La Celestina (1996)

Based on a fifteenth-century tale of star-crossed lovers, the Spanish period piece La Celestina (1996) chronicles the efforts of nobleman Calisto (Juan Diego Botto) to win the fair heart of Melibea (Penélope Cruz), a beautiful merchant’s daughter. To accomplish his lecherous goal, Calisto asks the eponymous sorceress Celestina (Terele Pavez) to cast one of her spells. The plan works perfectly until two meddling servants feel thwarted by the arrangement and set off a series of events leading to Melibea’s death. A dead Penélope Cruz is a tragic thing indeed, so it’s fortunate that supporting stars Candela Peña, Ana Risueño, and Maribel Verdú ease the pain with flashes of their tantalizing frames.