Sexo, pudor y lágrimas (1999) Online

This movie clearly shows how good the Mexican cinema can be in the hands of innovative directors like Antonio Serrano. The film is based on his own play which deals basically with two couples going through some rough patch in their lives. This dramatic comedy has some light touches when a couple of friends enter the lives of the two couples, as they act as the catalyst, for resolving the differences between them. Only Ana and Carlos seem to have found a middle ground at the end of the film, while Miguel and Andrea will go their different ways.

Carlos and Ana have some serious problems. He can't bring himself to have normal sex life with his young and attractive wife. Miguel, on the other hand, is a womanizer who cheats on the beautiful Andrea every time he has the opportunity. Since both couples know one another socially, and live across the street in apartments at the same level, they end up moving into each other's places when things unravel.

The happy-go-lucky Tomas arrives back in the city from a long trip overseas and Carlos and Ana welcome him into their home. It's obvious he has known Ana more intimately before. At the same time, Maria, a zoologist, friend of Miguel, moves in with them. Things go from bad to worse and Miguel ends up moving in with Carlos, who by that time has been abandoned by Ana, who has gone across the street with the other women. The battle of the sexes begin at this time.

Damian Bichir is one of the best things in the film. As Tomas, he holds the key to understanding the complicated lives all the young people in the film lead. Mr. Serrano got excellent acting from his attractive cast. Monica Dionne, Victor Hugo Martin, Cecilia Suarez, Jorge Salinas and Susan Zabaleta complete the sextet.

Technically, this film has great visual style. It's a sophisticated look at a the upwardly mobile class of the Mexican society. Xavier Perez Grobet gives a magnificent look to the movie. The music by Alek Syntek compliments what we watch on the screen well. Antonio Serrano has to be congratulated for a picture that stands apart from others coming from Mexico by his understanding of the people involved.

In Mexico, the insecure writer Carlos (Víctor Huggo Martin) and his mate, the photographer Ana (Susana Zabaleta), are in crisis of relationship, and lodge for a period in Carlos' apartment their common friend and ex-lover of Ana, Tomas (Demian Bichir), who was traveling around the world for the last years. On the building in the other side of the street, the unfaithful executive Miguel (Jorge Salinas) and his sterile wife and former model Andrea (Cecilia Suárez) are having a troublesome life, and they lodge the former passion of Miguel, the zoologist Maria (Mónica Dionne). After confusions and misunderstandings, the women move together to Miguel's flat, while the men stay together in Carlos' place, disclosing secrets and beginning a war of sexes, where some of them will be hurt.

What a delightful movie "Sexo, Pudor y Lágrimas" is! Funny, erotic, dramatic, tragic, very well directed, with magnificent lines, gorgeous and sexy actress and good actors, and a cast that shows an excellent chemistry. One year ago, I saw the same story in the Brazilian movie "Sexo, Amor e Traição" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0376873/usercomments-3), but in that occasion I did not know this Mexican original story. The Brazilian remake is basically shot frame by frame, with modifications in the genre story (dramatic in the Mexican, romantic in the Brazilian), but I highly recommend this excellent Mexican dramatic comedy, better and better than the Brazilian romantic comedy version. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Sexo, Pudor e Lágrimas" ("Sex, Shame and Tears")

I found this movie very strange in many ways. I can't see it as a comedy, as many people suggest, but more like a drama.

The reason why I didn't liked this movie so much, is because the story,that is very confusing and also surreal. For example, how can a husband, that doesn't have desire for his wife,suddenly starts to like and have a crush on her again? Or even worst,accepts her back after seeing that she betrayed him?

I also found that the friendship between Andrea and Maria totally odd. I mean,Andrea sees her husband Miguel and Maria , having affairs all the time,and even on that way she continues to be friend of Maria.

Not to mention Tomas,that is a don juan who loves to be with many different women,and starts to have a crisis,wanting only one woman,all of sudden.

Maybe I couldn't understand the movie very well; but anyway, I found it odd.

Actually I enjoyed this movie (and sorry Sergio, I'm not from Mexico). It may not be as great as some claim, but still it has something to offer. Funny and sad at the same time. Not 'typically' Mexican, I mean: it is relevant to western modern life and love relationship in general. Not only to Mexico. Artists (at best) have a vision to express, no matter where they do come from. One should not expect Mexican directors to make only movies about Mexico, Brazilian ones about Brazil, Iranian ones about Iran,... U.S. and European directors are not the only ones that have the right or the ability to be universal. Far from it. (However, a movie can sometimes be time- and location-specific and yet be universal; that's the magic of humankind)

In brief, an interesting movie. Some parts of it are clumsy, but nevertheless it's worth watching it.

Yes. I'll admit it. I believed all the hype surrounding this piece of work, about the trials and tribulations of 6 people, living in Mexico City concerning their sexual lives. And so, I was really expecting to finally see a Mexican movie (in ages) that was both popular and interesting to watch. Unfortunately the film was utterly disappointing. The story presents us with two couples, both with very obvious marital problems. When a third party comes into the life of each couple, their problems reach a pivotal point. Or absolute absurd. The plot then turns into a battle of the sexes. The stance taken by each group (yes, they literally group, girls with girls and boys with boys) is blatantly stupid and childish (I guess the humor was supposed to be there). And it all goes from bad to worse. The performances range from good (Miss Zavaleta) to mediocre (Mr Bichir), with Serrano doing an acceptable job on his opera prima. However, the flat circumstances that make up the plot, the one-dimensional characters, the very poor (if not stupid) perception of what sex represents in a mature relationship etc, make the movie fail. Miserably. SPyL has had an (impressive) good reception at the box-office. Believe the hype at your own risk.

Decent display of daily life of Mexican people in their early 30's and how they deal with sex, passion, and more.

The acting is overall good. These new actors from the new generation of "Cine Mexicano" demonstrate why they are considered among the best. Susana Zabaleta is amazing as always. She's sexy, hot, and talented. The rest of the cast is also great and give a special spark to their characters.

The screenplay is also very good and keeps you interested because there is comedy, drama, romance, and lust. So if you are into new Mexican cinema, you will mostly enjoy this movie.

On the negative side, I must say that this movie is also highly overrated because many consider it as a gem or something. The truth is that it's only purpose was to storm the box office and somehow re-birth these kind of dramatic romance comedies.

Give it a try and be objective.

I really enjoyed "Sexo, Pudor y Lagimas", the movie is original and unique. It shows real life situations, the way relationships break apart and then the analysis of each one's life. The movie is also very funny, but dramatic and sad at the same time. It's good to see how Mexican Cinema is slowly evolving to new ideas and new film making. Susana Zabaleta's performance is very good. The music to the movie is also excellent, I recommend SPL to anyone out there looking to have a good time watching an excellent foreign film.

At last. Mexico's movies were often bad. We love Hollywood so much we are now blocked to accept the evolution of the mexican film making. I loved it because it describes real situations in our society, distant worlds in our minds, selfishness, affairs, etc. Vocabulary plays an important job during dialogs because its the usual, the one used by the people, not the one used in films in past years. Congratulations Mexico!!

I have to say I was really looking forward on watching this film and finding some new life in it that would separate it from most dull and overly crafted mexican films. I have no idea why but I trusted Sexo, Pudor y Lagrimas to be the one to inject freshness and confidence to our non-existent industry. Maybe it was because the soundtrack(which I listened to before I saw the film) sounded different from others, maybe it was because it dared to include newer faces(apart from Demian Bichir who is always a favorite of mexican film directors) and supposedly dealed within it's script with modern social behaviour, maybe because it's photography I saw in the trailers was bright and realistic instead of theatrical. The film turned out to be a major crowd pleaser, and a major letdown. What Serrano actually deals here with is the very old fashioned "battle of the sexes" as in "all men are the same" and "why is it that all women...;" blah,blah,blah. Nothing new in it, not even that, it uses so much common ground and clichè that it eventually mocks itself without leaving any valuable reflexion on the female/male condition. Full of usual tramps on the audience like safe gags about the clichès I talked about before(those always work, always) and screaming performances(it is a well acted film in it's context)..and by screaming I mean, literally. The at first more compelling characters played by Monica Dionne and Demian Bichir turn out to be according to Serrano the more pathetic ones. I completely disagree with Serrano, they shouldn't have been treated that way only to serve as marionettes for his lesson to come through...he made sure we got HIS message and completely destroyed their roles that were the only solid ground in which this story could have stood. Anyway, it is after all, a very entertaining film at times and you will probably have a good time seeing it (if you accept to be manipulated by it).

This is the story of three couples in their thirties facing life and love at the end of the millennium. The movie is funny at times and very serious and dramatical at others. Damian Bichir's character usually breaks the mood at the most dramatical moments; I liked that. I'm also glad to see the success of this very well done movie, at least in Mexico City, it's been playing in theatres for almost 4 months now. I hope this gives the people involved enough funds to make another good movie...

Sexo, Pudor y Lágrimas is with out question one of México's finest films to date. One tiny detail: dialogs are still a bit off timing...

See... when you're wrestling a friend to the floor YOU DO NOT expose your philosophy on love while you beat his brains out!

There is a scene in the movie in which something like such happens.

Actors do a marvelous job! One of the best I've seen anywhere.

I FULLY RECOMMEND YOU SEE IT. You'll have fun and probably find out which of the guys or galls is you... or how many of them live in you.

In its context, Sexo, Pudor, y Lagrimas IS groundbreaking... I personally dislike the film, but I recognise its importance; seldom had this dialogue been uttered in Spanish in Mexican screens. Yet it is exactly there that the problem lies, I suppose: while some of the ideas espoused are valid, it would be disingenuous to say they are fresh.

A lot of it has a nagging, self-congratulatory feel, and the blend of philosophical reflection with farce would be better left to a seasoned filmmaker such as Woody Allen. For something that aspires to be so authentic, it feels stilted and irrelevant; it brings nothing new to the table. In hindsight, given the film's ambitions, the execution (poorly written characters, contrived situations, overly obvious--show, not tell, right?--points) seems all too... vulgar.

The salvation: good performances, especially from Cecilia Suarez, who provides some of the few genuine moments in this otherwise pretentious mess.

Sexo, Pudor y Lagrimas, is an example of the reality that the mexican couple is living in the finish of the century. I read a coment that said "if Woody Allen were mexican, he was made this picture", i'm agree with that, but as we can see, the mexican industry of movies have a great development in the early 90's, and this picture is one of the better examples of that.

Mexico need more of this pictures, to show the world and the mexican people that in Mexico dont need more "ficheras" pictures

One of the most impressive films I've ever seen about humans relationships specially women-men, love the thing that moves the world has many faces; sex, probably a thing we can want to talk for many hours and the point of view of part of the Mexico's youth about those things, maybe with a lot of speeches but also a great movie.

Adapted for the screen by the theater play writer, who is also the director; this is a very engaging look at love, sex and human relationships in the 90's.

Antonio Serrano offers a view of the relationships of six young people having trouble in life and in love, that is serious without being boring, dramatic without being tragic, comic without being frivolous and familiar without being common place.

Practically everybody will find himself, in part, in this tale of the real life, and receive clear and committed advise without having a feeling of being lectured or scolded.

A warm movie experience for those that like to be with the film, for more than just the screening time.