Viva el cine

In its 22nd year, the Chicago Latino Film Festival is back with more than 60 films from Latin America, Spain, Portugal and the United States. The films run the gamut from an ultralow budget horror flick by Ricardo Islas (see “Cheap thrills” page 85) to major motion pictures from thriving movie industries like Mexico’s.Not that we’re complaining, but both the printed schedule and the website have proven pretty unwieldy. We did a little digging and a lot of viewing. We checked out a few that sounded interesting, and here’s our report card.

April 20
Elsa y Fred
Spain/Argentina
Dir. Marcos Carnevale. 2006. 106mins. In Spanish with subtitles. Manuel Alexandre, China Zorrilla. Free-spirited septuagenarians Elsa and recently widowed Alfredo have the same problem: meddling middle-aged children who treat them like preschoolers. Their quirky romance is fraught with problems: She’s a pathological fibber on dialysis; he’s a hypochondriac who can’t let go of his late wife. The story sometimes lags, but it’s hard not to shed a few tears.April 22

Bloom
USA
Dir. Julio D. De Los Santos. 2005. 97mins. Jessi Perez, Maritza Nazario, Mara Monserrat, Greta DeBofsky, Bill Ferris. Issue- and dialogue-heavy, this low-budget movie drags. Twenty-three-year-old Leti loses custody of her kids and is forced to undergo counseling. The script complicates the matter by indulging in the mother-daughter relationships of all the cast members. Poor acting and a cliché-ridden script make this movie feel like an arduous PSA. (Also screens May 4)

Ladrones y Mentirosos(Thieves and Liars)
Puerto Rico
Dir. Ricardo Méndez Matta. 2005. 114mins. In Spanish with subtitles. Steven Bauer, José Heredia, Daniel Lugo. This Puerto Rican homage to 2000’s Traffic follows a cast of wonderfully realized characters, from a mother who discovers her son is using, to the operator of a private airline hangar who tries in vain to prove the airport is a gateway for drugs leaving the country. Though not as edgy or stylish as its American counterpart, Ladrones still manages to be both troubling and effective. (Also screens Tue 25)

Mi Mejor Enemigo (My Best Enemy)
Chile/Argentina/Spain
Dir. Alex Bowen. 2005. 109mins. In Spanish with subtitles. Erto Pantoja, Nicolás Saavedra, Felipe Braun, Miguel Debovich. This beautiful film chronicles the days in 1978 leading up to the Chilean-Argentinean war. A Chilean patrol sets out to establish an outpost near the Argentinean border, but soon becomes lost. Unlikely friendships are formed when the Chileans encounter a band of Argentinean soldiers and both sides admit they have no idea where the border lies. As war becomes more likely, the movie poignantly probes the soldiers’ doubts and hopes. (Also screens Sun 23)

April 24
El Penalti Más Largo(The Longest Penalty)
Spain
Dir. Roberto Santiago. 2005. 100mins. In Spanish with subtitles. Fernando Tejero, María Botto. Members of a weekend-warrior soccer team count down the week to a title-determining—and potentially life-altering—penalty kick. The problem is that the guy blocking the net will not be their star goalie, but rather the bench-warming team drunk (and Jeff Spicoli doppelgänger) Fernando. A heartwarming take on the underdog narrative, Penalti is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.April 26

April 24
Carambola (Billiards)
Mexico
Dir. Kurt Hollander. 2005. 85mins. In Spanish with subtitles. Daniel Martinez, Diego Luna, Jesus Ochoa. This cocky and stylish directorial debut is part gangsta flick, part tongue-in-cheek instructional video. Slick, an experienced hustler, witnesses the demise of his craft as billiards is replaced by pool. Slick’s hall has been overrun by “little shits” who spill beer on the felt, and his lackey, Mutt, is trying to screw him out of profits. Obviously, a high-stakes, revenue-generating tournament is in order.—Joanna D. Topor

For complete festival listings, see Indie & revival under Gene Siskel Film Center, Landmark’s Century Centre and Facets Cinematheque. You can also visit www.latinoculturalcenter.org, or call the festival offices at 312-409-1757.