3some (2009)

Too much of everything

good back-story, and good acting

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

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 don't understand why this movie does not receive better ratings. My cable program guide listed this film 1 1/2 stars out of 4 and the ratings here are not much better. I'm glad I gave this film a chance because I really enjoyed it and recommend it to all film watchers who are looking for quality story and production. You will find the characters interesting and watchable. Three art students decide to have a sexual relationship with each other. When they reveal their inner most personal sexual problems to each other while laying around in bed is well acted and written. The emotional problems they encounter in their three way relationship shapes the rest of the film. I don't want to give too much away so you can enjoy it as I did.

Marcos, Jaime and Jose build up a particular relationship in their lives. The story about three painters and friends is going to be the excuse the director focuses on to tell something about personal affairs, friendship and how love can be shared. As part of it, painting will be the connecting thread so that the three main characters express their fears, frustrations and ambitions. The rhythm is slow, sometimes seems slow motion, though it is offset by an intimate closeness with the characters, to whom the spectator almost knows at the end. Also the music and interior shots make the film cozier and suitable to describe in a particular way the world of art in the eighties/nineties in Spain. If you are expecting a masterpiece, won't find, but will discover three personal stories that seem to be only one.