15 reviews
The first thing one would have to ask about this movie is is it well written? The answer to that would have to be no. The next question would have to be is it entertaining? The answer to that would have to be hell, yes. A bawdy comedy about the various sex problems of three different couples and how they battle to overcome them. Many of the scenes are predictable and very much angled towards the sexual at the expense of probability. This is what one would have to call low comedy, but even so it holds the attention, wanting to know how the individual stories will eventually be resolved. Some of the scenes are just laugh-out loud ridiculous - one especially with a sexually frustrated husband too short to initially climb on top of a washing machine to have sex with his niece, another with a faithless husband trying to reach urgent orgasm with his secretary in order to reach the phone across the room before it stops ringing. This isn't a good movie but it's very enjoyable and a decent enough way to pass the time. One can only speculate on the disturbance this movie must have caused on its initial release in the Catholic countries of South America. An amusing alternative to all the dreck that Hollywood turns out.
Sexo Con Amor was much anticipated and became an immediate box office hit in its origin country Chile. Being an explicit sex-comedy in an uptight country this was understandable. But that's about everything positive that can be said about it. The storyline is foreseeable, the characters schematic and the humour childish. Kind of an uncensored 90-minutes Chilean soap comedy.
Go see any Argentinian movie instead.
Go see any Argentinian movie instead.
I thought that this was a decent sex comedy. I thought that Chile was a fairly conservative society, and though I obviously cannot make judgments based on a movie, it really seemed little different from the U. S. The photography of the unnamed Chilean city was fine. The plot was interesting, although it seemed awfully casual about the semi-incestuous encounter. It is hard to gauge an actor's performance when it is in a language not known to me, where I have to get the dialog from subtitles. But no one came across as bad, and I had to take note of Sigrid Alegria, who is stunning, playing the part of the young schoolteacher incongruously in love with the much older, toad-like parent of one of her students.
Sexo Con Amor is a glorified soap-opera and has become the most successful home grown film in Chilean cinematic history. Its soap opera status is no bad thing, in fact the film's success stems from the fact that, like the previous reocrd holding film, El Chacotero Sentimental, which itself was based on a radio programme, it provides a refreshing slice of reality of what the real Chilean gets up to in bed.
In a country by tradition conseravtive and Catholic, it may surprise viewers to see the director having sex with his teenage niece on top of a washing machine, or his wife masturbating with a courgette, yet this comic hyperbole serves to emphasise the fact that Chileans ARE at times unfaithful, they do have sex before marriage. Indeed, the apparent soap opera layer to the film masks the issues raised. As the title implies, the film focuses on the issues of sex and love, and the 6 main protagonists comprise 3 couples who attend an evening class to discuss the problems they have with their sex lives. Among the problems which director Boris Quercia relates to the viewers are those of infidelity (in a country where divorce is illegal), unwanted pregnancy (in a country where abortion is illegal), homosexuality (in a continent where machismo dominates) and incest. Alcohol, drugs, and violence play secondary roles to the sexual politics taking place. The extreme comedy provided by the explosion of truths surrounding the Chilean en la cama projects the film as a statement in Latin American film - this is the Chilean in all his naked glory. Many will criticise the soap opera 'dumbing down' of major issues, but this accessibility has reached the largest audience in domestic film history, and also, those critics would do well to read a book by Mario Vargas Llosa 'Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter'. Not only does this book provide the Latin American opinion of the Argentine, but it portrays the soap opera as a central part of contemporary culture, which it is. Soap opera becomes escapism, art, and most importantly, reality. It also subtley raises issues such as divorce, the role of the father figure, and national identity. Quercia uses soap opera for the same effects. Social criticisms are raised in a comic manner, and the film helps to define a recent boom in Chilean cinema, alongside El Chacotero Sentimental and Taxi Para Tres.
The authentic chileanness is what comes to define this film. Mise-en-scene such as glasses of pisco-sour, bottles of vino tinto chileno, images of Cerro San Cristobal, Alvaro eating Reineta fish, talk of the World Cup in '98 - this is Chilean film basking in its Chileanness. The language of a cast plucked mainly from soap operas, such as ex-Pura Sangre star Sigrid Alegria, is a strong Chilean brand of Castellano, 'como estay?' 'al tiro' 'huevon' etc, make the film truely Chilean. As a foreigner watching the film shortly after its release in Cine Hoyts Huerfanos in Santiago, the scene when Pato Contreras sits in his car, swearing at Alegria for leaving him for her own boyfriend, his tirade of Chilean insults ('concha su madre' etc), made me, and the other 1000 people present, laugh out loud. I released that the locals where actually laughing at themselves, at their idiosyncratic way of speaking Spanish. Finally there was a film, 100% Chilean, with which Chilean people could identify, with which a Chilean director could raise social questions without he himself 'disappearing' (as in the days of the Military Regime). Sexo Con Amor may be an extended soap opera, but it is a defining moment in Chilean, and in Latin American, film history.
In a country by tradition conseravtive and Catholic, it may surprise viewers to see the director having sex with his teenage niece on top of a washing machine, or his wife masturbating with a courgette, yet this comic hyperbole serves to emphasise the fact that Chileans ARE at times unfaithful, they do have sex before marriage. Indeed, the apparent soap opera layer to the film masks the issues raised. As the title implies, the film focuses on the issues of sex and love, and the 6 main protagonists comprise 3 couples who attend an evening class to discuss the problems they have with their sex lives. Among the problems which director Boris Quercia relates to the viewers are those of infidelity (in a country where divorce is illegal), unwanted pregnancy (in a country where abortion is illegal), homosexuality (in a continent where machismo dominates) and incest. Alcohol, drugs, and violence play secondary roles to the sexual politics taking place. The extreme comedy provided by the explosion of truths surrounding the Chilean en la cama projects the film as a statement in Latin American film - this is the Chilean in all his naked glory. Many will criticise the soap opera 'dumbing down' of major issues, but this accessibility has reached the largest audience in domestic film history, and also, those critics would do well to read a book by Mario Vargas Llosa 'Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter'. Not only does this book provide the Latin American opinion of the Argentine, but it portrays the soap opera as a central part of contemporary culture, which it is. Soap opera becomes escapism, art, and most importantly, reality. It also subtley raises issues such as divorce, the role of the father figure, and national identity. Quercia uses soap opera for the same effects. Social criticisms are raised in a comic manner, and the film helps to define a recent boom in Chilean cinema, alongside El Chacotero Sentimental and Taxi Para Tres.
The authentic chileanness is what comes to define this film. Mise-en-scene such as glasses of pisco-sour, bottles of vino tinto chileno, images of Cerro San Cristobal, Alvaro eating Reineta fish, talk of the World Cup in '98 - this is Chilean film basking in its Chileanness. The language of a cast plucked mainly from soap operas, such as ex-Pura Sangre star Sigrid Alegria, is a strong Chilean brand of Castellano, 'como estay?' 'al tiro' 'huevon' etc, make the film truely Chilean. As a foreigner watching the film shortly after its release in Cine Hoyts Huerfanos in Santiago, the scene when Pato Contreras sits in his car, swearing at Alegria for leaving him for her own boyfriend, his tirade of Chilean insults ('concha su madre' etc), made me, and the other 1000 people present, laugh out loud. I released that the locals where actually laughing at themselves, at their idiosyncratic way of speaking Spanish. Finally there was a film, 100% Chilean, with which Chilean people could identify, with which a Chilean director could raise social questions without he himself 'disappearing' (as in the days of the Military Regime). Sexo Con Amor may be an extended soap opera, but it is a defining moment in Chilean, and in Latin American, film history.
First of all, why this movie is in " softcore porn" category in google ?. i think its simple sex comedy , even not much sex or nudity (only i wish this movie made by tinto brass) but still it does have some hot scenes. Performance and production quality is decent for that country.
The movie is also little bit like that movie " cheating love 2002" , same kinda vibe. but here its bit simple. its about 3 married couples whos spouse are being unfaithful or has sexual desires with someone else.
i really didnt like the ending, because its not satisfied or complicated.
----------------------------spoilers-----------------------
Cheating / adultery always ends bad but here in this movie all cheaters got away with it. and it gives MIX feelings about cheating in different couple. 1st couple where TEACHER gf / wife is having an affair with old man, she actually falls in love with old guy and she realised in the end scene when her student as " children with love", means she got pregnant by old man which is about LOVE but she finished the affair to back with her bf and she regret it in end (it seems).
the 2nd couple, a womanizer man , a dog who likes to have sex with another woman but when he found or SUSPECT? that his wife also having affair? with another guy then he is trying to reconcile with wife and they did.
3rd couple. uncle n niece ? wtf..
The movie is also little bit like that movie " cheating love 2002" , same kinda vibe. but here its bit simple. its about 3 married couples whos spouse are being unfaithful or has sexual desires with someone else.
i really didnt like the ending, because its not satisfied or complicated.
----------------------------spoilers-----------------------
Cheating / adultery always ends bad but here in this movie all cheaters got away with it. and it gives MIX feelings about cheating in different couple. 1st couple where TEACHER gf / wife is having an affair with old man, she actually falls in love with old guy and she realised in the end scene when her student as " children with love", means she got pregnant by old man which is about LOVE but she finished the affair to back with her bf and she regret it in end (it seems).
the 2nd couple, a womanizer man , a dog who likes to have sex with another woman but when he found or SUSPECT? that his wife also having affair? with another guy then he is trying to reconcile with wife and they did.
3rd couple. uncle n niece ? wtf..
- afterdarkpak
- Sep 17, 2020
- Permalink
I think this movie has a poor argument of sex with love, why? the writer was given this title? I would have made the title, The feverish. The writer of this movie is definitely an emotional illiterate, Chile does not need this kind of film, enough for sex education in Chile is very bad and the feelings are conspicuous by their absence. Educate our people by teaching them the real sex and love! The most important thing is to educate our youth, and what is really sex to prevent AIDS and other diseases, in the plot of this movie, is about a man who experiments with many women after been married. I do not like it, for my own experience, men that are never so happy to just one woman they are emotional illiterates. I don't agree when in the movie the guy who is searching for women, said that a man needs more that one vagina to be satisfied, that is not true. Too bad the writer of this movie did not do something better than this movie.
- shirleylepeonline
- Aug 23, 2009
- Permalink
It seems that for a movie to be called a masterwork it must show either obscure localisms or close shots of women's underwear. Believe or not, people acclaim this Chilean feature for its sexual content, not for whatever superficial insights on life it might have. This is an empty, banal, vulgar and poorly executed film. I can't believe the Chilean gov. backed it up. It looks so cheap! From the bad casting, too old or young mothers, to amateurish acting, to a truly awful script this is a movie you should avoid to all costs. Since when a movie must depend on sexual content to carry whatever point it intends to make? Said that, despite the excessive sexual graphism of this movie, excessive for a supposedly non soft core porn flick, I don't have any issue with it; I can accept and try to understand why the director would want to fill with cheap scenes his work. However, I think he failed miserable with this supposed sexual comedy.
In the end, he only achieved to impress some of his countrymen, people hungry for panties shots in a domestic film or just because the movie apparently depicts a Chilean (and Latinamerican by extension) reality.
So I can't recommend this futile exercise on mediocrity to anybody. It is really a trashy film. Instead, watch Playboy on cable or a real movie. In fact, I was generous when I gave this garbage a 3. It deserves nothing!
In the end, he only achieved to impress some of his countrymen, people hungry for panties shots in a domestic film or just because the movie apparently depicts a Chilean (and Latinamerican by extension) reality.
So I can't recommend this futile exercise on mediocrity to anybody. It is really a trashy film. Instead, watch Playboy on cable or a real movie. In fact, I was generous when I gave this garbage a 3. It deserves nothing!
In Santiago, Chile, the schoolteacher Luisa (Sigrid Alegría) proposes a debate about sex with the parents of her students with the intention of giving classes about sex education to the youngsters. Luisa is a young independent woman that is split between the love for her also young mate, the painter Valentín (Francisco Pérez-Bannen), and for her experienced lover, the middle-age father of one of her students and successful writer Jorge (Patricio Contreras). Jorge still lives with his wife Mónica (Loreto Valenzuela), but their marriage ended and they do not even talk to each other, but his affair with Luisa is limited to sex. In the meeting, the parents are divided in groups, and Luisa stays with Jorge, and the couples Álvaro (Álvaro Rudolphy) and his pregnant wife Elena (Cecilia Amenábar) and the butcher Emilio (Boris Quercia) and his frigid wife Maca (María Izquierdo). Álvaro is a wolf man, harasses all the beautiful women that he meets for one night stand, unfaithful and neglecting his wife at home. When Luisa finds that she is pregnant and Valentin is going to work in São Paulo, she makes a decision with her sentimental life. When Elena meets her former friend from university Carlos Rojas (Carlos Osorio), Álvaro becomes jealous and tries to commit with Elena. When the liberated and independent niece Susan (Javiera Díaz de Valdés) spends a couple of days in his home, the faithful Emilio is seduced by the sexy and gorgeous young woman, while Maca finds her sexuality, reading magazines and going to the gynecologist.
"Sexo Con Amor" is a magnificent surprise, a delightful romance with stunning screenplay and outstanding performances of a cast absolutely unknown (at least for me). The simple and refreshing story perfectly balances romance and comedy with elements of soap opera, eroticism and a wonderful chemistry of talented and beautiful actresses and actors and it is impossible not laugh and love this film. There are hilarious scenes, like the discussion when the Catholic priest arrives to the parents meeting and Álvaro opposes with his strong position. The themes love and sex are entwined in funny situations, with Álvaro being the stereotype of the Latin macho-man; Emilio and Maca represent the conservative middle-class of Chile; and the extremely sexy Sigrid Alegría and Javiera Díaz de Valdés the new generation that reflect times of new ideas and changing in the society. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Sexo Com Amor" ("Sex With Love")
"Sexo Con Amor" is a magnificent surprise, a delightful romance with stunning screenplay and outstanding performances of a cast absolutely unknown (at least for me). The simple and refreshing story perfectly balances romance and comedy with elements of soap opera, eroticism and a wonderful chemistry of talented and beautiful actresses and actors and it is impossible not laugh and love this film. There are hilarious scenes, like the discussion when the Catholic priest arrives to the parents meeting and Álvaro opposes with his strong position. The themes love and sex are entwined in funny situations, with Álvaro being the stereotype of the Latin macho-man; Emilio and Maca represent the conservative middle-class of Chile; and the extremely sexy Sigrid Alegría and Javiera Díaz de Valdés the new generation that reflect times of new ideas and changing in the society. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Sexo Com Amor" ("Sex With Love")
- claudio_carvalho
- May 10, 2007
- Permalink
It looks to me that the most astonishing thing about this film is that it comes from an area that is dominated by soap operas on the easy side and social dramas on the heavy side of the genres spectrum, but has given very few daring comedies. This is the context where 'Sexo con amor' may look like an innovative thing, but taken out of this context and thrown in a market where 'Sex in the City' is the-day-before-yesterday prime time comedy and daring means 'Shortbus', the film has nothing different to say. A few couples are brought together in discussing sex by the sex education classes of the ... yes ... sexy teacher, and down the road they discuss a lot about sex, those who did not do it will do it soon, these who did it will have an afterthought, etc. The script is well written, but has really nothing important to say, acting is OK with well cast actors doing fair jobs but not really creating any memorable or at least funny character that I may remember tomorrow. The important thing for many viewers in South America may be that this film was made at all, but this is not really a enough reason to go and see it if you are out of its native area of origin.
A group of parents goes to their children's school to talk about how to face the topic of sex in front of the kids. But all the grown ups in the room, teacher included, are way behind of being capable to even mention what's the best thing to do about sexuality.
Sexo con Amor (Sex With Love) is an assembled cast movie with excellent performances. Main characters played by Sigrid Alegría and Alvaro Rudolphy, the unfaithful teacher and the adulterous office man, are astounding. But laurels should be given to director- screen writer- lead character Boris Quercia, who plays an unsatisfied husband tempted with a gorgeous niece who comes from France. His frigid wife is acted wonderfully by María Izquierdo, a sort of Chilean Carol Burnette.
Music is even better. The soundtrack includes several songs of `Los Petinellis' one of the most popular rock bands in Chile these days.
Unfaithfulness, safe sex, terrible sex, great sex, gay sex, Santiago is exposed as a crowded city of imperfect inhabitants with great candor.
The tagline gives a trend about part of the mood within the film (La pelicula que no acaba./ the movie which doesn't come.) Well, it's interesting how wide is the range of myths or taboos included in every piece of conversation about sex. Whether is an uptight fellow or an open mind one, there is always a tiny bit of lack of honesty at the moment of talking about our own sexuality.
The biggest box office hit in Chilean cinema. The reason is a conventional and horny country whose people yell out asking for a movie that show a bit of sincerity. And we have got it.
8/ 10
Sexo con Amor (Sex With Love) is an assembled cast movie with excellent performances. Main characters played by Sigrid Alegría and Alvaro Rudolphy, the unfaithful teacher and the adulterous office man, are astounding. But laurels should be given to director- screen writer- lead character Boris Quercia, who plays an unsatisfied husband tempted with a gorgeous niece who comes from France. His frigid wife is acted wonderfully by María Izquierdo, a sort of Chilean Carol Burnette.
Music is even better. The soundtrack includes several songs of `Los Petinellis' one of the most popular rock bands in Chile these days.
Unfaithfulness, safe sex, terrible sex, great sex, gay sex, Santiago is exposed as a crowded city of imperfect inhabitants with great candor.
The tagline gives a trend about part of the mood within the film (La pelicula que no acaba./ the movie which doesn't come.) Well, it's interesting how wide is the range of myths or taboos included in every piece of conversation about sex. Whether is an uptight fellow or an open mind one, there is always a tiny bit of lack of honesty at the moment of talking about our own sexuality.
The biggest box office hit in Chilean cinema. The reason is a conventional and horny country whose people yell out asking for a movie that show a bit of sincerity. And we have got it.
8/ 10
This film really made me laugh. It's not like those typical American movies in which sex is portrayed with prudery, timidity or solemnity. The sex scenes are portrayed in an open way. What I like in many Spanish and hispano-American films is the care with which they choose the actors/actresses. The chemistry among the actors/actresses is taken into consideration. That's why their sex, friendship and romantic scenes are much more intense than in their American counterparts. This film is a joy to see and hear. It's entertaining and thought-provoking. Some Spanish and hispano-American films I recommend are: "Pantaleon y las visitadoras", "La nina santa" "Todo sobre mi madre", "Maria Full of Grace" "Mar Adentro", "Sexo por compassion" (see this one after "Sexo con amor") etc.. I live in Brazil and would like to see much more Spanish-speaking films. There should be a greater integration among Latin-American countries.
Especially for those of us who have spent time living in Chile, this is by far one of the best films I have ever seen. While the other comments are right in that it is like a soap opera, this movie has so much more than the traditional Latin American melodrama. Typical of what I have come to expect from Chilean films and even some soap operas on TV, Sexo con amor is extremely mature in the way it tackles some of society's most common problems- and its best kept secrets. Not to worry that this film might be heavy and too serious, it kept me laughing the whole time. Without subtitles, one without at least an introduction into "chilenismos" would be hard pressed to keep up, but I recommend this movie to anyone who is interested in learning more about Chile.
- vaatutexas
- Dec 18, 2004
- Permalink
Simple and funny comedy that take a real picture of many Latin American people. This could be the beginning of the "destape", see this is observe how Chileans starting in sex. She and He. Both, you could have a good moment buying this movie.
Boris Quercia, director, is an actor that could be a good director if continue this way, anyway, you also may see: "El Rey De ls Huevones", his 2006 movie that too have excellent press coverage more for his quality and unrestricted way to show Chileans way to do things.
And please don't believe that guatemalteco guy that say this is a bad movie, over 3 million people saw that movie only in Chile.
Boris Quercia, director, is an actor that could be a good director if continue this way, anyway, you also may see: "El Rey De ls Huevones", his 2006 movie that too have excellent press coverage more for his quality and unrestricted way to show Chileans way to do things.
And please don't believe that guatemalteco guy that say this is a bad movie, over 3 million people saw that movie only in Chile.
Even though the aesthetics of film-making in Sexo con Amor remain vaguely familiar and borrowed -- there's the nice, clean 3-point lighting set ups for each of the scenes with a focus that's just a little soft to give the romantic feel of Barry Lyndon, shot-reverse-shot is a dominant structure of the scenes, the melodrama (although invented in cinema by D.W. Griffith, it's not really a style of Hollywood anymore, it's becoming a Spanish expressionism almost, with soap operas and Almodovar inevitably influencing rising directors more than anything else), and the adherence to story -- the cultural references are undoubtedly different and original than are those seen in the leading American films.
For one, the always-taboo subject of nudity is handled very crudely (but honestly), with almost every other scene including people getting into in-depth discussions while naked or half-naked. It defies the exploitive nature of American film nudity not only because of its overwhelming amount, but the way in which it's used. At one point Luisa's (Sigrid Alegría) breast falls out of her lingerie, as it probably would in real life, while she turns in bed, and not only has it survived the cut, but was probably intentional during the making.
In another scene where uncle and niece get it on together, incest is made seen as if it's almost unnatural to live without. Though to say more about that relationship, it's probably only used in reference to sex (and niece was probably put in there to be a plot device, the sole possibility for the lone man to get access to a woman). A moral compass for that particular relationship is not shown at all. In fact, it's mostly about an older man who copes with cheating on his wife, while there is no hint he's hesitant at doing it with someone like his niece.
Although I wrote above that it adheres to a strict storyline, the conclusion of the plot is not like in the American movies as well, it's open and suggests lack of character growth rather than concluding with a specific point of original intention. And it works, a good question is better than a good answer in this case. Sexo con Amor is a different type of animal, a film rich in Chilean culture and must be viewed without bias from Hollywood-like structures.
For one, the always-taboo subject of nudity is handled very crudely (but honestly), with almost every other scene including people getting into in-depth discussions while naked or half-naked. It defies the exploitive nature of American film nudity not only because of its overwhelming amount, but the way in which it's used. At one point Luisa's (Sigrid Alegría) breast falls out of her lingerie, as it probably would in real life, while she turns in bed, and not only has it survived the cut, but was probably intentional during the making.
In another scene where uncle and niece get it on together, incest is made seen as if it's almost unnatural to live without. Though to say more about that relationship, it's probably only used in reference to sex (and niece was probably put in there to be a plot device, the sole possibility for the lone man to get access to a woman). A moral compass for that particular relationship is not shown at all. In fact, it's mostly about an older man who copes with cheating on his wife, while there is no hint he's hesitant at doing it with someone like his niece.
Although I wrote above that it adheres to a strict storyline, the conclusion of the plot is not like in the American movies as well, it's open and suggests lack of character growth rather than concluding with a specific point of original intention. And it works, a good question is better than a good answer in this case. Sexo con Amor is a different type of animal, a film rich in Chilean culture and must be viewed without bias from Hollywood-like structures.