El otro lado de la cama

This movie is very reminiscent of American sit-coms such as Friends, with only minimal character development and some halfway decent comedy, but then someone decided it would be a good idea to make it into a musical.

Why, oh why?! Quite apart from the badly-choreographed, fetishised female dancing sequences, the actors can't sing! The songs seem to encroach on the plot rather than aid it, and the fact that the songs are often shot in a different location (with completely different lighting, mise-en-scene etc) from the preceding and following scenes makes the film as a whole seem disjointed.

The time spent on the musical numbers would have been better used to provide a little more character development - after all, the film boasts an impressive cast, but sadly their talents are not exploited to their full potential.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BED is a musical / comedy about two couples. This is the end with any similarity on any American movie in several years.

Here the romance is not the main point. The sex is. The story is simple. Two couples (Javier / Sonia and Paula / Rafa), very good old friends. One day, Paula end his relation with Rafa for another mystery man (who is not other than Javier). They have a friendly break up, but Rafa obsessed tries to find out who is the other guy asking Javier for help. Javier, is not sure about leaving Sonia creating a crisis on his new relation with Paula, plus the problems trying to hide everything to his best friend.

On the other side, as Rafa gets more depressed Sonia gets hook on his tenderness and a few days later they are having an affair. Of course, Javier notices something happens to Sonia and goes to his friend for help. Add to the mess: another couple in a similar situation, a lesbian, a detective, a non stop talking friend plus some songs and dancing.

You can realise that the thing is not a tragedy even if it looks like that. And this is the best thing. Not only there is a lot of humor, but the end is not moralizing or sad; is just what EVERYBODY deep inside wished.

The acting ranges from excellent (almost all men) to very good (Vega, Verbeke and Esteve). Men characters are better developed than women´s, but (I believe) is because men´s reactions on this type of situations are funnier.

As I stated before, this movie is not about romance, is about how little things destroy a couple even when love still exist. And sometimes, the only solution is to clear our moral limitations and look for new things and experiences. That does not mean an orgy or an bizarre sexual experience, but just starting again in a different way.

I am a Christian, and according to my education, everything here is sin. But according to the Bible, who makes de mistake and repents (then learning from them) is the one to be saved.

My hopes are a commercial release for this movie and that the MPAA does not declare this movie NC-17 only because of the subject resolution. The nudity sex scenes are very light.

This movie is well written, well directed, well acted, and fresh.

The sex is integral to the movie, and only modest amounts of skin are shown.

This is great comedy.

It's subtle, and deserves a viewing.

You are at first drawn into a plot involving infidelity, but the behavior slowly spreads to all four of the primary characters, and by movie's end the entanglements are complete and there is much fun to be had.

Do rent this.

I liked the WEST SIDE STORY/Umbrellas of Cherbourg combination

--- the characters exude understated loneliness and passion/longing in their (usually) solitary musings/hallucinations like the doomed lovers in the French film; while the superbly choreographed dances are lively, flamboyant and outrageous, as in the Robert Wise musical classic.

The picture's quality is so sleek, glossy and crisp- just like the sharply polished characters with their cool jobs and lifestyles. Although they tend to be alienating --- so "Melrose Place", they belong to a TV show rather than a movie, they're just too devastatingly gorgeous, hip and lucky--- some characters have the odd, downright pathetic (though emotionally lightweight) predicament that make us somehow care about them (and of course, envy them).

What further heightens my TV soap-opera comparison is the characters being trapped in the little world they created themselves, which, although very exciting, is also very stressful and complicated. Hence, the songs are mostly performed in small, enclosed places and in medium shots and close-ups, unlike in the grand, majestic West Side Story and Umbrellas of Cherbourg musicals.

The highstrung dramatic moments are kept in check by the funny, ironic twists and the characters' amusing weaknesses, and why is it that the men are such cads and a-holes and cute lovable hunks at the same time?

Despite the preoccupation with very personal "issues", the film manages to get some social commentary in. Though the guys in testosterone overdrive just wanna have fun, they acknowledge the warrior-like quality of women and the fact that it is they who control the sexual relationship. Likewise, the characters take "marriage" humorously and lightly- in fact, even mock it with a naughty grin.

Not a particularly illuminating and substantial film, but its bombastic, wacky dances, sexy anatomies galore and sizzling, riotous swinging-sex-partner-swapping action guarantee that you're in for an enjoyable rockin' and bed-rollin...

Best seen "on the other side of the bed" with your partner

¨El Otro Lado De La Cama¨ movie , a Spanish blockbuster , was a huge box office success earlier ; packing twisted relationships , comedy , dances with intense sensuality and including agreeable melodies . It is a funny picture dealing with couple relationships , jealousy , lies , family conflicts and many other things . Pedro is really happy and very much in love with his sweetheart , enticing Paula , but things go wrong as Paula leaves her mate Pedro ; as she is having an affair with Javier who treats her a very special way . But that's not all: a new attractive girls appear in their lives and all of them fall in love . Meanwhile ,Javier thinks she is cheating him with her lesbian friend .As various couples entwine on their search for love .Sometimes the game of love requires a little cheating... If love is only a game...Why not cheat?

Romantic Spanish comedy with good actors , spectacular musical numbers singing charming and nostalgic songs from the 80s , and nice direction . A film rich in troublesome loving stories , where love is the central theme seen from various points of view , as temptation , jealously and betrayal . This is an agreeable as well as uneven comedy in less than 114 minutes of length and yet with an air of naturalness and credibility rarely match . The best parts of the movie are the choreographic numbers and known songs adapted in original model with roots in pop music of the eighties ; recreating the essence of the classic songs by body movements accompanying sensual melodies and lyrics . This is an enjoyable musical comedy including love stories in which there is lesbianism , homosexuality , threesome , as well as the ordinary Spanish clichés . Colorful story of loves and jealousy in which predominates songs and musical spectacle . It has some moments of enjoyment as well as amusement and others quite a few embarrassing . Regular and unbalanced , but gaining the sympathy almost at all times . Bad timing results to be the voice of the singers with the actors , it is less achieved . Main actors as Ernesto Alterio , Natalia Verbeke , Alberto San Juan, María Esteve steal the show , interpreters who provided a considerable boost to the result . All of them play and dance wonderful and classic Spanish songs of the eighties from known bands and singers as Tequila, Kiko Veneno , Los Rodríguez , Ariel Rot , Julio Infante Alejo Stivel ,Nacho Mastretta . With only one original song ¨No se que hacer¨ composed by Coque Maya. As famous songs who performed are the followings : Las chicas son guerreras , Echo de menos , Dime que me quieres , Salta , Mucho mejor , Luna de Miel , among others.

Furthermore , dances and choreography by Paco Berdayas are pretty well , following Emilio Martinez Lazaro's ¨El Otro Lado De La Cama" style "Scandalous" or ¨¿ Porque Se Frotan Patitas ¿¨ (2006) by Alvaro Begines and François Ozon' ¨Potiche¨ and ¨Eight Women¨ . Glamorous and colorful cinematography by Juan Molina . And followed by a sequel : sequel that turns out to be an amusing picture "The 2 Sides of the Bed" in which 3 years passed and the boys seem to have matured . It was originally written and professionally directed by Emilio Martínez Lázaro . Initially, this movie was entitled "C'est magnifique" and the numbers were intended to be mimed. This seemed terrible to Emilio Martínez Lázaro and he decided that the songs had to be sung by the actors themselves.He was born in 1945 in Madrid , location in which he often shoots his films . He is a Spanish prestigious cinema director . Emilio is a director and writer, a good filmmaker expert on comedies as he has proved in : Los Peores Años De Nuestra Vida (1994) , El Juego Más Divertido (1998) and Amo Tu Cama Rica (1992) , drama : Las 13 Rosas (2007) La Voz De Su Amo (2001) , Musical as : ¨Al Otro Lado De La Cama¨ (2002) starred by Ernesto Alterio , Paz Vega , Natalia Verbeke , Guillermo Toledo , Ramón Barea , Alberto San Juan , María Esteve Nathalie Poza , Secun de la Rosa , and ¨Los Dos Lados De La Cama¨ (2005) . Being especially known for this ¨8 Apellidos Vascos¨or "Spanish Affair" considered to be the biggest box office in Spanish cinema and he is nowadays shooting ¨8 Apellidos Vascos 2¨ .