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FILM REVIEWS
Other Side Of The Bed, The (El Otro Lado de la Cama) (2002)
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Directed by: Emilio Martinez-Lazaro
Written by: David Serrano
Produced by: Ghislain Barrois, Tomás Cimadevilla, Ignacio Salazar, José Antonio Sáinz de Vicuña
Distributor: Swipe Films
Starring: Ernesto Alterio, Paz Vega, Guillermo Toledo, Natalia Verbeke, Alberto San Juan, María Esteve, Ramón Barea, Nathalie Poza, Secun de la Rosa, Carol Salvador, Geli lbaladejo, Blanca Marsillach, Leticia Dolera
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Review by David Haviland
One of the problems with making a modern-day musical is that you risk sacrificing all suspended disbelief when characters burst into song. There are ways around this; from the theatrics of Chicago to the realism of 8 Mile, but The Other Side Of The Bed uses a different device, keeping the dramatic scenes straight and using the songs as book-ends; commenting on, but not interfering with, the story itself.
The plot is simpler than it sounds. There are two couples: Javier and Sonia, and Pedro and Paula. At the start of the film, Paula breaks up with Pedro, explaining that she is in love with someone else. Pedro is distraught, and tries to get Javier, his best friend, to help him figure out who the lover is, but Javier is reluctant, as it's him. Meanwhile, Sonia comforts Pedro...
There are more complications to come, of course, in what is a surprisingly likeable musical sex comedy - think Coupling with songs. The film is consistently funny, with four excellent central performances, and the song and dance routines contain more hits than misses.
However there are quite a few slow moments, and the juvenile fascination with homosexuality begins to grate after a while. The film is also surprisingly graphic for a '15', although with such an attractive cast that's probably a recommendation rather than a caveat. The Other Side Of The Bed is a lot of fun; that is, as long as you can bear musicals.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
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