Sex and Lucía

That the word Sex precedes Lucía in the title of this Spanish import is not a misleader. The sex is the dominant force here and comes freely and often in all forms and positions. There are stripteases, both male and female, full frontal nudity (of which Spanish filmmakers don't sheepishly shy away from like those stateside) and even a scene where a character masturbates to adult films starring her mother (!) But underneath all of this is a mesmerizing, oft-times surreal story about love and human understanding. When Lucía travels to an island in search of an author she's never met to tell him she's in love with him, the film makes it seem perfectly natural that he would accept her offer to move in on the spot. And many of the scenes that follow run the gamut from compelling to haunting to just plain hot. Shot in beautiful Mediterranean locations and filled with lush imagery, Sex and Lucía always cares deeply about its characters. And scene by gorgeous scene, it pulls you deeper into its web.

Mekado Murphy