Law of Desire
Against the Wind
Atame!
The Mambo Kings
Never Talk to Strangers
Desperado
Two Much
Evita

Here are some pictures and a brief review for each movie I have enjoyed. Opinions about other movies to follow as soon as I have seen them for myself. Not that you care what I think! ---> I'd just like to spare you from the forgettable flicks like Four Rooms (read on to find out why). These are arranged in order of the most current movie first, his earliest works last.

Footnote in 2003:

Be sure to add the following to your DVD collection:

Once Upon a Time in Mexico
The Mask of Zorro

The Mask of Zorro

Bad news, folks: It has just been announced that the release of The Mask of Zorro has been delayed until March, 1998. This is a photograph of Antonio practising his fencing skills. Nice smile Antonio!

For more information about the production of this film, Zorro Productions and Sony Pictures Entertainment have a wealth of information.

Links:

Zorro - The Official Web Site
Sony Pictures Entertainment

Evita

Evita is a musical about the life of Eva Peron, a lady who rose from poverty to become Argentina's first lady. She has been admired by many for her work for the poor, yet ridiculed by others as being an opportunist who slept her way to the top. This musical does not attempt to determine whether or not she was a saint or a sinner; rather, it leaves the conclusion up to you.

Antonio Banderas plays Che, the narrator of the film who follows her life from the slums to the government office. The music in this film is so powerful it reduced me to tears. Looking around the theatre I could see I was not the only fool sobbing uncontrollably. Madonna gives her best performance ever, and Antonio gives her a run for the money. If you missed hearing Antonio sing in Atame!, The Mambo Kings, or Desperado, you will be amazed at his singing ability when you see Evita. This movie is by far the best musical I have ever seen. You guessed it, I bought the soundtrack.

Two Much

Two Much is about two sisters who are attracted to the same man, Antonio Banderas, who pretends to be both "Art" and his twin brother "Bart". The whole fiasco starts out when Art has an affair with a mob bosses' ex-wife, Betty (Melanie Griffith). She expects marriage, but Art now has a greater interest in her sister, Liz (Daryl Hannah). So Art invents "Bart" so that he can date her as well. He wants to see Liz exclusively but does not know how to dump Betty.

The acting and storyline were great, but some of the scenes seemed a little overdone i.e. Antonio (Art/Bart) frantically running back and forth between both bedrooms. A tad "too much" (pun intended) but a great movie nonetheless.

As you can see, Antonio was already practising his prowess on his future wife, Melanie. We think they make a lovely couple. Don't be shy, come surf out our Melanie Griffith page!

Assassins
Also known as "Day of Reckoning"

This movie is action packed. With Sly Stallone as the primary star you already know it's full of brawl & bicepts. Antonio plays the bad guy. I had a hard time getting used to the idea, but he plays the role convincingly.

In Assassins, Antonio is "Miguel Bain", a hitman with a mission. He wants to kill an older assassin named Robert Rath (Sylvester Stallone) so that he can be number one. Robert just wants to get out of the business but is forced to fight one more battle - it's kill or be killed. He teams up with Electra (Julianne Moore) to accomplish this task.

This movie is a real nail-biter, lots of action, many tense moments. I loved it.

Photo created by Eufrosina.

Desperado
Also known as "El Mariachi 2"

This story is about a man out to seek revenge for the wrongful death of his girlfriend and the maiming of his hand. In the process he finds love, endangering her life as well as his own.

Antonio plays "El Mariachi", a musician with a guitar case full of guns. He is mistaken for a hitman and is targeted by "Bucho", the local drug lord, and his thugs. With the help of Carolina (Salma Hayek), El Mariachi goes into hiding until he is able to confront Bucho.

Brilliant stunts, a superb action movie and love story. Rated as my favourite Antonio action movie - a must see.

Four Rooms

In two words, a comedy. Precious little Antonio content and the stories are far-fetched. I bought the dang thing sight unseen ... big mistake, not to be repeated. So in other words ... rent at your own risk! *LOL* My copy of this video is collecting dust. What a let down! (of course, I do know that by telling you this you will rush out and rent the movie anyway ---> *hehehe!*)

Four Rooms is broken down into four segments, one of which is entitled "The Misbehavers" (wherein Antonio plays a gangster). Essentially, the plot is that he decides to take his wife out for the evening, leaving their two children in the care of the hotel Bellhop. I have to admit that the end of this segment is really funny. I died laughing when Antonio asked, "Did they misbehave?" (you HAVE to see that scene)

Photo created by Eufrosina.

Miami Rhapsody

Antonio portrays a nurse that falls in love with his patient's daughter (much older than him), and then is dumped by her, only to find himself in a relationship with HER daughter as well. A cute movie about love & relationships in general.

Photo created by Eufrosina.

Never Talk to Strangers

... Sarah, "ever had Cholera?" ... Tony, "Ever had La Tache?" ... Never Talk to Strangers was filmed right here in my home city of Toronto.

It is a five star movie according to Rosemary, hands down, one of my favourite Antonio Banderas films. His co-star, Rebecca, displays her superb acting talents as always (yes I am a Rebecca Demournay fan). The plot of Never Talk to Strangers is that Rebecca is being stalked, and many characters are suspect, a "who dunnit" suspense thriller. The ending will shock you. Go fetch the movie, you will not regret it. OK OK so I bought it already.

Photo created by Eufrosina.

Interview with the Vampire

Imagine that, three major hunks all in one movie together: Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and Antonio Banderas ===> does it get any better? All three of these mega stars act as vampires in this movie. Their personalities all differ: Brad is thoughtful and full of remorse, Tom is immersed in his vampiredome, and Antonio is the oldest vampire of them all, striving to teach younger vampires the ropes, hoping to show them how to live without regrets yet he lives with his own regrets.

Interview with the Vampire is a fascinating movie about the legend of vampires, their thoughts, their struggles, and it challenges the myths that we have accepted. I wasn't bored for a second. Many thanks to Anne Rice (the woman who wrote the novel).

Photo created by ABF.

De amor y de sombras
"Of Love and Shadows"

Set in Chile in the 1970s, Francisco [Antonio Banderas], a psychologist turned photographer with a secret agenda, teams up with Irene [Jennifer Connelly] to fight for freedom and truth during a military dictatorship in the country. Irene is already betrothed to Gustavo [Camilo Gallardo], a military sargeant, but the experiences shared between Francisco and her bring them into each other's arms. Their quest is dangerous not only to themselves but to their families as well.

The storyline is captivating and the performances are to be commended. Don't pass over this one.

Dispara
"Outrage"

The copy I rented was voiced over in English, somehow it's just not the same. I will have to find the sub-titled version sometime soon.

The House of the Spirits

The House of the Spirits shows the development of a family through 50 years of history, its struggles and accomplishments. Meryl Streep plays a lady with supernatural powers and is able to predict upcoming events. She guides those she loves even from the grave. Antonio plays Pedro, a revolutionary who is in love with Winona Ryder (Blanca), who is Meryl's daughter in the film. Pedro and Blanca have been in love since childhood. But due to her father's upper crust status and political beliefs, he does not approve of the relationship; in fact, he wants to kill him for his rebellious behaviour. Her father's sister (enacted by Glenn Close) is shunned and dies leaving a curse on him to "die lonely and afraid".

Life experiences change the outlook of many of the characters in this film, and it was heartwarming to see the compassion that ensued. I heard some negative remarks about this movie from other Antonio web surfers and can now honestly say they are sadly mistaken. Everyone gave award winning performances and this movie is worth the 2 hours and 10 minutes you need to savour it.

Philadelphia

This is a really moving film. Antonio plays Tom Hanks' gay lover and must deal with Tom's imminent death due to aids, contracted during a fling at a pornographic theatre. It shows the injustices and discrimination against people with aids. I was touched and felt genuine compassion for Tom. This movie rates with me ... I recommend it.

Photo created by Eufrosina.

The Mambo Kings

Antonio's first North American performance was "The Mambo Kings". This story is about two Cuban brothers (Cesar, Armand Assante and Nestor, Antonio Banderas) who move from Havana to New York to further their musical careers as The Mambo Kings. The stress of fame causes rifts between the two brothers, testing their relationship. With a couple of love triangles included in the plot, this movie was a delight to see. Antonio (and Armand) sing exceptionally well in this musical. I wanted to get up and dance!

The Mambo Kings soundtrack is another great c/d for your listening enjoyment! I can never get enough of "Beautiful Maria of My Soul", especially the way Antonio sings it --->~~~smiles~~~

Photo created by Eufrosina.

ATAME!
"TIE ME UP! TIE ME DOWN!"

I love this scene! ^^^

Atame! (a Pedro Almodovar film) is an amazing love story, the best I have seen since "The Other Side of the Mountain" (not an Antonio movie). If you want to see a truly wonderful love story go fetch Atame!, the spanish version, sub-titled in english. You wouldn't want to miss his gorgeous spanish voice, now would you?

Antonio plays Ricky, an orphaned ex-mental patient obsessed with winning over and marrying a porn star, Marina, portrayed by Victoria Abril. He resorts to extreme measures to find her, then kidnaps her to try to win her heart. In order to prevent her from escaping his clutches he ties her to the bed and gags her. Her sister becomes worried and goes to her apartment. I could say more but I will ruin the movie for you.

This movie is now running neck-and-neck for first place (with NTTS). I can't decide which is my favourite - NTTS/Atame/NTTS/Atame - oh well.

Contra el Viento
"Against the Wind"

Against the Wind is a little shocking when you discover what this movie is all about: incest and love between a brother [Juan, portrayed by Antonio] and his sister, Ana [Emma Suarez]. It took me a while to realize that Ana was his sister, at the beginning of the movie I assumed she was a jilted ex-girlfriend. Juan attempts to sever the sexual relationship he has with his sister by running away to a new town, but he cannot escape her forever. While away from his family Juan falls for a local girl, Rosario [Rosario Flores]. But his sister finds him and the situation becomes complicated yet again.

The bond between Juan and Ana is inexplicable and the movie doesn't attempt to explain the circumstances of how these two became lovers. But it shows how difficult it is to break that bond. They both deal with this problem in very different ways. Ana is confrontational but Juan prefers to run away, ignoring the problem. Against the Wind is passionate, sexy, and very emotional.

Si Te Dicen Que Cai
"If They Told You I Fell"

This movie is set in Spain in the 40's. Franco has just won the Civil War, the Fascist repression is stronger than ever. As always happens after a war, most people don't have even the basic things to survive. We are in Barcelona, and a group of kids play on the streets while they watch the people of the neighborhood, commenting what happens to them and inventing stories about them. Among these people is Java, a young guy who tries to make money by joining the fascists, played by Jorge Sanz. There's also Java's brother [Antonio Banderas], a former soldier of the republican side (the one that lost the war) who has to live hidden in a basement.

And there's Victoria Abril, too, who plays two roles. Victoria has a great performance in this film, as usual. She plays, on one side, Antonio Banderas' girlfriend, who lost contact with him during the war and became a prostitute to survive. To be exact, she works occasionally for a rich man who is a voyeur, and who pays her to have sex with other men while he looks at them. The other role that Victoria plays is the lover of a rich contrabandist, who is killed during the film. And there's also a group of anarchists, that lost the war but are still planning ways to defeat Franco's government, in a pathetic attempt to hide themselves from the real situation.

Photo created by Susan Hughes.

Baton Rouge

I admire Victoria Abril and Carmen Maura, both of whom have starred with Antonio in other films. Victoria and Carmen star with Antonio in Baton Rouge, a story about love, betrayal, and extortion. Antonio plays a gigolo out to frame his [older] lover, Isabel [Carmen Maura], for murder so that he can extort money from her. Victoria Abril plays Ana, a psychiatrist, and his co-conspirator.

MUJERES AL BORDE DE UN ATAQUE DE NERVIOS
"Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown"

This is another Almodovar film so you just KNOW it's going to be a good one. Our hunky star plays Carlos, Pepa's ex-lover's son.

The main star of the film, Pepa (Carmen Maura) has been jilted by an answering machine. The love of her life, Ivan, (Fernando Guillen) has just ended their relationship and she is heartbroken. But misery does love company. Her girlfriend, Candela, has fallen in love with a terrorist. Ivan's son wants to rent the love nest Pepa shared with Ivan. Ivan's crazed wife arrives with loaded guns and Ivan himself is about to fly off to Stockholm with his new girlfriend on a plane that Candela's boyfriend plans to hijack. What a fiasco, what a great film. It was nominated for an Oscar for "best foreign film" so I doubt you will hate me for recommending it. I really enjoyed this one.

Photo created by Susan Hughes.

La Ley Del Deseo
"Law of Desire"

Antonio acts out the role of "Antonio", a man obsessed with film director Pablo. But Pablo is unable to return that love - he is still in love with his ex-lover Juan who jilted him and moved away. This is another emotionally charged movie and is well worth the price of a video rental ---> go fetch! I will be very surprised if you don't like it as much as I did.

It's definetly one of my favourite Antonio Banderas movies of all time. Did you know that Antonio has been recognized for his contribution to gay cinema? Click here to read a review in "Outrage Magazine".

Photo created by Eufrosina.

Matador

If you have already appreciated a few of Almodovar's movies, this movie will come as no shock to you. Antonio plays an aspiring bullfighter [Angel] who cannot stand the sight of blood. He suffers from vertigo, his mother does not support him emotionally, and he becomes crazy, unable to distinguish between his dreams and reality. Angel idolizes his instructor [Diego], but has no idea that Diego is obsessed with death, gorey snuff films, and sex. Diego and his girlfriend [Maria, who is also Angel's lawyer] team up to frame Angel for murders he did not commit. This is a complicated movie, I will definetly rent it again.

David Butterworth has written an insightful editorial about this movie. Click on 'Matador' stabs with erotic style to enjoy it!

Los Zancos
"The Stilts"

Los Zankos is about a couple trying to save their marriage and establish their careers in show business. Alberto [Antonio Banderas] and his wife encounter a suicidal university professor (Angel) who writes a play for them to enact at outdoor theatre presentations. After having lost his wife and two daughters, Angel becomes obsessed with Alberto's wife, to the point of stalking her. It is a tragic story of love, loneliness, and a quest for happiness.

Laberinto de pasiones
"Labyrinth of Passion"

This is a wacky comedy about sex - homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual - you name it, Labyrinth has it. Not too much Antonio content here, be warned.