Belle Epoque

Hard to see why anyone would compare this unfavorably with Fellini or Bergman unless they only like those with dark and/or complicated scenarios.

This is, as others have pointed out, a rite-of-passage farce. It's funny even with the subtitles.

Essentially the young man beds -and falls momentarily in love with- every young female in an eccentric Spanish clan.

The human condition is first and foremost... no one hatching nefarious plots or playing off their agenda against the dark side.

And it's incredibly beautifully shot.

Wow, what a terrific movie. I didn't expect much. I'm watching the end at 4:40am in the morning, and wondering why I haven't seen this movie before. It has something that you'll only find in a Spanish film. A type of humor that is missing in American movies, or maybe, just doesn't work in English. I don't know. All I know is that the movie is tremendously humorous. The actors are all fantastic. Penelope Cruz is, well, Penelope Cruz, but otherwise the movie is wonderful. DO NOT MISS IT.

Belle Epoque has many layers. At it's core is a romance which is surrounded and disguised by a classic sex farce that is itself enveloped by a philosophical tale all wrapped up in a bittersweet historical setting. Spain is, as throughout it's history, in a political struggle. In this case, a battle between the dying monarchy and the emergent republic which is,as these things go, a mild one leaving most Spaniards to enjoy their lives during this "Belle Epoque". Those familiar with it's history know that this is the short calm before the storm of the Spanish Civil War in which the Republic is replaced by the Fascist dictatorship of Franco through a bloody war. My favorite setpiece is the dance where Violeta wears Fernando's uniform and dresses him in a ball gown and wig; the rest must be seen to be believed! A lovely film! And why the devil isn't it on DVD!?

"Belle Epoque" is a light-hearted comedy romp which tells of the goings-on at a Spanish villa (circa 1931) involving a patriarch, his four beautiful and amorous daughters, and a wayward young man who can't say "no". Fanciful, warm, fun, and sexy, this Oscar winning film flows like honey as it aims for the heart, not the crotch or head, and hits the mark. Most likely to be appreciated by more seasoned viewers with an interest in Europics. (A-)

Note - This film has considerable dialogue making for significant subtitle reading for non-Spanish speakers.

The plot, this is a movie about a straggler that is taken in by a local Spanish elder who happens to have 4 very beautiful and very single daughters. In the next hour, the straggler ends up having relations with all four daughters. The side story of the Spanish civil war and the relationship between the 4 sisters and their parents is simple background to the main plot of sexual desire and the tension that becomes to obvious to hide. A beautiful cast of people, the ending is somewhat sad, but true. A nice film, and surprisingly, no nudity? Still, it is a nice "sexy" film.