Princesses

Caye and Zulema.

 I would be the first to admit that I do tend to watch a lot of movies, but rarely do I see one that contains so much feeling. A truly wonderful and moving piece of Spanish cinema, beautifully demonstrating human relationships. Princesses (2005), directed by Fernando Leon de Aranoa, tells the story of two young prostitutes (the princesses of the title) plying their trade in Madrid. Middle class Caye, (Candela Pena, All About Mother 1999, Torremolinos 73 2003) is saving for breast implants “men like big tits”, and Zulema, (Micaela Nevarez) is saving money to send to her young son and family in the Dominican Republic.

Candela Pena, whose performance raises the film above the normal Hollywood tart with a heart stereotype, won Best Actress and Micaela Nevarez Best New Actress at The Goya Awards, the Spanish equivalent to the United States Academy Awards. As well as the human relationships the films splendid script tackles both illegal immigration and HIV. This movie deserved a far wider release.

Torremolinos 73

An entertaining adult black comedy set in 1973 Spain and directed by Pablo Berger, his one and only directorial duty. Torremolinos 73 tells of a struggling encyclopaedia salesman who works for the Montoya Publishing House. Alfredo and his wife Carmen take advantage of an offer by the company to make adult films under the guise of being an audiovisual encyclopaedia of human reproduction! This undertaking turns him into an aspiring Ingmar Bergman film maker and turns his wife into a Scandinavian sex symbol. Alfredo is played by Javier Camara whose most notable work was for Pedro Almodovar in Talk to Her (2002) and Bad Education (2004) with Candela Pena as Carmen, who also appeared in Almodovar’s All about My Mother (1999). Not exactly side splitting but still quite amusing.