I am quite certain that my more conservative readers have not seen what one critic called “One of the most erotic movies ever made,” but that’s their loss.
Sex and Lucia is not going to be featured at the next Puritan Film Festival, but that doesn’t make it a bad film. It is, on the contrary, an amazing film about relationship, love, loss, hope and, well, yes, sex. It’s interesting, though—this film does not portray sex as American films do, all air-brushed and neat. It portrays sex as it is: fun, risky, fulfilling, frightening and always messy. I love that kind of honesty.
The movie plays out like a novel, gritty and beautiful, a graceful collage. I’m a sucker for dark films with hope lurking just off camera, and this film has that element. And I can’t help but like Paz Vega. Such a talented actress.
My wife introduced me to this film, certain that I would not like it. I later bought if for her because, in spite of her conviction that it was too much an intellectual chick-flick for me to enjoy, I wanted to see it again. Sex and Lucia comes in strong at number four.
How funny–I never would have considered it a chick flick, but in retrospect, I can see how that might be the case. Nevertheless, I think it’s one of the better Spanish films from the last decade, even better than a number of Almodovar’s. The slippery relationship of identity is what struck me the most about this film, and the portrayal of so many different kinds of love. The light also lent each section an almost dreamy quality, especially in the final scenes on the island, which somehow still made it easy to suspend disbelief and yet know it’s all just a twisty, bittersweet story. And the striptease scene with the Mala Rodriguez song is so sexy and funny and tender. I’m glad to see it’s one of your favorites–it’s certainly unforgettable.
left by alisa on 02.27.2007 at 11:10 am