El amor perjudica seriamente la salud

Manuel Gómez-Pereira was on a roll, with movies that were each one more polished than the previous one and each one of them having a really good reception from both audiences and critics (the Javier Bardem starred "Boca a boca", now almost forgotten, was talked about everywhere and seen as a contemporary Madrid screwball classic), so he had all the budget and almost everything he wanted for his next movie, this one, in which he decided to talk about love.

A story of a non romantically engaged couple destined to jump into each other at different points of time, with two young actors (Gabino Diego, Penélope Cruz) who looked nothing like the same character elder ones (Juanjo Puigcorbé, Ana Belén) but with some impressive set pieces that also tell the recent history of Spain. It attempts to be several things at the same time: didactic about history and circumstances, and absurd, tragic, and funny about the romcom, and succeeds mostly. This is a common thing in the Gómez-Pereira later works: he never hits all the spots that he is trying to hit, but I admire him for trying so much.

Costumes, cast. The Bernardo Bonezzi soundtrack, all the technical details are incredible. It feels a bit disjointed but it is also very poignant, and the dance scene is one of my favourite movie scenes ever.

A good film. The cast is perfect and Gabino Diego is the best of the film. It is very amusing and enjoyable. You'll laugh willingly. You must see it because you'll have a good time and it is worthwhile. It only have a little defect, the duration is very long, I think.

I saw this film as part of a series while I was going to school in Spain. Spanish films tend be, for the most part, confusing, unsatisfying, and obviously low-budget. _El amor perjudica seriamente la salud_ is none of these things. The performances are absolutely outstanding (with a very notable early Penelope Cruz role) and the story is at times screamingly hilarious. At others, it is devastatingly sad. It has the wonderful quality of seeming to be a cute little romantic comedy that actually evolves into a complex, finely tuned film that can easily become the topic of a night's conversation after the film. I've not yet seen it in English, but I'm doing all in my power to find it here in the United States. Truly, truly excellent.

Usually, stories about lovers and mistress are drama en end in blood. Here, it's the opposite: it's funny and happy. The idea is original and is well played as the separated lovers meet all along their life in Spain. So it's a good way to learn about the evolution of this country and its people, especially with their King. But there's more as the first look comes from the Beatles! It's Pené who plays the young lady and she is cute in this old fashion. With the years, the mature woman is played by Ana Belen, who has the same sexy look than a very famous Justice Minister of my country (RD). Thus, it's 100% Latin charm and not at all superficial: their story really speaks about why people can have two loves: as i write for "Douche froide", the reason is the difference. So it's not really about a competition of lovers, of choosing the best as they are unlike and opposite. In a way, they can be in good terms together, the bad side is that the unofficial lover is stuck to bits and leftover: he can't never access the best level because if he did, there's no more difference thus no more desire. So it's funny and tragic to see those lovers meet, dream and leave as it's their fate. In addition, it's never repetitive as there's a lot of humor, due to the facts that they must do little lies, silly plans for their official families.

Again a good surprise from my neighbors !

After a well-handled and intriguing light-comedy scene at a reception for the King of Spain, this film returns us to that moment through a thirty-year-long flashback told through numerous rather distinct scenes, each striving toward another amorous turn of triumph in the enduring attraction of the two main characters. The quality of those triumphs matures over time, and in each we confront, to varying degrees, light suspense, nostalgia and humor. The dialogue is at times hilarious - quick turns of phrases, clashes of word choice with social surroundings, etc., but of course understanding the Spanish is at times essential for full comic appreciation.

In the first half of the film occurs a short sequence of rapid-fire madcap stunts that surprise and work well, but thereafter, slapstick is largely absent through the remainder of the film - or at least till the end. As already hinted, some of the scenes end so successfully, and with a sentiment seeming so perfectly to wrap up the film, that I was momentarily disillusioned to see it continue.

As for acting, the leading actors project wonderfully and are capable of charm and "sutileza" (the English spelling escapes me at the moment). I order zone-2 dvds from Spain and received this along with Cielo Abierto, which I rate higher (I like Albaladejo's work). Yet I give this a 7-rating. With many films I can envision how I might reorder or change the work - with El amor perjudica seriamente la salud, I find the basic plot extremely challenging - yet when it did end, all in my family left the room smiling and laughing. There is no graphic sex, and whatever violence that occurs is comic. The language is non-offensive, at least to Spanish sensitivities. Probably my favorite film with a plot vaguely-vaguely similar to this one is Avanti, with Jack Lemmon.