spanish film fest

watched four spanish language films in the last few days.. all have their own merits.. though i must say i really like Gael Garcia Bernal for his acting (he's in all four), and the range of films he's acted in. indeed, he's already been dubbed the Johnny Depp of latin cinema! oh yeah, i think the women think him eye-candy too!

Amores Perros (2000) - [Love's A Bitch]
A film of three interlinked stories, across the span of the social classes in Mexico City, with a strange common theme to them all - dogs. 'Octavio and Susana' is the story of a young man trying to make ends meet, amidst domestic troubles, and gang wars. 'Daniel and Valeria' is the lifestyles of the rich and famous, and how they handle the blows that are faced by common people everywhere. 'El Chivu and Maru' is about a teacher turned revolutionary turned derelict man, and how he lives with his own guilt at his life's choices.
Fast paced, twisting and turning, flashing from one scenario to the other, and a very interesting medium of the character's relationships with their respective dogs as a thread. This film brought a host of awards for the novice director Alejandro Iñárritu on his maiden attempt.

Y tu mamá también (2002) - [And Your Mother Too..]
About two teenage boys and an impulsive journey with an older woman that involves sexual discoveries. About the two Mexicos. And about the fragility of life and the finality of death. The movie is happy to advertise itself as a carefree road-trip, but there is a more serious level, and below that, a dead serious level.
This is definitely one of the best movies i've watched in a while. A narrative style is used to great effect, and the drama in the storyline gently but insistently knocks the lessons this movie tries to tell you. Get your hands on this one.

La Mala Educación (2004) - [Bad Education]
Watching a Pedro Almodóvar film, you just feel that a smart mind is at work, in each shot, and the amount of information you get from it. This story of abuse in a religious boys' school is designed to confuse, and right until the last third we are not clear what really happened!
Gael Garcia is excellent as fresh-faced actor Juan, scraggly-bearded Ángel and jaded-transvestite Zahara.. indeed its his multi-faceted personalities that keep the movie ticking when all semblances of plot comprehension fail you. Almodovar completely succeeds in both confusing and entertaining at the same time!

Diarios de motocicleta (2004) - [The Motorcycle Diaries]
The story of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara and his friend Alberto Granada as they travel on a 10,000 km journey across south america on a road trip, which is more an eye-opener.. and went on determine very strongly the political affiliation Che was going to take later in life.
Shot in a slow, narrative style, the film sticks true to the transcript of the diaries, and doesn't make any pretenses about plot development and character building. At the end of the movie though, you are left feeling overwhelmingly sad that a young man whose ideals were so bright, somehow got disiilusioned along the way and he turned out no better than the oppressors he set out to overthrow.