Some on Open Salon have accused me of being unromantic, and the many lamentations on love I’ve posted here might rightly be offered as proof of that accusation. Still, I consider myself a man of passion, if not unbridled lust, and I confess I am passionately enamored of actor Javier Bardem.

Lest anyone misconstrue, this is an affair of the head and heart, and not of any other body parts. To begin with, I’m not wired that way, and in any case, I’ve never met the man – though from his consistently courageous and brilliant film performances, I somehow feel as though I know him.

And from what I’ve seen of his work, he is one of the best – I’m tempted to say the best – actors working in film today.

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In Before Night Falls , Bardem portrays Reinaldo Arenas, a Cuban poet and novelist who was caught-up in the persecution of homosexuals in that country after the communist revolution. Sean Penn and Johnny Depp have smaller roles, but it is Bardem that carries and dominates the film. Here’s some dialogue:

Reinaldo: What do you want?
Cuban Police Officer: What do I want... First of all, I want Carlos to frisk this guy.
Reinaldo: But he's not even dressed.
Police Officer: What's your name?
Reinaldo: My name? Franz Kafka.
Police Officer: Hm. You think I am ignorant?
[Reinaldo shakes his head]
Police Officer: Have any of you ever heard of a Camp called La Isla de Joventud?
[Everyone declines]
Police Officer: Then maybe you can tell me, when's the last time you took it up your ass.

It probably goes without saying that this film is not for homophobes or the faint of heart

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In The Dancer Upstairs, Bardem plays Agustín Rejas, a relentless Peruvian detective who gets involved in a romance while pursuing the leader of a rebel group styled after the Shining Path guerillas. Again, this is a movie based on real-life events, though in this case, they are dramatized.

I won’t give away any more of the plot, but I will confess I not only missed noting it was Bardem in the lead role,  I also failed to note the film was directed by John Malkovich. You should not make a similar mistake by missing this movie.

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I finally started to make the Bardem connection after seeing him in a wonderful slice of life film called Mondays in the Sun. In it, he played a likable lout named Santa who spends most of his considerable free time drinking with his buddies who, like him, have been laid-off from the local shipyard.

The film is marvelously filmed and written, and it offers humor, pathos and biting social commentary. The acting is equally superb; but when Bardem is on the screen, everyone else seems to fade into the background. If you like small movies with big hearts, this one’s for you.

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Bardem has been absolutely fearless in choosing his rules. In Mar Adentro (The Sea Inside), he chose a decidedly unglamorous role as a bedridden quadriplegic. The movie was based on the real-life struggle of Ramon Sampedro, whose thirty-year battle for his right to die caused a huge controversy in Catholic Spain, where euthanasia is officially and legally frowned upon.

Of course, the subject is controversial in this country as well – as we sadly learned with the outrageous political posturing over Terry Schiavo. The movie offers a painfully – at times brutally – honest depiction of life as an immovable object, but it also beautifully expresses the view that the mind and the imagination are unlimited in their journeys. This film is another must see -- if you can stand the pain.

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I'm almost too embarrassed to admit it took me so long to make the Bardem connection,  but perhaps I can be excused my mental lapse, since the characters he plays are so markedly different from one film to the next. In some cases, as with The Sea Inside, he literally seems to disappear into his character.

By the way, I would be remiss if I didn't give credit to the Independent Film Channel, without which, I wouldn't have seen any of these movies.

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It is doubtful that Bardem will be able to hide so easily in the future, thanks to his Oscar winning performance as the stone-cold, psychopathic killer  in No Country for Old Men. With that movie, he became “an overnight sensation”.

Though that was indeed a memorable role, in my estimation, it was not one of his finest performances. But then, he wasn’t asked to do much in that role except scare the living shit out of everybody – and that he certainly accomplished. If you haven't seen this film, think of it as The Terminator with Coen Brothers sensibilities.

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Anyone looking for a much more nuanced performance should see  Goya's Ghosts. In it, Bardem plays a wayward priest, Brother Lorenzo, caught up in the last gasp of the Spanish Inquisition and the brief Napoleonic reign in Spain (which stayed mainly in the pain – sorry, I just can’t resist).

This lavish historical spectacular was directed by Milos Forman, and his incredible gift for costume drama –  so magnificently displayed in Amadeus – is confirmed yet again. And this is yet again another “must see” movie.

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Most recently, Bardem starred in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, a romantic comedy directed by Woody Allen. I haven’t seen it yet, but it’s probably safe to assume Bardem has had more memorable, if less charming, roles.

All this success and fame begs the question: Will Javier Bardem become just another pretty face, or will he continue to take challenging, risky roles normally left to character actors?  Hopeless romantic that I am, I believe he will continue to stay true to me and all the others who love an actor more than a movie star.

©2009 Tom Cordle