A she-devil holed up in a house in the Dutch dunes waits impatiently for death in "The Last Days of Emma Blank." The bitter irony of Dutch scribe-helmer-thesp Alex van Warmerdam's latest is that Emma's servants are possibly even more eager to see their boss-from-hell expire. More generally off-kilter than deadpan, this technically impressive ensembler from one of the Netherlands' few recognizable names suffers from an uneven tone and did just OK biz at home last May. International premiere at Venice will kick off the usual round of fests, with a possible afterlife in ancillary.

"The Devil's Miner" is the story of 14 year-old Basilio Vargas and his 12 year-old brother Bernardino, as they work in the Bolivian silver mines of Cerro Rico, which date back to the sixteenth century. Through the children's eyes, we encounter the world of devout Catholic miners who sever their ties with God upon entering the mountain. It is an ancient belief that the devil, as represented by hundreds of statues constructed in the tunnels, determines the fate of all who work within the mines. Raised without a father and living in virtual poverty with their mother on the slopes of the mine, the boys assume many adult responsibilities. They must work to afford the clothing and supplies vital to their education. Basilio believes only the mountain devil's generosity will allow them to earn enough money to continue the new school year. Without an education, the brothers have no chance to escape their destiny in the silver mines.

Three booze-soaked near-derelicts have a series of macabre adventures on the day when one of them was supposed to report to his new job at the mine, located near their northern Spanish town. Set at the end of the 19th century, and based on A Esmorga by Eduardo Balnacoamer, this story follows the trio on the bender to end all benders. The fellow with a new job is waylaid by his buddies who haul him off to a local bar. There, they get into a fight and wind up knifing a miner. They escape over the wall of a nobleman's villa, and have several strange adventures before settling down peaceably for a late-night drink.

Bernd Willenbrock is a car dealer at Magdeburg, East Germany, a small, but nonetheless successful and well-reputed businessman who has made his way in the post-communist society. A sympathetic wife, a nice house, a fast car, a house on the countryside - these are the attributes of material success that count for Willenbrock. Then, things slowly begin to move into a different direction: Although he loves his wife, Willenbrock is attracted by a young student who keeps him at distance. To do her a favor, he gives her father the job of a night-watchman. But one night, the watchman gets cruelly beaten by burglars. And a bit later, the burglars come to Willenbrock's house at night. This is where the illusion of a quiet, secure, and self-satisfied life reaches an end. Things start to go wrong, well-known procedures don't work anymore, hopes and expectations of all kinds turn into disappointments. Willenbrock is challenged by an increasing feeling of lost safety and control, and he has to find a way to cope with that.

Confusing realities surface in this paranoid film dealing with the fragile nature of a young woman (Anne Parillaud) recovering from rape and an apparent attempted suicide. In one reality, she is a killer destroyer of men. In another she is the new wife on a Jamaican honeymoon with her husband (William Baldwin), who is trying to help her recover. Which is real is the question as the story unfolds.

James Caan gives a remarkably understated performance considering his usual scene-stealing antics in movies around this time but is just right here as the cautious, conflict-hating car thief who is convinced he's caught up in something dangerous and stupid, but is still lured on by the possible reward. Peter Boyle is great as always as the reformed embezzler turned convention host, and it's nice to see a young and attractive Louise Lasser as his clueless but charming wife. Speaking of attractive, Sally Kellerman has rarely looked hotter in a movie even though her character here is completely nuts, and she has some of the best lines in this film.

The adaptation of Harry Mark Petrakis' book about an epic Greek-American father, philanderer, and gambler whose dubious means of support is dispensing wisdom and wrestling instruction emerges as a warm, upbeat, artistically realized drama. It stars Anthony Quinn portraying super-mensch, the noble ethnic, and it is one of his most powerful and convincing performances.

Italy, 1903. Impoverished Italian prince Amerigo is to marry American heiress Maggie Verver, a schoolfriend of his mistress Charlotte whom he must now abandon. Charlotte comes to London for the wedding and, unbeknown to Maggie, convinces Amerigo to accompany her to buy a present for his new bride. They find a golden bowl but Amerigo pronounces it flawed and rejects it.