DOLOR Y GLORIA (Pain & Glory)
Pedro Almodovar surprises us once more with a mellow, almost melancholic affair. A contender for the top prize in Cannes, returning actors Antonio Banderas ( playing Salvador, an auteur-film director) and Penelope Cruz (his mother in flashback) are both wonderful, as is Argentinian Federico (Leonardo Sbaraglia). Arguably Almadovar’s most personal and best tale to date, the film focuses on Salvador looking back on the decisions he’s made in his life, as all around him turns into chaos in this moving and beautifully written feature.
DIEGO MARADONA
Directed by the Academy award-winning documentary filmmaker,Asif Kapadia (Amy, Senna), this fascinating doc reveals the life of the legendary Argentine, "El Pibe de Oro" ("The Golden Boy"), whom many regard as the greatest football player of all time. Constructed over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage of this complex, brilliant charter – Kapadia enables him to tell his story in his own words, revealing his struggles for success, but also the devastating effects of fame and fortune. A film for all – even those who do not necessarily enjoy football.
NUESTRO TIEMPO (Our Time)
Mexican film director, Carlos Reygadas (Post Tenebras Lux) is considered to be one of cinema’s greatest visual poets and recently sold out a Master Class at the ICA. In this epic film he turns the camera on himself. Real-life couple Reygadas and his wife Natalia play Juan and Esther, who live a peaceful existence on a Mexican cattle ranch; yet unusual insofar as they are in an open relationship and Esther is having an affair with an American horse trainer. Everything is fine and acceptable until Esther stops giving Juan information. As the dynamic quickly shifts, Juan is forced to examine his fragile masculinity. Reygadas captures the ecstasy of life in thrillingly beautiful natural sequences, in this intimate, soul-searching work.
ROJO (Red)
Argentine director Benjamin Naishtat’s latest film has gone down a storm at film festivals, with his tight command of the crime genre cum humorous portrait of a corrupt society. Set in the mid-1970’s, a stranger arrives in a quiet, unassuming, provincial town and immediately - and for no apparent reason – begins to assault Claudio, a well-known and well-liked lawyer. As Claudio starts out on a road of no-return, of death, secrets and silences, the plot develops into a spider web of banalities and mysteries. Along with the great Alfredo Castro as a Colombo-style detective and a jazzy musical score by Michael Nyman and others, this quirky crime film should keep you on your toes and hooked from beginning to end.
LAS NIÑAS BIEN (The Good Girls)
Directed by Mexican female filmmaker Alejandra Márquez Abella, (Semana Santa), this award winning film spins a fine tale about a woman whose seemingly perfect life suddenly falls apart at the seams. Set in the early 80’s in Mexico, queen bee Sofia faces the unimaginable, her social decay. As a big economic crisis hits Mexico, Sofia will have to maintain appearances, while being forced to acknowledge what is lost when the money is gone. A stylish female-fuelled film on flawed characters which blends humour, fragility, and social commentary with panache.
EL REINO, (The Realm)
Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s follow-up to his dark serial-killer film May God Save Us is a novice political thriller which unfolds from the perspective of the bad guy. After his party turns against him, Manu; a charismatic politician and devoted father and husband (Antonio de la Torre) risks his life to unravel a conspiracy the authorities would rather keep quiet. The adrenaline-fuelled ending – with one of the best car chases in recent film history – lays rest to one of the best political thrillers of the year.
YULI
Iciar Bollain’s biopic sees the amazing dancer Carlos Acosta, nicknamed Yuli by his father, growing up on the tough streets of his native Cuba and his entry to Cuba’s National Dance School ending with his time at London’s prestigious Royal Ballet. Written by I, Daniel Blake’s screenwriter Paul Laverty, Yuli offers the same mixture of heartfelt, but brainy sentiment - without the saccharine. Beautifully choreographed with an unforgettable, punchy and powerful auto-biographical dance scene, as Acosta himself ferociously strikes out with a leather belt, remembering the beatings endured at a young age.
LA CAMARISTA (The Chambermaid)
A debut feature by the Mexican theatre actress Lila Aviles this film beautifully observes what goes on behind the scenes with humanistic warmth, humour and wit. We follow the life of Eve, a young chambermaid at a luxurious Mexico City hotel, as she confronts the monotony of long workdays, forgotten belongings, quirky colleagues and budding friendships that nourish her newfound and determined dream for a better life. An utterly compelling, nuanced drama about a mostly invisible and silent profession that both fascinates and intrigues us all.
BIRDS OF PASSAGE
From the producer and director of the Academy Award-nominated Embrace of the Serpent, the film is set against the backdrop of the Colombian marijuana boom of the 1970’s and follows an indigenous Wayuu family in Columbia whose very culture and ancestral traditions are put at stake, due to their downfall. Directed by Cristina Gallego & Ciro Guerra the film depicts indigenous traditions and the corrupting forces of wealth and power. It is both as fascinating and frightening in equal measures, with visually stunning cinematography. A universal, yet unique saga about a family’s downfall as greed, passion and honour surpass any love which existed previously.
OPUS ZERO
A Mexican-German drama written and directed by Daniel Graham starring Willem Dafoe. Paul, a composer settles in the same small town his father died to seek solace, inspiration and comfort. A sudden obsession with the fate of a Hungarian woman who disappeared 30 years ago moves Paul away from his insular art form to a socially apt new visitor in town, but ultimately proves more dangerous than he ever imagined. Dafoe leads a cast that includes Mexican thesps Irene Azuela, Cassandra Ciangherotti and Brontis Jodorowsky, in this ambitious, well-casted drama.
