From my favorite movies..

Captivating movie !

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Solid and tragic drama from acclaimed director Bigas Luna who brought Jamon , Jamon and The chambermaid on the Titanic , including an excellent trio , being completely filmed in Denia (Alicante) , surrounds and Comunidad Valenciana . The film contains human drama , passion , emotion , tragical events , character description in deep and complemented with a loving triangle . These elements provide the setting for this piece of dramatic deeds , giving it its own special quality and ambient . It deals with a new literature teacher called Ulises (Jordi Molla) arrives in a little town located on the Mediterranean coast , he comes to teach at a high school near the sea and falls in love with a gorgeous young woman named Martina (Leonor Watling) . This attractive girl is also loved by a wealthy businessman named Alberto (Eduard Fernández) but she chooses the poet Ulises . There Ulises discovers sensuality through beauty Martina , her chips and tasty food and splendorous Mediterranean sea . Soon after their marriage and the birth of their son , Ulises vanishes while fishing at sea . In the meanwhile Martina marries Alberto, but all is not what it seems and the events go wrong until a surprising ending . Many years later Ulises returns and recites : ¨I have crossed the seven seas to understand that I can't live without you¨. This stirring as well as intimate story is a passionate retelling and a touching triangular drama , full of visual poetry and Greek tragedy , but including strong sex scenes with loads of nudism as female as male . This Spanish picture is an enjoyable tale with a thought-provoking characterizing about a few characters , tragic drama and colorful outdoors . Based on a novel by Manuel Vicent who used his native Comunidad Valencia background to write an overblown tragic drama novel , being screen-written by the same novelist and by prestigious Rafael Azcona . Director Bigas Luna also writes the script along with Azcona and being filmed in his usual formal and stylistic scholarship , without leaving a trace the brooding issues , in terms of dramatic and narrative excitement . The storyline relies heavily on the continued relationship among them , including a lot of sexual scenes, almost softcore , but it doesn't make boring , however the film is slow moving . In spite of , the movie results to be better than average , being surprisingly good and compellingly realized . Bigas carries out a perfect imaginary , a willingness almost perfect of the elements of each shot , every sequence, every space . Good acting by trio protagonist , all of them give fine performance , such as Jordi Mollà as Ulises , a sensitive teacher who recites poetry and reappears back from Sumatra , now as a beggar and unfortunate man ; a beautiful Leonor Watling as Martina , she overcome with sentimentality and takes Ulises under her protection , Leonor is marvelous and charming with her sweet and enjoyable countenance,; latterly Eduard Fernández as Sierra an ambitious as well as revengeful rich owner . Sensitive as well as evocative musical score by Piano Magic composed by means of synthesizer and piano . Furthermore , a colorful and evocative cinematography by Jose Luis Alcaine who was first cinematographer to use fluorescent tube as "key" lightning and deemed to be one of the best Spanish cameraman . Alcaine frequently works with Pedro Almodóvar , Bigas Luna and Vicente Aranda , as he has photographed ¨The skin I live in¨ , The bad education¨ , ¨Volver¨ , ¨Women in the verge of a nervous breakdown¨, among others . Here he shows splendidly the impressive landscapes from Denia & surroundings, Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain . The motion picture was professionally directed by Bigas Luna . Bigas Luna was born on March 19, 1946 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain as Josep Joan Bigas Luna . He was a Bon Vivant who along with his wife, produced wine, ham, and organic products ; they are well shown in his films . He was a writer and director, known for ¨Jamón, Jamón¨ (1992), ¨Huevos de Oro¨ or ¨Golden eggs¨ (1993) "The Chambermaid on the Titanic" , ¨Angustia¨ or ¨Anguish¨ (1987) , ¨The tit and the moon¨ , ¨Volaverunt¨ , ¨Yo soy La Juani¨, ¨Di , Di Hollywwod¨ among others . He's also an expert on murky atmosphere such as proved in ¨Caniche¨ , ¨Tatuaje¨, ¨Bilbao¨ , ¨Anguish¨ and ¨Reborn¨. Luna discovered actors Ariadna Gil, Leonor Watling , Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz . He sadly died recently on April 6, 2013 in Tarragona, Catalonia . His film ¨Sound of the sea¨ is stylishly photographed and smartly designed and here Bigas Luna delivers the sensitive and erotic goods with nice sense of style . The picture will appeal to Leonor Watling , Jordi Molla fans and Bigas Luna buffs.

The only thing going for this stupid movie is the sex. And that is also ever so dull. The plotting and story are so old and dumb that it is incredible anybody produced this 3rd rate piece of nonsense.Billy Wilder did a better job in 'Double Indemnity" in 1944; and this film has neither the directorial vision nor the story line or plotting and logic to improve on something that has been dozen a million times on TV better, than this garbage.The most irritating and pretentious element is the poetry recited constantly to get the leading lady in the mood. It's just cheap exploitation and lazy writing. One day computers will direct this kind of schedule filler. Real artists will do something more engaging and vital.Doing one's annual tax return is more thrilling than wasting time on this stale material.

At first I thought: oh come on, give me a break... The wandering, dreamy-eyed young teacher, the pouting, rap-music-blasting village Lolita sucking oranges, the white panties on the clothes-line, could you be any more clichéd? But then the story grew on me, with its many parallels to the Greek myths, so much so that I think I'll go back to the source and reread the original material. Some of the sea and water images reminded me of "Sex and Lucia" which I still prefer. Also, in the R-Rated version I rented from Blockbuster, the sex scenes must have been cut. Nothing spectacular, by far. So Bigas Luna likes breasts, but then again, we knew that already. ***1/2

Captivating cinematography. Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing about the script. It's romance at full speed. First thing you know, Ulises and Martina are getting married. But "from loving to not loving", the road is not as long as Ulises believes. Soon enough, Infidelity enters the room and does it's dirty job. We soon realize that Death is already in the room. But wait, she's feeling powerless today. One thing's for sure: it can take a long time to catch a tuna!Leonar Watling is sublime. She captures the screen every time she appears. But the rest of the cast is not as interesting. And there's some scenes where you really don't feel the emotion. After a while, I found myself looking at my watch every few minutes. A few times, I felt like shouting "I get the point!!! move on!" But I have to say that the last scene on the boat is quite surprising and captivating.Seen at home, in Toronto, on March 5th, 2006.71/100 (**)