3some (2009)

Great Film overall

Excellent but underrated film

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

The film failed to fully depict the art, the love, the sex, & the death that made this story so intense. Art formation made Jaime, Marcos, and Jose to meet; love was so intense but it wasn't captured by the camera.The nudes and sex scenes where short and sporadic, and they didn't give the sensation of forming part of a long relationship spanning several months.Other thing that disappointed me, was the failure to depict Madrid's crazy life of the early 80s. Crime and instability are showed through some audios from the newsreel in the background; but a more liberal Spain and the artistic boom of the 80s don't appear on the screen.Art, love, and lust apparently are words that doesn't exists in the director's vocabulary.Something much better could've been done with such a great story; just like they did with "Le Mepris" (1963) from Jean-Luc Godard.PS: Almudena Grandes didn't receive the credit of the story in this film.

Three art students get involved in a web of sex that shows all the markings that it will get badly, as indeed it does. Jaime, a man that shows a sexual drive that exceeds the norm, is interested in bedding Maria Jose, or Jose as she is called. At the same time, Marcos, a shy man, desires her as well. Jaime has a practical solution, why not invite Jose to a visit to his apartment? Marcos is invited as well.Before Jose realizes what is coming up, Jaime is naked. He convinces Jose to do a number with him while Marcos watches. There is a problem in the equation. While Jaime is oversexed, Jose has a problem with her own frigid nature, in fact, she cannot achieve an orgasm, no matter how much Jaime tries. Marcos, who only watches has his own handicap in that he is impotent, however much he tries to imitate his two friends without success. In spite of his denials, Marcos appears to be a closet homosexual, and perhaps exploring that side of his own personality would bring him some kind of balance.This Spanish film was shown on a cable channel recently. Directed by Salvador Garcia Ruiz, whose "Mensaka" we did not care for. Supposedly, the source of inspiration for the film came from a novel by Almudena Grandes, which of course, we never read. What seems anachronistic is that the film takes place in the early 1980s when Spain was awakening from the long years of censorship. In a way, it does not make much sense the role of Jose's traditional Spanish parents who, contrary to what is expected, let their daughter stay out without ever questioning her absences.The nudity in the film gets to the point that serves as a turn off because of being the kind that is in your face and without adding anything to the drama. The lines in Enrique Urbizu's screenplay are not to be believed; it is just plain corny. Mr. Urbizu writes, no doubt relying in the original text, things like "I am love with us" and other such trite maxims.Nilo Mur, who plays Marcos, is painfully ineffective. Perhaps another actor would have been more effective in reciting the trite dialog he is made to speak. Adriana Ugarte, who was so good in "Cabeza de perro" is a beautiful woman, but her Jose will not add much to her film resume. Biel Duran is more effective, as well as convincing as the decadent Jaime.

I was also amazed at how little rating this film has gotten. I gather it is one of those films that either connect with your senses, or it doesn't. The story may be a classic menage-a-trois with an, some would say, unavoidable outcome. But there was nothing classic about this film. It is a very unique piece of work. It was among the best 10 films I have seen. The authenticity of the play, and the scenes where so much was said and no one spoke, is sublime. It is a film that is suppose to be felt more than seen, or heard. If you like Korean instructor Kim Ki-Duk's film, you'll love this one. A very fine portrait of the seeking nature of youth, with a logic that seems so evident at the time. Yet later on in life is discarded as rash or not prudent, or outright promiscuous. It portraits the dilemma between open mindedness and and the fear of loosing the tender moment.

I's a difficult situation that Maria José has to deal with - she's attracted by two guys at the same time and they end up in bed together. The three students arrange themselves in a "ménage à trois", and they promise to do this without jealousy. They share the same flat and they share the same bed. As one can imagine, this will work for some time, but is getting more and more complicated.For some of us, this situation seems to be far from imagination, but the movie shows the aim for love and being loved and the ambition to keep their unusual way of life apart from the so-called normality in a very sensible way. It is not speed that makes this movie. It's the exciting storyline of love and sexuality, of spoken and unspoken dreams, of an unusual way of sharing life and of emotions breaking the self-made rules, of cheating and of jealousy.Even though there are a lot of nude scenes throughout the film, it never gets naughty. Don't expect action. Expect drama. Expect great actors and a fascinating story.