Sexo con amor

In Santiago, Chile, the schoolteacher Luisa (Sigrid Alegría) proposes a debate about sex with the parents of her students with the intention of giving classes about sex education to the youngsters. Luisa is a young independent woman that is split between the love for her also young mate, the painter Valentín (Francisco Pérez-Bannen), and for her experienced lover, the middle-age father of one of her students and successful writer Jorge (Patricio Contreras). Jorge still lives with his wife Mónica (Loreto Valenzuela), but their marriage ended and they do not even talk to each other, but his affair with Luisa is limited to sex. In the meeting, the parents are divided in groups, and Luisa stays with Jorge, and the couples Álvaro (Álvaro Rudolphy) and his pregnant wife Elena (Cecilia Amenábar) and the butcher Emilio (Boris Quercia) and his frigid wife Maca (María Izquierdo). Álvaro is a wolf man, harasses all the beautiful women that he meets for one night stand, unfaithful and neglecting his wife at home. When Luisa finds that she is pregnant and Valentin is going to work in São Paulo, she makes a decision with her sentimental life. When Elena meets her former friend from university Carlos Rojas (Carlos Osorio), Álvaro becomes jealous and tries to commit with Elena. When the liberated and independent niece Susan (Javiera Díaz de Valdés) spends a couple of days in his home, the faithful Emilio is seduced by the sexy and gorgeous young woman, while Maca finds her sexuality, reading magazines and going to the gynecologist.

"Sexo Con Amor" is a magnificent surprise, a delightful romance with stunning screenplay and outstanding performances of a cast absolutely unknown (at least for me). The simple and refreshing story perfectly balances romance and comedy with elements of soap opera, eroticism and a wonderful chemistry of talented and beautiful actresses and actors and it is impossible not laugh and love this film. There are hilarious scenes, like the discussion when the Catholic priest arrives to the parents meeting and Álvaro opposes with his strong position. The themes love and sex are entwined in funny situations, with Álvaro being the stereotype of the Latin macho-man; Emilio and Maca represent the conservative middle-class of Chile; and the extremely sexy Sigrid Alegría and Javiera Díaz de Valdés the new generation that reflect times of new ideas and changing in the society. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Sexo Com Amor" ("Sex With Love")

The first thing one would have to ask about this movie is is it well written? The answer to that would have to be no. The next question would have to be is it entertaining? The answer to that would have to be hell, yes. A bawdy comedy about the various sex problems of three different couples and how they battle to overcome them. Many of the scenes are predictable and very much angled towards the sexual at the expense of probability. This is what one would have to call low comedy, but even so it holds the attention, wanting to know how the individual stories will eventually be resolved. Some of the scenes are just laugh-out loud ridiculous - one especially with a sexually frustrated husband too short to initially climb on top of a washing machine to have sex with his niece, another with a faithless husband trying to reach urgent orgasm with his secretary in order to reach the phone across the room before it stops ringing. This isn't a good movie but it's very enjoyable and a decent enough way to pass the time. One can only speculate on the disturbance this movie must have caused on its initial release in the Catholic countries of South America. An amusing alternative to all the dreck that Hollywood turns out.

Sexo Con Amor was much anticipated and became an immediate box office hit in its origin country Chile. Being an explicit sex-comedy in an uptight country this was understandable. But that's about everything positive that can be said about it. The storyline is foreseeable, the characters schematic and the humour childish. Kind of an uncensored 90-minutes Chilean soap comedy.

Go see any Argentinian movie instead.

A group of parents goes to their children's school to talk about how to face the topic of sex in front of the kids. But all the grown ups in the room, teacher included, are way behind of being capable to even mention what's the best thing to do about sexuality.

Sexo con Amor (Sex With Love) is an assembled cast movie with excellent performances. Main characters played by Sigrid Alegría and Alvaro Rudolphy, the unfaithful teacher and the adulterous office man, are astounding. But laurels should be given to director- screen writer- lead character Boris Quercia, who plays an unsatisfied husband tempted with a gorgeous niece who comes from France. His frigid wife is acted wonderfully by María Izquierdo, a sort of Chilean Carol Burnette.

Music is even better. The soundtrack includes several songs of `Los Petinellis' one of the most popular rock bands in Chile these days.

Unfaithfulness, safe sex, terrible sex, great sex, gay sex, Santiago is exposed as a crowded city of imperfect inhabitants with great candor.

The tagline gives a trend about part of the mood within the film (La pelicula que no acaba./ the movie which doesn't come.) Well, it's interesting how wide is the range of myths or taboos included in every piece of conversation about sex. Whether is an uptight fellow or an open mind one, there is always a tiny bit of lack of honesty at the moment of talking about our own sexuality.

The biggest box office hit in Chilean cinema. The reason is a conventional and horny country whose people yell out asking for a movie that show a bit of sincerity. And we have got it.

8/ 10

This film really made me laugh. It's not like those typical American movies in which sex is portrayed with prudery, timidity or solemnity. The sex scenes are portrayed in an open way. What I like in many Spanish and hispano-American films is the care with which they choose the actors/actresses. The chemistry among the actors/actresses is taken into consideration. That's why their sex, friendship and romantic scenes are much more intense than in their American counterparts. This film is a joy to see and hear. It's entertaining and thought-provoking. Some Spanish and hispano-American films I recommend are: "Pantaleon y las visitadoras", "La nina santa" "Todo sobre mi madre", "Maria Full of Grace" "Mar Adentro", "Sexo por compassion" (see this one after "Sexo con amor") etc.. I live in Brazil and would like to see much more Spanish-speaking films. There should be a greater integration among Latin-American countries.