Malena

Starring:Bellucci, Sulfaro, Federico, Piana
Studio: Miramax
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

When 12-year-old Renato, riding through his small Italian town on his new bicycle, sees the voluptuous Malèna, little does he know he's launching on an infatuation that will carry him through the tumultuous days of World War II. Malèna begins as an enraptured depiction of Renato's adolescent mind--the way he stares, hypnotized, at Malèna's garters pressing through the material of her tight skirt, or his frustrated rebellion against the indignity of wearing short pants--but soon transforms into a portrait of small-town prejudice. Malèna's looks spark lust and envy in the townspeople; when her husband dies in combat, the gossip only intensifies, to the point that Malèna is dragged into court to defend herself against accusations of adultery. When the women of the town refuse to sell her edible food at the market, Malèna has little choice but to become what she's been unjustly accused of being. At the end, a twist of fate turns this tale of longing and jealousy into a heartbreaking love story. Monica Bellucci exudes the can't-help-it eroticism that makes Malèna such a lightning rod for everyone's desires; she's like a more zaftig Isabelle Adjani. The movie seems to wander at times, but the ending has a powerful emotional impact. From the director of Cinema Paradiso. --Bret Fetzer

Description

The latest triumph from Giuseppe Tornatore, the writer and director of the Academy Award(R)-winning CINEMA PARADISO, MALENA is an utterly unforgettable story of a boy's journey into manhood amid the chaos and intolerance of World War II. In a sleepy Italian village, the most beautiful woman in town, Malena (Monica Bellucci), becomes the subject of increasingly malicious gossip among the lustful townsmen and their jealous wives. But only her most ardent admirer, young Renato Amoroso (Giuseppe Sulfaro), will learn the untold true story of the mysterious and elusive Malena! In a captivating motion picture nominated for two Academy Awards, the eventual struggles and hardships that Malena must bravely endure serve to inspire Renato to new heights of compassion, courage, and independence!

Customer Reviews:

Malena.......2007-06-13

Loved it. Romantic, beautiful and She is gorgeous too.

Exellent film pity about the DVD.......2007-05-06

I wont go into the stupidity of cutting scenes out of this first rate film too many people have already mentioned it. If companies think that veiwers are too stupid to make up their own minds on what they want to watch then they realy shouldnt bother producing films. Sad to say, when Americans complain about their films being cut they need to take a look at the idiots who clasify films in the UK (Average age 80) Must be great them sitting through hours of 'explicit scenes' only to cut them for us the masses. I can only assume they think we dont have the ability to watch a film and make up our own minds we need others to do that for us.

Anyway on with the film. Monica Bellucci is an exellent actress and in this film she plays a woman who pursued by almsot every man in her small town while her husband is away fighting in the war finaly gives up when she believes that her husband has died. First falling for the well to do in the town then sleeping with what it would seem half the German army based in the town. The horror of the reprisal against her at the end of the war and the final happy (to some extent) ending.

great film, if you can find the uncut version get it. Film editors need to put a stop to this we are grown adults let us decide what we want to watch.

American version probably fine.......2007-04-13

I purchased the imported uncut version, however that too is lightly censored. I read some reviews saying the cut version was basically crap compared to the original version. Well I haven't seen the cut version, but I don't think the 13 minutes that was cut from the film will be missed by most individuals. The story is about a 12 year old boy's infatuation and sexual fantasies of Malena. The scenes that were cut I would probably guess were scenes where he was fantasizing about her. Where he and she are in (at times) intimate positions. Its not like a Misses Robinson where the young boy is of age, this is a 12 year old. So I can see where Americans could find this objectionable or not really something they need to see to get a complete picture of the story. The only thing really censored in this movie is when the camera pans down to the "southern" regions of women, and a tinted blob covers the "offensive" area. Well personally I found it more disturbing when the whore was licking Renalto's chest. Overall I enjoyed the movie, but just wanted to point out the differences so someone else could make an informed decision on which version they want to buy.

Great film....but this dvd release is total crap.......2007-04-02

This has to be one of my favorite films. It is a shocking, powerful, and very tragic tale that leaves you breathless. I also think this is Monica Belluci's best role. However, with that said, this DVD release is total crap. I saw the international version earlier and really liked it, so I recommended to my friends that we rent it. To my dismay the american version was highly edited and terrible. They took out much of the "questionable" content, which resulted in a film with no flow and ultimately lacking in sense. It's ridiculous how our country has gone to such such extreme censorship procedures. I feel it is this kind of repression that really contributes to the moral decay of our country as a whole (sorry for being on my soap box...). I suggest anybody who criticized this film to see the real version as Tornatore intended it to be.

Much More Than Just Erotic.......2007-03-11

Many have labeled this movie "erotic", and although it certainly earns that label, it is much more.

Set in pre-World War II Italy, a young boy comes of age while ogling the beautiful Latin teacher, Malena. At first the town's gossip is innocent enough but quickly turns nasty as Malena's newlywed husband is lost at war. Even her father turns a cold shoulder. Malena does what she has to to survive, and the growing boy with the secret crush tries his best to protect her from the town, but will their efforts be enough?

Sexy yet thoughtful, tragic yet with hope, this movie is a true masterpiece.

Malena Uncut Special Edition 2 DVD Set [Import]

Average customer rating:

Beautiful, Sensual, Resonant
Whats up with Miramax???
Exquisite film-making. Buy it now!
MISLEADING 'UNCUT' VERSION - IT'S CENSORED!
A MUST BUY

Malena Uncut Special Edition 2 DVD Set [Import]

Manufacturer: Spectrum DVD
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Irreversible
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Combien tu m'aimes? / How much do you love me?(Original French Version with English Subtitles)
Franck Spadone

ASIN: B0007W6GUO

Product Description

Original Korean import version in a fantastic 2 disc boxset -- In Italian With English Subtitles. Disc 2 Is In Italian With No Subtitle Options ----- Features: Life & Dream Of Giuseppe Tornatore (52 Mins) # 4 Making of Featurettes (40 Mins)# Backstage Featurette (12 Mins) # Interviews with Giuseppe Tornatore & Ennio Morricone # Interview with Tornatore # In Studio Featurette with composer Ennio Morricone # Production Sketches # Production Notes # Trailers # Radio Spots # Deleted scenes added back in

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful, Sensual, Resonant.......2007-05-25

This film must be seen in its uncut version to appreciate its beauty. MALENA is a delicious film, like a rare peach that deserves to be tasted fully and completely. The heart and soul of the film is Monica Bellucci. Her sublime beauty combined with her truly amazing acting gifts make this movie irresistible. If you're not in love with Malena by the end of the film, I would be surprised.

The movie is actually a simple tale of a young boy's first sexual and romantic longings when he sees Malena for the first time in his small Italian town. All the other boys line up along the streets to make cat-calls at her as she passes, but he falls in love with her. He then begins watching her obsessively, dreaming of her, and longing for her as he watches her life go from that of lonely WWII widow with no money to the town pariah.

Essentially, the film is a study of unrequited love, of social malevolance directed toward the beautiful/the different/the enigmatic, and, finally, of forgiveness and evolution.

Whats up with Miramax???.......2006-12-21

Warning: Spoilers Ahead...
I just watched the short version of this I found at a rental store. Then I went on line with an image search and got a better idea of what has been cut out of the short version. I am totally fed up with censorship in the USA dictating what is OK for viewing. It seems 95% of the SENSUOUS BEAUTY of a nude female SHOULD NOT BE SEEN in the US, but Miramax has NO PROBLEM keeping the scene where Malena is stripped of her clothes and nearly beaten to death by a mob of angry wives. That scene seems to be complete in the censored Mirimax version.

In the tradition of slasher films, it is fine if a female is nude as long as it is in the context of being stabbed, raped and beaten to death. But to be sensual, sexual, or just plain beautiful...well only perverts watch that kind of stuff. Maybe if the televised Victoria's Secret Fashion Show brought chainsaws to the runway, the network would not get any complaints!

Exquisite film-making. Buy it now!.......2006-05-19

Like another reveiewer, I purchased this after purchasing the U.S. Miramax version. I have to agree with most of the reveiwers that the uncut version is vastly superior in every way. Without the complete scenes in which Renato is seen slwoly falling completely for Malena, the film is merely a beautifully shot film, with a lovely actress and a great soundtrack. Uncut, it becomes an insightful look into the passions that drive us, both as young adolescents and adults, for better(Renato)or for worse (Malena). Lastly, I don't know what version the one reviewer had who commented about the pelvic region being blocked out. My copy had no such censoring.

This film uncut is magnificent!

MISLEADING 'UNCUT' VERSION - IT'S CENSORED!.......2005-10-10

With deleted scenes put back in, this is a 5-star movie. However, this 'Import, Uncut' version is CENSORED in a way that ruins the overall movie. Large, black blotches are used to block out pelvic anatomy without clothing, which now seems typical censorship for all these (Korean?) imports. If you don't think intimate scenes should be covered over with 'black spot' editing, and you're an adult that can handle seeing a naked body - send a message. Don't waste your money.

A MUST BUY.......2005-10-04

For anyone interested in watching Monica Bellucci's "Malena", you should by this "Uncut Special Edition". As other reviewers have said, the version that is available in North America is one that has been censored by Miramax. I saw that version first and then bought this one. This version, imported from Korea, is the full film---the way it was meant to be seen. And it is ofcourse much much better.

They censored such truly beautiful scenes that once you see them, you wonder why in the world would Miramax cut them out of the film. I'll just give one example. In one scene, Malena is lying on a chair outside her house on the porch, relaxing in the sun and drying her wet hair. She is wearing a light summer dress and has her hair hanging behind the chair. Drops of water are falling on the ground. The young boy Renato hids behind a tree and looks at her. It is such a beautiful image of Malena that you just want to keep watching it. And apparently the Miramax censor board found this scene too erotic and removed it from the film. I won't tell you the other scenes, I don't want to ruin the movie. So watch the Uncut Edition, and you'll see what you're missing and what a great film this is.

The most striking thing about this movie is that the two central characters of the film, Malena and Renato, do not talk to each other in the whole film. They don't even have a brief conversation. There is only one line---the last line of the film that Renato directly says to Malena, but Malena's reply is a nod. She doesn't say anything in words. But still the whole story revolves around the two. It is truly remarkable that Tornatore, the director, was able to convey such a unique story, mostly through images and not words, showing the true magic of cinema.

Average customer rating:

Electra
"The death of a king is never simple"
Cacoyanis one of the giants directors in any age
those who live greatly ......
Powerful drama

Electra
Starring: Irene Papas , Yannis Fertis , Aleka Katselli , Notis Peryalis , and Manos Katrakis
Director: Michael Cacoyannis
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005UJY8
Release Date: 2002-03-05

Description

From "one of the world's most talented filmmakers" (Los Angeles Times) comes this riveting, OscarÂ(r)-nominated* retelling of Euripides' searing classic. Written, produced and directedby Michael Cacoyannis (Stella, Zorba the Greek), and starring legendary Greek beauty Irene Papas (The Trojan Women), Electra is "majestic and awesome" (The New York Times)"a truly powerful and visually impressive picture" (Boxoffice). Desolationand despair reign supreme in the kingdom of Mycenae: The great Agamemnon has been brutally murdered; his son, Orestes, has fled to an unknown land; and his daughter Electra has been imprisoned withinthe very walls of the castle she once loved so well. All hope seems lost until the sacred oracle speaks and replaces Electra's broken spirit with an unquenchable desire for justiceand bloody vengeance! *1962: Foreign Language Film

Customer Reviews:

Electra.......2005-08-11

Bitterness in ancient Greece. If you go for Greek tragedy you'll enjoy this. Agamemnon returns home to Mycenae, is murdered by his wife and her lover, and his daughter Elektra schemes revenge. The real Mycenae stands in for itself and the acting is top-notch. Regarding this DVD: beware of using the dubbed English track - the voices don't always say what they should at certain points. Also, the great Irene Papas' powerful voice is "girlie-fied" by whoever dubbed her. Stick to the original Greek track and access the English subtitles instead. The film is in 16:9 format but is not anamorphic. This is not a problem due to the excellent b & w transfer, and no serious graininess is introduced when it is vertically expanded to fit your widescreen TV screen. Recommended.

"The death of a king is never simple".......2004-08-04

I came to view this film the long way around. I have watched the Richard Straus Opera "Elektra" in which there are people of the same name but different spelling than the film. In the play Elektra the eldest daughter is upset because her mother Klytämnestra and her mother's lover Aegisth killed her father the king, Agamemnon. She calls on her father's spirit, and vows vengeance. Her younger sister Chrysothemis tries to talk her out of it. Her mother comes to here drugged and sleepless asking Elektra what can be done to make amends so her nightmares will end. Elektra tells her that the blood of an impure woman must be shed. Later Elektra is told that her brother, Orest is dead so she tells her sister that she must help kill the mother and lover. Orest turns up alive and is coaxed into killing first Klytämnestra and then Aegisth. So much emotional hate and joy is released that Elektra dances until she falls dead.

Then there are several translations of the play by Sophocles 410 BC.

Now we come to the interpretation for this 1962 film play directed by Michael Cacoyannis of "Zorba the Greek" fame. The film takes 113 minutes; Approximately 15 minutes of dialog, 30 minutes of mime to cut out the bulk of the dialog from the play, and the rest filler of people milling around. I do not mean to sound trite but be prepared for long moments where we have to listen to an off key string instrument or a bunch of horns th keep us focused of where the action should be. There is a moving song and a chorus that speaks out now and them. The set is the Greek landscape with a few structures. It is shot in black and white. This is saved by exceptional acting.

There is a touching scene where Agamemmnon retunes to great his wife and children. Then we watch as Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus net in Agamemmnon for the kill. Orestes gets led out to a foreign land and Electra is under house arrest until she grows up. She cuts off her hair in protest and is married off to an innocuous peasant. Will she ever get revenge? And is Orestes even alive? What ho, strangers approach.

This is a tale of "...A family so noble and so damned at the same time."

To get a different take on the story you can read "Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life" by Thomas Moore, where he tells the story a little different in depicting the role of becoming a mother.

The media itself is a DVD with options of Greek: Mono, English: Mono or French: mono. Then the option also of English, French and Spanish Language Subtitles. The singing is done in Greek only but you can use English subtitles to tell what they are singing. There are no pamphlets with this package.

Cacoyanis one of the giants directors in any age.......2004-05-27

Irene Papas as Elektra gives probably her finest perfomance ever. Cacoyanis made an exceptional translating process with this drama from Euripides.
The fundamental atmosphere of the female chorus and all the haunting drama hidden about the revenge to make justice is told
brilliantly.
Cacoyanis shows us why he was blessed by the Gods .
Acquire this superb masterpiece.

those who live greatly .............2003-12-08

must greatly suffer - something along that line - but that quote belongs to the Sophocles version - this one's a little more method - although slightly too emotional [but then - there goes ther movie and the performances!] Always bearing in mind that these great works were written as rituals - not as .... entertainment. [This version is slightly too close to the kitchen sink - smatters of that great Juliette Greco vehicle "The Crack in the Mirror"].

BUT for what this version is worth IRENE PAPAS is spectacular as the misbegotten daughter seeking revenge - choreography of the chorus is superb as is the bleak, bleak cinematography.

Perfect and no doubt authentically researched costume design.

Powerful drama.......2003-09-16

Interesting that this 1962 film's director, Michael Cacoyannis, also directed Zorba the Greek and that the latter film also starred Irene Papas who plays the title character in Electra. It easily demonstrates Cacoyannis' artistry as a director, for in this film, he does a masterful job of interpreting the Euripides drama.

Filmed naturalistically in Greek settings, Electra does not disappoint. The great hero and king Agamemmnon is brutally murdered near the beginning of the story by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus. Electra and her brother Orestes, children of the royal couple, are both thrown out of their palatial home--Orestes is exiled, and Electra forced to marry a commoner and live in a hovel.

The term "Electra Complex" refers to a daughter's unnatural love for her father and while this is not overtly portrayed here, the hints are certainly in place. Even when her mother tells Electra of the king's infidelities the daughter defends him, citing the queen's own as proof of the latter's treachery.

Electra and Orestes take revenge on the couple who have killed their father--not without great remorse.

Cacoyannis' skill is demonstrated in his choice to film this work in black and white, accentuating the starkness of the tale, which contains numerous stretches of silence, an effective Greek chorus of village women (all clothed similarly in black), and an equally effective score by the great Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis who also composed the music for Zorba the Greek. The story is pure drama--the emotional elements are laid bare in the stripped to the bone dialogue that wastes no words.

The cinematography as well emphasizes the basic elements of earth and sky; black and white has seldom been used as well in a drama as it is here. Earth is the land of man where we live and die; sky is the land of the gods to whom we appeal for everything we want that we don't have. And whether or not we get what we want--who can say?

Amazon.com

After her son is killed in an accident, Manuela (Cecilia Roth) leaves Madrid for her old haunts in Barcelona. She reconnects with an old friend, a pre-op transsexual prostitute named La Agrado (Antonia San Juan), who introduces her to Rosa (Penélope Cruz), a young nun who turns out to be pregnant. Meanwhile, Manuela becomes a personal assistant for Huma Rojo (Marisa Paredes), an actress currently playing Blanche DuBois in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire. All About My Mother traces the delicate web of friendship and loss that binds these women together. The movie is dedicated to the actresses of the world, so it's not surprising that all the performances are superb. Roth in particular anchors All About My Mother with compassion and generosity. But fans of writer-director Pedro Almodóvar needn't fret--as always, Almodóvar's work undermines conventional notions of sexual identity and embraces all human possibilities with bright colors and melodramatic plotting. However, All About My Mother approaches its twists and turns with a broader emotional scope than most of Almodóvar's work; even the more extravagant aspects of the story are presented quietly, to allow the sadness of life to be as present as the irrepressible vitality of the characters. Almodóvar embraces pettiness, jealousy, and grief as much as kindness, courage, and outrageousness, and the movie is the richer for it. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Hard to get one's head around this one.......2007-02-27

At times, this was an emotionally exhausting film, containing so much grief & loss that it was difficult to watch, and by extension, difficult to review. It wanders amazingly far afield from what at first appears to be a movie about a mother/son relationship, but Almodovar manages to keep the movie from completely losing its coherence.

This is probably one of those movies where the sometimes bizarre content can overwhelm a viewer. Repeated viewings no doubt would reveal some nuggets that were missed the first time through. One could certainly do worse than watching this a second or third time, that's for sure.

If nothing else, watch the movie for the riveting performance of Cecelia Roth as Manuela. Prior to seeing this, I was unfamiliar with her work, but now hope to seek out some of her other movies.

Not Almodovar's Best.......2006-09-26

While the acting (especially that of Cecilia Roth and Penelope Cruz) is superb, I don't care much for this story at the point I should care most, the climax! As usual for his movies, the plot is highly improbable, and while that rarely bothers me, I'm growing tired of Almodovar's over-the-top characters -- the ridiculously eccentric gays, lesbians and transexuals, who he then wants to portray as the most admirable characters in the movie. (An effort to "normalize," "humanize" them, perhaps? Whatever. Go preach from the pulpit, I say.) What worked in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (clearly a screwball comedy), doesn't work here, where the tone is more somber, and the plot somewhat more believable.

Still, I'm looking forward to more from Almodovar. You never know where his stories are going until you've watched the whole movie. That said, I'm also starting to expect all the quirky weirdos, and I don't always look forward to encountering them.

another touching grand opus from a great director who continues to get better.......2006-08-03

almodovar glorifies women! remarkable in its refusal to patronize, and it has all the touches youve come to expect. i laughed, i cried ...

Interesting, but incoherent.......2006-06-20

The problem with this foilm is it's not sure whether to be melodrama or not. The plot is very dramatic and fanciful, (e.g. all the characters seem to form instant strong bonds with one another - a lot of people rave about how the film is a great study of female relationships, but the trouble for me is that too many of them are too out of the ordinary), yet the acting and directing is often very earthy, heartfelt and expressive in a very homely way. So I'm not too sure about what to make oof it really.

I think "Talk to her" is a far greater achievement, where the film feels far more coherent.

I loved it!.......2006-05-16

It is a complicated film about complicated women, trying to capture, I think, the dynamics of women in general. I think it seeks to answer 'what a woman is' by exploring their relationships with each other, their deepest loves, and purpose in life. Maybe I am just looking at the surface, maybe I am missing the whole boat but it seems that way to me.

I think it would be incredibly difficult to improve this film.

absolutely cool, deeply satisfying, fun, intense.

Handel - Hercules / Shimell, DiDonato, Spence, Bohlin, Ernman, Kirkbride, Christie, Les Arts Florissants, Aix-en-Provence Opera

Average customer rating:

One little addition to the other reviews
Expert Cast Lends Passion to a Relentlessly Dark Staging of Handel's Mythic Oratorio
DiDonato is Triumphant!
Damn, this is good!
Handel + Hercules = Amazing!

Handel - Hercules / Shimell, DiDonato, Spence, Bohlin, Ernman, Kirkbride, Christie, Les Arts Florissants, Aix-en-Provence Opera
Starring: William Shimell , Joyce DiDonato , Malena Ernman , Ingela Bohlin , and Paris Opera
Director: William Christie
Manufacturer: Bel Air Classiques
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Rameau - Les Paladins / Piau, Naouri, Lehtipuu, d'Oustrac, Piolino, Schirrer, Gonzalez-Toroi, Christie, Paris Opera
Handel - Giulio Cesare / Connolly · Kirchschlager · De Niese · Dumaux · Bardon · Maltman · Ben Abdeslam · Ashworth · OAE · Christie · McVicar [Glyndebourne Opera 2005]
Handel - Serse / Rasmussen, Piau, Bayrakdarian, Bardon, Hallenberg, Peirone, Lippi, Rousset, Les Talens Lyriques, Dresden Opera
Handel - Rodelinda / Antonacci, Scholl, Streit, Chiummo, Winter, Stefanowicz, Christie, Glyndebourne Opera
Rameau - Les Indes Galantes / Petibon, Croft, Hartelius, Agnew, Rivenq, Berg, Strehl, Christie, Les Arts Florissants, Paris Opera

ASIN: B000CR8RY2
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Customer Reviews:

One little addition to the other reviews.......2007-06-26

I absolutey love reading the reviews that Amazon customers write. They often have a great influence on what I purchase.

I couldn't agree more with the glowing reviews already given for this DVD. Beautiful voices, terrific singing, great acting, good-looking cast, good directing, and a wonderful orchestra with an outstanding conductor.

The only reason I'm giving only four stars is that I thought prospective buyers might want to know about how the production itself LOOKS. The set is very spare which is not necessarily a great disadvantage, but the apparel of the cast and chorus is pretty much what you'd see out on the street. The production looks like a rehearsal. It sounds like it's wonderfully ready for very lucky audiences, but gee whiz!

However, I highly recommend this excellent DVD.

Expert Cast Lends Passion to a Relentlessly Dark Staging of Handel's Mythic Oratorio.......2007-01-14

Luc Bondy's decidedly Spartan approach to one of Handel's more intriguing and epic oratorios may disappoint some Baroque purists, but there is no stopping the dramatic resonance of the piece. "Hercules" examines the power of jealousy and its fatalistic ramifications using the last hours of the mythic hero's life as the central focus of the story. Wrapped in the composer's wondrous, mood-shifting music for well over three hours, the 2004 Festival International d'Art Lyrique d'Aix-en-Provence production, recorded at Paris' Palais Garnier, is marked by an extremely theatrical sense of character-driven drama. TV director Vincent Bataillon captures this volatility fully on the 2006 two-disc DVD set and the performance itself benefits significantly from a solid cast lending their voices to some of the composer's most breathtaking arias. Despite its tepid London debut in 1744, the oratorio has understandably raised its standing among Baroque aficionados to become one of Handel's most respected works.

Baritone William Shimell plays the title role in a rather brutish monotone that sometimes overshadows his character's aching vulnerability, even though his singing is mainly superb. At certain moments, such as his big air in Act II, "Alcides' name in latest story", he reveals an innate ability to convey not only his character's imminent fate but also a strong heroic sense. Regardless of the title, the oratorio is dominated by Hercules' distraught wife Dejanira, and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato runs with the opportunity with a feverish performance that takes advantage of her theatrical vibrancy and vocal agility. Her climactic scene of madness, showcased in the air, "Where shall I fly?", perfectly reflects DiDonato's total commitment to the role. As Hyllus, tenor Toby Spence is marginally less impressive in capturing his young character's callow feelings toward his father's young captive, Iole, but he still manages to conquer the most prominent of the virtuoso runs in his many arias with great dexterity. With unsullied purity, soprano Ingela Bohlin affectingly sings Iole, the object of Dejanira's jealousy, while in a trouser role, mezzo-soprano Malena Ernman is able to bring out a palpable masculinity in the smallish role of Lichas the Herald.

Another powerful asset to this production is the masterful baton of Baroque specialist William Christie, who vividly leads the period instrument orchestra of Les Arts Florissants. Yet, with the combined power of the performers and musicians, including a powerfully diverse chorale, the overall gray-toned darkness of the production becomes wearing over its marathon run. Even in the jubilation of the final chorus celebrating the marriage of Hyllus and Iole, there is a pervasive somber note sounded by the melancholy sets. Compared to Peter Sellars' legendary 1996 rethinking of Handel's "Theodora" (also on DVD) in a modern-day political setting, this staging does not take as many artistic risks in plumbing the emotional depths of this classic work. Granted, "Hercules" is not as powerful an oratorio, but I just wish Bondy trusted a little more variation in his vision. For all that, this is still a most worthwhile record of the composer's underappreciated work.

DiDonato is Triumphant!.......2006-10-25

Whether "Hercules" is opera or oratorio is truly academic. What matters most is that this is a top-shelf DVD that features spectacular performances. I highly recommend this DVD to lovers of opera, oratorio, or Baroque music in general.

Before discussing the positives, of which there were many, I only have one bone to pick with this production. That issue is the scene where Hyllus, well sung by tenor Toby Spence, is preparing to leave his mother Dejanira to search for his father Hercules. Given the gravity and danger of the trek, Spence seemed somewhat casual about the whole thing. At one point, he pulled out a huge fold-out map, and was showing Dejanira where he would go by making his fingers walk over the map. It was also clear he had no idea where on the map he was pointing. In acting-speak, there was no intention in his movement. He was then aided in his packing for the journey by the chorus, who brought him a backpack, thermos, etc. The lack of gravity of the staging, combined with Spence's youthful looks, made the whole scene look like he was off to summer camp. In fact, the only character on stage who seemed to grasp the seriousness of this event was Dejanira.

None of the reviews I read gave enough credit to the fantastic musicians of Les Arts Florissants. Maybe I'm sensitive to this because I'm a violinist, but nonetheless, the playing is wonderful. I particularly enjoyed the prelude to Act III with its jagged rythms and beautiful violin solos.

The chorus is also top notch. The balance between the voices was perfect, and the chorus played their role as narrator and moral arbiter with surety.

The casting was brilliant, starting with Malena Ernman as Lichas. Ms. Ernman is blonde, buff, beautiful, and though billed as an alto, she is an honest-to-goodness contralto. Her low register will blow you away.

I loved Ingela Bohlin as Iole, the pretty young thing that Hercules brings back following his Act I triumph. Ms. Bohlin looks like a movie star, and has a gorgeous leggiero soprano voice to match. The weight of her voice was a perfect balance with the other women in the cast. Her acting was credible and honest.

William Shimell was a virile yet vulnerable Hercules. His full baritone was perfect for the heroic part. Toby Spence, despite the one scene, is a wonderful tenor and sings the difficult role of Hyllus with flair and confidence.

The star of the evening, as she most often is, was Joyce DiDonato as Dejanira. She showed it all. Her Act I arias (or are they airs?), where she is pining away for her absent husband will pull at your heart strings. Her rock solid technique allows her the option of ethereal, floating pianos and pianissimos. Her jealousy scene with Iole was creepy, and foreshadowed the madness to come. The mad scene in Act III was brilliant and risky. Other critics have said it, and it is true: Joyce DiDonato is a fearless singer. She is truly one of the greatest mezzos of our day. In addition to being a singer who can do it all, she commits to her character and choices, and gives the audience all she has.

Not only would I recommend you buy this DVD, I might recommend that you spend the extra money for quick shipping. I'm sure you will enjoy it, and I look forward to watching my copy many more times.

Damn, this is good!.......2006-08-18

I am completely knocked out by this DVD. There isn't much more I can cay about it - see the other reviews - except to say that if you're a fan of Baroque music and opera, you must have a look at this!

The cast is first rate and it would be hard to imagine better a better one. I have the old Gardiner / English Baroque Soloists / The Monteverdi Choir CD recording on ARCHIV, and whilst I enjoyed it, it never captivated me. I bought this DVD recording and expected to be entertained, but I am surprised how good this work is in the hands of William Christie and his Les Arts Florissants ensemble. The DVD is a revelation.

The cast is excellent, as I previously mentioned. William Shimell is a very manly and effective Hercules. Joyce Didonato is very beautiful as his wife Dejanira. She is also too sexy, in fact.
Toby Spence just knocks me out. He was superb as Calisis in Rameau's Les Boréades, and he is great as Hyllus in this recording. So young, so talented! I hate him! ;-))

The choir and orchestra are in top form.

This is a wonderful and moving work.

Handel + Hercules = Amazing! .......2006-02-22

This is an extraordinary opportunity to see a (fairly) rarely performed musical drama of Handel - a work debated as both opera and oratorio (depending on whos doing the arguing). It is a first rate performance and should engage the passions, intelligence and emotions of anyone viewing it, from the very beginning. The first moment that truly wrecked me was the chorus "O filial piety, courageous love" where the populace comfort, then ready Hyllus for his journey. It was an absolutely perfect moment and Toby Spence's silent, moving reactions to the people was amazing. Then we see DiDonato's Dejanira, so mournful and disconsolate it was heartbreaking to watch as she desperately hangs onto her son's shirt, seizing his arm - as he takes leave of her - a profoundly moving stage picture wed to music of exquisite and delicate beauty.

I couldn't help but share in the joy and excitement during the announcement of Hercules' return and the march preceding his arrival. Then Iole's stunning lament "Peaceful rest, dear parent shade" was sung with such clean line and simplicity by Ingela Bohlin that I had to stop the disc and repeat it. Here again, Bondy's staging captures every element of the music and drama and the camera follows its flow in its own musical direction - simply amazing.

The first act ends with one of Handel's most unusual choruses - "Crown with festal pomp the day." The first time I heard this I wondered if it was really composed by Handel or inserted years later, so modern does it sound. Indeed, this score is one of Handel's most unusual, where there is the "typical" Handelian sound, much of it seems to look forward to where music was "going" (the best composers often have this trait). In fact most of the choruses (especially with the thrilling effects Christie draws from the chorus - as in "Wanton god of am'rous fires! Sheesh!).

If at the beginning I felt Toby Spence not as intense as Croft in the recent CD recording, the younger tenor certainly pulled me strongly into his camp with From celestial seats descending - one of the most beautiful arias (and beautifully performed) in this entire work. His performance from hereon for me took on remarkable depth of character and he was nothing if not heartwrenching.

As good - or wonderful as everyone is, the performance of the night goes to Miss DiDonato. She continues to impress me with everything she does. I first heard her live in newer works, such as Dead Man Walking and Little Women, and since have been wowed by her performances of everything else, especially Rossini. Her performance here equals in intensity (of an entirely different sort) that of her Sister Helen in Dead Man. Her range of physical gestures and natural ability in acting is tremendous.

Handel's work in recitative is nothing less than astonishing throughout here, and the cast performs them (particularly DiDonato) with startling theatricality and power.

There are too many highlights to mention, but I'm grateful to have been turned on to this performance - I know I'll probably be playing it for the rest of the week, trying to absorb it all. In only his second baroque work Bondy has, joined Peter Sellars in his "Theodora" staging in creating viable, theatrically compelling and visually exciting Handel operas out of works hitherto primarily known as "oratorios" and not opera, showing the wealth of musical drama Handel could wring from a story.

How blessed we are to live in an era of directors capable of taking what previously had been wrongfully assumed to be lovely if dull oratorios and breathing into them the drama we knew always existed in these works all long. This Hercules, like the recent Theodora, show that, in the right hands Handel's music dramas can be every bit as potent as Shakespeare. Bravos all around to all involved in this wonderful performance. This is one of the finest DVD performances released in 2004 - or any year!

Average customer rating:

A true Story

One Man's War
Starring: Anthony Hopkins , Norma Aleandro , Fernanda Torres , Leonardo García Vale , and Miah Michelle
Director: Sergio Toledo (II)
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
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The Good Father
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ASIN: B000IJ7A1A
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Description

When a doctor discovers that his son is the tortured victim of a brutal dictatorship, he fights back the only way he can - through the law courts. Blocked at every turn, this becomes more than one man's fight against a government - it is one man's war.

Customer Reviews:

A true Story.......1999-05-13

This movie shows how a Man can fight for the truth, and how was Paraguay during this dictatorship of almost 40 years. Here U will see the corruption of this small country in South America, and the tirany that this man had, Alfredo Stroessner.

Its a sad story and all the events happened in the real life. Today the Filartigas lives in Asuncion, the capital city. Always remenbering Joelito.

Description

The sexual revolution meets a bumbling door-to-door salesman and his beautician wife in the form of "educational" sex films in this satiric comedy, set in Spain in 1973. Alfredo Lopez (Javier Cámara) is an encyclopedia salesman whose work has not been going especially well lately, which is worrisome to his wife, Carmen (Candela Peña), who is eager to have a baby. As it happens, encyclopedia sales have been dismal overall, and publisher Don Carlos (Juan Diego) strikes upon an idea for a more lucrative product line -- an "audiovisual encyclopedia of human reproduction," consisting of 8 mm movies demonstrating different ways for couples to make love. Don Carlos sets up a meeting between his sales staff and Dennis (Thomas Bo Larsen), a pornographer from Denmark who likes to tell people he once worked with Ingmar Bergman. While most of the salesmen refuse to have anything to do with Don Carlos' new scheme -- especially since pornography is strictly illegal under the Franco regime -- Alfredo grudgingly goes along, and despite his misgivings Carmen is drafted to star in the first film in the series. As the films become an underground success in Spain and earns a more high-profile reputation in Denmark, Carmen is recognized in public as a glamorous porn star, and Alfredo deludes himself into believing he and Dennis are making art films. But Alfredo's ambitions get the better of him when he begins writing a screenplay for a serious feature film and Carmen becomes increasingly obsessed with having a child. Special Features: o Alternative Footage o Biographies o Deleted Scenes o Filmographies o Interactive Menu o Making Of o Music Video o Photo Gallery o Scene Access o Trailer(s)

Customer Reviews:

Completely Unique. .......2007-01-31

Both satirical and tragic, Torremolinos 73 has considerable entertainment value while also raising important questions about what it means to be a man in our modern era. Without giving any of the plot away, Alfredo has to make a rather odd choice at the end of the film; the type of choice which would not easily be made many years ago. In my estimation, the ending will definitely affect most of the men who see it which is an independent indicator of its being well done. Torremolinos 73 also captures an era as it makes us remember the drabness of the 1970s which is a consistent source of mirth and interest throughout.

"You have an endless desire for desire.".......2006-04-14

In Franco's Spain, struggling door-to-door encyclopedia salesman Alfredo (Javier Camara) isn't selling many 10-volume sets of Spanish Civil War facts. Recently, sales at Montoya publishing have plummeted. When Don Carlos (Juan Diego), Alfredo's slightly sleazy boss tells him to come into his office for a chat, Alfredo is expecting to lose his job. To Alfredo's surprise, Don Carlos asks him to attend a weekend conference with his beautician wife, Carmen (Candela Pena). Alfredo and Carmen anticipate some sort of pitch about a new encyclopedia set. They are stunned when Don Carlos explains he wants them--as a couple--to make 'educational' films using an 8 mm camera. In the Franco regime, pornography is illegal, so these films, under the cloak of "filming sexual habits of other cultures" will be released in Sweden. Alfredo and Carmen take to their assignment with a sense of gusto, and it's not long before Alfredo is dreaming up plots and scenarios for his many films.

Carmen becomes an internationally recognized star. While the films bring fame and fortune to Alfredo and Carmen, they both harbour secret longings. Carmen wants a child, and Alfredo dreams of making a Bergmanesque adult-extravaganza styled on "The Seventh Seal."

"Torremolinos 73" is a lively Spanish comedy that focuses on the relationship between Alfredo and Carmen. Their adventures with the 8mm camera are amusing and somehow maintain an aura of innocence--in spite of the fact they are producing pornography. The supporting characters add to the film's light-hearted atmosphere--there's a director who claims he's worked with Bergman, and his Swedish assistant who teaches Carmen how to act before the camera. The film does contain serious moments, however, and both Alfredo and Carmen have to face some truths about their relationship. Director Pablo Berger manages to capture the utter emptiness of Carmen's eyes as Alfredo films her for the hungry horde of Swedish fans. DVD extras include cast and director biographies, photo gallery, and trailers from various 60s and 70s films. In Spanish with English subtitles--displacedhuman

Casablanca Test Approved.......2006-03-22

Set in early 1970s Spain, this buoyantly wry film begins with doors closing in paradise, proceeds to matters of the flesh, and culminates in a deal with the devil. Then, heretically, tops the whole thing off with proof of a living, breathing, man-made golden miracle.

The paradise is the MY PARADISE Apartments where, as the film opens, door after door is being shut in the face of a bowed but stoically undaunted encyclopedia salesman named Alfredo Lopez (Camara). He owes three months rent, his wife Carmen (Pena) is nagging him about having a baby and he's about to be fired after 15 years on the job. What to do? His boss, the diabolical Don Carlos of Montoya Publishers, seems to know. He suggests that Alfredo and Carmen make educational films about "Spanish reproductive customs" for a Swedish-Spanish business collaboration of his called THE WORLD AUDIOVISUAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF REPRODUCTION. A former assistant of Ingmar Bergman is on had to show Alfredo how to make them.

The plot thickens when Alfredo proves such a quick study that he's awarded Bergman's bull horn. With that and Don Carlos' commission in hand, Alfredo and Carmen set to work and in almost no time at all a new, and extremely lucrative, door opens up for the Lopez family.

There is nothing to dislike about this movie as scene after delightful scene is filled with interesting characters, compelling images, wry humor, pleasant surprise, bitter truth and the beautiful naked body of Carmen. Small wonder then at what happens when Alfredo is ushered into the room of a fertility clinic and asked to make a donation. Though the walls are covered with photographs of attractive, but clothed, women he still finds himself, well, uninspired. Until, resourcefully, he reaches into his wallet, takes out a picture of Carmen, pastes that on the wall, and gets down to business. Little does he suspect that hordes of Norsemen might be equally resourceful.

There's a hint of beastly pleasure in a delicious bit that finds a middle-aged woman alone in bed completing a jigsaw puzzle of (what else?) a rhinoceros. Suddenly moans and the creaking of bedsprings are heard. Quickly, she realizes that Carmen and Alfredo are at it again. Displeased initially. she slowly succumbs to the rhythm of the beat and leans closer to the wall to better appreciate their filmmaking. In a beauty salon another middle-aged woman is beside herself because she's just been to Brando's latest film, circa 1972, and didn't appreciate what was on the screen. So much so that in between waxings she complains, "I thought LAST TANGO IN PARIS was a musical!"

The cast is wonderful. The dialogue is witty. The director's touch is as light as Lubitsch's. Only here the cameras, Pablo's and Alfredo's, do go into the bedroom.

Decent comedy, that is really more sad........2005-07-28

This is a comedy about a couple who are struggling to make ends meet. The husband is an encyclepedia salesman and the company is downsizing the salesmen, but they offer an alternative. A foreign company wants to make a video encyclepedia of sex and they'll use the personal tapes of these former salesmen as examples of Spanish mating rituals. It doesn't take much to figure out that they're being contracted to make porn for foreign markets, but they decide to do it since the money is good and they wouldn't mind practicing the procreation, since the money they'd earn would definitely support a child. Well, these events unfold and are somewhat dryly funny, but the film isn't totally a comedy. Oddly, it felt strangely documentary throughout, as if this was an honest story of a couple that was traslated into the language of film. The acting is quite good and played straight by the leads who are veterans of Almodovar,the master of the marginal and shades of sadness, that has prepared them to make this film and it comes out well, but fans of erotic film will be disappointed, it's not really erotic even though it does contain explicit sex, and a key element to the story is the fact they make sex films. I think the reason this is so, is because the film is really about the relationship between the two people and their scope is never out of our minds, we never break out of their perspective and delve head long into hedonism. I view that as a positive accomplishment, but I wish it were funnier just because the film leaves you feeling neither up, nor down, you just feel OK and I felt that the film didn't leave a terrific impression on me at the end. So, it's a good film, but place it in the "Just OK" category.

All in the Name of Education.......2005-04-23

Alfredo ("Talk to Her" Javier Camara) is at the end of his rope financially. His business is selling 10 leather-bound deluxe volumes of the Encyclopedia of the Spanish Civil War, door to door...and business is not good. So bad in fact that he has to sneak in to his apartment every evening so as to avoid his landlady.
But despite this, Alfredo is a lucky man because he has a truly great relationship, emotional and sexual with his wife Carmen (Candela Pena) which eases the pain and humiliation that Alfredo feels when he returns home every night, empty handed and with empty pockets.
Then Alfredo's boss decides to switch products from encyclopedias to a product produced by the "Copenhagen Institute of Sexual Research." What it boils down to is that Alfredo and Carmen are enlisted to film themselves, along with the help of Swedish coaches, having sex.
The filming, with the coaches urging and directing the action, is hilarious particularly when Carmen and Alfredo are asked to dress up: Carmen as a nurse, a bride and Alfredo as a bulging deliveryman and a soccer player to name a few of the disguises. Bare in mind that this film is set in Franco's supposedly chaste Spain of the 1970's and the film takes on the patina of an outlaw production but recalled from a new millennium perspective that adds to the ersatz disconnect between "reel" reality and reality that only makes the film's comedy deeper and more meaningful.
Director Pablo Berger has kept his film light and airy and Camara and Pena turn in subtle, ironic performances that miraculously stay on the bright, non-sleazy and somehow innocent side of their "work" and never fall into the doomed, druggy dismal world popularized in films like "Boogie Nights."

Average customer rating:

Another Contemporary Mexican Hit

La Mujer de Benjamin (Benjamin's Woman)
Starring: Eduardo López Rojas , Arcelia Ramírez , Malena Doria , Juan Carlos Colombo , and Eduardo Palomo
Director: Carlos Carrera
Manufacturer: Desert Mountain
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La Pasion Segun Berenice (The Passion of Berenice)
Cilantro Y Perejil (Recipes to Stay Together)
Por Si No Te Vuelvo a Ver (If I Never See You Again)
Lucia, Lucia
La Virgen de la Lujuria

ASIN: B00008DDVC
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Customer Reviews:

Another Contemporary Mexican Hit.......2004-05-15

Released before Amores Perros, this movie falls in between the same lines. It has no real heros or villians, just tragic characters with their selfish desires. Of course they all desire different things, opposing one another, and that is where the drama begins.
It is a humorous, honest film exposing human frailty in which Mexican storytellers do best. I recommend the film for its unpredictable story, direction and characters, which at the end of the film will leave you thinking as all great films do.

Average customer rating:

4.5 stars for this tragic movie
#14 Mexican Film Ever per SOMOS Magazine Survey
Power, Fanatics and Religious Hypocracy

Canoa
Starring: Manuel Ojeda , Alicia del Lago , Enrique Lucero , Gerardo Vigil , and Salvador Sánchez
Director: Felipe Cazals
Manufacturer: Desert Mountain
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00008H2HZ
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Description

Canoa is a compelling story based on the actual event that occurred on September 14th 1968 in the mountainous town of San Miguel de Canoa. A group of employees from Puebla University set out on a hiking excursion to a nearby mountain. Mistaken for radical communist agitators by a domineering local priest, a mob of townspeople are incited to riot, resulting in the brutal murders of several of the young men.

Customer Reviews:

4.5 stars for this tragic movie.......2006-05-18

misunderstandings can be deadly.. So it is in this fine Mexican film about a group of workers who are mistaken for communist students and brutalized by a crazed town of religous fanatics headed by a hypocritical priest and mayor... I had never heard of this movie but the picture on the front of the dvd really captured my attention and the reasonable price tag made it worth taking a chance... I'm glad I did.. this is a very relevant movie that more people should watch.

#14 Mexican Film Ever per SOMOS Magazine Survey.......2004-08-02

It's not listed in the horror genre, but it certainly impressed upon me some of the most horrific remembrances I have ever taken with me from a film. Making it all the more frightening, of course, is the fact that this is a true story, one that has been repeated with fairly recent incidents in Guatemala. What's worse, many of the villages of rural Puebla still survive in a similar state of sinister surroundings, to which any astute climber of La Malintzin or Citlalteptl can surely attest.

Back to the film, Canoa starts out with a documentary feel which looks surprisingly crisp and modern. We are introduced rather scientifically to the rural area of Puebla State where the film will take place and some of its principle characters. Much of this is portrayed thru an "interview" with the character knows as "el testigo" (the witness) played by Salvador Sanchez (Salvador, La Ley de Herodes). Much of the film focuses on the students, some of whose faces fans of Mexican television will certainly find familiar from novelas. While none of them provide particularly compelling performances, the film is carried along very well by the supporting cast, including Enrique Lucero (The Magnificent Seven, Macario) in a dark and brilliant performance as the priest, Jorge Fegan (Rojo Amanecer) as the police comandante, and a chillingly sober Ernesto Gomez Cruz (Midaq Alley, La Ley de Herodes, El Crimen de Padre Amaro) in probably his best performance.

The DVD has great widescreen video and stereo sound quality, and the subtitles are optional for Spanish speakers. My recommendation: a must-buy for fans of Mexican cinema, especially at this very reasonable price. Certainly worth checking out for anyone with an interest in Mexico or expanding their horizons.

Power, Fanatics and Religious Hypocracy.......2003-10-09

This move is in part a scripted documentary (but fictional as far as the filming) and part awesome images of the total chaos created by brainwashed masses who attentively go to mass. An important film for Mexican Cinema, it has startingly images of hate, there is little rhetoric mentioned in the film, we see people acting on what their hearts feel is right. What I do find great about the film is that you actually get to see the mind set of many people going through the first stages of Industrailzation by way of the first steps of Globalization. Although lynch mobs are not as common in Mexico as might have been, this TRUE STORY reflects the living mind set of belittled small town life in Mexico, well at least a side of it that people should know about. Quite humorous at times, it in no way sways away from its truths, the last 20 minutes of the film are powerful. The transfer is great considering it is a film rearly mentioned in popular media (especially in Mexico), the negative was in a good enough condition for viewing, although you do see an occasional vertical line here and there, but barely noticable. The sound is good, but I really did not expect permier sound for such a film (1975). Made in a time where B movies ruled in Mexico, this gem of a film shines out of a list of other great films released by Desert Mountain Media. In letterbox presentation, stereo 2.0 in Spanish with removable English subtitles. Cast Biographies, interactive menus and chapter selections. For one thing I must appreciate the resurecction of the film, another is the decent quality. This film is heavily awared in Mexico, quite popular world wide, it acutally won Best Picture at the Berlin International Film Fesitval. Not for the light hearted, striking images of corruption, innocence and hate.

Average customer rating:

More than a nice love story...

Nueces Para el Amor
Starring: Ariadna Gil , Gastón Pauls , Gabriel Goity , Nancy Duplaa , and Nicolás Pauls
Director: Alberto Lecchi
Manufacturer: Allumination
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ASIN: B000G2YD32
Release Date: 2006-06-05

Customer Reviews:

More than a nice love story..........2007-05-20

"Nueces para el Amor" is no more and no less than the story of Alicia (Malena Solda) and Marcelo (Nicolas Pauls), a story that happens against the backdrop of Argentinian history. This excellent film is directed by Alberto Lecchi, and tells a touching story.

Alicia and Marcelo first met on a train in 1975, after the last concert of "Suis Generis" and just before the beginning of another dictatorship in Argentina. Their love story seemed impossible from the very beginning, as Alicia already had a boyfriend. Besides, Alicia and Marcelo were very different: she liked to read, to write, was politically active, and loved foreign movies, whereas he was just beginning to discover his place in the world. Despite that, they started a relationship that only ended because Alicia thought that her social work and political commitment didn't give her the right to be in love.

Their love story doesn't end there, though, because this couple will meet many more times, at different stages in their lives. They will be different, older, and maybe wiser. Unfortunately, there will always be something that doesn't allow Alicia (now played by Ariadna Gil) and Marcelo (now played by Gaston Pauls) to recognize that they are, after all, soulmates. But... will things change someday? And if so, why?

This film is more than a nice love story, as it somehow manages to weave together the story of a couple with that of a country, whilst allowing you to hear some great songs from Argentina that show what many people felt during the dark times of the Argentinian dictatorship. "Nueces para el amor" is an excellent film, that I think you will like, provided you speak Spanish. If you don't, just make sure you get hold of a dvd with subtitles in English.

Belen Alcat

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