The Other Side Of The Bed

One of the problems with making a modern musical is that you risk sacrificing all suspended disbelief when characters burst into song. There are ways around this, from the theatrics of Chicago to the realism of 8 Mile, but The Other Side Of The Bed uses a different device, keeping the dramatic scenes straight and using songs as book-ends, commenting on, but not interfering with, the story itself.

The plot is simpler than it sounds. There are two couples: Javier (Ernesto Alterio) and Sonia (Paz Vega), Pedro (Guillermo Toledo) and Paula (Natalia Verbeke). At the start of the film, Paula breaks up with Pedro, explaining that she is in love with someone else. Pedro is distraught and tries to get Javier, his best friend, to help him figure out who the lover is, but Javier is reluctant, as it's him. Meanwhile, Sonia comforts Pedro...

There are more complications to come, of course, in what is a surprisingly likeable musical sex comedy - think Coupling with songs. The film is consistently funny, with four excellent central performances, and the song-and-dance routines contain more hits than misses.

However, there are a few slow moments and the juvenile fascination with homosexuality begins to grate after a while. The film is also surprisingly graphic for a 15-certificate, although, with such an attractive cast, that's probably a recommendation rather than a caveat.

The Other Side Of The Bed is a lot of fun. That is, as long as you can bear musicals.