17 May 2004

Hispanic directors

Pedro Almod�var's got a new movie coming out called La Mala educaci�n (Bad Education). Let's get our hispanic directors straight.

Spain

Almodovar and Juan Carlos Fresnadillo are from Spain. Almodovar's recent film was Hable con ella (2002) (Talk To Her) and before that was Todo sobre mi madre (1999) (All About My Mother). He's been a director for several decades. His films deal with relationships under very unusual circumstances. He handles his subjects with considerable humor and candor.

I've only seen Fresnadillo's movie Intacto (2001) (Intact). It deals with a group of people who possess and trade "luck" by competing in various games that emphasize randomness over skill. His style could be compared to the magic realism of Latin American artists. He has had a much shorter career than Almodovar.

Mexico

Alejandro Gonz�lez I��rritu and Alfonso Cuar�n are from Mexico City. I��rritu directed Amores Perros (2000) (Life's a Bitch) and most recently 21 Grams (2003). His movies tell stories of several people whose lives intersect in dramatic and sometimes ironic ways.

Cuar�n directed Y tu mam� tambi�n (2001) (And Your Mother Too) and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). Y tu was a very raw depiction of two teen boys "coming of age" during a road trip with an older woman.

[ posted by sstrader on 17 May 2004 at 2:17:31 PM in Cinema | tagged harry potter ]