In the City

Color, NR (mature themes, brief nudity, language), 110 min., DVD only $24.95, Spanish with English subtitles

DVD: no extras

Street: April 19, Prebook: March 29

First Run: L Int'l., 2003, NA

Cast: Monica Lopez (Intacto), Eduard Fernandez, Maria Pujalte, Vicenta N'Dongo, Aurea Marquez, Leonor Watling (Talk to Her)

WOLFE

Three friends who meet regularly for lunch have secrets they're keeping from each other and their mates. One (N'Dongo) is cheating on her husband with a theater director; the second (Pujalte) is pining after a married man; and the third (Lopez) is unhappy in her marriage and considering an affair with a lesbian friend (Marquez). As is the case with certain ensemble pieces, In the City makes viewers spend the first half piecing together exactly who is involved with whom. Once that matter is settled, it's possible to sit back and enjoy filmmaker Gay's dexterity with multiple story lines. It also is easy to discern the general theme: The characters' relationships are dangling by a slender thread, but they hang on due to extenuating circumstances (children, shared plans, habit). The film's portrait of romance is admittedly not optimistic, but the acting and script prevent it from ever becoming gloomy. Several performers stand out, but Lopez gets the lion's share of the dramatic decisions, as her character wrestles with the notion of an abortion and her own hidden bisexuality. Target aficionados of Spanish cinema and contemporary ensemble love stories such as Love Actually.

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