Bonding comedy has serious jolt

Miguel Albaladejo’s “Bear Cub” (“Cachorro”) is a deeply felt account of a Madrid dentist named Pedro (Jose Luis Garcia-Perez) who unexpectedly forms a father-and-son relationship with his 9-year-old nephew (David Castillo).

When Pedro, a gay man in his 30s, accepts responsibility for Bernardo while his mother and boyfriend go on a two-week vacation to India, neither uncle nor nephew are too thrilled at the arrangement. But they hit it off quickly, and when the mother runs into serious trouble abroad, Pedro realizes that now Bernardo’s stay has become indefinite.

The strength of “Bear Cub” is that it eschews exposition in favor of gradual revelation. As the film unfolds, the boy’s paternal grandmother (Empar Ferrer) surfaces and will stop at nothing to gain custody.

“Bear Cub” moves deftly from a wry and affectionate father-son bonding comedy to wrenching drama in which the uncle and the nephew’s love for each other is put to a test. Castillo is a natural as an actor, and the versatile Garcia-Perez takes an understated approach, which allows his portrayal of Pedro to accrue an impressive accumulative power.

-- Kevin Thomas

Exclusively at the Sunset 5, (323) 848-3500; and the Playhouse 7, Pasadena, (626) 844-6500. Running time: 1 hour, 39 minutes. Unrated. Some sexuality and nudity. In Spanish with English subtitles.

*

Intercontinental romantic triangle

As its title quietly suggests, director Federico Hidalgo’s “A Silent Love” concerns itself with the unspoken aspects of a relationship. A cross-cultural romance about a middle-aged Canadian film professor, Norman (Noel Burton), who goes to Mexico to collect his Internet-acquired young bride, Gladys (Vanessa Bauche), and her mother, Fernanda (Susana Salazar), the film wastes no time in dropping the audience into their lives.

Once the trio arrive at Norman’s apartment in Montreal, however, Hidalgo is extremely patient in allowing the characters to circle one another as the longtime bachelor attempts to ease the strong-willed women into his neatly compartmentalized life. That’s easier said than done as Norman, who is expert at reading the gestures of a silent film for his students, is less adept at reading the nonverbal signals of the women.

Though it’s fairly obvious where this triangle is heading, Hidalgo and co-writer Paulina Robles more than compensate by focusing their attention on character rather than plot to tell their subtly enchanting story. Its charms sneak up on you because of the nuanced performances of Burton, Bauche and particularly Salazar as their characters discover that what people think they want and what ultimately makes them happy aren’t necessarily the same thing.

-- Kevin Crust

Exclusively at Laemmle’s Fairfax Cinemas, 7907 Beverly Blvd., (323) 655-4010; Laemmle’s One Colorado Cinemas, 42 Miller Alley, Pasadena, (626) 744-1224. Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes. Unrated. Sexual situations. In English and Spanish with English subtitles.

*

A poignant visit to Azerbaijan

Rafigh Pooya’s “Broken Bridges” is a beautiful, heartfelt film made by an Azerbaijan native whose country has been blessed with vast oil reserves and cursed by geography. Its people have suffered at the hands of the Nazis in their attempt to tap those oil resources only to suffer further in the aftermath of World War II when the superpowers placed part of Azerbaijan in Iran’s sphere of influence with the remainder in the USSR. Part of Azerbaijan still remains in Iran while the Republic of Azerbaijan, which declared itself independent of the USSR in August 1991, continues to experience much strife.

So complex is Azerbaijan’s history in the 20th century that “Broken Bridges” will surely be best appreciated by those bringing a background to it. In any event, it deals with a young filmmaker Jeff Valizadeh (Peter Reckell) driven to return to his ancestral land in 1990 to make a documentary about the fates of his parents in the aftermath of World War II as a way of calling attention to the manner in which decisions made by the superpowers can devastate the lives of tens of thousands of ordinary people. Valizadeh’s previous documentary work dealing with Iran and the fall of the Shah had brought him to the attention of the FBI, and no sooner does he arrive in Baku, a city of ancient and spacious Eurasian splendor, does he find his filming activities capture the intimidating interest of the KGB.

“Broken Bridges” is poignant but hard to track. Valizadeh’s emotional turmoil and obsessiveness over his project are somewhat beyond Reckell’s abilities to portray effectively, but he digs in and improves as the picture progresses.

-- K.T.

Exclusively at the Monica 4-Plex, 1332 2nd. St., Santa Monica, (310) 394-9741. Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes. Mature themes.