Segunda piel

This is a dramatic, very realistic story about the internal strife of a bisexual man, torn between his beautiful wife and child and his desire for romance with a Gay surgeon. Well photographed and directed with excellent music. Excellent beach scenery. Explicit sex scenes are well done. The emotional pain of the 'bisexual' man (more likely a Gay man who married to please his parents and conform to societal pressures) is very graphically and honestly portrayed. The damage that his refusal to deal with his identity crisis causes both his wife and his lover is also honestly shown. Javier Bardem is excellent as the surgeon and Adriana Gil as the wife is stunningly beautiful.

This film has caused a lot of controversy in its native Spain. It is establishing a trend in Spanish films exploiting gay themes by casting some of the country's most popular male stars as lovers to lure viewers, therefore appealing to voyeurism. This "gayploitation" has been going on for over a decade in Spanish cinema. In fact, it's hard to name an established Spanish actor who hasn't appeared in at least one gay role. However, in most cases, these roles or their sexuality have been secondary. In SEGUNDA PIEL, however, it's full steam ahead as the film centers around these two stars' relationship, and features very graphic sex scenes between the two stars. Whether this film is voyeuristic or not is certainly up to the viewer to decide.

A must see for Spanish film fans, Segunda Piel brings together some of the most interesting contemporary actors. The plot is however quite disappointing. Slick photography in a wanna-be-almodovar setting: interior design with striking silimarities to Carne Tremula and t.v. commercials that unluckily do not reach the level of subtility of the Spanish Oscar winning director.

For all it's shortcomings, "Seguna Piel" is entertaining in a Lifetime movie kind of way, with some of the most overwrought background music you'll hear in this kind of film.

As someone else here noted, the character of the husband is underwritten to the point where you can't imagine why his wife or male lover waste their time on him. This isn't helped by the more vibrant performances of Javier Bardem as the gay lover and the actress who plays the wife. The husband comes off like a shallow, self-centered, spoiled child. Only at the end does he reveal himself as the conflicted, angry, self-hating man that he is, but it's too much info too late at that point.

Yes the sex scenes - one in particular near the beginning - are steamy, but the drama itself is pure soap.

his Spanish exploration of love and family centers on Alberto (Jordi Molla from Blow and Bad Boys II). A successful family man at an aeronautics firm, he finds himself in a passionate love affair with Diego (Javier Bardem), a confident physician. Diego is comfortable with his homosexuality and is madly in love with Alberto. Alberto, who can't deny his love for Diego, doesn't want to admit that he is gay and struggles with his desires. Alberto's wife Elena (Ariadna Gil) tries to understand the reservedness and lack of sexual interest in her husband. When she finds out, she's not very happy about it, he is her true love and what will she do? A sudden event alters all three lives, leading to compassionate conclusion.

I really like Adriana Gil, known in Spain for taking new, difficult roles, but Javier Bardem carries the show, I've never seen an actor express so much with his face and hands. Truly an amazing actor. Jordi Molla did a good job, but since he always plays a slimeball in American movies, it is hard to move past that character.

This movie is like a pear. I've got a pear right now sitting on my desk, trying to ripen. I'm looking forward to the juicy, grainy pulp that will hopefully develop as it sits there. Often though, it doesn't fully ripen before some parts start to spoil, so you eat it a little underdone. That's how this movie felt. Some good situations pregnant with emotion, but not developed to the extent I would have liked. 6/10

http://blog.myspace.com/locoformovies