THE BELOVED (EL SER QUERIDO) World Cinema

In the latest from Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen (THE BEASTS), Javier Bardem gives an outstanding and frightening performance as a legendary Spanish filmmaker, Esteban Martínez, who returns to Spain to shoot his next picture in Fuerteventura: a period piece set in 1930s Western Sahara. For the key role of Gabriela, Esteban is keen on casting his estranged daughter, Emilia (Victoria Luengo, a revelation), claiming the opportunity will help the struggling actress; Esteban downplays any intimations of nepotism by praising Emilia’s acting in a recent TV series. During the shoot, Esteban is all smiles, eager to win over the daughter he hasn’t seen in years, but old wounds reopen as Esteban’s behavior shifts towards manipulation.  THE BELOVED is a masterclass in acting: Bardem and Luengo are raw and passionate individually but together they rise to another level, one vividly portraying a relationship where resentment and spite take the place of love and compassion. The scenes depicting the shoot of the fiction film DESIERTO are another highlight, sure to please those who love a behind-the-scenes featurette while serving as fertile ground for a conflict that culminates in an explosive and terrifying scene involving take after take, after take. –Javier Chavez