Ever seen a film in which at least one of the main characters was so clueless that the frustration of watching was nearly unbearable?

Welcome to "Empty Nest" (El Nido Vacio), an Argentine, Italian, Spanish and French co-production directed by Daniel Burman that screens for free Friday, April 17 at UWM Union Theater as part of the Latin American Film Series.

The 31st annual series, sponsored by The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, UWM Union Programming, Union Theatre and The Department of Film at UWM runs through April 24 and presents a baker's dozen films for free in the Student Union, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd.

Don't get me wrong, "Empty Nest" is a good film, but the cultured author Leonardo (played by Oscar Martinez) who is the film's star is so out of touch with his wife Martha (Cecilia Roth) and so seemingly out of step with the world that at least one viewer (this one) spends most of the film's 91 minutes wanting to throttle him.

Leonardo and Martha have three grown kids -- the youngest just left Buenos Aires to live in Israel with her husband, an aspiring writer whose debut novel has just won a prestigious prize.

In a fitting little detail, the self-absorbed Leonardo (or is it the spiteful Leonardo at work here?) can't even be bothered to properly pronounce his son-in-law Ianib's name.

Martha is vibrant and in love with life. She likes to go out with friends and have a good time, but Leonardo is locked in his routine and when he communicates, it's often snarkily.

With the kids out of the house, the little peccadillos that have annoyed the couple have escalated and while Martha decides to return to finish her degree at the university, where she spends a lot of time socializing, too, Leonardo turns further inward, cementing the divide between them.

And as he begins to focus on his fantasies, Leonardo starts to confuse them with reality.

But can he get his mind out of his imaginary life and rescue his real-world marriage and his relationships with his kids and the others around him?

The film in Spanish (with a little Hebrew once Leonardo and Martha take a trip to visit their daughter in Israel), with English subtitles, won awards for Best Cinematography and Best Actress at the 2008 San Sebastian International Film Festival.

If it dips a little into occasionally ponderous and occasionally pretentious dialogue, "Empty Nest" -- also written by Burman, who wrote and directed the acclaimed "Family Law" and produced "The Motorcycle Diaries" - is still a satisfying, well-made -- if sometimes frustrating -- film.

Other films in the series are: "Christmas Eve" (7 p.m.), "Personal Belongings" (9 p.m.), Saturday, April 18; "The Man of Two Havanas" (5 p.m.), "Lake Tahoe" (7 p.m.), "Coyote" (9 p.m.), Sunday, April 19; "Basic Sanitation" (7 p.m.), Monday, April 20; "The Window" (7 p.m.), "The Road to San Diego" (9 p.m.). Tuesday, April 21; "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation" (7 p.m.), Wednesday, April 22; "The Watercolorist" (7 p.m.), "A Little Bit of So Much Truth" (9 p.m.), Thursday, April 23; and "The Pope's Toilet" (7 p.m.), Friday, April 24.