Although the year is definitely not yet over, there are many movies vying for the top spot of Spanish Cinema in 2010. So, let me take leap of faith and name off the top 5 Spanish movies of 2010 so far. Spanish cinema's strong suit has always been comedy, dark or light. That's why most of the films in this short list are comedies, the preferred genre of the Spanish people. And remember, we're just going into summer, so we should be seeing other films adding to the list as the year goes on. What better and more interesting way to learn English, as Rocket Spanish said in one of its modules?
"Sin Nombre" (Without Name) was released in 2009 and made the cut for Best Foreign Language film at the 2010 Academy Awards. This drama is about a young woman from the Honduras played by Paulina Gaitan who dreams of living in America. In her quest to get to Mexico, she stows away on a train and crosses paths with Edgar Flores, who plays a gang member that tries to help her but ends up killing the leader of his gang in order to do so. It's won numerous awards and is definitely one to watch.
Spring brings lighter stuff and “Pajaros de Papel” (Paper Birds). This comedy, the debut of multi-talented Emilio Aragon, delivers heart-warming entertainment about a post-Spanish Civil War vaudeville troop. At this writing, Aragon was negotiating foreign distribution, a sure sign of a hit. “Una Hora Mas en Canarias” (One More Hour in the Canary Islands) is a musical comedy by David Serrano, much looked forward to since it was filmed on location and the cinematography is something for everyone to enjoy.
“La Daga de Rasputin” (Rasputin's Dagger) by Jesus Bonilla is also shortlisted on the Top 5 Spanish movies of 2010. And to round out the genres, “La Casa Muda” (The Silent House) directed by Gustavo Hernandez is a horror film set to thrill this summer. A film revolving around a house that's going to be put up for sale: a father and daughter team stay overnight to do some repairs. When things start to go “bump” in the night, the house comes alive. What makes the story more chilling is that it's actually based on a true story from Uruguay.
Now how's that for a list of top 5 Spanish movies of 2010's spring and summer?