ma-cortes Spanish/English co-production concerning about a brief biography of the known Torero Manolete (Adrien Brody) who rose to prominence shortly after the Spanish Civil War and is considered by some to be the greatest bullfighter of all time . The movie begins in the journey from Sevilla to Linares , and he remains in Córdoba to find his mother . There are , subsequently , various flashbacks remembering some passages of his life . As mainly focusing his relationship with a Fatal woman , Lupe Sino (Penélope Cruz) , a world-class lover who enters in his complicated world and with whom has an uncommitted romance . As Lupe Sino cannot be considered a "respectable" girl in 1940s Spain , though she she is willing to settle down and become a "respectable" woman he can marry . But Manolete's colleagues and best friends (Santiago Segura , Juan Echanove) disapprove of the relationship because they fear for their own status . And developing his Bullfighting skills , as his style was sober and serious , with few concessions to the gallery, and he excelled at the Suerte De Matar — the kill . Manolete's contribution to bullfighting included being able to stand very still while the bull passed close to his body and , rather than giving the passes separately, he was able to remain in one spot and link four or five consecutive passes together into a compact series . Manolete popularized a pass with the Muleta called the "Manoletina," which is normally given just before entering to kill with the sword . In addition to all of the major bullrings of Spain , he had very important triumphs in Plaza Mexico.This "A Matador's Mistress" , also known as the title "The passion within" or ¨Blood and passion¨ in some countries deals with a love joined to the high stakes of the Bullfight ; it is the story of a winner bullfighter against a brave beast . And there are a lot of shots about bullfighting , especially in its final part , showing a spectacular Corrida , being technical consultants the notorious Toreros : Espartaco and Cayetano Martínez who has a brief cameo as Lupe's lover . It contains mediocre interpretations from a famous main cast : Adrien Brody and Penélope Cruz . And support cast is pretty good , such as Santiago Segura , Juan Echanove , Ann Mitchell , Enrique Arce , Pedro Casablanc , among others . The picture displays a colorful and evocative cinematography by Robert Yeoman . And a tragic , sensitive and sad music by Dan Jones and Gabriel Yared . The motion picture was middlingly directed by Menno Meyjes (Martian child , Het Diner , Max) The movie gives a brief description about the culture of Spain surrounding the age old traditions of the Matador . As the ancient Toreo art-form is described with unflinching and fetching realism . As bullfighter Manolete , Adrien Brody , relentlessly flirting with death and along the way he has a turbulent love story with a woman of dark past . This was Lupe Sino , regularly played by Penélope Cruz with a basket-crown on her upper left incisor , who is depicted as enjoying the company of men, and frequently called a "prostitute" by Manolete's entourage . At the end Manolete died in August 1947 following a goring in the upper right leg as he killed the fifth bull of the day, the Miura bull Islero, an event that left Spain in a state of shock. Manolete received his fatal goring in the town of Linares where he appeared alongside the up-and-coming matador Luis Miguel Dominguín, who, after Manolete's death, proclaimed himself Number One . In response to Manolete's death , General Francisco Franco , then dictator of Spain , ordered three days of "national mourning" , during which only funeral dirges were heard on the radio .

cynthiahost It took me a second time to watch it to realize that it took place in the 1940's and in Spain.I also just realize that it was made in 2008 .I thought it just released. Adrian Brody,with his handsome hawk nose and sad eye brows, portrays an English speaking Spanish bull fighter.He just dropped his old girl friend whom he was almost going to shoot.This movie portrays the life of a bull fighter and the danger that they live because of this sports.He meets the very exotic Penelope Cruze, who's an actress or a model.They start to have a affair with each other.Then as usual in these films she start to worry about him dying in the bull ring and tries to get him to quit.This story is almost like blood and sand.He later learns that she was a communist and was married to a communist in the military.He takes her out of jail under his custody.His managers does not like him having an a affair with her cause it's not good for a bull fighter to care.This was quite a good story. Ironically none of this was shot in Mexico.The costumes and hairdo's fit the period of the time 1945 to 46 to?Like blood and Sand this bull fighter ends up getting killed because of his distraction cause by his love for Penelope Cruze. What a mistake. Available at Red box Rentals.08/21/12

thehemptress I guess I'm just a sucker for a sappy romance, period piece combination. The whole movie is beautiful to look at even if you have to rewind a few times to understand what is being said because they are in Spain speaking English. I do not understand why this movie received such little publicity. I had never heard of it before I saw it in the Redbox, and I'm glad I rented it. I'm not trying to spoil the movie for you, but be warned the life of a Matadors mistress is a stressful one. ha The whole movie centers around the romance between the Matador and his mistress. She is his mistress, but not because he is married to another woman. You will understand once you watch the movie. Anyway to sum up, if you hate somewhat historical, sappy romances don't watch this one.

jfcornell "Matador's Mistress" might be profitably viewed - and not so easily underestimated - if we try to see it as a work of art in its own right, that is, as much more than a dramatic tribute to the legendary bull-fighter Manolete or a cinematic rendering of his great passion for Lupe. Manolete's tale has been elevated to an archetypal tragedy of Love-Death. Director Meyjes has put right under our noses the mad mechanics of our wildest dream, in full confidence that it will fascinate romantic viewers without their fully registering what's going on. But the clues to a psychological study of machismo are all here. Why else does the film open with the brazen insult that Lupe has scrawled in lipstick on Manolete's mirror, an act of humiliation, ripping into her lover's essential wound? And why does it alternate, so suggestively, the scene of Manolete's and Lupe's love-making with that of the fight in which Manolete daringly caresses the bull? And Manolete's relation to his mother, plainly making Lupe her surrogate? This romance turns on the little secret that he gives up in his sexual climax, in the little death that secretly prepares the viewer for his last words. Whatever the historical relationship between these lovers, it has been taken up artfully into an exploration of the matador's psyche, and by extension, the psyche of Spain. Lupe plays a cruel game with Manolete, because the psychic roots of his devotion are so exposed, more than any woman wants to see. Yet the film asks: is there ever any other source of obsession with Woman? Lupe can only despise Manolete, even as she is ravished by him. Such a love can only find one resolution.A genuine work of art.