Besos para todos

Firstly in fact the late 1960's in Spain was a period of immense economic boom for all classes and considerable increase in freedom as well with the large scale relaxation of Franco's authoritarianism. At the point of this film, late 1960's Spain had the second fast economic growth in the world (second only to Japan), moving Spain from the 55th economy in the world at beginning of the 1960's to the ninth largest in the world by the end of that decade. This is why the Spanish left hates this period and insist it be portrayed bleakly (as two reviewers below insists, one stating this film is a "poltical betrayal" because the people in it are having fun, lol) -- precisely because it was a period of economic growth, optimism, increased freedom an poltical liberalization. Just go to wikipedia and put in "Spanish Miracle" to read about how this period.

Onto the film itself. What dates this film is the sexism. It really has a 1980/90's attitude when it comes to the boys being med students and the women being "dancers." Beyond that though the film is lighthearted, has some good comedy, and does coming of age quite well. A young Emma Suarez shines in this too.

Three young students (Eloy Azorín, Roberto Hoyas , Iñaki Font) are studying Medicine at the University of Cadiz when there are rebellion and protests against the expulsion of notorious professors called Tierno Galvan , Aranguren and Garcia Calvo . Meanwhile , they share a small house along with some call-girls (Emma Suarez , Chusa Barbero) working at a nearby club . The main protagonist protagonist results to be Ramon (Eloy Azorin) , a religious boy who has a pregnant girlfriend (Pilar Lopez Ayala) but falls in love for a showgirl named Vicky (Emma Suarez) .

This is an agreeable as well as uneven comedy in less than 100 minutes of length and yet with an air of naturalness and credibility rarely match . The film moves in fits and starts most of which would be desirable , with more traps the viewer resists any kind, and some moments of enjoyment and others quite a few embarrassing . It tends to glamorize the 60s with its music , spectacles , parties , dances and youth riot . Here the late 60's seems to be much more amusing and fun than it really happened ; in fact , it was a conservative and repressed society . The flick gives a short description about lives of young people under the focus of three Medicine students . There are brief moments of drama , but predominates comedy and coming-of-age situations , including some love scenes ; above all, the biggest problem with the film is an aimless wandering in its central part that makes the viewer to wander and for a few moments longer interested in a story that does not seem to know where to go until the ending . The main cast is pretty well and support cast is frankly good such as Joaquín Climent as Governor , Ana Wagener as Landlady and special mention to a unknown Luis Tosar as El Bombilla .

Colorful and glowing cinematography by Hans Burmann which heightens the ambiance, being shot on location in Cadiz . Burmann is deemed to be one of the best Spanish cameraman ; Hans has photographed notorious films such as Tesis , Abre Los Ojos , Guantanamera , Paris Tombuctu and various pictures directed by Jaime Chavarri . Evocative as well as emotive musical score by Carles Cases (Dagon , Caricias , Camaron , Año de Diluvio) and with plenty of known songs from the 60s . The motion picture produced and written by Manolo Matji was decently directed Jaime Chavarri , though with no originality . His first professional movie was ¨Los Viajes Escolares¨ (1974), with an autobiographical touch but it was misunderstood by most critics . Later he worked with the producers 'Elías Querejeta' in prestigious documentary titled ¨El Desencanto¨ (1976)) and Alfredo Matas in a successful costumer titled ¨Bearn¨ (1983), adapted from the novel by Llorenç Vilallong a. With the last mentioned film he also had success in terms of the numbers who saw the film . He also directed intense dramas such as ¨Dedicatoria¨ and ¨A un Dios Desconocido¨ . To change the genre he also filmed the musical, ¨Las Cosas del Querer¨ (1989) , being followed by ¨Cosas Del Querer 2¨ (1995) , along with a Tango film as ¨Tangos Are for Two¨ . And adapted from the theatre play by Fernando Fernán Gómez in his most popular film titled ¨Bicicletas Son Para Verano¨ . His last picture was a biography about ¨Camarón¨ (2005) .

The storyline is very predictable. But I did not watch this film hoping for deep insights or for political reasons. The 60's music in the film is fun and carefree and not serious. Like most coming of age movies "Besos" tends to glamorize and hype teen rebellion. I remember the late 60's as being much more conservative. Most college students were much more serious. But then this is like many such stories that are more about "what I wish I had done and said". I was not in Spain in the 60's, but I was in the US and Mexico and there were characters like those in the film. Life was much more spontaneous because we were all more spontaneous when we were younger. The music is a 10, the story is a 5. I cannot comment on Franco's Spain but others who were there tell me it was harsh. Mexico's government was also harsh and corrupt at the time(and still is-a revolution?), and in the US for certain groups of society it was also harsh and corrupt(Mississippi Burning, Harvest of Shame).

With an excellent cast of young actors now becoming famous everywhere, and the expertise of a much-experienced Jaime Chávarri, one would expect something less trite and something which did not fall back on the overly-used scapegoat of the dying years of the Franco Regime. It should also be expected that the story be somewhat more faithful to the ambience of the period in question - the mid sixties - and the behavioural context of that time in general and in Cádiz in particular. However, this little adventure embarks on a spree which, I suppose, might be called a comedy, but really only sparks off triviality and a certain feeling of having been betrayed somewhere.

I was 25 when I arrived in Spain, just five years later than the story being told in this film, precisely in a small city in the provinces. In no way could I compare the situations being enacted by those wonderfully fortunate people in the film, with what in effect was being lived by the real young people at that time. Life was far more serious than as painted in this film.

The acting is good - you have some of the best actors of Spain today in `Besos para Todos'. But my complaint stands firm: sorry, Sr. Chávarri, you have stepped out of line here, you have mixed up reality and fantasy and clothed it as a comedy.

If on the other hand you only want a film depicting young people about to set off on amorous adventures, without any hint of historical background, you might well enjoy this film.

I was only aggravated, annoyed. Perhaps it is just my peculiar attitude and memories of those `early years', tainted by parochial provincialism immersed in the shadows of a worn out tottering totalitarianism being assaulted by quasi-mystical songs from Joan Manuel Serrat.