El nido

What a discovery. A Spanish variation of Kubrick's classic Lolita, with a magnificent performance by a young actress named Ana Torrent as Goyita, a student in small town Spain who becomes the obsession of an older man, a theme common in both literature and cinema.

El Nido is subtler than the Nabokov adaptation from 1962 with Sue Lyon. Humbert(James Mason) is a despicable creep with no redeeming values, whereas the love-struck subject this time Don Alejandro(Hector Alterio) is eccentric, likable and completely under the spell of Goyita.

Torrent is perfectly cast as a manipulative girl, wise beyond her years, and very convincing as a determined, precocious senorita. There is never a false note; Goyita always feels real.

G(Goyita) posts cryptic notes on to trees for Alejandro to find. The game starts out as a treasure hunt and results in the ensuing relationship between the two. It always remains unpredictable and never becomes judgmental of either protagonist.

I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of emotion within the story and the great acting. I would rate this film a solid 8.