Sex & Lucía

Lovers of European cinema, or lovers in general, should be enchanted by "Sex and Lucia" (S&L), although the complex storyline is a bit hard to follow in translation. However, that just warrants a second viewing, which I look forward to with much anticipation.S&L is a ultimately a story about the deepening relationships between lovers, and the degree to which they progress from physical intimacy to emotional intimacy and ultimately life and death. What appear at the beginning of the film to be casual flings turn into much significant couplings with unanticipated consequences. The viewer must piece together the overall storyline from the creative vision of writer/director Julio Medem, who jumps back and forth in time and films some scenes with an ethereal, dreamlike quality that has the viewer wondering whether the events portrayed really happened or not. Medem's techniques create a European art-house cinematic quality for the film, but they also create a puzzle to be solved by the viewer.There are many other attractive elements within S&L, chief among them two of the lead actresses, the stunningly beautiful Paz Vega in the title role and the equally enticing Elena Aneya in a seductress role. It is impossible for me to choose which actress is more appealing or who gives a better performance. Fortunately, we get to see all of the charms of both actresses. There are several absolutely delicious scenes in the movie, including a loveplay scene with Vega's character Lucia and her partner wielding a Polaroid camera, and a seduction scene in a park with Aneya's character Belen, in which she entices her prey by explaining her mom's profession and her living arrangements. The male character in both of these scenes, Lorenzo, is a tortured writer, but with women like this in his life, one has to wonder a bit why he is suffering so much.That said, there are a few weak components of S&L. The actors playing the roles of Lorenzo (Tristan Ulloa) and the role of Elena (Najwa Nimri) weren't well cast, in my opinion. It was hard for me to believe Ulloa was an intellectual, and Nimri seemed a little old for her role, and was nowhere near as enticing as the other two female leads. But the positives definitely outweigh the negatives and I will be a repeat viewer, both to understand the story better and to appreciate the film even more.

This is pertinent to the unrated, uncensored, uncut version. So be warned. Yes, it is raw and it could have an x rating but life is raw. The eroticism is a necessary and vital component and it surely is erotic. i call it 5 stars even though the critical review i read by the video guide I read gave it 2.5 stars. No doubt that was a review of a rated version, done for American tastes. That reviewer called it confusing. That tells me he missed the boat. But I know that often pro critics don't really watch a movie that attentively and often misjudge a movie based on prior conceptions of what they think they will see when they watch it. This movie is a complete package. It gets better and better as it goes and it is complex.I called it "surprising" because everybody expects a movie with raw sex to be weak on story and weak on acting. Not so here. The acting is top rate, across the board! Critics seem to project their own visions onto movies they look at. If it doesn't match what they expect, it gets lower ratings. They should look at a movie like this sufficient times so they get it. For this movie if you don't get it at first view you need to see it again and pay attention the second time. It is deep and real and honest. I have not seen a rated version and I think if they cut the sex out then they also castrate the movie, (which is typical when a movie comes out of Hollywood, since American audiences might shun a movie with too much sex in it and hence less profitable). (Violence is treated more kindly than sex and isn't that a shame). But fortunately this movie was Julio Medem's movie and was an international smashing success. If you are opposed to censorship then you'll probably find it worthwhile. If you don't find it worthwhile - try a second viewing. It does have surprises in it the first time you see it. It could be debated that if the sex was toned down it would still have been great, but I don't see it that way. It's true to the script the way it is.Details about the plot of this movie take away from the viewing so I won't give away any of the story. The script presupposes a thinking audience.

This movie blew me away! after catch the tale end on SBS one night, I had to see the rest. Bought it from Amazon and just loved it..In brief the story is about Lucia a stunning european woman who come straight out and tells her favorite writer that she has been following him, because she is deeply inl ove with him. He is shock, but majorly excited at the same time. He decides to take a chance and live together, they are madly in love when hes book agent tells him about a woman he may have slept with many years ago on a small romantic island on his birth day, is now friends with his sister. He also tells him he now has a daughter. he is shocked and not sure what to do. he befriends his daughter in the local park. Her baby sister hits on him and invites him to dinner while the parents are out. The baby-sitter is the daughter of a porn-star and is very kinky. Once his daughter is asleep and the dog is out of site she takes him to the parents room. as the get started, the daughter come to enter the room, but the massive dog jumps her and kills her. He is totally devastated and and shocked jumps out of the window and buries himself in a new book about her. The mother is so devastated that she cant even cry. she goes back to the island she meet the writter and opens a holiday house. I wont tell you about the wonderful twist in the movie... but I must say this is a must see.... truly beautiful... watched it with different friends at different times and all have loved it... hope u enjoy it too.

If you’ve ever scoured a ‘World Cinema’ section, you’ve probably seen the picture of a windswept Paz Vega + red dress + bike + penis-shaped lighthouse? Guess what? That iconic image isn’t even in the film! FAIL! Back to the movie though: unsurprisingly, there’s random nudity and sexual acts throughout, which feel there for no other reason that to ‘kink’ up the film, and make the “tortured writer and other young, attractive people in personal crises” storyline a bit more interesting.It peaks in a bizarre porno side-story in the middle act. The visuals are striking (unique, bold, washed-out, faded etc) and often beautiful, but continual emphasis on sun, moon and sea feel a smidgen on the ridiculous and end up blurring the boundaries between which scenes is dreams/fantasies, flashbacks, or scenes from the writer’s story. Paz Vega (Lucia) is great – and lets face it, who WOULDN’T want a stalker like her!?!? The cast in general are all good, and pull off some (melo)dramatic scenes when required.All of the artsy-rich visuals, vague symbolism and explicit scenes means that the film overstays its welcome by the end, and when you cut them all out, you’re left with a half-decent melodramatic story and some dramatic suckerpunches – it’s definitely destined to stay out in the ‘arthouse’. Sex and Lucia is unsurprisingly less of a cinematic classic, and more of a piece of smutty art.Score: 4/10

Viewed

The title might be misleading, many twists and turns and well worth watching

Makes you want to find an island you can swim under (watch it and see).Like "Betty Blue" but with a happy ending.

Serious and reaunchy.