English and Spanish with English subtitles
With Penélope Cruz, Antonio Resines, Jorge Sanz, Clive Revill, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Arturo Ripstein, Santiago Segura, Javier Cámara, Loles León, Rosa María Sardà, Neus Asensi, Chino Darín, Ana Belén, Anabel Alonso, Jesús Bonilla, Juan Margallo, Gemma Cuervo, Carlos Areces
Oscar®-winning director Fernando Trueba, brings together an all-star cast for a lavish homage to 1950s Spanish cinema. A spirited film-within-a-film, The Queen of Spain is an artful rendering of breathtaking costumes, rich visuals and madcap fun, unpredictably melding Hollywood’s studio system with that of fascist-era Spain.
After enjoying a successful career in Hollywood, Spanish actress Macarena Granada (a luminous Penélope Cruz) returns home to play Queen Isabella in an epic period film that has the local media buzzing. Once in Spain, she runs into former friends and colleagues while the film production goes through a roller coaster of emotional scenarios, including the return of a once-famous director, passionate affairs between crew members, and the hovering presence of Franco’s regime.
The film is brimming with intriguing historical references, such as a blacklisted American screenwriter (Mandy Patinkin) who, in an apparent nod to Hollywood Ten member Alvah Bessie, is said to have fought with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade during the Spanish Civil War. The Glamorous movie stars, blacklisted writers, campy production designers, fabulous sets, and hunky grips all coming together to make movies and snub their noses at Generalissimo Franco. This is a delight from first moment to last—a mixture of affectionate and not-so-affectionate satire that hits its targets dead center.
Press
“The Queen of Spain, a light ensemble romp from the veteran director Fernando Trueba, has fun with movie lore even as it pillories Hollywood’s deal-making with the Francisco Franco regime in the 1950s.” – Andy Webster, The New York Times
“The Queen of Spain promises a delightfully retrograde romp back in time to the Technicolor pleasures of that golden moment in the mid-1950s when Hollywood came to Spain...Cruz effortlessly inhabits the world of a 1950s movie queen. The costumes and production design conspire to make her look glorious.” – Jay Weissberg, Variety
“The film is brimming with intriguing historical references, such as a blacklisted American screenwriter (Mandy Patinkin) who, in an apparent nod to Hollywood Ten member Alvah Bessie, is said to have fought with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade during the Spanish Civil War.” – Keith Watson, Slant Magazine
“Looks terrific and features a warm, glamorous performance by Penélope Cruz... [a] valentine to moviemaking.” – Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times
“The best of Spanish comedy.” – Francisco Marinero, El Mundo
“A sharp and precise critic of the Franco dictatorship in Spain. ” – Erick Estrada, Cinegarage
About the Director
Fernando Trueba was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1955. Since making his directing debut with Opera prima in 1980, this director and screenwriter has made a further 15 award-winning films. Belle Époque won the Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film as well as nine Goyas; his animated film Chico & Rita was also nominated for an Academy Award®. His films have screened frequently at the Berlinale: he won a Silver Bear in 1987 for El año de las luces, and Belle Époque and La niña de tus ojos also screened in the competition. He has so far won two Grammys and five Latin Grammys for his work as a music producer.
