Early days for Penélope Cruz & Javier Bardem (fourth & fifth billed but with the most screen time) in writer/director Bigas Luna’s farcical passion play. Purposefully coarse, often very funny, always very sexy (lots of skin, full frontal everyone) sees Bardem’s Serrano ham man (also jockey briefs model/wannabe toreador) hired to seduce pregnant/working-class Cruz away from her inconstant lover, the wealthy son of the very underwear factory owners who chose Bardem for their bulging ad campaign. Soon, the wayward son’s rich mom only has eyes for Bardem. And just when he’s fallen hard (so to speak) for Cruz. But wait! Before we’re run full course, Papa also takes a liking, er, make that licking to Cruz’s appetizing breasts which get quite the workout from all three men. Toss in a barmaid, a trio of tarts, a fellow bullfighting enthusiast to jump in the ring with Bardem for a nude moonlit session of capes & taunts, upgraded motorbikes and a perfect potato tortilla (heavy on the Spanish Olive Oil) and you’ve got about the half of it. The tone is all over the place, Luna no Pedro Almodóvar in navigating changing winds & stylish presentation. But the gist of the film, class-conscious entitlement leeching its way into sexual blackmail & hypocrisy, comes across. Or does till Luna takes a wrong turn in the third act and overshoots his target beginning with an unlucky piglet and ending with mismatched pairings at the finale and a little death that spoils the mood he’s been aiming at. Seems he’s also no Jean Renoir following the rules of this game.
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Cruz & Bardem wouldn’t get married for another 18 years. He never looked better than he does here; she only got better looking. Lucky guy.
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