Sexo por Compaixão

In a small village in Spain, the middle-aged Dolores (Elisabeth Margooni) is a very good catholic woman, considered almost a saint by the villagers. However, her beloved husband Manolo (José Sancho) leaves her with the argument that she was too perfect, without any sin in her life. Dolores tries to find how she could commit a sin, and in the local bar she hears that the worst thing a woman could do to a man was to cheat him with another man. Dolores adopts the pseudonym of Lolita and has sex for compassion with all the men of the village. The local priest becomes jealous with the situation, since people compare Dolores with a saint and she raises money to rebuild the church. The small town becomes colorful and brightness with her attitude. Things change when Manolo returns to the village. This surreal movie uses the idea of the 1998 `Pleasantville', regarding to the use of black & white and colors to express the feeling of the villagers. The direction of Laura Mañá and the performance of the unknown cast are marvelous. The simple story hooks-up the attention of the viewer along the 109 minutes without being boring in any moment. The soundtrack is another magnificent attraction of this wonderful film. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): ` Sexo Por Compaixão' (` Sex For Compassion')

I wanted to see this film, because I have read very good reviews. They said it was a hilarious comedy filled with sarcasm. I saw the movie and didn't laugh once. It was a sad movie, talking about people stuck with a reality they don't like and they try to change it. Or that is what I thought the movie was about. It confused me and I think the film doesn't have a message that is clear. Maybe the director and the writer didn't exactly know what they wanted to say in the first place. Anyway it is a good movie, with very good performances...I liked it.

I rarely feel much affinity with Spanish speaking films, especially when set in Latin America (this one's in Mexico) And yet another fantastical (as in "Spanish") Magic Realist fable.

Plus much Catholic preoccupation with sin and sinning. Plenty mucho of "God is punishing me". Oh dear. This is definitely not going to be my cup of cha.

I'm writing this as a i watch.

Plumptious Lolita is doing all the local whores out of business by servicing every sad bloke in town – for free. They all line up outside her bedroom; the door is closed; then come out half an hour later all loved up and shag-happy. What did she do? What does she give them? "Desire for self improvement" is the correct answer (the perfect blow job would be a very bad answer) You don't see any of the "action" (sex) or any of Lolita's special "loving". But lets just take it on trust: she's got the "magic touch".

Therefore the cure all for all known ills (including premature ejaculation) in the blighted town is stick it in chubby Lolita! Saves all the womenfolk the trouble of having it stuck up them. And the hubbies come back more cheerful after they've been seen to by her with these big soppy sloppy grins on. Shagging is sorted. Made wholesome. Guilt-free sinless sex. And sin shorn of guilt becomes unpunishable (from Him upstairs) Sinning is sorted too.

This lovely Lolita has – amazingly, as if miraculously – revitalised the desire to live, the desire to desire, in all who experience her. What a Saint she is.

I suppose if you like your subtitled foreign films to be feel good cumfy corny, easily digestible, with fat dollops of softly poached sentimentality plopped on top this is the film for you.

I'm possibly deliberately misinterpreting – wilfully distorting – the film. But as i won't be watching it again. this first impression will have to do. But when I don't feel sufficiently engaged by a film, the sympathy – the good willingness – is not active enough to want to understand it.

'Sexo por compasión' (COMPASSIONATE SEX) is a rare little film created in 2000 by Spanish director and writer Laura Mañá that dares to address controversial issues of marital fidelity, the 'oldest profession in the world', the impotence of a Catholic priest in holding his community together, and the irresistible importance of physical discourse in mending misconceptions and misunderstandings. Quite a challenge taking on all of these topics, but Laura Mañá has the skills to pull it off with the use of 'magical realism' and alluring cinematic knowledge and techniques. The final product is a joy! The setting is a small village (either in Spain or Mexico, we are not told exactly) on the verge of dying due to the bland boredom and blanket sadness of the town folk, the lack of children being born and in general due to a languorous malaise. The film is shot not in black and white but varying shades of gray. Dolores (Elisabeth Margoni) is an overweight childless woman obsessed with doing good deeds for others, a fact that drives her husband Manolo (José Sancho) berserk, threatening that if Dolores is unable to come up with an act that demands his forgiveness he will abandon her. Dolores seeks advice from the village priest (Juan Carlos Colombo) in confessional, but the haughty padre is angered by the fact that Dolores daily visits the confessional with nothing to confess. He tells her to go out and sin and then he will be able to hear her confession! Manolo leaves and the devastated Dolores is encouraged to move into the tavern owned by Floren (Mariola Fuentes) and with the loving advice of her friends she hears that the town is dying because the married couples are depressed. The sensitive Dolores hears from both the men and the women and under the pseudonym of Lolita, she invites the husbands to her new bed for free advice, consensual sex and enrichment. Lolita has discovered the source of the town's sadness and soon has slept with every man and keeps her free nurturing going while the women of the village marvel at how their husbands have changed for the better. At this point the town becomes alive, lovely, flowers grow, etc and the film is now in color.

Seeing the changes that have occurred drives the priest to build a cross and perform a ritual crucifixion! The women find Manolo and tell him how the town has changed and why - and the fact that all of the villagers consider Dolores/Lolita a saint. Manolo returns, is enraged, gathers the men together to convince them his wife is a prostitute and the town's life and joy return to the gray of black and white film. The women of the village are convinced that Manolo must be informed as to the sacrifice Lolita has been making and in order to do so they visit Manolo's humble house and line up for a toss in the hay with Manolo: after only several of the many women exit the house with smiles and gleams of physical satisfaction, Manolo weakly emerges admitting that such a process is indeed a sacrifice! How the village manages this mutual acceptance of Dolores and Manolo and incorporates the newfound 'therapy' into their lives constitutes the warmly humorous ending.

The large cast of unknown actors is splendid. There are many cameos (Leocadia played by Leticia Huijara is a zany old lady who insists on photographing herself and the events of the village on a daily basis!, etc) and Laura Mañá handles the direction of this potentially difficult story with amazing finesse. We can only hope she continues to create other films as unique and satisfying as SEXO POR COMPASION! Grady Harp

A movie that gives ground for reflection and thought .What is justice and how we judge others ? Do we judge based on their actions or based on their intentions? If people judge Lolita based on her actions she should be condemned as a whore and realizing that they start throwing the biblical stones at her.

If they judge her based on her compassionate nature and good intentions to help the poor unloved men – then she should be regarded as a saint.

Interesting –who are we to judge others. What is right and what wrong? Under what circumstances something is wrong or right? One of the best movies I've seen recently. Kudos for Laura Mana- writer and director.