Leo (2000)

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This dark and eery romantic thriller, set against the barren wasteland of industrial Madrid, stars Iciar Bollain as Leo, a homeless woman struggling to come to terms with her painful past. Leo is a tough loner, a member of Madrid's forgotten underclass, who must struggle to keep herself fed and… More This dark and eery romantic thriller, set against the barren wasteland of industrial Madrid, stars Iciar Bollain as Leo, a homeless woman struggling to come to terms with her painful past. Leo is a tough loner, a member of Madrid's forgotten underclass, who must struggle to keep herself fed and clothed. While working for a recycling company, disguised as a boy, Leo meets Salva (Javier Batanero), a security guard, who takes pity on the impoverished young woman. But, as Leo and Salva begin an erotic liaison, Leo's past begins to spiral out of control, and Salva is drawn into the mysterious woman's life. The death of her mother prompts Leo to take action against the man who she blames for her mother's demise, Gabo (Valeri Yerlinski). He is a wrestling coach whose complicated past with Leo and her mother is at the core of Leo's painful inability to move on with her life. She is both repulsed and attracted to Gabo, who was once a father figure and lover for the young woman in a revealing and complicated triangle of lust and revenge. In order to begin a new romance with Salva, Leo demands that he help her exorcise the haunting demons of her past. Salva, overwhelmed by his consuming desire for Leo, is willing to do whatever it takes to free her from the haunting realities of her childhood betrayal. Bollain delivers a grim and powerful performance as the tortured woman trapped in her past. LEO is a disturbing glimpse of modern Madrid and it's inhabitants, masterfully executed by acclaimed director José Luis Borau.This film was screened at American Cinemateque in Los Angeles as part of a festival of contemporary films from Spain.