The Other Side of the Bed

While it may seem reductive to compare any new Spanish movie with the work of the country's most famous living director, there's more than a hint of Pedro Almodovar when it comes to The Other Side of the Bed. A sassy, self-confident musical comedy which attempts to peel away the layers in the battle between the sexes, The Other Side of the Bed may not be quite as honed or insightful as Almodovar's work but there's a similar brand of chaotic energy to it which proves difficult to resist.

In terms of plot, the film follows two couples, Javier (Ernesto Alterio) and Sonia (Paz Vega) and Pedro (Guillermo Toledo) and Paula (Natalia Verbeke). The latter pair are just after breaking up, due to Paula's insistence that she's met someone new. That someone happens to be Javier who seems to have no intention of leaving his dutiful live-in lover, Sonia. Throw in more odd characters, including the wildly chauvinistic Rafa (Alberto San Juan), a bizarre private detective Sagaz (Ramon Barea) and a few song and dance numbers and you're getting some way towards the frothy ensemble shenanigans of The Other Side of the Bed.

Extremely lively and sweetly chaotic, The Other Side of the Bed may not be on speaking terms with reality, but the sight of the characters breaking into song at regular intervals merely heightens the unworldly atmosphere of the picture. Occasionally the material's darker edge threatens to come to the fore, with director Emilio Martinez-Lazaro's points, especially on male sexual patterns, a little too broad and obvious (bastards, all of us). Yet there's a near constant wilful, playful sensuality in evidence, making The Other Side of the Bed an appealing enough excursion.