Spanish & Portuguese Cinema
Undoubtedly the backbone of Alice's Spanish collection are the films of Pedro Almodovar. Since the 1980s this unique film maker has been bringing us such gems as 'Laws of Desire', 'Women on the Verge...' and 'Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down' and nurturing the talents of actors such as Antonio Banderas, Victoria Abril and Penelope Cruz.
But there is more to Spanish film than the talented Mr Almodovar. Everything from the beautiful and haunting works of Carlos Saura to the off-beat and darkly humourous tales of Alex de Iglesia.
Pictured right: One-of-a-kind helmer, Pedro Almodovar.
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
8.2/10
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi Lopez, Doug Jones, Maribel Verdu, Alex Angulo
Pan's Labyrinth is Alice in Wonderland for grown-ups, with the horrors of both reality and fantasy blended together into an extraordinary, spellbindin... Read more
Talk To Her (2002)
8/10
Director: Pedro Almodovar
Starring: Javier Camara, Dario Grandinetti, Leonor Watling, Rosario Flores, Geraldine Chap...
In this ravishing tale of romantic obsession, loneliness and friendship, director Pedro Almodovar crafts a life affirming story of two tragic women an... Read more
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990)
7/10
Director: Pedro Almodovar
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Loles Leon, Victoria Abril
In perhaps his most outrageous and controversial film, Pedro Almodovar follows the strange relationship that grows between an obsessive ex-mental pat... Read more
Jamon Jamon (1992)
6.5/10
Director: Bigas Luna
Starring: Anna Galiena, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz
A delightfully clever erotic black comedy about sex and food, which also serves to mirror Spanish society in transition. The scenario focuses on the v... Read more
Sex and Lucia (2001)
7.2/10
Director: Julio Medem
Starring: Paz Vega, Tristan Ulloa, Najwa Nimri, Daniel Freire, Elena Anaya, Javier Camara,...
Lucia is a young waitress who lives and works in Madrid. When she hears of the death of her long-time writer boyfriend Lorenzo, she seeks refuge on a... Read more
The Spirit of the Beehive (1973)
8/10
Director: Victor Erice
Starring: Fernando Fernan Gomez, Teresa Gimpera, Ana Torrent
Ana Torrent is unforgettable as a lonely little village girl who sees Boris Karlof's 'Frankenstein' in the town-hall and becomes entranced by the mons... Read more
Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown (1988)
7.6/10
Director: Pedro Almodovar
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Carmen Maura, Julieta Serrano, Maria Barranco, Rossy de Palma
A popular actress (perennial Almodovar favourite, Carmen Maura) is driven to distraction when her lover leaves for another woman. She's certain she ca... Read more
Belle Epoque (1992)
7.2/10
Director: Fernando Trueba
Starring: Fernando Fernan Gomez, Jorge Sanz, Maribel Verdu
Set in 1931, a time of promise and optimism in pre-Franco Spain, this delightfully earthy, cheerful comedy tells of a hearty young army deserter (Jorg... Read more
Intacto (2001)
6.9/10
Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Starring: Leonardo Sbaraglia, Eusebio Poncela, Monica Lopez, Antonio Dechent, Max von Sydo...
Offbeat psychological thriller centers on an enigmatic Holocaust survivor (Max Von Sydow) who uses his ability to control the luck of those around him... Read more
The Other Side of the Bed (2002)
6.6/10
Director: Emilio Martinez Lazaro
Starring: Paz Vega, Guillermo Toledo, Alberto San Juan, Natalia Verbeke, Ernesto Alterio,...
"The Other Side of the Bed" is a raucous and sexy romantic comedy with a musical twist. The film tells the story of two couples, along with a collecti... Read more