Im Sog der Leidenschaft

Vicente Aranda show us another example of his bizarre "obssexions", this time based in a novel of Antonio Gala. The story of a wild exotic macho who drives a tourist into a self destructive circle of violence, prostitution and sodomy. Ana Belen shows her mature beauty and is gorgeous in this film but is not the best actress for the character, a woman who finds a gigantic phallus attached to a rough man in a trip to Turkey. Georges Corraface is bad as usually, I do not understand why this man can earn money acting, he is the worst turkish actor I have ever seen. The film has some disgusting scenes like the bullet-in-the-balls one or the bus sex, a bad example of dirty and unconfortable sex, but what is really annoying is the fact that the romeo is the typical macho rejected by all modern women. Some supporting actors are laxative like Francis Lorenzo. Despite Ana Belen´s anatomy the film is bad, very, very, bad. I warn you.

This was the fourth film I've watched from Spanish director Aranda; as with THE NAKED EYE (1998), it's one of his more recent works - as opposed to vintage stuff like FATA MORGANA (1965) and THE BLOOD-SPATTERED BRIDE (1972; still his best film).

In essence, it's pretty similar to THE NAKED EYE - focusing as it does on an independent-minded woman's search for sexual fulfillment, which borders on obsession - though the details, obviously, are different; furthermore, this one has an added attraction in its exotic locale. The pace is appropriately languid, but the narrative is filled with enough ironic - if predictable - touches to keep one's interest throughout and, like Laura Morante in the later film, Ana Belen here delivers a committed central performance.

This film based on a Spanish best-seller is a wonderful, exotic drama, with too many distinctive elements to mention them all here. So, what's with the rating? The average rating is 7, but an actual rating of 5 is shown. If anything, someone with a personal grudge has stuffed the ballots against this crowd pleasing film. I first saw it here 5 years ago at our International Film Festival, where it played to a packed house, and was an audience favorite. The same acclaim in its native Spain and Latin America had preceded it. Otherwise, it would not have been chosen for our Festival, which features a small and careful selection of the best Hispanic Films not in general release in the US. Anyway, the movie has now been available on PAL video for years, and is one of the most memorable romantic dramas you will ever see, with several unique touches, you are unlikely to forget. The novel use of two endings by the director is one of them. The movie ends with a more popular (with test audiences) ending, different from the novel. The director then shows us again the last scene, ending the film as the novel ended. This gives audience a choice of endings, and makes you think about how original material is frequently altered in films, to make them more commercial. This additional food for thought is the last stroke of genius the director offers us. Don't miss it.

There is some merit in setting up a troubled character, whose drab life and misfortunate marriage are made self evident to her when she meets the closest thing to a stereotypical stallion on a trip to Istanbul, but, apart from rare and not too well used embryonic ideas, this movie fails to deliver in a most disappointing way.

It could have been a lot better, had the dialogues been made more credible, had the protagonist's "madness" been depicted with more undertones and a lot more finesse. I am sorry I spent a good part of an evening on it. Characters do not go any further than superficial and - I am afraid - stereotypical. Situations always seem a little bit beyond my willingness to suspend my disbelief, turning this movie into what I consider a serious flop.

Hope others saw more in it than I did, because I really saw very little merit in the efforts profused to make a potentially interesting Spanish/Turkish romance into film.

I saw this film about five years ago in Madrid. Remember wishing I'd gone for tapas and copas instead! A bit like a Spanish Shirley Valentine, devoid of humour and a bit of anal sex thrown in to spice it up.

Should have got Almodovar to direct it, at least he might have got Alfredo Landa to play the part of the Turk to liven it up a bit!