Entre las piernas

You never know what you're going to expect when you watch this quirky Spanish flick. There are some obvious moments that are (Pedro) Almodavar and some are (Julio) Medem, which should come as no surprise as the actors in this show have worked with the above directors. Sex, suspense, comedy, drama - it's all here rolled into one. An engaging film that leaves you smiling after you come out of the cinema.

"Between Your Legs" is a provocative title for a less than provocative film which may wear you out with its busy, convoluted tale and anticlimactic conclusion. The film tells of a man and a woman who meet in a "sexaholics anonymous" meeting and become involved in deceit, betrayal, sex, murder, suicide, and a whole bunch of yadayadayada. Although this film features some fine Spanish actors and is a well composed and stylish shoot, the story is just too much ado about too little with insufficient payoff. Forget the title as it has nothing to do with anything is this drama which could have been about the undoing of a man because of sexual addiction or a murder mystery or even cheap sexual sensationalism but instead plays out like so much busy work with little to praise, little to fault, and very little to care about. Not recommended for nonSpanish speakers. (C+)

What I liked about this picture: the cool camera-work (airport lounges have rarely been as attractive, and there are evocative scenes in toilets and bedrooms); the music, always urgent and involving even if it owes much to Bernard Herrman; the identity of the transsexual character is well integrated into the story, not an add-on (I thought of Jaye Davidson in The Crying Game).

What I didn't like: the red herrings in the story line, meant to throw us off the scent but only serving to annoy the viewer; the large number of characters that makes following the plot all the harder.

What kept me watching was Victoria Abril, playing the detective's wife with a panache that made me regret she has not made more films we can see in North America.

This film is very interesting for those who likes sexi-thrillers, Miss Abril reinforces herself as a super spanish star, and as usual, she fills the screen with a strong personality that communicates with the audience not only with a superb performance but with her eyes, voice, and as the film title calls, with her legs.

It could be the best use for 4 bucks! (Standard ticket price in México)

The story of this movie, which tries hard to avoid following concepts of other movies related to infidelity in today's modern society, really falls in providing a clear and definitive message to the audience.

The story seems interesting just from the beginning when a group of people -who take assistance in a rehabilitation center for addicted to sex- express their personal feelings about their lives and their situations, just as a psychological and deep profile of every individual. This is interesting since Manuel Pereira (Director) starts to have control of all these situations.

But this is not going so far just when alternative plots "with some psychological twists" began to surface the main story and overcome it. So the story that began from exploring the world of this addicted people turns out to become a confused film with unnecessary plots that makes the movie with no clear interpretations at the end of it.