Hard Times

Hard Times

2005 · 115 min · ★ 5.6 · Drama

When the troubled son of an NGO worker refuses to take a test and announces that he is not leaving his room, his concerned mother asks one of her clients, a Cuban exile, for help in setting the boy straight. Gonzalo has decided to drop out of school, and his mother Ana isn't sure how to convince the boy that he's making a crucial mistake. Ana's client Carlos is a Cuban exile who makes his living selling cigars and artwork on the black market. When Carlos learns of Ana's dilemma, he calls on recently released convict Mikel to teach the boy how to play chess. Perhaps is young Gonzalo can master the game, he can learn to start living again. As the lessons get underway, each of these characters learns that in order to truly move on with their lives they much first break free of the bonds that prevent them from being who they really are.

Directed by Manuel Martín Cuenca · Written by Manuel Martín Cuenca

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 30m together

Hard Times

The Weakness of the Bolshevik

Both from Manuel Martín Cuenca.

More from Manuel Martín CuencaSee all →

Oro en la pared

Oro en la pared · 1992

Oro en la pared

MovieDramaAdventure

Eudosio is expelled from home so that he decides to work, although his laziness will end up taking him to the legendary kingdom of Siam, Thailand.

Menos que cero

Menos que cero · 1996

Madrid 11-M: todos íbamos en ese tren

Madrid 11-M: todos íbamos en ese tren · 2005

Madrid 11-M: todos íbamos en ese tren

MovieDocumentary

Storyville

Storyville · 1997

SeriesDocumentary

Showcasing the best in international documentaries, Storyville has developed an enviable reputation since its inception more than a decade ago. Screening over 340 films, from some 70 different countries, the strand has garnered a staggering array of awards: five Oscars, 15 Griersons, three Peabodys and two International Emmys. In true, unique, Storyville style, the new series promises to deliver the strand's usual eclectic mix of compelling stories from across the globe.

La viuda negra

La viuda negra · 1992

Although on vacation, the Spaniards returned to the Americas convinced that there, in addition to the language, the spirit of El Dorado was still preserved. However, the old dangers still lurked.

Andrea's Love

Andrea's Love · 2023

Andrea is a 15-year-old girl living in Cádiz with her mother and little brothers. Despite being a teenager, she leads a very busy life, attending high school, picking up her brothers Tomás and Fidel, as well as helping her working mother at home. Andrea has almost no time to meet her friends or do anything else. Her life is missing something, and she’s determined not to stop until she finds it.

Criminal: Spain

Criminal: Spain · 2019

Criminal: Spain

SeriesCrimeDrama

Psychological games abound between detectives and suspects in a tense interrogation room, where the search for answers sometimes comes at a moral cost.

The Weakness of the Bolshevik

The Weakness of the Bolshevik · 2003

The Weakness of the Bolshevik

After getting into a minor traffic accident, Pablo attempts to make light of the situation by asking the driver of the other car, Sonsoles, out on a date. When she refuses and instead files an injury report, Pablo snaps and begins stalking her. He soon discovers that Sonsoles has a beautiful teenage sister, Maria, with whom Pablo is immediately infatuated -- a lust that soon turns dark. Can Pablo control his obsession, or will it consume him?

The Motive

The Motive · 2017

Álvaro, a man obsessed with the idea of writing what he brands as “high literature,” manipulates the lives and feelings of the people around him to write about the consequences caused by his devious acts.

The Daughter

The Daughter · 2021

MovieThrillerDrama

Irene is a fifteen-year-old who lives in a center for juvenile offenders. She just got pregnant and is determined to turn her life around with the help of Javier, an educator at the center. Javier offers her to secretly come live with him and his wife Adela in the house they have in a remote and rugged spot in the mountains so she can hide and comfortably carry out her pregnancy. The only condition is that in exchange, she agrees to give them the baby she is carrying in her womb. This feeble pact will be put in jeopardy when Irene starts to feel like the life growing inside her belongs to her.

Plenilune

Plenilune · 1999

MovieDramaThriller

Romance and murder walk side by side in this psychological drama from Spain. A serial killer has been plying his grisly trade in a small town in Spain, murdering young girls and leaving their bodies in a nearby forest.

14 de abril, la República

14 de abril, la República · 2011

14 de abril, la República

Cannibal

Cannibal · 2013

MovieDramaThriller

Carlos is a respectable man, the most prestigious tailor in Granada, Spain. His life is reduced to work and his main hobby is eating; but not just anything.

Grandes ocasiones

Grandes ocasiones · 1998

Grandes ocasiones

Antonio, a television scriptwriter, decides to separate from Ana, his wife, with whom he has three children in common.

The Man Who Lost His Shadow

The Man Who Lost His Shadow · 1992

The Man Who Lost His Shadow

Paul has left his wife and children. Now his wife and ex-mistress is on the hunt for him.

Shooting Elizabeth

Shooting Elizabeth · 1992

Shooting Elizabeth

MovieComedyThriller

Before a man can kill his nagging wife as planned, she disappears and he's charged with murder.

More Like This

Closer

MovieDramaRomance

The relationships of two couples become complicated and deceitful when the man from one couple meets the woman of the other.

Colette

Colette · 2018

MovieDramaHistory

After marrying a successful Parisian writer known commonly as Willy, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette is transplanted from her childhood home in rural France to the intellectual and artistic splendor of Paris. Soon after, Willy convinces Colette to ghostwrite for him. She pens a semi-autobiographical novel about a witty and brazen country girl named Claudine, sparking a bestseller and a cultural sensation. After its success, Colette and Willy become the talk of Paris and their adventures inspire additional Claudine novels.

Two for the Road

Two for the Road · 1967

Two for the Road

MovieDramaRomance

Architect Mark Wallace and his wife, Joanna, travel to France to meet with an affluent client. While there, they reflect on their first decade of marriage -- memories of when they first met, of courtship, and of road trips through the French countryside. As flirtation and playful quarreling turn to boredom with the banality of married life, the Wallaces struggle to rekindle their passion, while mutual infidelity threatens to tear them apart.

Terribly Happy

Terribly Happy · 2008

MovieDramaThriller

Robert Hansen, 34, a young police officer from Copenhagen, is transferred against his will to the small town of Skarrild in Southern Jutland as a substitute Marshall. The transfer is Robert’s chance to start over. Whether he is allowed to return to his job in Copenhagen, all depends on how well he performs in this frontier town.

What Doesn't Kill You

What Doesn't Kill You · 2008

What Doesn't Kill You

MovieActionCrime

Two childhood friends from South Boston turn to crime as a way to get by, ultimately causing a strain in their personal lives and their friendship.

Adventureland

Adventureland · 2009

MovieComedyDrama

It's the summer of 1987, and recent college grad James Brennan can't wait to begin his long-anticipated dream trip to Europe. Unfortunately, James' plans come to a screeching halt when his parents announce that they are unable to subsidize his trip. Forced to take a job at the local amusement park, James prepares for the worst summer ever, until he finds love with a captivating co-worker named Em.

Ellie Parker

Ellie Parker · 2005

MovieComedyDrama

Ellie Parker, an aspiring actress from Australia, lives a hectic Hollywood lifestyle, perpetually trying to land the role that will elevate her career. Living with her lothario musician boyfriend, Justin, Ellie is far from happy, finding support primarily from her friend Sam. But when Ellie meets Chris after a minor traffic accident, she sees new potential for both romance and her life in general.

Bound

MovieDramaThriller

Corky, a tough female ex-convict working on an apartment renovation in a Chicago building, meets a couple living next door, Caesar, a paranoid mobster, and Violet, his seductive girlfriend, who is immediately attracted to her.

An Eye for Beauty

An Eye for Beauty · 2014

An Eye for Beauty

An architect and his wife see their relationship challenged.

Lantana

Lantana · 2001

MovieCrimeDrama

Plagued with grief over the murder of her daughter, Valerie Somers suspects that her husband John is cheating on her. When Valerie disappears, Detective Leon Zat attempts to solve the mystery of her absence. A complex web of love, sex and deceit emerges -- drawing in four related couples whose various partners are distrustful and suspicious about each other's involvement.

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman · 1958

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman

MovieScience FictionDrama

When an abused wife grows to giant size following an alien encounter and an aborted murder attempt, she goes after her philandering husband with revenge on her mind.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter