Emma Suárez & Martina García in "La Mosquitera" [2010 Spain]

It is films like these that made me fall in love with Spanish cinema. Catalan director Agustí Vila's psychological drama "La Mosquitera" [Eng. Title: The Mosquito net] is a portrait of a dysfunctional albeit well-to-do family. It is an exceptionally well written and directed film, and to see that it had managed to win only a handful of relatively minor awards is disappointing - must have been one of those that slip through the net each year. Although without a doubt, this is the best new Spanish film I've seen all year. Surprisingly, this is only Agustí Vila's second full-length feature. I hope he gets to write and direct more such films in future.

Storyline:
Alícia just can't communicate with husband Miguel. She nevertheless forces him to put up with their teenage son Lluís' eccentricities, and accumulating pets from shelters is just one of them. Lluís doesn't talk much either, but at least his mother manages to connect with him. María, Miguel's mother suffers from Alzheimer's and husband Roberto is finding it hard to cope - he's generally foul tempered and wants to commit suicide. Ignored by his family, Miguel is drawn to the new housemaid Ana, and when Alícia wants some time off and asks Miguel to leave, he embarks on an affair with Ana. Add to this, Alícia's sister, a single mum, also has serious issues with her young daughter. Everybody wants to change, but find it easier to be in denial than face the truth.

The DVD extras include some deleted scenes which give us additional insight into the characters, but the final cut is still good as it is.

The performances by all the actors are excellent; beautiful as ever Emma Suárez who plays unhappy housewife Alícia is melancholy personified, Geraldine Chaplin who plays the ailing María doesn't say a single word, but is as convincing a portrayal as can be. Ana the migrant maid is played very well by gorgeous Martina García, one can see her maturing into a very serious actress. But the best performance had to be from Eduard Fernández, who plays beleaguered husband Miguel with admirable restraint. The cinematography is of very high calibre, but it is the exquisite screenplay and direction by Agustí Vila above all else, that makes this film a gem. Needless to say, Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link




Compilation: Emma Suárez and Martina García



Scene Guide:

• Alícia, now separated, gets flirty with Sergi at a small party she'd organised for son Lluís' birthday. Later at night, a sleepless Alícia sneaks into the room where she thought Sergi was, only to realise that it's her son Lluís sleeping there. Embarrassed at first, she manages to find Sergi. More embarrassment as they get discovered by Lluís (and the dog) the following morning. :)
• Channel hopping Sergi shows his immaturity when he calls Alícia a whore, much to her shock. He practically molests her afterwards.
• Miguel, separated, meets Ana who's now jobless, and invites her to his hotel after giving her some money. She feels compelled to repay him for the kindness. Just watch the rest as it requires no explaining.
• There's only a brief nip-slip in this long scene but very interesting nevertheless and filled with wry humour as Miguel, in denial of his own nature, behaves like a righteous old fart, and wants to convince Ana that he's looking for something more than a brief physical fling. At the restaurant, when she asks if they could go back to the hotel room, he suggests instead, "no, let's go outside and look at the stars".

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Silke & Emma Suárez in Julio Medem's "Tierra" [1996 Spain]

After a thrilling "La Ardilla Roja", Julio Medem made this surreal classic, "Tierra" [Eng. Title: Earth], retaining most of his brilliant main cast. Typically for a Medem film, hitherto missed nuances keep surfacing every time you see it, and by pure coincidence I ended up watching it twice in succession recently - need I say more. Right from the story, to the screenplay, and the characterisation, Medem had woven a stunning multi-layered tapestry using different motifs and themes. The direction is delightfully playful, and the manner in which both the outward story and 'Medem-vision' play independently is simply astonishing. The superb cinematography makes you want to be there and get to know these characters. I feel a bit silly stating the obvious - this is a superior classic from maestro Medem, and therefore Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Storyline:
It's going to be tough, but I'll give it a try - Our hero, the endearing Ángel is a pest controller - an exterminating angel of sorts commissioned to end a woodworm epidemic in a wine-growing area. Even though he's aware the woodworm adds a unique 'earthy' texture to the wine that is appealing, he nevertheless has to get rid of it. Add to this, we also have wild boars ravaging the crops.

Ángel also wants to exterminate his own split personality, having spent time in a mental institution - for apparently having a rather vivid imagination - "half man, half angel", according to his own words. This is beautifully illustrated through two women he encounters during his assignment - the married and angelic Ángela, and the free-spirited biker-chick Mari - one part of him loves Ángela while the other wants to rid himself of his split 'twin' - and become independent, much like Mari. Which one will 'he' choose - and the answer couldn't have been more poetically established as in one of the final scenes, when the uncle tells a hospitalised Ángel that there's a pretty woman waiting to see him. He asks his uncle, "which one, the red-haired or the blonde?", to which the uncle replies, "which one would she rather be?"

Amazon DVD Link







Compilation: Silke and Emma Suárez



Scene Guide:

• No nudity but sexy - as Mari teases Ángel with her sinuous curves at her brother's bar - is he imagining her, or is it for real - we learn through the conversation that he was in a mental patient for a while. Mari is played by sexy minx Silke - full name, Silke Hornillos Klein.
• Ángel follows Mari one night and watches her in the act with the already married Patricio, who treats her as his possession and sees Ángel as a rival. They're disturbed when a wild boar triggers a trap in the backyard. Mari notices Ángel spying and asks him (the wild boar) to come and 'eat her heart'.
• No nudity - when Patricio dies in a freak accident, Mari bids farewell to Ángel as she fears she'll get all romantic over him - some bizarre face-lickin from Silke in this scene.
• Long scene - Mari tells Ángel at the bar that she'll be waiting for him at her house with the door ajar. A serious sex session follows when he gets there.
• Ángel watches Mari head towards the bathroom and decides to join her, but lo and behold, it is Ángela, the widow of Patricio who'd spent the night in the same house with Mari's brother Alberto. When Alberto comes looking for her, she asks him to wait outside, but he had already seen Ángel's trousers by the bath - there's nothing more to hide now in this kinky scene. Ángela is of course played by the delectable Emma Suárez.

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Emma Suárez in Julio Medem's "La Ardilla Roja" [1993, Spain]

Julio Medem's second feature film, "La Ardilla Roja" [Eng. Title: the Red Squirrel] was also my first Medem - it impressed me enough to want to follow his other works from then on. I now have all his feature films on DVD, and one can safely say that I'm not the only one who eagerly looks forward each of his releases. While his most recent film may not be among his masterpieces, he nevertheless remains my favourite Spanish director.

La Ardilla Roja is outwardly a romantic thriller but has several layers in it, which will be revealed by paying attention to detail, or several viewings even. It is a psychological drama, surreal and melodramatic at times, certainly twisted, and also erotic. The film is also an excellent introduction to Julio Medem as it uses symbolism more sparingly than his earlier film Vacas or some of his later works.

Storyline:
Jota is about to throw himself onto the rocks by the sea - his partner of several years had just left him. But he's forced to postpone the act when a motorcycle crash-lands on the beach below, and he goes down to offer some help. He realises the person on the bike is a woman, who'd temporarily gone into amnesia following the fall. But he had already fallen in love with her 'blue and tangled' eyes, and having little to loose, claims at the hospital that he is indeed her fiancé and that they were in the bike together - only he managed to jump off the bike before it hit the railing. He also gives her name as 'Lisa' - the name of his ex-girlfriend. When the hospital authorities ask him to bring them her papers for verification, he quietly smuggles her out of the hospital and takes her on a camping trip to a site called, "The Red Squirrel". As the days progress, 'Lisa' and Jota fall in love. But Jota wonders if she's truly lost her memory, or whether she's just making it all up - playing a game with him instead. How long will he keep this lie going, and what will he do when he learns who she actually is..?

The screenplay and direction is simply brilliant, beautifully piecing together a mystery as the film reaches its conclusion. There are several 'Medem' touches that will be applied more famously in his future films. The soundtrack and editing is just as awesome, and beautiful Emma Suárez who plays the woman, successfully retains an air of mystery about her throughout the film. This is one of Medem's early classics, and therefore, Highly Recommended Viewing..!

The scenes below were compiled from the DVD that came with my Box-set, but the film can also be purchased individually through this Amazon DVD link.




Compilation: Emma Suárez
There's only brief nudity in all these scenes but they're all interesting nevertheless.



Scene Guide:

• 'Lisa' wakes up in the camp site to the sounds of the neighbour's children playing father-mother. She remembers telling neighbours last night that she's married, and asks Jota if they indeed are, or even if she was once married to someone else.
• Brief scene at the communal showers - 'Lisa' spontaneously starts singing in German.
• There's no nudity in this outdoor sex scene at night but I liked the way it is filmed and edited - left it here as it's in keeping with the blog's theme.
• Skinny dipping by the lake - Jota realises 'Lisa' is a better athlete than him.
• 'Lisa' assures him that she truly doesn't remember anything from her past and that she also doesn't care. She asks him instead if he still loves her, which he obviously seems to.
• Interesting scene even if there's only brief nudity, and that too by a body-double. Little Alberto, the neighbour's son tries to be all macho with Lisa as he 'dust's' Lisa's trousers after a fall. She turns around and asks him if he wants to feel her ass again. "I bet you want to touch me there, don't you..." she asks. She takes his hand and inserts it under her pants much to the shock of Jota and Alberto's dad, and once the hand reaches its destination, she warns him, "now it's going to bite you..." You can follow the rest.
• Apparently 'Lisa' does have a husband - a maniacal one at that - and her real name, Sofia. In this dream scene she desperately clings to Jota as her husband tries to snatch her away in the only way one could - by groping her from behind. The reason behind the depiction of this scene will become apparent while watching the full film when Jota and Lisa discuss their respective sexual desires and fantasies. The red earth in the background will appear again more prominently in Medem's next feature (Tierra).

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Emma Suárez & Rosario Flores in "Contra el Viento" [1990 Spain]

Paco Periñán's directorial full-length feature debut, "Contra el Viento" [Eng. Title: Against the Wind] should have kick-started a successful career - he was also nominated for a Goya the following year, but for reasons unknown, it was also the last film he's directed - he is an assistant director (1st or 2nd) these days.

It is a strange film with several plot elements in it which go nowhere. It is also a rare film and I've never been able to get hold of it in its native Spanish language. The DVD from which these scenes were cut is from an Italian version, and as with all dubbed films, subtle nuances are lost in narration. The end product looks like a cheap 80's thriller.

Juan leaves his parental home to live in an Andalusian village, fleeing an incestuous relationship with his sister Ana. We are given very little background regarding this, considering the fact that they don't come from a broken home. But Ana comes looking for him after a year without contact, and decides to live in his one-room shed, much to Juan's discomfort - he'd been trying to leave behind his past and had just started a relationship with local girl Rosario. We see the siblings still in love, but while Juan knows the relationship is wrong, Ana continues to harbour a distorted vision of familial love. She demands his attention even as he tries to avoid her, and when she'd just about given up, notices evidence that he still has feelings for her as before, and decides to stay in the village with an engineer, by lying to Juan that she's leaving.

This is an unusual role for the beautiful Emma Suárez, who plays Ana. technically, while the editing is decent, I didn't find the soundtrack all that appealing, and can't comment on the direction as I've only seen the dubbed version. The film was shot in full frame, due to which some close-ups have an abstract quality about it. The lighting could have been better, but difficult to tell as this may also be due to average DVD mastering. In the compilation, I have slightly increased the intensity to bring out whatever detail there is. The film is however here for its rarity, as rare as the nude scene from Rosario Flores who plays Rosario - she didn't take her kit off even for Almodovar in Habla con Ella!



Scene Guide:

• When Ana arrives unexpectedly, Juan pleads with Rosario if he could spend the night with her. She relents.
• Returning home the following morning, Juan sees Ana asleep in his bed.
• That night, Ana persuades Juan into having sex - she asks him later why he left Madrid without informing her.
• Ana with the engineer - displaying her best features, but letting him know she's come to this god-forsaken place for the only person she'd ever loved.
• A heated sex session between Ana and Juan, with tantalising glimpses of Emma's breasts. From what I could see, this scene could have been executed a lot better.

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Ana Torrent and Emma Suárez in "Vacas" [1992 Spain]

For a debut feature, Julio Medem's "Vacas" [Eng. Title: Cows] is extraordinarily mature in craftmanship and execution. It's as if he had already set the template for his style of filmmaking - imprints of which can be found in all his films since then. Even though I had seen his second film "La Ardilla Roja" earlier, it was "Vacas" that made me a true fan of the maestro, and through the years he's never failed to impress. This still remains one of my all-time favourite Medem films along with "Los Amantes del Circulo Polar" - it is European cinema at it's best. I'm not surprised he won the Goya for the best new director the following year.

The story spans three generations of two feuding families - neighbours - in the Basque country. But I'm at a loss as to where to begin writing about this masterpiece - Sr. Medem has crammed in so many themes and references, some of which still debated to this day in film forums, that it would require a wholly different topic to extol its virtues. And yes, there are some minor imperfections here and there, but this only adds to the film's charm. All I can say is - don't miss this film if you get a chance.

I've combined several scenes in this compilation from my DVD which I found relevant to this blog. The first part is when Catalina, played by Ana Torrent, loses her virginity to her neighbour under dramatic circumstances - they had loved each other from a distance until then. The second part is when Catalina sneaks out in the night to rendezvous with her lover who is now married to someone else - their son notices but pretends to be asleep - but when she returns, she sees her possessive brother waiting for her. There is then a brief exposure from Elisabeth Ruiz as she feeds her baby while being watched by people around, and finally Cristina, played by a cute Emma Suárez is being photographed by her half brother - she was twenty eight when she did this film but barely looks older than fifteen.



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