L'altro lato del letto

This movie is very reminiscent of American sit-coms such as Friends, with only minimal character development and some halfway decent comedy, but then someone decided it would be a good idea to make it into a musical.

Why, oh why?! Quite apart from the badly-choreographed, fetishised female dancing sequences, the actors can't sing! The songs seem to encroach on the plot rather than aid it, and the fact that the songs are often shot in a different location (with completely different lighting, mise-en-scene etc) from the preceding and following scenes makes the film as a whole seem disjointed.

The time spent on the musical numbers would have been better used to provide a little more character development - after all, the film boasts an impressive cast, but sadly their talents are not exploited to their full potential.

An engaging song and dance musical about two couples who get off with each other's partners. All very light hearted feelgood adult stuff in the style of many a light Shakespeare or Mozart comedy, but updated to include lots of nitty-gritty. The cast are drop dead gorgeous, they have mottos like "there's not enough f*cking in the world" and are ultimately tolerant enough about each other's misdemeanours and tendency to be economical with the truth. All politically correct, with lots of mixed sexual orientation to keep it bubbling, a private detective who gets it all on video (after solving the mystery of how JFK committed suicide and how Marylin Monroe never really died), unexpected exposures and reverses, and it all turns out happily at the end like some Oscar Wilde farce. Not to be missed.

First of all, I love musicals, but I like to know beforehand that that's what I'm getting myself into. Ummm... we were enjoying this one as a fun romantic comedy when all of a sudden the male lead breaks out into song and a bunch of dancers appear out of no where!?! Not that it's bad, it's just that, well, NOTHING was mentioned about it on the packaging [again,do the people who write the blurbs actually watch the movies??]... The songs are in keeping with the overall tone of the film, and the dancing quite funny [hopefully intentionally so], but it's just that when you're not expecting them it can be one of those "Oh...my... we've rented a musical!?!?" It's a fun and funny movie, just be warned.

Lightheaded romantic comedy about two couples who changes partners and find their own way to happiness and understanding. The movie has the charm, witty and vitality of Latin movies (especially movies produced in Argentina and Spanish) but is far from be a great achievement on the genre or even a memorable piece of work. Mixture of love story, comedy and musical, 'Otro lado de la cama,El' give us a good work from the director, some ingenious scenes (like the scene in the theather, where Pedro(played by Guillermo Del Toro)appear as the 'Melon Kid') and a sympathetic cast, where you cand find the beauty of Paz Vega and Natalia Verbecke. In fact, the movie is a good amusement but don't expect to find the same intensity and impressive ideas thay you can fin in movies directed by Almodovar (at least, some of them) or Alejandro Almenábar.

I give this a 6 (six).

I liked the WEST SIDE STORY/Umbrellas of Cherbourg combination

--- the characters exude understated loneliness and passion/longing in their (usually) solitary musings/hallucinations like the doomed lovers in the French film; while the superbly choreographed dances are lively, flamboyant and outrageous, as in the Robert Wise musical classic.

The picture's quality is so sleek, glossy and crisp- just like the sharply polished characters with their cool jobs and lifestyles. Although they tend to be alienating --- so "Melrose Place", they belong to a TV show rather than a movie, they're just too devastatingly gorgeous, hip and lucky--- some characters have the odd, downright pathetic (though emotionally lightweight) predicament that make us somehow care about them (and of course, envy them).

What further heightens my TV soap-opera comparison is the characters being trapped in the little world they created themselves, which, although very exciting, is also very stressful and complicated. Hence, the songs are mostly performed in small, enclosed places and in medium shots and close-ups, unlike in the grand, majestic West Side Story and Umbrellas of Cherbourg musicals.

The highstrung dramatic moments are kept in check by the funny, ironic twists and the characters' amusing weaknesses, and why is it that the men are such cads and a-holes and cute lovable hunks at the same time?

Despite the preoccupation with very personal "issues", the film manages to get some social commentary in. Though the guys in testosterone overdrive just wanna have fun, they acknowledge the warrior-like quality of women and the fact that it is they who control the sexual relationship. Likewise, the characters take "marriage" humorously and lightly- in fact, even mock it with a naughty grin.

Not a particularly illuminating and substantial film, but its bombastic, wacky dances, sexy anatomies galore and sizzling, riotous swinging-sex-partner-swapping action guarantee that you're in for an enjoyable rockin' and bed-rollin...

Best seen "on the other side of the bed" with your partner