Review of Bulgarian Lovers (2003) by Ceph J — 31 Jul 2011

A blend of comedy, thriller, and love story. The love story is what I liked best since Dritan Biba (Kyrl) is gorgeous and Fernando Guillen Cuervo (Daniel) is well cast as the empathetic older man. It's believable that Biba is bisexual given his roots and that Cuervo is seeking younger men from Bulgaria as a challenge.

The comedy is provided by Biba's overweight friends especially Gildo (well played by Pepon Nieto). When Kyrl says that there's 3 people he's loved. Nieto whispers "These 3 people took care of him." Another funny line is when Cuervo confesses "I'd give my life to you" and Biba replies, matter of factly, "I'd also give YOUR life to ME." Some of the humor is too forced though. The director Eloy de la Iglesia has some weird shots which are distracting to the drama so the comedy and drama don't really mesh.

The movie ends like a thriller but the plot is convoluted. What I really liked about the movie was showing Bulgarians (immigrants) trying to make Madrid their new home. The wedding sequence was very entertaining. The movie ends well, depending on your perspective, with an "All About Eve" finale.