In Praise of Older Women (1997)
"En brazos de la mujer madura" (original title)

In the turmoil of the Spanish Civil War, a young man comes of age sexually, through a string of relationships with a wide range of mature, older women.

Director:

Manuel Lombardero

Writers:

Rafael Azcona, Manuel Lombardero,

Stars:

Juan Diego Botto, Miguel Ángel García, Faye Dunaway

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Juan Diego Botto	...	Andrés
Miguel Ángel García	...	Andrés (15 yrs) (as Miguel A. Garcia)
Faye Dunaway	...	Condesa
Carme Elias	...	Irene
Joanna Pacula	...	Marta
Rosana Pastor	...	Pilar
Imanol Arias	...	Dávalos
Florence Pernel	...	Bobi
Ingrid Rubio	...	Julia
Ángel de Andrés López	...	Víctor
Ramón Barea	...	Peciña
Lorena García	...	Miss Mozar
Nancho Novo	...	Honorio
Ralph Riach	...	Conde
Joan Crosas	...	Carlos

Storyline

Andrés, nearly 16 in July of 1936, looks for love and fulfillment in Barcelona, during and just after Spain's civil war. His Catholic school closes at war's outbreak; his mother is in western Spain. To cross to her, he joins a Republican battalion. He has a morning with a countess, is sent by his commanding officer to the officer's house in Barcelona where he's attracted to the man's daughter, and ends up as a black marketeer. In 1940, he's reunited with his mother, who has, as he says, "won the war." In Barcelona he lives in comfort with her, dislikes her politics and boyfriend, and pursues medical studies and the arms of three older women. Can a man have more than one homeland?

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Plot Keywords:

spain | catholic | school | countess | love | 

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Taglines:

Si esta tarde no le digo que quiero acostarme con ella, me tiro por la escalera.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Details

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish English

Release Date:

11 April 1997 (Spain)

Also Known As:

In Praise of Older Women

Filming Locations:

Alella, Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+ España, Lolafilms, Sociedad General de Televisión (Sogetel)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of In Praise of Older Women (1978)

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Soundtracks

"Minor Swing"
By Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli
Courtesy of Emi Music

User Reviews

Coming of age during and after the Spanish Civil War

This 1997 Spanish production is the second screen adaptation of Stephen Vzinczey's novel "In Praise of Older Women." I didn't see the first one, but it would be difficult to top this one. The location of this adaptation has been changed to from World War II Hungary to Spain during and immediately after the Civil War. The young boy and main character, as portrayed by Juan Diego Botto (still one of Spain's most promising young actors), seeks to find his mother amidst the turmoil, and discovers the opposite sex on the way. Mature women, Faye Dunaway and Joanna Pacula included, teach him about love and passion, though he stumbles upon girls his own age (Ingrid Rubio star of Carlos Saura's TAXI) once or twice. The film is entertaining and well worth your time. Too bad it was not released in the U.S. or the U.K. Nevertheless, it is now available in video (without English subtitles).