Movie Review by Dr Kuma
Starring: Paz Vega, Tristan Ulloa, Najwa Nimri, Daniel Freyre, Silvia Llanos, Javier Camara
Director: Julio Medem
Lucia (Paz Vega) is an attractive if emotional young woman making a living as a waitress in a small restaurant in Madrid. We first see her as she tries to salvage her relationship with her long term boyfriend and writer Lorenzo (Tristan Ulloa).
It seems that we are meeting Lucia at a turning point in her life. After she believes that Lorenzo has taken his life, she escapes to a mystical island that he always described to her as magical. It is only when she arrives at the island that Lucia discovers just why the island was seen as so magical by Lorenzo, whom, she discovers, kept many dark secrets from her about the time he spent there. As Lucia unravels the reasons that brought her to this place, she realises that Lorenzo has kept a very important story hidden from her, that of the story of his own life and what happened in this place.
SEX AND LUCIA is a visually stunning piece of cinema. The island scenes are shot in such a way that the sun seems to drench every frame, exposing the film, the actors fighting to be seen behind a heat haze of sun and sex. The film itself stars two of the most beautiful women I have seen in some time (Paz Vega and Elena Anaya as the dark headed temptress Belen). The scenes they appear in fairly buzz with sexual tension and electricity.
SEX AND LUCIA has been unfairly lumped into the ‘uncut and shocking’ spate of releases of late that have included BAISE-MOI and THE PORNOGRAPHER. It has also been compared to the drab ROMANCE. It is better than all of them and doesn’t deserve to be slotted into this genre.
The film itself virtually follows on from director Julio Medem’s much heralded LOVERS OF THE ARTIC CIRCLE and for lovers of the well woven story with actual erotic moments (unlike the others mentioned) then you could do far worse than this, his latest offering. The only problem is that SEX AND LUCIA lasts a little too long. Now there’s a contradiction in words – what am I saying! It also won a goya award for, aptly, best newcomer.
Dr Kuma’s verdict: A movie that makes you want to escape the darkness of the cinema and lie on a beach.
