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      Under a Spell

      1998 2h 10m History Drama List
      Reviews 62% 50+ Ratings Audience Score Abused adolescent Eliseo (Daniel Acuña) spends the night with his beautiful schoolteacher, Felipa (Blanca Guerra), after one of his father's violent outbursts. Afterward, the previously poor student begins making excellent grades. Further suspicions are raised around the coastal village when the school's principal, Felipa's sailor boyfriend and several of the boys who teased Eliseo are found dead. Run out of town and accused of witchcraft, Felipa re-enters Eliseo's life nine years later. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member Casi una joya!, una historia por demas original, sencilla sin caer en lo ridiculo Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member A lost gem of Mexican cinema...not without its problems though, this should've been a 5 star film but only get 4 from me due to the mess of symbolism that could've been more focused but was nonetheless an essential part of the movie. I had a problem with the trivialization of child abuse in the movie as seemingly "normal" and that it was women put in the position of abusers. If anything the movie really makes me want to seek out the book the movie was based upon, to see how it probably is a little more subtle and nuanced in the themes the movie portrays. Carrera should be commended on making on of the best Mexican films of the 90's, really captures the feel of the time periods in which the story takes place (the 1920's, then the late 40's), the social problems of Latin America and the larger political landscape that came into shape by the end of the movie. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Abused adolescent Eliseo (Daniel Acuña) spends the night with his beautiful schoolteacher, Felipa (Blanca Guerra), after one of his father's violent outbursts. Afterward, the previously poor student begins making excellent grades. Further suspicions are raised around the coastal village when the school's principal, Felipa's sailor boyfriend and several of the boys who teased Eliseo are found dead. Run out of town and accused of witchcraft, Felipa re-enters Eliseo's life nine years later.
      Director
      Carlos Carrera
      Screenwriter
      Carlos Carrera, Martín Salinas, Marcel Sisniega
      Production Co
      Tequila Gang
      Genre
      History, Drama
      Original Language
      Spanish
      Runtime
      2h 10m
      Sound Mix
      Surround