Nueve Reinas (Nine Queens, 2000)
Written and directed by Fabián Bielinsky
Starring: Ricardo Darín, Gastón Pauls, Leticia Brédice.
BY PAMELA McLEAN
Sometimes old stories are the best, and Nine Queens has one of the oldest there is: the con is on, and experienced professional Marco teams up with young gun Sebastian to pull off the biggest con of either of their careers. Read More…
La isla mínima (Marshland, 2014).
Directed by Alberto Rodríguez
Written by Rafael Cobos and Alberto Rodríguez
Starring: Javier Gutiérrez, Raúl Arévalo, Antonio de la Torre.
BY R. MARTÍNEZ
2014 was an incomparable year for Spanish cinema. The Spanish film industry started to show signs of recovery from the harsh blow suffered as a result of the economic crisis and the VAT tax rise (from 8% to 21%) imposed by the Conservative Government. This rehabilitation was visible at this year’s Goya Awards where, for the first time in several years, there wasn’t just one clear favourite but a few strong contenders. Andalusian director Alberto Rodriguez achieved a considerable victory over the other nominees by taking home a total of 10 Goya awards for his film La isla mínima, including Best Film and Best Director. Read More…
El Crack (The Crack, 1981)
Directed by José Luis Garci
Written by José Luis Garci and Horacio Valcárcel
Starring: Alfredo Landa, Miguel Rellán, María Casanova, Raúl Fraire
BY LUIS EZPELETA
The seven-minute set piece which opens 1981’s José Luis Garci´s El Crack powerfully introduces Germán Areta, a tough, heavy-smoking private eye and former police officer nicknamed “ El Piojo” (The Louse). Areta works with his assistant, Cárdenas (Miguel Rellán) a.k.a “El Moro” (“The Moor”) and has a special friendship with an Read More…
La Caja 507 (Box 507, 2002)
Directed by Enrique Urbizu
Written by Enrique Urbizu and Michel Gaztambide
Starring: José Coronado, Antonio Resines, Goya Toledo, Dafne Fernández, Sancho Gracia.
Costa del Sol, Spain. Locals, tourists, ex-pats and millionaires live side by side. Modesto works as a bank manager in a nameless town. Seven years earlier, his sixteen-year-old daughter died in a fire, an event that turned Modesto and his wife into a sad and joyless couple. But when a gang of robbers break into the bank Read More…
Spanish Film Review Club 