Romance

The English title of the Mexican Un Gallo en Corral Ajeno is Straying Rooster. This is as apt a description as any of the leading character, played by popular musical star Jorge Negrete. He plays an eccentric millionaire who whimsically poses as a turkey thief. While in this guise, he is hired to pose for an avant-garde sculptress (Gloria Marin, in real life, the former Mrs. Negrete). The freewheeling storyline drifts amiably all over Mexico, from big-city skyscrapers to dusty cattle ranches. The most memorable aspect of Un Gallo en Corral Ajeno is the versatile cinematography of the late, great Gabriel Figueroa. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In post-Franco Spain, a woman is hard-pressed to figure out what the new rules for women are. In this melodrama based on the novel by Almudena Grandes, Malena (newcomer Adriana Gil) explores life and relationships in the ever-changing world she finds herself in. Complicating matters for Malena is the example of her older sister, Reina, who is impeccably well-behaved. What's a girl to do except seek solace in the arms of as many men as possible? As she stumbles from catastrophe to catastrophe, Malena becomes her family's poster-child for what not to do with one's life. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

A female documentary director's latest project is to capture her sister's marital difficulties on film in hopes of shedding light on the travails of modern romance. Ostensibly, the film aspires to view the problems from a contemporary female perspective, but the story's end belies its basis in traditional Mexican morality. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Billed as a Latina Waiting to Exhale, this film details the life and loves of four Hispanic women: Sofia, a therapist; Andrea, a divorced lawyer; Irene, a flashy clothes designer; and Lilly, an artist. The women gather every week at the nightspot Luminarias to discuss jobs, family, love, and sex. Sofia, who dates white men in the hope of fitting into Anglo culture, becomes smitten with an amorous Mexican waiter. On the other hand, Andrea, who believes that white guys are only interested in Hispanic woman as exotic love toys, finds herself falling for a Jewish lawyer. While Lilly deals with racism from her Korean-American boyfriend's family, sexpot Irene has her own conflicted feelings toward her transvestite brother. Luminarias was screened at the 1999 San Sebastian Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

A man in his early twenties starts thinking about his future and where the woman he loves will figure into it in this romantic comedy-drama from Brazil. It's a cool and rainy night, and Carlos (Murilo Benicio) is waiting outside a movie theater for his girlfriend Julia (Carolina Ferraz) to show up for their date. As Carlos starts to think he's been stood up, his mind wanders, and he finds himself imagining three different scenarios of how Julia might fit into his future. In one, Carlos is a businessman who is married, though not very happily, to a woman named Maria (Beth Goulart). One day, Carlos happens to run into his former girlfriend Julia, and he's soon tempted into infidelity. But does Carlos have the courage to leave Maria and start his life over with Julia? In another daydream, Carlos and Julia were married, but he divorced her when he came out of the closet after falling in love with Pedro (Emilio de Mello). Pedro and Carlos are very happy together, much to the annoyance of Julia, who goes out of her way to make things difficult for her former husband and his new lover. And finally, Carlos imagines himself an overgrown adolescent layabout who still lives with his mom (Irene Ravache) and seems incapable of handling a long-term relationship, though that doesn't stop him from seducing as many women as his circumstances allow. Carlos is urged to consult a computer dating service in hopes of finding a woman he can settle down with; Carlos gives it a try, and discovers his first match is none other that his significant other from college, Julia. Possible Loves was awarded the Latin American Cinema Jury Prize at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

It's said that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but one woman finds that her boyfriend's absence makes other men more fond of her in this romantic comedy. Beatriz (Karina Gidi) is a frumpy office worker in a Spanish community who often laments the sad state of her love life, especially compared to that of her sister Laura (Ana Karina Guevara), who runs a rooming house. Beatriz has all but given up on romance when she meets Carlos (Ari Telch) while dining at a local cafe. Carlos seems quite taken with her, and after a few dates, he invites her along for a romantic getaway. Beatriz's heart is quickly stolen away by Carlos, and when he suddenly goes missing, she finds herself pining for him. But while most men in town wouldn't give her a second look before, in Carlos' absence she suddenly cuts a sexy and alluring figure, and is soon dealing with more suitors than she knows how to handle, including her boss (Jose Sefami) and an architect who previously thought he was gay (Daniel Martinez). Karina Gidi's performance in Demasiado Amor earned her Best Actress honors at the 2001 Guadalajara Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this downbeat drama, Reni (Cecilia Bengolea) is a woman in her early twenties who sings with a struggling rock group; she hasn't been getting along with her bandmates lately, and her personal life is nothing to speak about. Reni thinks her romantic luck may have changed when she meets Andres (Leonardo Brezicki), a handsome and charming man her own age, but she blanches when she discovers what he does for a living -- he's a hustler who is willing to have sex with men or women for the right price. Reni and Andres discover they share a mutual attraction, and she becomes emotionally involved with him, but as Reni falls deeper in love with Andres, she makes increasingly stronger demands that he stop sleeping with other people for money -- something he isn't inclined to do. Vagon Fumador was the first feature film from director Veronica Chen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Just how far would you go to get financing for your business? Donald Chandler (Roy Werner) is the owner of a restaurant who suddenly finds himself without a business or a job when his wife leaves him, taking the deed to the eatery with her. Eager to start over, Donald goes into a business partnership with Miguel Sanchez (Gerardo Mejia), a gardener who was taking care of Donald's lawn until he won a fortune in the lottery. Miguel is willing to front Donald the money to open a new restaurant, but there's a catch -- in exchange, Donald has to marry Catalina (Laura Elena Harring), Miguel's beautiful but ill-tempered daughter who needs an American husband in order to get a green card and stay in California. Loco Love (produced under the title Mi Casa, Su Casa was the first feature film from director Bryan Lewis. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A web of romantic entanglements covers a growing circle of friends in this romantic comedy drama from Spain. Tomas (Alex Brendemuhl) is a college instructor who has been secretly dating one of his students, Ana (Miranda Makaroff). Making the matter more complicated is the fact that Ana's uncle is Mario (Eduard Fernandez), one of Tomas' best friends. Mario has long been involved with Sara (Vicenta N'dongo), but he has reason to believe she is having an affair, and he's desperate to hold on to her. At the same time, Mario has met Cristina, and is trying to fight his interest in her. Irene (Monica Lopez) and Manu (Chisco Amado) are another seemingly happy couple fighting infidelity when she begins having second thoughts about their relationship. And Andres has fallen for Sofia (Maria Pujalte), a clerk at his favorite bookstore, but he learns she's still pining for Eric, who talked her into bed one night but has yet to come back to her. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Miguel M. Espinoza and Selvin G. Tambito's update of Romeo and Juliet replaces the film's original setting and places the tale in an inner-city world full of violence. Rivals focuses on a Mexican family feuding with a Salavadorian family. In the midst of their conflict a love develops between young members of both families. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

A passionate romance smolders as struggling miners rise up against their bosses in this period drama set in the late 19th century. Luis (Hector Noguera) is a wealthy and powerful man who owns a coal-mining operation in Chile. Luis' daughter Virginia (Paulina Galvez) has just completed her studies to become a schoolteacher when her mother dies of a lingering illness, and she comes home to be with her family. As Virginia's godmother, Isidora (Consuelo Holzapfel), takes over the day-to-day affairs of the estate, Luis turns over the chores of overseeing the mines to his assistant, a ruthless man named Davis (Ernesto Malbran), so he may pursue his own interests. While Luis has long taken a casual attitude toward the welfare of his employees, Davis regards the miners with little more than contempt, and under his watch, poverty spreads and conditions become increasingly dangerous. As Virginia becomes the new teacher at the local school, she learns that her former boyfriend Fernando (Francisco Reyes) is working as a miner, and they soon rekindle their love affair. But Fernando has become aligned with Jonas (Patricio Bunster), a labor activist who is trying to unionize the miners and strip Luis and Davis of their power over the community. Sub Terra received its North American premiere at the 2004 Los Angeles Latino Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide