Introduction to Spanish Film
Summer blockbusters are in full swing! Tarantino has a new film out, The Lion King is back, and The Rock’s annual shoot-em-up banger is only a few weeks away. While I like The Rock as much as the next guy, and probably way more, this is a tiresome cycle. Seriously I like The Rock a lot. But I need more than remakes and never-ending franchises. I also don’t want to wait around, so what do I do right now?
* insert Fox Searchlight Pictures intro song but (very important) imagine it’s the mariachi version *
There is an entire unexplored world of deep, dramatic, suspenseful, sexy films out there from Mexico, Latin America, and Spain! Today, I’m going to introduce you to my favs! Spanish media is becoming more mainstream in American culture (e.g. Despacito, Coco) so check a few of these films out and join the international movement! Note: I’m from Texas where everyone pretends to know un poquito espanol including our presidential candidate, so it’s fun to see how much you actually understand!
Films You’re Familiar With. Ease into it with some of the films you seen or probably heard about from memes and stuff.
Roma. Roma took Netflix by storm at the end of 2018. A black-and-white story about a live-in maid in a middle-class Mexico City family, the film discusses class differences, absentee fathers, and near-death experiences. Along with the beautiful beach scenes and graphic baby deliveries, prepare for every emotion to hit you at some point.
Coco. A feel-good movie with a great soundtrack, Pixar tells the story of a kid on the wrong side of Dia de Los Muertos. He finds himself trapped in the afterlife with his family, having to play music to get home. There’s an English version but it was also release in Spanish with matching animation to both languages.
The Shape of Water. Okay, fine. This isn’t really a Spanish film. The director, Guillermo del Toro is one of Mexico’s most famous directors who honed his craft for monsters on some of his previous films (see: El laberinto del fauno). Fans of his films everywhere celebrated when The Shape of Water took home the Oscar for Best Picture as it validated del Toro’s decades-long career of sci-fi dramas.
Some of the GOATs. Don’t have a ton of time? Skip the salad and go right to the steak (or tofu if you’re a vegetarian, we accommodate all walks of life).
Y Tu Mama Tambien. And your mother, also. Two competitive high school kids road trip across Mexico with an older Mexican babe who just got out of a relationship. Tensions are high. It’s controversial because of its explicit depiction of sex and drugs, but it was also the highest grossing box office opening in Mexico in 2002 when it came out. Besides, Game of Thrones has probably desensitized you to what you’ll see here.
Amores Perros. Three completely different stories all happening at once. But wait – they’re the same story! Or are they? They are. Each story has a cute dog too. Getting attached to dogs in movies always goes well.
Biutiful. The most I’ve ever cried in a movie (yes, more than Interstellar – “don’t let me leave Murph!”). A single father and cancer patient struggles to make ends meet. Tragic and trippy, Javier Bardem’s performance is one of the best you’ll ever see.
Directors to Follow. When in doubt, find a director you like and watch through their film career! Just like in English, you started with Woody Allen and worked your way up to Chad Werner. Do the same here. You’ve probably seen movies by some of these directors so it should be easy to get started.
Alejandro Iñárritu. You know him, you love him. The director who finally earned DiCaprio his Oscar for The Revenant, only one year after winning Best Picture for Birdman. Before that though, he made both Amores Perros and Biutiful, which both made my GOATs list. If you’ve got some extra time, read about why The Revenant was $75 million over budget and “a living hell” to produce. This guy.
Alfonso Cuarón. At the time of this writing, he’s the reigning champ for Best Director in Hollywood for Roma. You’ve probably seen Gravity and Children of Men. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is really dark and spooky because of this guy. Also check out Solo con tu pareja, a dark dramedy about two lovers who keep each other from committing suicide.
Pedro Almodovar. The most prolific director in this list. A nurse falls in love with a coma patient. A paralyzed former detective squares off against a stalker. A plastic surgeon seeks vengeance against his wife’s murderer. Intense, haunting movies all of them – Talk to Her, Live Flesh, and the most f*cked up movie I’ve ever seen The Skin I Live In.
Isabel Coixet. Like the US, Mexico and Spain don’t have enough female representation in the director category. Coixet leads the charge here and has pumped out as many bangers as these guys over the past few decades. Check out Elegy with Penelope Cruz, where she falls in love with an older man, meow. And for those who hate running into your ex, Ayer no termina nunca is about two exes who meet after 5 years. I don’t know who needs to hear this right now, but do NOT call your ex.
Actors to Follow. You thought these actors only appeared in English films? Bitch you guessed it, you was wrong. Here’s some actors you’ll know to get you in the game.
Penelope Cruz. Take your pick of any of her movies, they’re all slappers. Volver, Broken Embraces, Mama, Abre Los Ojos. She’s always a strong character and steals the show even if she’s not the lead (Don’t believe me? See: Vicky Cristina Barcelona). Fun fact: she played the exact same character in both Abre Los Ojos and Vanilla Sky, which are shot-for-shot remakes (almost) of the same story in different languages. Tom Cruise is cool, but she stole the show from him too. Scientologists hate her!
Javier Bardem. Real-life husband to Penelope Cruz, known for No Country for Old Men. His performance in Biutiful is worth a second mention, go see it! Also check out The Sea Inside and Live Flesh (Almodovar).
Gael Garcia Bernal. He’s a fun guy who’s really short. You might know him from Mozart in the Jungle or Y Tu Mama Tambien. He was the first Mexican to ever be accepted to London’s Central School of Speech and Drama and has climbed in fame since then. Check out the surrealist drama The Science of Sleep, or a bio-drama about the Chilean poet Neruda.
Antonio Banderas. Only this guy can be in Zorro, Shrek, Spy Kids and also The Skin I Live In and Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! He’s a loveable cat for American kids by day, he’s a mental patient who falls in love with a porn star by night.
If you’re a Spanish film snob, you’re probably gasping in horror at how wrong I am. Are my suggestions way off? Maybe. Exploring this far has been a lovely break from the never-ending Marvel franchise, though, so I make no apologies. Go forth and enjoy un poquito espanol.
