jotix100 Three art students get involved in a web of sex that shows all the markings that it will get badly, as indeed it does. Jaime, a man that shows a sexual drive that exceeds the norm, is interested in bedding Maria Jose, or Jose as she is called. At the same time, Marcos, a shy man, desires her as well. Jaime has a practical solution, why not invite Jose to a visit to his apartment? Marcos is invited as well.Before Jose realizes what is coming up, Jaime is naked. He convinces Jose to do a number with him while Marcos watches. There is a problem in the equation. While Jaime is oversexed, Jose has a problem with her own frigid nature, in fact, she cannot achieve an orgasm, no matter how much Jaime tries. Marcos, who only watches has his own handicap in that he is impotent, however much he tries to imitate his two friends without success. In spite of his denials, Marcos appears to be a closet homosexual, and perhaps exploring that side of his own personality would bring him some kind of balance.This Spanish film was shown on a cable channel recently. Directed by Salvador Garcia Ruiz, whose "Mensaka" we did not care for. Supposedly, the source of inspiration for the film came from a novel by Almudena Grandes, which of course, we never read. What seems anachronistic is that the film takes place in the early 1980s when Spain was awakening from the long years of censorship. In a way, it does not make much sense the role of Jose's traditional Spanish parents who, contrary to what is expected, let their daughter stay out without ever questioning her absences.The nudity in the film gets to the point that serves as a turn off because of being the kind that is in your face and without adding anything to the drama. The lines in Enrique Urbizu's screenplay are not to be believed; it is just plain corny. Mr. Urbizu writes, no doubt relying in the original text, things like "I am love with us" and other such trite maxims.Nilo Mur, who plays Marcos, is painfully ineffective. Perhaps another actor would have been more effective in reciting the trite dialog he is made to speak. Adriana Ugarte, who was so good in "Cabeza de perro" is a beautiful woman, but her Jose will not add much to her film resume. Biel Duran is more effective, as well as convincing as the decadent Jaime.

krs-56-327315 I was also amazed at how little rating this film has gotten. I gather it is one of those films that either connect with your senses, or it doesn't. The story may be a classic menage-a-trois with an, some would say, unavoidable outcome. But there was nothing classic about this film. It is a very unique piece of work. It was among the best 10 films I have seen. The authenticity of the play, and the scenes where so much was said and no one spoke, is sublime. It is a film that is suppose to be felt more than seen, or heard. If you like Korean instructor Kim Ki-Duk's film, you'll love this one. A very fine portrait of the seeking nature of youth, with a logic that seems so evident at the time. Yet later on in life is discarded as rash or not prudent, or outright promiscuous. It portraits the dilemma between open mindedness and and the fear of loosing the tender moment.

tigerfish50 Two friends, Jaime and Marcos, both studying painting at an art school in Valencia, decide to use a two-pronged hook-up strategy on a female fellow student, Josey. The handsome, sensitive, upper-class Marcos is the bait in their honey-trap, but unfortunately he's impotent - so dogged, workmanlike Jaime steps into the breach when Marcos fails to consummate the seduction. Consequently the trio become an unlikely item, and concoct rules to deal with the lopsided asymmetry of their triangular relationship. Various issues arise, but the group dynamic is kept in balance by Josey's inability to have orgasms within the arrangement, much to the frustration of Jaime who prides himself on his prowess as a sexual swordsman. The three of them engage in a series of shallow, self-important discussions about art, life and love as the affair progresses, but "3some" doesn't convey that the relationship is either credible or valuable, since they keep making big mountains out of small molehills. The film's glibness is exemplified in the sequence where Marcos' longstanding impotence is suddenly and implausibly cured - not in a moment of safety and intimacy - but with a hurried encounter in the bathroom during an awkward visit to Josey's parents' small apartment. The balance shifts after this episode, and fracture lines begin to appear. Unfortunately for "3some", it's hard to believe very much is at stake when the tensions manifest in petulant jealousy, dishonesty and broken rules.

Mario Hdz Marcos, Jaime and Jose build up a particular relationship in their lives. The story about three painters and friends is going to be the excuse the director focuses on to tell something about personal affairs, friendship and how love can be shared. As part of it, painting will be the connecting thread so that the three main characters express their fears, frustrations and ambitions. The rhythm is slow, sometimes seems slow motion, though it is offset by an intimate closeness with the characters, to whom the spectator almost knows at the end. Also the music and interior shots make the film cozier and suitable to describe in a particular way the world of art in the eighties/nineties in Spain. If you are expecting a masterpiece, won't find, but will discover three personal stories that seem to be only one.