and sex to draw parallels with our desires - it is the humble ham this time, and is used in different ways, from an aphrodisiac to a weapon (strange scene that, where two men clobber each other with legs of ham to win the right to be with Silvia). Animals are used as a metaphor too - the obvious bull apart, you have a foul-mouthed parrot, a highly 'distressed' pig, and a persistent 'fly'! But as is with many of his films, the characterisation is incomplete, and it remains my main complaint with this director. But this is a remarkable and memorable film nevertheless, for both the strange scenes and dialogue. Another pleasant fact is the inclusion of Italian actresses Stefania Sandrelli and Anna Galiena among the main cast, both of whom have had the distinction of every nook and cranny of their respective bodies 'examined' in a Tinto Brass film. They're much more modest here, but nevertheless a welcome addition to the cast and therefore, Highly Recommended Viewing..!

I'm not terribly pleased with the quality of my bare-bones DVD as it hasn't been letter-boxed properly - forcing me to leave black borders in some scenes in the compilation. But at least it's not particularly expensive in Amazon for the moment.

Amazon DVD Link




Compilation: Penélope Cruz, Anna Galiena, and Stefania Sandrelli



Scene Guide:

• José Luis opines Silvia's breasts are just as delicious as her omelettes. He should know. Silvia is played by a young, enchanting, 'guapa' Penélope Cruz.
• No nudity - Silvia complaining to her mum Carmen that José Luis hasn't yet told his parents that he wants to marry her. Carmen is played by a favourite among French art-house directors, the very dishy Anna Galiena.
• Brief nudity, twisted scene - definitely worth checking. José Luis begs Carmen, his soon-to-be mother-in-law for sex one last time. She obliges. "Wacaaa..!" :D
• Silvia having a bizarre dream, with stray dogs, bulls, and you guessed, ham..!
• Concha with the hired local stud Raúl. She likes his package so much that she now wants him all for herself. Luna makes it a point to show Raúl struggling to get going at first. Concha is played by legendary Italian actress Stefania Sandrelli.
• But Silvia had already fallen in love with Raúl, and makes known her displeasure when José Luis tries to have sex with her under the bull. He leaves Silvia in the rain.
• Continued from above - Silvia walks dripping wet into the bar where Raúl is counting his good fortune with the fruit machine - and with Silvia, now the jackpot too. They're totally unmindful of other people at the bar.
• It's now Raúl's turn to judge Silvia's breasts - apparently they taste of both omelette and ham - he tucks in as if he was starving for days. Watched by the José Luis and mum Concha, each frustrated for different reasons.
• Concha manages to wrest Raúl back after promising him a Mercedes. José Luis barges into Raúl's warehouse to find his mother in bed with his enemy. If you watch carefully in a few frames only, Bardem must have been 'quite close' to Sandrelli at some point during the shoot. You'll know what I mean when you get to 13:25 mts. :)

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