The First Spanish NewsBites Movie Exclusive.

Of which I can't promise many, especially if they star Julia Ormond, like this one does. Which is the case of La conjura de El Escorial (The El Escorial Conspiracy) , which I saw at a press screening today. This big-budgeter, released in September, is going to be the leading Spanish release of the autumn, a high-action item full of skullduggery set in and around the court of Felipe II in 1578, and apparently based on a true story. (Spanish cinema is going though a phase of liking period action thrillers - see Alatriste.) This kind of stuff is hard to do well, and the film adds further support to that theory - believability of character is the first thing to go when you have a cast of billions, especially when they've all been dubbed into Spanish (even, I think, the Spaniards). But at least the story is a truly fascinating one, well summed-up on this YouTube video (in Spanish), and you get to see some strange things, such as a dog with its head cut off (the "no harm" disclaimer at the end is in BIG letters - subtle this film ain't), and Jason Isaacs getting all jiggy with a one-eyed Julia Ormond. For those who like that kind of thing. There's much beautiful scenery, too, and it's educational historically. But there's not too much we haven't seen before. The director, Antonio del Leal, was present at the screening, and there was virtually no applause at the end, which always makes me feel a bit uncomfortable - but then this film hasn't been made to please critics, it's been made to make money, and make money it will.