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The sleeper international hit of 2001, two years later nominated for an Oscar after its release, grabbed critics by surprise with the refreshing way it depicted sexuality. Two best friends embark on a road trip with an older woman, with whom they experiment everything. With Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna and Maribel Verdú. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Distribution 
The first movie about bullying in Mexico won the prestigious Un Certain Reward recognition at Cannes. Directed by Michel Franco, "After Lucía" is the most refreshing Latin American film in recent years. It is surprisingly austere and minimalist, so the lack of dialogue and music deserve kudos, as the movie relies mainly on the scary expressions of its protagonist (Tessa Ia, daughter of Nailea Norvind). More in the line of a french indie thriller. Distribution 
It's extremely difficult to choose only one film from Mexico's Golden Age. While the era produced a major star system (María Félix, Dolores del Río, Pedro Infante, Pedro Armendáriz, to name a few), the movies were no more than mere soap material, excessively tragic and frankly, not believable. "Nosotros Los Pobres" or "Us, The Poor People" is still a greek tragedy where everything goes wrong for poor Pepe El Toro (Pedro Infante) and his family, including --of course-- his new born son Torito, who dies in a fire. Distribution 
The crime caper genre is not easy to make, it requires money, a solid production and post-production and very credible actors. In Latin America, it's not a common genre, but this movie by Argentinean director Fabián Bielinsky took audiences by surprise. With fantastic humor, terrific performances by Ricardo Darín, Gastón Pauls, and Leticia Brédice, "Nine Queens" is the "Ocean's 12" of Latin America. What happens when two con-artists try to sell counterfeit rare stamps? See it and have a blast. Distribution 
Faith in Mexican cinema have long died, when in 1992 a director named Alfonso Arau presented a unique vision of an "unfilmable" book, written by ex wife Laura Esquivel. The book, full of recipes and magic realism, served as the basis for the most original film seen in México since its Golden Age. Lumi Cavazos (who later worked with Wes Anderson) and Marco Leonardi (of "Cinema Paradiso") melt the scren with their passion, ignited by extraordinary food recipes. Distribution 
Winner of the Best Director award at the 1951 Cannes Film Festival, this work of Spanish auteur Luis Buñuel was the inspiration --to this date-- of many of the recurring themes of Latin American movies: poverty, gangs, social injustice, crime and punishment. Features an excellent cinematography by master Gabriel Figueroa, and the birth of respected thespian Roberto Cobo. Distribution 
Gay cinema in Latin America has been taboo. To this date, there are no more than a handful of serious films depicting homosexuality in a way that does not mean for its characters to be stabbed or stoned to death. "Undertow" is a little gem that stays away from clichés and features two heartwarming performances by Manolo Cardona and Cristian Mercado, as two men who are madly in love with each other, even if one of him is well, a ghost. Distribution 
When Spanish auteur Luis Buñuel was living in México, he made arguably some of his finest work. Pressured by his producer, who was then married to would-be-star Silvia Pinal, Buñuel had to feature the actress in all his films made in Mexico. Luckily, Pinal had more than looks. In this absurd comedy where the bourgeoisie can't leave a room after dinner, the director explored his fascination with surrealism and made one of the most memorable works of his repertoire. Look for a young Jacqueline Andere before she had a nose job. Distribution 
This piece of cinema was revolutionary for its time, not only because of its gay protagonist, but mostly because of its country of origin: Cuba. Two opposite guys develop a very unlikely friendship that will be put to the test. One is an openly homosexual, cultivated, and highly skeptical. The other is heterosexual, full of prejudices and convinced of the doctrine of communism. The movie shows how all of us need to accept people as they are. Distribution 
Wildly inventive, funny and poetic --based on Mario Benedetti's "Inventario"-- this movie is high art, from the visual choices by director Eliseo Subiela, to the decision to cast controversial songstress Nacha Guevara to play the "muerte puta", an allegory of the protagonist facing his own aging. Followed by a not so fortunate sequel. Distribution 
Extremely controversial, this movie was based on a real story of two sisters who ran a prostitution circle, keeping the girls by kidnapped and subjected to physical abuse, torture and humiliations. The film, which is told in a documentary style, has graphic violence and adult content to spare, and the performances of the unfortunate girls (none other than María Rojo, Diana Bracho, Tina Romero and Pilar Pellicer) are so intense, that the movie results in a quite uncomfortable experience. But it did happen. Distribution 
In Latin America, the middle class can afford domestic employees. The "nanas" become part of our families, our upbringing and education. In Sebastián Silva's tragic comedy, we see the story for the first time from the point of view of the maid, who receives different treatment from every member of the family. It's heartbreaking but it rings so true ... with a wonderful performance by Catalina Saavedra in the title role. Distribution 
"Cronos" marked the debut of two major talents: Guillermo Del Toro as director, and Guillermo Navarro behind the lens. In 1993, it announced the birth of a true auteur, fascinated with odd instruments and creatures, and with a very unique point of view. Part vampire, part zombie movie, "Cronos" is a baroque masterpiece. Distribution 
Clearly inspired by Luis Buñuel, would be auteur Arturo Ripstein made his debut as filmmaker with this chilling tale --based on a real story published in a newspaper-- about a family that was kept hidden from the world during 18 years by its patriarch terrible (Claudio Brook). Ripstein's cinema has been accused of being excessive and he is often dismissed as pretentious. But his opera prima is so measured and so controlled, so brilliantly done and wonderfully acted by its cast --particularly Diana Bracho, who also made her debut here-- that it is impossible to ignore. Distribution 
Eons before Michael Haneke gave us "Amour", director Juan José Campanella told a similar story in 2001, about a woman who suffers Alzheimer's and begins to lose all recognition. Her once estranged son, played by Ricardo Darín, becomes closely involved with her as she will remarry the man of her dreams. This Oscar nominated film it's an emotional rollercoaster. Distribution 
Loosely based on Naguib Mahfouz novel, El Callejón De Los Milagros is a miraculous piece of cinema. What could've been a somber, dark film, is splashed with a wondrous sense of humor and the best ensamble cast ever put on a Latin American movie. From Salma Hayek (when she already was someone in Hollywood), to veterans Ernesto Gómez Cruz, Delia Casanova, María Rojo, Claudio Obregón and a brilliant performance from Margarita Sanz as the owner of the vecindad, many stories intertwine in this kaleidoscopic work of art. Distribution 
Comedy is not Latin America's forte. When Alfonso Cuarón debuted, he chose precisely the most difficult of all formats to tell a tale in the middle of the AIDS epidemic: a dark comedy. The director excelled, and this title is now part of the prestigious Criterion Collection. Daniel Giménez Cacho plays a yuppie womanizer who has actually a list of the hundreds of women he has had sex with, until he sleeps with a nurse who gives him a false HIV positive result and tries to end his live unsuccessfully. Distribution 
Brilliant portrait of a good gone bad guy next door (Damián Alcazar) who learns that the narco business gives him the respect and the opportunities he always wanted. This satire of the current situation of Mexico is both hilarious and sad at the same time. Distribution 
In 2000, the eyes of Hollywood were focused on a single movie. It had come from Latin America, it was audacious, action driven and packed more punch than any other movie that year. The film was "Amores Perros," a collaboration between director Alejandro González Iñárritu and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga, who would also produce "21 Grams" and "Babel" before they became public enemies. "Amores Perros" had the first major soundtrack for a Latin American movie (Julieta Venegas, Ely Guerra, Nacha Pop, Control Machete, Café Tacvba), a powerful score by Gustavo Santaolalla and a brilliant camera work by Rodrigo Prieto. Distribution 
Arturo Ripstein's masterpiece came early in his prolific, irregular career, in 1978. Tackling the subjects of machismo, homophobia, homosexuality and cross-dressing in a deserted town in a puritan Mexico, it boasts one of the most important performances ever put on Latin celluloid, by Roberto Cobo as "La Manuela", the transvestite who awakens lust in the most manly of men. Distribution 
Winner of the prestigious Palm D'Or at Cannes, "Viridiana" tells the story of a woman who, about to become a nun, pays a visit to his uncle and becomes the object of desire. Full of surrealistic Buñuel imagery, and a solid perfomance by Pinal, this is probably the best work by the Spanish auteur. Also part of the prestigious Criterion Collection catalog in the USA. Distribution 
Juan José Campanella reunites with alter-ego actor Ricardo Darín, with this extraordinary mix of comedy, drama, romance and thriller, that earned a very well deserved Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. This tale of a legal counselor who decades later is still trying to find closure on a unsolved homicide case, could easily be considered the best film of 2009 overall. Distribution 
Scary and realistic portrayal of the destiny of two Brazilian boys. One becomes a photographer, the other the lord of a drug ring and a violent neighborhood where they both grew up. Nominated for four Oscars, this movie put Brazil again in the map of cinema, and launched the career of Fernando Meirelles, who later would direct "The Constant Gardener". Distribution 
Luis Estrada has made the definitive movie on the politics of Mexico in one microcosm. The full story of the controversial party PRI is resumed in two hours of caustic humor and never-ending-satire about a little man (Demián Alcazar), who suddenly is given the power of an awful deserted town in the middle of nowhere. "Herod's Law" (which in Mexico's slang means something like "screw or get screwed"), portrays how power transforms people, and how corruption has plagued Mexico for many many decades. Distribution 
Described by John Lennon as his favorite movie, "El Topo" is the only Latin American film that has cult status, was impossible to see for decades unless it was on underground circles, and it continues to be showed in cinemas over the world at 12 am along "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Rosemary's Baby". Chilean Alejandro Jodorowsky made a mystical western, just as Sergio Leone single handedly made the spaghetti western, Jodorowsky created his own genre too, mixing religion and violence, allegorical images and philosophy in a film that is better experienced than described. Distribution
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More likely than not, any list of the best movies of all time will end up slighting someone. Let alone the best movies from a tradition as rich and diverse as the Latin cinematic one. But the Latin Times is taking a stab at it anyway -- any list with directors like Alejandro Jodorowsky, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Luis Buñuel and Alfonso Cuarón and stars like Silvia Pinal, Ricardo Darín, Salma Hayek, Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal will just as inevitably trigger some memories and spark some controversy.
This list encompasses the 25 movies that the editors of Latin Times consider the essential pieces of cinema made in Latin America, from Mexico to Brazil. However, if you don't find some titles like Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth, don't take it personal, the list is based on countries of origin. Since Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone were made in Spain with Spanish money, they are not featured in the list, but movies like "El Topo" from a Chilean director and "Viridiana" from a Spaniard filmmaker made in Mexico, are included.
To see the list, just scroll on the top right of the first image above. We hope you have a cinematic revelation.
