Princesas (Princesses) (2005)
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74% of critics liked it
(31 reviews) -
61% of users liked it
(14,400 ratings)
A middle-class prostitute strikes up an unlikely friendship with an immigrant streetwalker from the Dominican Republic in director Fernando León de Aranoa's compassionate, humanistic drama. Caye comes from a middle-class background, and her parents remain blissfully unaware of the means by which… More A middle-class prostitute strikes up an unlikely friendship with an immigrant streetwalker from the Dominican Republic in director Fernando León de Aranoa's compassionate, humanistic drama. Caye comes from a middle-class background, and her parents remain blissfully unaware of the means by which their daughter earns her keep. While many of Caye's days are spent hanging out with her fellow prostitutes cursing the rapid proliferation of cheaper immigrant prostitutes on the city streets, a chance encounter with Zule, who is just such a woman, soon prompts Caye to reevaluate her standards. A dedicated mother who walks the streets in order to send money to her son back home, Zule is taken to the hospital by Caye after being badly beaten and left for dead. Now, as a warm bond begins to develop between the two women whose dreams of financial stability and kind companionship help to ease the pain of familial separation, the resulting discovery of self-determination leads Caye and Zule on a journey of self-discovery that will leave both women forever changed. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Directed By
- Fernando León de Aranoa
- Genres
- Drama
- In Theaters
- Aug 23, 2005 Wide
- Studio
- IFC First Take
Critic Reviews
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Nick Funnell, Time Out
Compelling, frequently funny and, commendably, resists wrapping things up sentimentally. Nice Manu Chao soundtrack, too.
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Michael Booth, Denver Post
Aranoa sketches a melancholy based on accurate human observation.
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Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
While Princesas offers sensitive and beautifully wrought performances by its two leads (Candela Pena and Micaela Nevarez, who each won Goya Awards), the film offers little new in way of substance or theme.
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Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Writer-director Fernando León de Aranoa embraces a pair of Madrid streetwalkers with such affection and compassion that their story, even though prostitutes are a staple of the movies, actually seems fresh and distinctive.
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Jonathan Holland, Variety
Fernando Leon de Aranoa confirms his Loach-like ability to convert marginalized subjects into socially committed cinema.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
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