Gael's Acting Career
According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), Gael has acting credit in 46 movies.
The five following movies are a selection of his most popular works.
The five following movies are a selection of his most popular works.
Amores Perros (2000)
Amores Perros was nominated for an Oscar in 2001 for best foreign language film, but did not win. However, it did win 57 awards total from various film festivals around the world. It won best film not in the English language at the BAFTA's, and several Ariel Awards in Mexico, including a Silver Ariel for Gael as best actor. Gael also won best actor at the Chicago International Film Festival, and Premios ACE. It is a story of three people from different social classes who live in Mexico City. Their lives become intertwined after Gael's character Octavio tries to run away from a dog fight, and gets into a car crash that mangles the leg of a model in the other car. Their accident is witnessed by a man who lives on the streets and takes care of dogs. The movie then backtracks and shows each person's respective life before the crash, before revisiting the crash and showing how each of their lives progress afterwards. Octavio spends most of the movie trying to win over the heart of a married woman named Susana, but he is ultimately unsuccessful. Amores Perros is considered to be Gael's breakout role.
Amores Perros was nominated for an Oscar in 2001 for best foreign language film, but did not win. However, it did win 57 awards total from various film festivals around the world. It won best film not in the English language at the BAFTA's, and several Ariel Awards in Mexico, including a Silver Ariel for Gael as best actor. Gael also won best actor at the Chicago International Film Festival, and Premios ACE. It is a story of three people from different social classes who live in Mexico City. Their lives become intertwined after Gael's character Octavio tries to run away from a dog fight, and gets into a car crash that mangles the leg of a model in the other car. Their accident is witnessed by a man who lives on the streets and takes care of dogs. The movie then backtracks and shows each person's respective life before the crash, before revisiting the crash and showing how each of their lives progress afterwards. Octavio spends most of the movie trying to win over the heart of a married woman named Susana, but he is ultimately unsuccessful. Amores Perros is considered to be Gael's breakout role.
Bad Education (2004)
Bad Education was the first Spanish film to ever open the Cannes Film Festival. Gael won best actor for this film at the Chlotrudis Awards, Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival, Glitter Awards, SESC Film Festival Brazil, and the Valdivia International Film Festival. It is about a film director, Enrique, who is desperate to write a new script, and a face from his childhood revisits him with a script he can't refuse. Gael plays a transsexual drag queen who was the former lover of Enrique in Catholic school, but they had been separated when their relationship was found out. Gael's character Angel (formerly Ignacio) had been sexually abused by a priest afterwards, and after all these years Angel decides she wants to tell her story to the world. However as the film proceeds, everything isn't as it seems, and it turns out that Angel is really Ignacio's younger brother Juan, who killed Ignacio with the help of the priest. Gael had to play three different versatile characters for this role, and received incredible reviews over how well he pulled it off.
Bad Education was the first Spanish film to ever open the Cannes Film Festival. Gael won best actor for this film at the Chlotrudis Awards, Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival, Glitter Awards, SESC Film Festival Brazil, and the Valdivia International Film Festival. It is about a film director, Enrique, who is desperate to write a new script, and a face from his childhood revisits him with a script he can't refuse. Gael plays a transsexual drag queen who was the former lover of Enrique in Catholic school, but they had been separated when their relationship was found out. Gael's character Angel (formerly Ignacio) had been sexually abused by a priest afterwards, and after all these years Angel decides she wants to tell her story to the world. However as the film proceeds, everything isn't as it seems, and it turns out that Angel is really Ignacio's younger brother Juan, who killed Ignacio with the help of the priest. Gael had to play three different versatile characters for this role, and received incredible reviews over how well he pulled it off.
The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
The Motorcycle Diaries won an Oscar for original song within a film. Gael picked up three best actor awards, two from the SESC film festival in Brazil, and one from Premios ACE. It is a film about Che Guevara, whom Gael plays, and a motorcycle trip that he took that led him down the path towards becoming a revolutionary. The trip they took was to tour Latin America, and then to work at a leper colony in Peru. But along the way Che and his friend Alberto discover the disparities among the rich in the poor in society, as well as how badly the native peoples are exploited. Che decides that he wants to work towards a Latin America where its people band together and embrace a "pan-Latin American identity" (Internet Movie Database). It is a strong recollection and dramatization of the experiences that made the famous Argentinian revolutionary who he was.
The Motorcycle Diaries won an Oscar for original song within a film. Gael picked up three best actor awards, two from the SESC film festival in Brazil, and one from Premios ACE. It is a film about Che Guevara, whom Gael plays, and a motorcycle trip that he took that led him down the path towards becoming a revolutionary. The trip they took was to tour Latin America, and then to work at a leper colony in Peru. But along the way Che and his friend Alberto discover the disparities among the rich in the poor in society, as well as how badly the native peoples are exploited. Che decides that he wants to work towards a Latin America where its people band together and embrace a "pan-Latin American identity" (Internet Movie Database). It is a strong recollection and dramatization of the experiences that made the famous Argentinian revolutionary who he was.
The Science of Sleep (2006)
Gael plays Stephane, a man forced to move to Paris from Mexico to be closer to his mother after his father dies. He forms an attraction to the woman next door, Stephanie, but only because they seem to have similar interests. Throughout the movie it is proven they have no chemistry, and as Stephane becomes more dissatisfied with his life and job, it transitions into a dream world where he can no longer tell if the things around him are happening or not. The film ends on a note where the viewer isn't sure what has actually transpired in Stephane's real life, and what is just going on in his head. This film continues Gael's pattern of doing creative and intellectual movies, and while it didn't receive many awards it was acclaimed as a success and enjoyed by many.
Gael plays Stephane, a man forced to move to Paris from Mexico to be closer to his mother after his father dies. He forms an attraction to the woman next door, Stephanie, but only because they seem to have similar interests. Throughout the movie it is proven they have no chemistry, and as Stephane becomes more dissatisfied with his life and job, it transitions into a dream world where he can no longer tell if the things around him are happening or not. The film ends on a note where the viewer isn't sure what has actually transpired in Stephane's real life, and what is just going on in his head. This film continues Gael's pattern of doing creative and intellectual movies, and while it didn't receive many awards it was acclaimed as a success and enjoyed by many.
Rosewater (2014)
While Rosewater was not a big award winner or box office pull, it is one of Gael's most recent films. It was also one that was popularized in the United States because it was directed by Jon Stewart from The Daily Show. Gael plays Maziar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian journalist who was detained after filming a comedy segment with former correspondent Jason Jones, from the satirical American television show The Daily Show. His captors thought he was a spy for the American government, and he was interrogated for 118 days. Forced to wear a blindfold, he only knew his captor by his scent, which was rosewater. The film is based off of an entirely true story written down by Bahari in a book after he was finally released.
While Rosewater was not a big award winner or box office pull, it is one of Gael's most recent films. It was also one that was popularized in the United States because it was directed by Jon Stewart from The Daily Show. Gael plays Maziar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian journalist who was detained after filming a comedy segment with former correspondent Jason Jones, from the satirical American television show The Daily Show. His captors thought he was a spy for the American government, and he was interrogated for 118 days. Forced to wear a blindfold, he only knew his captor by his scent, which was rosewater. The film is based off of an entirely true story written down by Bahari in a book after he was finally released.
Works Cited
"Amores Perros." Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
"Bad Education." Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
Emerson, Jim. "The Science of Sleep Movie Review (2006). " Roger Ebert Reviews. Ebert Digital LLC, 28 Sept. 2006. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
Holden, Stephen. "Lured by Stories and an Ambiguous Femme Fatale." The New York Times. nytimes.com, 8 Oct. 2004. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
"The Motorcycle Diaries." Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
"Rosewater." Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
"The Science of Sleep." Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
"Amores Perros." Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
"Bad Education." Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
Emerson, Jim. "The Science of Sleep Movie Review (2006). " Roger Ebert Reviews. Ebert Digital LLC, 28 Sept. 2006. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
Holden, Stephen. "Lured by Stories and an Ambiguous Femme Fatale." The New York Times. nytimes.com, 8 Oct. 2004. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
"The Motorcycle Diaries." Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
"Rosewater." Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
"The Science of Sleep." Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.