A Mulher do Meu Irmão

While the cinematography is decent and the actors are top notch, the story is one that could be fit into a 15-20 minute short film. It's not just that it drags, it's also predictable as all get out and devoid of any substance -- it's literally a story that's been done to death on Lifetime. An even bigger let down is the lack of nudity when the subject is sex. Movies are meant to entertain; usually all it takes is a good story, but if I were the producer I would have pushed hard for more nudity to make sure the viewer doesn't turn it off for something more erotic.

Erotically-charged pot boiler has exotic beauty Barbara Mori yearning for love and passion from her cold and seemingly unfeeling husband (Christian Meier). They both want children, but it seems that Meier is unable to impregnate his wife. The fact that Meier will literally only make love to his wife on Saturday nights and would rather pleasure himself adds to their marital tension. Soon Mori starts hanging out with Meier's younger artist brother (Manolo Cardona). It appears immediately that their relationship is going beyond what it should. The womanizing Cardona (who makes it clear to girlfriend Gaby Espino that he is not interested in anything having to do with marriage or children) quickly starts his routine with Mori and she begins to fall for him as friction grows by leaps and bounds between the two brothers. Mori finds solace with gay friend Bruno Bichir who seems to be the most reliable male influence in her chaotic life. Soon everything becomes heated and complicated with Mori in the middle of an emotional firestorm that is about to consume all the players found within. Present fireworks are also met with past family secrets that come to the forefront. "La Mujer De Mi Hermano" ("My Brother's Wife") is a highly interesting feature-length soap opera (which actually makes sense considering Mori and Meier's professional backgrounds) that works due to Jaime Bayly's dominant script concerning failed Catholicism (priest Beto Cuevas being a major role player here) and forced family obligations in the Hispanic world (from Angelica Aragon who yearns for grandchildren from her two sons). First-time feature director Ricardo de Montreuil has a firm grasp on his story and he is not afraid to let Mori (who is breathtakingly gorgeous) dominate the action and be the central focus. An international flair all the way as the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile and Colombia all had a hand in the final product. While flawed, it still produces sparks and definitely an extreme heat. 4 stars out of 5.

This film is a production that employed actors from various Latin-American countries in order to attract viewers in all Latin America. It's something that should be tried more often. We should organize distribution & production companies in Latin-America to integrate the whole region and give us more opportunities to see Latin American films, because there's such an overload of American films that we in Brazil know much more about Hollywood stars than about our Latin-American neighbours. This said, let's go to the film.

The film is about a triangle love story but it is in some ways unusual -there's no moral preaching and no conventional happy ending. The characters belong to the privileged class and live in a conservative background where the Catholic Church is still a power to reckon with, but the modern world is their real world. They may sometimes go to mass and confession but when conflicts between the two worlds arise their own wishes prevail, in spite of conservative dogmas, and the Church and their icons go to the background.

There was a reviewer that said that the sex scenes were a fill-up and were not necessary at all. I disagree with him. Sex is essential to show the reason why Zoe (gorgeous Barbara Mori) in spite of her conservative upbringing, engages in an affair with her brother-in-law. And the sex scenes are really sensual, showing a woman discovering herself through sexual pleasure. Can someone tell me of any American actress able to do the same in such a sensual way? The acting of the whole cast is excellent, the film has such a good story that manages to keep our interest till the end. I'm not telling you that "La Mujer de mi Hermano" is a masterpiece but certainly it's a very good film.

Other Latin American films I recommend are: "Pantaleon Y las Visitadoras", "Maria Full of Grace", "Nina Santa", "El mismo amor, La misma lluvia", "Y Tu Mama Tambien", "Machuca" and so many others!

As pared down, stylish and deceptively simple as the stark glass and concrete block inhabited by two of its main characters, "La Mujer de Mi Hermano" (My Brother's Wife) is an adultery drama that skips the big life lessons in favor of observing the mysteries of human interdependency and social behavior.

Peruvian director Ricardo de Montreuil has transposed the characters created by his compatriot, novelist Jaime Bayly, from Lima to Mexico City and has cast Mexican stars in three of the film's four principal roles. The idea behind the relocation was to broaden the film's global appeal, as Mexican films tend to be well received across Latin America and within the United States. Accents and local slang are duly adjusted, but the shift feels academic. "La Mujer de Mi Hermano" blooms inside only the most insular, intimate spaces, its characters untouched by the world around them. If anything, it's a reminder that class — especially the upper echelons — is a country unto itself that doesn't recognize geographical borders.

Disturbingly beautiful and melancholic Zoë (Barbara Mori) lives with her image-obsessed husband, Ignacio (Christian Meier), in an ultra-modern house — half display case, half hothouse — on the outskirts of the city. Ignacio is wealthy and doting but distant, and their marriage is affectionate but passionless. Ignacio's sterility and Zoë's refusal to consider adoption compound the feeling that the marriage has cruised into a cul-de-sac.

Zoë's complaints, which she shares with her gay friend Boris (Bruno Bichir), are legitimate, but it's Ignacio who elicits sympathy at first. Genuinely afraid of losing Zoë, he exudes a tightly wound, reined-in helplessness that's painful to watch. The feeling is cemented when Zoë starts hanging around with Ignacio's estranged younger brother, Gonzalo (Manolo Cardona), a painter who bad-mouths Ignacio at every opportunity but gladly takes his money each month. When Zoë drops by his gallery unexpectedly, Gonzalo sells her a painting from his show. The selling, rather than giving, becomes another point of contention between Gonzalo and Ignacio, but for Zoë it's a chance to get back at her husband.

The principal pleasures of the film lie in the subtle shifts in character that prompt shifts in allegiance, so I won't spoil them. The main thing is that "La Mujer de Mi Hermano" lets its characters' behaviors speak for themselves, which naturally lead the audience into snap judgments that evolve into something more fluid and forgiving.

Tall and broad, Meier has a rigid, hulking quality that serves him well as the high-strung businessman scared stiff of losing his wife. For a guy built like a pylon, he has a remarkable way of making himself small by tucking himself into a neat package.

Mori, a memorable presence, plays an instantly recognizable type nonetheless rarely seen on screen. Zoë's uncommon beauty masks her neediness, insecurity and loneliness. Mexican star Angélica Aragón plays Cristina, the mother of Ignacio and Gonzalo, a woman who sees strictly what she wants to see and nothing more.

A final twist — a bit of a corker — threatens to push what has otherwise been a cool-headed emotional experience into the realm of melodrama. Despite this false note, "La Mujer de Mi Hermano" keeps a cool eye trained on its characters as they struggle to make their lives conform to some strict phantom ideal.

For a movie about an inter-family dalliance, it's far more pragmatic than you might expect, and far more humane. Ultimately, "La Mujer de Mi Hermano" offers the uncommon (in movieland) perspective that it may be the ideal that oppresses life, not the other way around.

I just saw La Mujer De Mi Hermano and I may sound a bit biased since I am a huge Barbara Mori fan, but as always I thought she was great...but the real treat here was Christian Meier, he really seems to have evolved as an actor with every character he does. The ending is a powerful one and all three actors come in true sync with their respective characters. This is the second film Meier has done, based on a Jaime Bayly character and here he hits a bang! All three main characters are subtle yet very effective with their portrayals..simply amazing, chic and sexy all throughout.

I had a slight problem with the fact that sex was a little bit overdone...It somehow felt that some of the sex talk scenes took away from the actual story and felt more like a filler than to have any substantial purpose. This was one of the main reasons I would rate this movie a 7.5 out of 10...It was a great movie that had a great pacing for the surprise finale and I was a bit baffled about one of the character's actions after he discovers something very significant to the story (which I will not give away.) Manolo Cardona was also great and the imperfections of his character came alive through the screen.

I did not see this movie with subtitles so I am not sure what non-Spanish speaking folks read, but I do have to say that it is understandable why many American critics will slander this film. Is because they don't understand that Hispanic films don't deal with some of the American topics on film in a daily basis. Americans and Europeans make tons of films about rape, incest, murder and every possible sick thing imaginable, which is why it might seem like a joke that something like La Mujer De Mi Hermano will cause marvel to the Hispanic audience. Spanish-speaking films seldomly deal with these topics and do not have such a big history with sleek, smart & taboo films, so they should definitely take that into consideration when rating the film.

Overall, I felt as I needed more...More thought-provoking dialogue, but it did justice to the Jaime Bayly novels, which rather speak for themselves rather than providing revolutionary sayings.