The 2 Sides Of The Bed

This is the sequel to the 2003 hit, The Other Side Of The Bed but it is strong enough in its own right to be seen as a stand-alone film. It is the same frothy mix of pop, romantic/sexual shenanigans, comedy and great acting but with more edge and maturity.

The film opens in a restaurant. Raquel (Lucía Jiménez) sings there and her partner Pedro (Guillermo Toledo) has gone to support her and eat with his friends Javier (Ernesto Alterio) and Marta (Verónica Sánchez). Marta and Pedro are to be married the next day but Marta seems to be getting cold feet and we soon see why when she and Raquel head to the bathroom to have sex. The incredibly drunk Carlota (Pilar Castro) stumbles in upon them and then joins the boys on their stag night, together with Rafa (Alberto San Juan), a cabbie, and Carlos (Secun de la Rosa).

The following morning Marta abandons Javier at the church and Raquel eventually leaves Pedro and it takes pretty much the rest of the film for the reason to dawn on the boys, as they come to depend more and more on the quixotic Carlota. In this film the women are presented as confused but intelligent because they understand what drives them and make rational decisions accordingly. However, the men are confused and rather stupid, as they can see no further than their own egos to the competition is under their noses.

The two male leads start posturing in a self-conscious and self-centred fashion, particularly around Carlota. Rafa finds comfort and help in assessing with whom his girlfriend is in love by confiding in the very man she adores. Why? Because they are too arrogant and proud and they all are searching for happiness in a world in which authentic emotion is somewhat, replaced as it is with neurosis and sex.

The scenes between Marta and Raquel are less funny but ring true emotionally and the two create quite an erotic charge on screen. The secondary story, involving Rafa, is funny but not entirely necessary to the plot except in so far as it reinforces the male inability to see the wood for the trees.

This is a traditional farce. David Serrano’s screenplay is well up to exploiting the multiple misunderstandings that are a staple of the genre but it is the character acting that releases the comedy. Alterio and Toledo, in particular, have fantastic on screen chemistry.

An undemanding, comic romp with musical interludes. The film rarely makes you laugh out loud but does make you smile, and often, so well worth the watch. Curl up with a good glass of wine and enjoy!