Mar Adentro

(The Sea Inside)

Director: Alejandro Amenábar

Starring: Javier Bardem, Lola Dueñas

Country: Spain

Subtitle: English, Spanish

Euthanasia is not an easy topic for a movie treatment, however Amenábar (Abre Los Ojos, The Others) is able to do it with as much objectivity as one can with an issue so controversial. Javier Bardem also works his usual genius. While the story is based on real life, the romance between Bardem and the women of the story seem a bit exaggerated. However, all is forgiven at the end when we see powerful orchestration between Amenábar and Bardem. I waited a while to see this movie because of the seriousness of the subject matter, but would definitely recommend it.

Semen - una historia de amor

(Semen - a story of love)

Director: Daniela Féjerman and Inés París

Starring: Ernesto Alterio, Leticia Dolera

Country: Spain

Subtitle: English

Despite the name, this is truly a charming, if not slightly strange, romantic comedy from Spain. Serafin (Alterio) is a doctor at a fertility clinic who falls in love with a free-spirited trapeze artists (Dolera). Through circumstance he has no choice but to use his own sperm in a procedure to fertilize Dolera. Played by Alterio's real life father, Serafin's father provide a nice counterpoint to the couple by playing a weatherman who's life has fallen into bed-ridden self-pity and depression. Likely because of its female director, this movie takes a subject that could have been done really creepy and turns it into almost a Spanish-male version of Amélie Poulain.

Días de Fútbol

(Soccer Days)

Director: David Seranno

Starring: Alberto San Juan, Natalia Verbeke

Country: Spain

Subtitle: English, Español

From the same director as El Otro Lado de La Cama, this movie tells the story of group of guys in Madrid who form a soccer team to escape the comically bad turns in their personal lives. The beautiful Natalia Verbeke provides a humorous counterpoint to San Juan and the gang he leads. This movie is very typical of the comedies from Spain, which generally compare to likes of Hollywood's Old School or Wedding Crashes. It's higher-brow than Mexico's El Chavo, but still classifiably a "stupid comedy" but still charming.