Torremolinos 73 (2003/2005)
Tim Burton's quirky and rose-colored
tinted version of the life of "Ed Wood" is only the
beginning of the man's story. Indeed, Burton made
an excellent film from this idea. The 50's filmmaker,
notorious for such sci-fi stinkers as "Bride of the
Monster" and the notorious "Plan 9 from Outer Space,"
is an excellent protagonist for a film. But Burton
ends his film when the story is really just getting
interesting. Biographer Rudolph Grey's book about
Wood, "Nightmare of Ecstasy," on which Burton's film
is based, continues the story of Wood until his death.
After his inability to create feature films was taken
away by the changing times and Wood's own alcoholism,
the filmmaker became a pornographer and worked on
numerous features with other filmmakers and pornographers.
A couple of his soft-core works, "Orgy of the Dead"
and "Take It Out in Trade," have become available
to a wide audience via VHS and DVD technology.
In his booze-soaked pornography
years, Wood also worked on numerous "nudie cutie"
shorts, loops (made for adult film arcades in the
pre-video era) and 8mm films for the home market.
Wood worked on a series of "Swedish Erotica" shorts
for the home market that were pornography purporting
to be "sex ed" films for married couples. I sure wish
someone would do a film called "Ed Wood II" about
these days. They are far more fascinating and emotionally
rich times than Wood's pre- porn days that Burton
exalts.
Anyway, I bring all this up because
I thought of Wood's "Swedish Erotica" series of 8mm
films when watching "Torremolinos 73." This quaint,
amusing retro look at one of the signposts on the
road to modern pornography is a guaranteed crowd pleaser
for film fans. Delightful at almost every turn, this
Spanish import concerns Alfredo, a balding and unsuccessful
encyclopedia salesman and his attractive young wife
Carmen. When the sale of his product plummets, Alfredo's
company calls upon their employees to embark on a
new career as filmmakers for a series of books and
8mm films on human sexuality for the Danish market.
While many of the salesmen and their wives opt for
unemployment rather than be exploited in such a way,
Alfredo and Carmen agree to embrace the opportunity
and soon find themselves happily rewarded for their
efforts.
"Torremolinos 73" features some
nudity and sexual situations, but it is hard to imagine
a more gentile and innocent little film. Only a menopausal
prude could find anything offensive here. Part of
the charm and accessibility of the film surely lies
in the hands of the stars, Javier Camara and Candela
Pena. This wonderful duo creates a living, breathing,
functioning couple that we find it very easy to become
enamored with. These are likeable characters and the
actors bring them forth with innocence, charm and
pleasant natures completely intact.
Such is required of the script,
which might become smug, dirty or even pretentious
in the wrong hands. Camara's character is truly fun
and amusing without ever being a sap or a milquetoast.
It's hard to imagine another actor making the subtleties
of the character come to life more perfectly. Pena,
as well, creates just the right notes for her Carmen.
This is a fun film, one that will
truly delight film fans as Ingmar Bergman is paid
homage to here in a way that is just delightful. The
film may be contrived at times and even be obvious
in its plot trappings, but it doesn't matter. It is
its charm and innocence that wins us over. And the
film's lovely characters engross us and our hearts
with the tenderness and joy they bring to the screen.
In a modern world drenched in pornography and obvious
modern adult images, in a world where large breasts
seem to spill from every billboard, magazine cover,
computer and television screen, the tender wonders
of "Torremolinos 73" remind us of just how beautiful
and charming human sexuality, love and the love of
film can be.
Note:
In Spanish with subtitles and sparse
Danish without subtitles.
Written and directed by Pablo Berger.
The film has been nominated for
and won several awards.
The film debuted in Spain in 2003.
The U.S. arthouse run began in April of 2005.
Viewed with Johnny Oh! at the Dobie
in June 2005.
