Entre las piernas

"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+)

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.

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.

My advantage, I do not speak very much Spanish, and more than 80% of the dialogue went over my head... The acting of Abril, however, was so intense and comprehensive, the way her lips quivered, the "realness" of her unexpected "jerkiness" from time to time, and the scene in the "club" followed by the double entendre'd pretensiousness with her husband. It kept me interested for almost two hours. I may not have got it right, but there were multiple plot layers that "dovetailed" without the insulting forecasting which is generally evident in American movies. And, like I hinted, maybe my advantage was that I did a kind of "speed listen" instead of listening to every word. And, the male lead did an equally great job.

Loved it tremendously. Hope it never gets English subtitles. I like what my imagination filled in for me!

... the Crying Game, and a few other pieces of current day cinema, he just might come up with such a little gem.

This work manages to lovingly captivate the audience which misses dear old Alfred. From the smartly nuanced opening credits, through the twists and turns of post-reveal story structure, to bringing the whole thing to a close using the ambivalent actions by *both* male leads- not masterful, but deft, and compelling. Nifty stuff.

I can see Hollywood attempting a remake (a la Vanilla Sky) and completely bolloxing it up, too.

Erotic, but not so much as the title and cover art might have you think-the title should actually be translated as "Between the Legs," a sort of comment on what kind of trouble the libido can stir up.

Confusing it wasn't, as a second viewing (well worth it) confirmed. Subtitles are adequate and a capacity for Spanish no necesita.

PS The "distasteful rape scene" mentioned in one comment baffles me and must have been a figment to that reviewer. The character was actually suffering what could be called a post traumatic stress flashback. It rang true to that character, and was necessary as the device to explain what really went on in the previous 01:50 of screen time. Held me right to the end.