El bola

IMDb. Pablo, nicknamed ”Pellet” (=El bola), is a 12-year old boy living in a city in Spain (filming location: Madrid), where he attends school and is doing the same things the other boys do, for example participating in the ”train-game”. In the ”train-game” the boys have to cross the rails  just before the train comes, trying not to be hit. The director has efficiently placed this crazy high risk ”suicide-game”  in the opening scene, and therefore immediately manage to build up a feeling of tension or thrill in the viewer that doesn´t leave before the end.  

Pablo is played by Juan José Ballesta.

Juan is an intelligent, determined and sometimes mischievious 12-year old with a great deal of natural presence and sensitivity. While Juan has previous television credits, the role of Pellet is his first experience in a full-length feature. Pellet is a complex character with serious family problems and playing the lead was very challenging. Juan is sure that he wants to continue acting and is willing to meet the demands of an acting career while continuing his studies. (Quotation from 2000).

One day a new boy shows up in school, Alfredo, and a friendship begins that will have great effects on Pablo´s life.

Alfredo is played by Pablo Galán.

Pablo was selected from more than 1600 children to play the role of Alfredo. Prior to ”El bola” he had no previous experience in the industry except for entertaining the audience during his older sister´s school plays.

 

 

 

 

 

This film from 2000 is a story about growing up in an abusive environment with a father who is incapable of giving love to his son. It certainly raises questions about parenthood, and about when society should interfere in family matters. Another film where society also intervenes but in different circumstances is  ”Sacred silence” . These questions are never easy as you can see. Both these films are highly recommendable!

In a glass cage / Tras el cristal

Spectacular, horrifying and grim. This is one of the first works of Augusti Villaronga and was produced in 1987. A couple of the Spanish director Villaronga´s next films are ”Moon Child” /”El nino de la luna” (1989) and ”The sea” /”El mar” (2000). Among the actors in ”Tras el cristal” is for example Marisa Paredes (playing ”Griselda”), who also has appeared in Pedro Almodovar´s films like ”High heels”, The flower of my secret” and ”All about my mother” but also in ”The Devil´s backbone”. Gunther Meisner, playing ”Klaus”, (and who died in 1994), had also appeared in ”The boys from Brazil”, ”Funeral in Berlin” and Ingmar Bergman´s ”The serpent´s egg”.

The story takes place in a square house somewhere in Spain, where Griselda and her daughter are caring for their father and husband Klaus who is sick and lying in an ”iron lung”, that seems a little out of date in modern medicine. The reason for this set up, according to the director, is that he wanted to create a situation where a man was totally dependent on others; a very special frame for the film. What Griselda doesn´t know, as far as we know, is the dark past of Klaus being an ex-nazi when he committed the most appalling sex crimes to boys. But one day the young man ”Angelo” comes by.

"Angelo" (David Sust)

"Klaus" (Gunther Meisner)

Angelo, played by David Sust, suddenly shows up from nowhere, and confronts Klaus with some secrets found in an old diary of Klaus, and forces him to let Angelo stay in the house as the new nurse, much to Griselda´s annoyance. Soon Klaus becomes aware of Angelo´s real intentions, but as a disabled and locked into his iron lung, he can only watch how Angelo starts to live out the old diary from the nazi-times, taking the past crimes into the present time, and going more insane for every day and for every new victim.

The film has had one nomination at the film festival of Fantasporto, also known as ”Festival Internacional de cinema do Porto”, and won a prize for best film in 1988 at the Sant Jordi Awards.

It´s the story, the drama, that makes this film´s character, and it´s a strong one, not easy for everyone to follow and understand. This is no Disney film, I warn you. The cinematography is also worth to mention. Some people say it´s no color in it, some that everything is blue or perhaps grey. That´s correct, and the idea comes from a Belgian painter, Andre Vox. He used mainly steel tones, but every now and then he put in some red spots, and you can see them in the film as well.

A choir boy

Blue and grey

 

En Tu Ausencia (In your absence)

13-year-old Pablo is a quiet, lonely boy with a troubled past. His only friend is Julia, a shameless 15-year-old girl who is more than willing to help Pablo with his transition fro childhood to adolescence, and give him tutorial lessons on sex, love and life. This summer, Pablo is thrust into an adult world by events out of his control. On a quiet vcountry road just outside the village, Pablo meets Paco, an oddly calm, well dressed stranger whose car just broke down. He helps him out and as Paco hangs out in the village the boy forms a bond of trust with the newcomer filling a gap in the boy´s life left by his absent father. As they spend more time together Pablo is unknowingly and blindly lead towards a tragedy that will scar him for life.

A new Spanish film with many twists in this interesting story about Pablo and Paco.  It´s a really good movie, with a profound coming-of-age theme. You´ll find love and hatred, trust and betrayal, friendship and sex, but above all an excellent cast in the good-looking Gonzalo Sánchez Salas playing 13-year-old Pablo. The scene by the lake is beautifully shot.

A very good Spanish movie, watch it! 

 

 

  

 

 

Butterfly

Acclaimed by critics and featuring legendary star Fernando Fernán Gómez (All about my mother), Butterfly is a heartwarming tale about a young boy growing up in a small Spanish town. Moncho is timid and fearful as he starts school for the first time. But with the nurturing guidance of his kind and devoted teacher, Don Gregorio (Fernán Gómez), a world of possibilities begins to open up for young Moncho. As the school year comes to a close, however, civil war begins sweeping across the country, forcing the boy´s family and community to choose between the fight for freedom and the threat of persecution! An amazing story of family and friendship during a time of extreme conflict-you´re sure to enjoy this magical motio picture!

Krampack

With a slow start then surprisingly accelerating in intensity and depth, this film takes you into the lives of Dani and Nico, two Spanish boys spending a summer in Sitges. But in this particular summer the two seventeen-year-old friends have to face their awakening sexuality, exploding and ambivalent emotions and learn what friendship is about. Like many other European films it tells a more interesting story than many American movies do. The film has many similarities to Glue but this one feels much more genuine.

The Devil´s Backbone

From 2001 comes this Spanish film about some boys in a school camp during the civil war. It´s also a ghoststory with many similarities to the Asian film ”Dorm”. Nicely shot and well acted, but rather violent, with escalating tension towards the end. Twelve-year-old Carlos is the latest arrival to Santa Lucia school and is as the rest of the kids an orphan and victim of the war. Carlos gradually uncovers the dark secrets resting behind the walls. But will it be to late?

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Cast: Fernando Tielve (Carlos)

Rating:Restricted: For violence,Language and some sexuality.

Trying to escape the ghost. Will he succeed?

 

This is a violent film. Rating:Restricted.

Eres Mi Heroe

A nice Spanish film from 2003. It´s about a shy boy (Ramón) who always are new in school due to his parents constant moving around the country. We´ll follow Ramon´s struggle to fit in, to get friends and understand the world surrounding him. It takes place in Seville in the south of Spain near the end of the Franco-era. I think this is a good coming-of-age-film with interesting caracters and nice photo even if it´s somewhat mainstream.

Director: Antonio Cuadri

Cast:

Manuel Lozano (Ramón)

Félix López (David)

Rating: 15: Contains strong language

Actor Félix López, born 21 May 1989