Playa prohibida

"Forbidden Beach" is too minimalist to be much of a film. The plot is run-of-the-mill and the entire story takes place in one main location. The acting is fair but not much is asked of the players.

An engineer moves into a bungalow on the beach next to a widow and her two boys. It's obvious that there is a spark between the two adults but it would be a dull film if everything turned out happily ever after. The older boy has a bit of an Oedipal complex and seems to really, really like his mom. Of course, that means that no other man can come and break up their "happy" family. If you've seen a movie anything like this before than you know exactly where this is heading. I wish I could say that a surprise or two were thrown in to keep things interesting but, alas, I cannot.

That's not to say that this film is awful by any stretch of the imagination. However, the story is too familiar and not well-written enough to rise above the level of a cheap TV movie. Without a tight script or smoldering dramatic performances, what you have left is a slow, predictable movie. Gratuitous nudity is added to try and get the blood flowing but it all ends up feeling more like a "mildly naughty" beach instead of a "forbidden" one. 3/10

For years, the greatest injustice done to this film has been its dismissal as an "erotic film," an attempt to devalue its worth. Screenwriter Carlos Valdemar has masterfully portrayed the Oedipus Complex, and director Enrique Gómez Vadillo approached the task of bringing this narrative to the screen with bold determination.

A hidden gem of 1980s Mexican cinema, the film feels like a tribute to Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalytic theory.

Despite its low budget, the choice of locations, the creative use of these spaces, and similar subtle details are praiseworthy decisions by the director.

You wont watch this one for Action or Comedy. Its a fine Erotic Movie with a good Sex scene. They dont make it like these anymore....