Opiniones de usuarios

Yet another film with an illicit affair at its centre - I recently watched MATCH POINT (2005), DAMAGE (1992) and LA SEDUZIONE (1973) - though this is actually a variation on a much-used plot line which dates back to MY FAVORITE WIFE (1940), in which one half of a married couple is thought dead and, on returning several years later, finds the partner now belongs to a new family.

As is to be expected from director Luna, the emphasis this time around is on eroticism - though it's not particularly graphic - and, here, leading lady Leonor Watling at least serves this purpose supremely well! Still, the decision to embellish the love-making with a purportedly poetic touch - in the form of the scholarly hero's recital of a suggestive elegy to the sea - ends up being a misfire, for the simple reason that the repetition serves only to render the whole somewhat monotonous!

The film isn't bad but the narrative (courtesy of screenwriter Rafael Azcona, once valued collaborator to cult Italian film-maker Marco Ferreri) is just too predictable to generate much involvement from the viewer. The finale - in which the two lovers decide to leave everything behind them and sail away (on the boat which bears the film's name) to a new life together - adheres to the ideal of l' amour fou, but Luna and Azcona opt for an ironic double-twist instead! In essence, SON DE MAR is not as intriguing as the only other Bigas Luna title I've watched - THE CHAMBERMAID OF THE TITANIC (1997) - but I should be checking out at least one more film of his (BAMBOLA [1996]) fairly soon...which now makes me regret all the more having missed an Italian-TV showing of VOLAVERUNT (1999) a few months back!

Bigas Luna is a strange breed of the Spanish cinema: He is out to shock his audience all the time with sex, sex, and more sex. How strange, when everyone else is busy imitating him... The story he gives us here connects Ulyses and Martina in a web of passion in which the same sex they live for prove to be their own downfall.

We cannot fault the director with an eye for giving us gorgeous women like Penelope, Aitana, Leonor, and others just as beautiful, except Romaine Bohringer in The Chambermaid of the Titanic. Mr. Bigas Luna has an eye for the visual, as he demonstrates with the opening scenes with the sounds effects and music. The only problem with this film is that the story doesn't hold when it turns out to be another soap opera in which Ms. Watling goes into her own fashion show. While it is fun to watch, one comes out after seeing this film empty of any emotional involvement with the characters or the situation that was presented here. Jordi Molla and Leonor Watling make an attractive couple. It's obvious that Mr. Molla's screen appearances let him express himself by letting it all "hang out" as shown in this film as well as in Second Skin! Well done Bigas Luna and see your alligator later.........

Captivating cinematography. Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing about the script. It's romance at full speed. First thing you know, Ulises and Martina are getting married. But "from loving to not loving", the road is not as long as Ulises believes. Soon enough, Infidelity enters the room and does it's dirty job. We soon realize that Death is already in the room. But wait, she's feeling powerless today. One thing's for sure: it can take a long time to catch a tuna!

Leonar Watling is sublime. She captures the screen every time she appears. But the rest of the cast is not as interesting. And there's some scenes where you really don't feel the emotion. After a while, I found myself looking at my watch every few minutes. A few times, I felt like shouting "I get the point!!! move on!" But I have to say that the last scene on the boat is quite surprising and captivating.

Seen at home, in Toronto, on March 5th, 2006.

71/100 (**)

A gorgeously photographed film, to be sure, but what about the plot line? Some interesting ideas are never fully developed, and some of the details are a bit incomprehensible, for example the baby crocodile in the yacht and the idea that our hero can survive comfortable in an abandoned apartment complex. Quibbling aside, it is an enjoyable film to watch, even though the final scene at the closing credits is a bit much.

The first part of the movie is very intriguing and the contrast between Martina's quiet satisfaction with her life and her husband's undying need from freedom is both startling and emotionally charged. The second part, however, left me unsatisfied since the established conflict never gets solved and the final twist, albeit suggestive, felt anticlimactic and empty.

I saw this movie last year on SBS while I was trying to fall asleep in my room late at night. I saw this and after watching it for around half an hour i couldn't believe how much passion was between Ulises and Martina was magical.

I thought it portrayed a perfect love story, well, perfectly. It had passion, drama and the unforgettable love. A great movie in my opinion.

An excellent performance by the main characters and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to sit down and watch a beautiful drama with excellent acting and a wonderful drama.

I, unfortunately didn't get to watch the whole movie but from what i did manage to see i enjoyed it very much and i wish that more movies in Hollywood could capture the love, passion nd drama that this movie does.

My nose is bent slightly out of shape as I write this. I had sent a previous comment on this film some weeks ago that has not yet appeared, so I assume it was rejected, even though it met all the usual guidelines.

I found this film interesting for the first thirty minutes, particularly the performance of Jordi Mollà, a veteran actor who has appeared in such major productions as "Blow" and "The Alamo." Leonor Watling is also quite good. Unfortunately, everything sinks eventually under the weight of a truly awful, melodramatic script. There is also an abundance of gratuitous nudity that does nothing to advance the narrative or lend even an impressionistic nuance to what is otherwise a beautifully filmed piece of art.

An actual day trip to the beach at Valencia would be much less arduous than having to encounter these fictional characters again anywhere, anytime.

Bigas Luna's "Son de Mar" is a beautiful love story that is sexy, to boot.

I knew nothing about this film when I rented it. I picked it solely because of its director. Although I am not a huge fan of "Jamón, jamón" (1992), there were moments I enjoyed.

Am I ever glad that I rented this. It's a captivating love story that has two very good performances, including a gloriously sensual turn by Leonor Watling. The film also features some tremendously sexy love scenes, including one without any nudity.

Watling's screen presence is positively hypnotic. She makes Martina utterly believable, a passionate woman who revels in her sexuality and is madly in love with Ulises. Their moments together are poignant and real. The characters are smart, funny, sexy, and we so believe the love between Ulises and Martina that we cannot help but root for them.

Parts of this film might seem corny due to its soap opera-like plotting. Then again, that's something Luna enjoys doing. And somehow he and his actors make it work.

There are some inexplicable, and perhaps unnecessary moments, including one with an alligator. But they don't detract from the charm of this film. And you've got to hand it to Luna - he knows how to make beautiful women truly sizzle on screen.

This is a film for adults. Thank goodness Europeans still make romantic movies for grown-ups and don't dilute them by catering to the lowest common denominator by turning them into maudlin, conventional, predictable crap like many of Hollywood's romantic comedies.

If you enjoy unconventional love stories, this one is most definitely worth a look.

Ulises is a literature teacher that arrives to a coastal town. There, he will fell in love to Martina, the most beautiful girl in town. They will start a torrid romance which will end in the tragic death of Ulises at the sea. Some years later, Martina has married to Sierra, the richest man in town and lives a quiet happy live surrounded by money. One day, the apparition of Ulises will make her passion to rise up and act without thinking the consequences. The plot is quite absurd and none of the actors plays a decent part. IN addition, three quarters of the film are sexual acts, which, still being well filmed, are quite tiring, as we want to see More development of the story. It is just a bad Bigas Luna's film, with lots of sex, no argument and stupid characters everywhere.

it is not a great film. only a Bigas Luna. romantic, sexy, dramatic, cruel. victim of clichés , saved buy Eneida quote, it is a beautiful not surprising film.its key - Bigas Luna vision about a story who has basic mixture of salt and honey. the slices of soap drama, the nuances of acting, the love scenes makes entire plot not realistic but decent for many of viewers. only problem - the expectations. the impression than the story is the same like many others. but the real virtue is only its role of clean story. not extraordinary , not amazing. only as a form of remember of pink novels and essence of not happy love stories. so, just a Bigas Luna. and a silk story about love.

The only thing going for this stupid movie is the sex. And that is also ever so dull. The plotting and story are so old and dumb that it is incredible anybody produced this 3rd rate piece of nonsense.

Billy Wilder did a better job in 'Double Indemnity" in 1944; and this film has neither the directorial vision nor the story line or plotting and logic to improve on something that has been dozen a million times on TV better, than this garbage.

The most irritating and pretentious element is the poetry recited constantly to get the leading lady in the mood. It's just cheap exploitation and lazy writing. One day computers will direct this kind of schedule filler. Real artists will do something more engaging and vital.

Doing one's annual tax return is more thrilling than wasting time on this stale material.

Bigas Luna's 2001 film SON DE MAR is a tragic tale of sex and death on the southeast coast of Spain. The dashing Ulises (Jordi Mollà) moves to a seaside village to teach literature, and soon begins a relationship with the alluring Martina (Leonor Watling), the daughter of his landlord. After marriage and children, Ulises wants his freedom back, so he takes off into the unknown, and Martina remarries with Sierra (Eduard Fernández), the wealthy property investor who has pursued her the whole time. Ulises's return after several years creates a love triangle with sordid consequences.

This is essentially a soap opera, and one that relies on sex scenes far too much in order to pass the time. How much sex is here? Well, by the end of the film (or even at the midpoint), a nude Leonor Watling will no longer seem especially enticing. That must be the very definition of overdoing it. Still, it has a few elements that elevate it above total vacuity. For one, Ulises seduces Martina by quoting from the Aeneid, and though his repeated use of the same quotation to do so becomes tiresome, it's rather novel that Virgil's dusty old text is exploited for erotic potential. Also, Bigas Luna has a knack for writing tragedy in the conventional sense (protagonists with a fatal flaw), and the ending is quite memorable.

Bigas Luna is a Spanish director who has his own style (Jamón, jamón, Huevos de oro, Bámbola, Lumière et compagnie, La Femme de chambre du Titanic, etc) and his method of storytelling takes some adjustment on the part of the viewer. For those who treasure the magical mysteries of Latin dramas this film SON DE MAR (Sound of the Sea) will surely satisfy. Keeping with the title he has chosen (from Rafael Azcona's screenplay based on Manuel Vicent's novel) the presence of the complex sounds of water are ever present and the carriage that escorts the lovers to their ultimate destiny is a boat of the same name. It works.

Ulises (Jordi Mollà) is a teacher brought in midterm to a little town's school. His obsession (and teaching assignment) is Virgil's Aeneid, and he constantly reads it, quotes it, coaxes his students to read aloud the poetry therein, and when he finds an apartment belonging to a couple whose daughter Martina (Leonor Watling) falls under Ulises spell, Ulises quotes from the book scenes involving serpents from the sea, words that make the young and very beautiful Martina awaken sexually. In rapid sequence they become pregnant and marry - though Martina's parents prefer the young wealthy Sierra (Eduard Fernández) as a suitable husband.

Soon after their baby son is born the couple attend a party at Sierra's estate and Ulises eyes a beautiful woman while Sierra attempts to win Martina's heart. Ulises buys a fishing boat and sets out to fish for Martina but the boat is wrecked and thinking Ulises dead, a Requiem mass is held and Martina in time marries Sierra for his ability to provide for her infant son. Five years pass and the now steely Martina lives in luxury and receives a phone call from - Ulises! First enraged that Ulises left her for five years, Martina is quickly wooed to the strains of poetry from the Aeneid and hides Ulises in the top floor of one of Sierra's new buildings. Sierra discovers the reunited lovers' tryst and plans for their end. The lovers escape - to a destiny foretold by phrases from the Aeneid.

Despite his greasy long hair and scruffy beard Jordi Mollà delivers a smoldering presence as Ulises. But it is the presence of Leonor Watling's Martina that makes this at times shaky film work. She is a powerhouse presence. The photography by José Luis Alcaine and the sensuous musical score by Glen Johnson enhance Bigas Luna's concept for the film. It is another satisfying work by a unique director who knows how to mold a story with fleshy means and make it work. In Spanish with English subtitles. Grady Harp

At first I thought: oh come on, give me a break... The wandering, dreamy-eyed young teacher, the pouting, rap-music-blasting village Lolita sucking oranges, the white panties on the clothes-line, could you be any more clichéd? But then the story grew on me, with its many parallels to the Greek myths, so much so that I think I'll go back to the source and reread the original material. Some of the sea and water images reminded me of "Sex and Lucia" which I still prefer. Also, in the R-Rated version I rented from Blockbuster, the sex scenes must have been cut. Nothing spectacular, by far. So Bigas Luna likes breasts, but then again, we knew that already. ***1/2

Bigas Luna has produced another captivating film. Though my Spanish isn't great, I saw the movie shortly after its release in Madrid, in Castellano (Spanish). The dialogue is playful and poetic, but the movie stands on its own without it.

A very visual film, with dramatic sweeping views reminiscent of an italian art film, the repetition and rythm of the film reflect the words from Homer's Odyssey that are echoed through it and that form the basis of the plot line. A must see for anyone who loves or is in love.

I have to admit that I missed the first ten minutes of this one - and a lot of the visual artistry was probably lost on me since I don't speak Spanish and spent a good deal of time reading subtitles, however, none of that matters since this is one that I will want to see again...and probably again! Son de mar (Sound of the Sea) is a wonderful film for anyone who believes that their "twin soul" is out there - and that neither life, nor death, can keep you apart once you've found each other. (If you haven't yet met up with your own soul mate, Jordi's eyes will certainly sooth your soul until he comes along!) If you've never been consumed by love - you won't get it. If you have been - and settled for less - this film could catalyze a full-blown mid-life crisis!

The best love story movie ever it is an unparalleled movie even in 2018 no have have such an impact to me as much as this movie