A Matador's Mistress (2008)
"Manolete" (original title)

The film starts in the trip from Sevilla to Linares, where Manolete stops in Córdoba to see his mother. He will be remembering some passages of his life.

Director:

Menno Meyjes

Writer:

Menno Meyjes

Stars:

Adrien Brody, Penélope Cruz, Nacho Aldeguer

Cast

Credited cast:
Adrien Brody	...	Manuel Rodríguez Sánchez "Manolete"
Penélope Cruz	...	Lupe Sino
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nacho Aldeguer	...	Luis Miguel Dominguín
Enrique Arce
Fernando Bermejo	...	Duque (credit only)
Dritan Biba	...	Critic
Pedro Casablanc
Antonio de la Fuente
Berta de la Dehesa
Juan Echanove	...	Pepe Camará
Enrique Hernández
Luis Hostalot
Josep Linuesa	...	Enrique de Ahumada
Javier Mejía
Ann Mitchell	...	Doña Angustias

Storyline

"A Matador's Mistress" is a tragically eloquent dance of the cold brutality of uncommitted love and the high stakes of the Bullfight. Immerse yourself in the culture of Spain surrounding the age old traditions of the Matador. While the bullfight is controversial by today's standards, the ancient art-form is depicted with unflinching realism. The story is of man against beast, the bullfighter's zen, if you will; his nightly dance with death. A world-class lover enters his world; their code is their truth. Life being lived, edgy, relentlessly flirting with disaster, untamed, beautiful.

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Plot Keywords:

matador | spain | bullfighter | love | death | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Details

Official Sites:

3L Filmverleih [de] Quinta Distribution [fr]

Country:

Spain UK France USA Germany

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

31 March 2010 (France)

Also Known As:

A Matador's Mistress

Filming Locations:

Alcoy, Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$28,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Iberoamericana Films Producción, Future Films, Manolete Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min 115 min (European Film Market)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

While in the car driving in the country the matador and his manager are talking about the three rules and the manager's cigarette switches sides of his mouth from shot to shot throughout the scene without the camera showing that he moved it in the previous shot.

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Connections

Referenced in Special Collector's Edition: Christine (2013)

User Reviews

This movie failed because it was taken from the original writer and distorted

Nice costumes and great actors do not make a movie great. A good story does. Too bad the original writer, Bill Crown, was bumped out of the process by those who hijacked the project. I guess Karma decided the fate of the film.

1200 pages of research were prepared but obviously not used. This is a story about a real man living in real times. Taking poetic liberties is fine, but there has to be authenticity for a film like this to work.

Brody hot off his Oscar was perfectly suited to the role. Penelope Cruise, wisely selected as the love interest also internationally recognized, should have brought forth faithful followers. A formula that would have worked had not the intentions of the story been skewed so far off mark.